What are the best deals in Santiago, Chile?
There are three types of deals: the first one is free, the second is affordable and worthwhile, and the third is a rip-off.
There are three things I would not pay for or do in Santiago.
1. I find the hop-on, hop-off buses are a good idea in some cities but not worth the effort in Santiago. You can quickly transfer to various places via the public transit system, which is very good, or, in our case, we used Uber. Using Uber in South America is cost-effective and convenient for us to go from A to B. It isn’t as cheap as the excellent metro and bus system, but it is still worth it when travelling in the heat or later in the day.
2. Most tours, especially the ones to take the tram and the funicular up the mountain, are overpriced. It is straightforward to do without paying for a tour. Similarly, many day trips to Douro Valley or Valparaísothere include a tour of the area and a wine tasting. Most tours promising winetasting are overpriced and do not involve any serious winetasting. Stick to area tours that do not include wine tasting. If you want a decent wine tasting event, we did find one that turned out to be fantastic. See deals worth paying for below.
3. The Gran Torre Santiago may be the tallest in South America but only 300 m tall. This means it doesn’t even make the top 100 tall buildings in the world; in comparison, there are at least a dozen that are over 600 m, I’m sure the view might be. I can’t believe they charge the equivalent of $18 to go up in my books. This is a complete waste of money that could be spent on something else.
The three best deals in Santiago that cost nothing
- Many visitors probably overlook Parque De Las Esculturas. I like sculpture, so I found this particularly interesting. The park suffered from a flood a few years ago and has not been appropriately maintained and restored in some areas, but that doesn’t diminish the interest in the 30 sculptures within the park.
2. The Museum of Fine Arts, as it is known, has some fascinating statues. While we were there, the basement had an exciting exhibition on the overthrow of the communist party on September 11, 1973, In the subsequent massacres by the Pinot government.
3. A five-minute walk from here takes you to the town center. This is a tiny area but another must-do for tourists: along the block area, there are many street vendors, cute shops, and cafés.
Two best deals in Santiago that I think are worth paying for
1. Tickets for the funicular and the trim are highly affordable. I recommend getting a complete day pass, which means you can go up and down as much as you want. It includes the tram, cable car, funicular, and bus. As a senior, we paid barely over six dollars; that’s a steal of a deal.
2. The Viña Cousiño Macul headquarters is about a 30-minute drive outside Santiago, so going there and back by Uber is reasonable. I must caveat about the Ubers here in Santiago. They have a tendency not always to commit themselves or change their mind. We had to wait excessively to get one a few times, so planning is a good idea.
This wine tour, the deluxe version, took you through the wine production area, not the vineyards, which most are found elsewhere. Still, it’s been in the family for over 100 years and is quite interesting. The introductory tour includes three decent wine tastings, and the deluxe consists of another three. Because you’re not going for a long drive out of the city, the tour itself is much shorter, but that also means they are offered in the morning in the afternoon, personally before noon. For wine tasting, it is a bit much.