View from the top floor of our Hyatt hotel. Santiago is a beautiful city! Photo by: Evan Berman
The first South American city that we spent time in was Santiago, Chile. We arrived in Santiago on Sunday morning and left on Wednesday morning, so we got 3 full days and 3 nights.
The review of Santiago is a part of the larger South American Adventure. For more on this trip, follow these links:
Flight: CHS-JFK in Delta Comfort+
Flight: JFK-SCL in LATAM Economy+
3 Days in Santiago, Chile (This Article)
Osaka Santiago, Chile Restaurant Review
Flight: SCL-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: AEP-FTE in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentine Patagonia
36 Hours in El Calafate, Argentina
Flight: FTE-USH in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: USH-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
2 Days in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Flight: AEP-SCL in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
Flight: SCL-MIA in LATAM Business Class
Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation
Flight: FLL-CHS in Silver Airways Economy Class
Overview:
Santiago was the first stop on the South American portion of our trip. We spent 3 days there and enjoyed the beauty of spring for the second time this year! While a major focus of this portion of the trip was supposed to be touring vineyards and wine tasting, that did not come to fruition. Instead, the time was spent in Santiago. I was working on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and while there was not a ton of work, I was kept busy.
The highlights of Santiago included:
- Enjoying incredible food– a lot of fish and seafood!
- Tasting many wines from various regions of Chile
- Exploring historical Santiago city center, including the beautiful cathedral and museums
- Drinks at a several fun bars– both beer and pisco
- Having gas pumped for me: a first!
Santiago is the capital city of Chile and the largest city. With a population of just shy of 7 million people, the city is large but not so big that it feels sterile and distant. Chile has a fascinating history.
The country has many natural resources, especially metals and food, and is widely thought of as the wealthiest and most stable country in South America. Using GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, in 2022, Chile was the 64th wealthiest country in the world, just behind the likes of Greece, Malaysia, Russia, and Bulgaria and just ahead of countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Montenegro, and Serbia.
Chile was under a brutal military dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet from roughly 1974 to 1990. Many thousands of dissidents “disappeared” and families were torn apart. However, the positive was that the economy was liberalized, private companies thrived, and living conditions dramatically improved. Some say that Pinochet “killed his citizens for a free market system.” The period may have been marked by violence and ruling with an iron fist, but the country does continue to reap the rewards of prosperity today. The Museum of Human Rights was an important place to visit to hear about that time period in more detail.
Flight Info:
We flew LATAM from New York-JFK to Santiago on Flight LA533.
The flight itself was long, though uneventful. However, while going through security in Charleston, I had forgotten that I had put my passport and global entry card in the pouch that I wear around my waist for protection while travelling internationally. As such, I set off the machine twice and despite telling TSA that was the reason I was setting off the machine, I was graciously invited to have a pat-down. I am so grateful for these agents that are here to protect us– I don’t know how we’d manage without them!
Read more details about the flight here.
Price: 30,000 Delta SkyMiles (26,000 points transferred from AmEx) and $21.20
Points Earned: none as this was a reward flight
Lodging Info:
We stayed 3 nights in Santiago– the first was at the W Santiago, a Marriott Luxury hotel through the AmEx Fine Hotels & Resorts Program, and the second at Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura. Read this post for the review of the Marriott property and this post for the review of the Hyatt property.
Price: $89 for the W Santiago ($289 per night, $200 statement credit via booking with the AmEx Platinum through AmEx FHR) or $44.50 per person. 10,000 Hyatt Points for the Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura (5,000 Chase points per person for a 2-night stay)
Points Earned: 1,445 MR and 6,094 Marriott Bonvoy Points for the W Santiago. 3,000 bonus Hyatt points for the Hyatt Santiago/Vitacura (through a promotion, normally award nights earn no points)
Airport Details:
As mentioned above, we flew into SCL, the international airport in Santiago. SCL is a decent airport for a Latin American city. There are 2 terminals located across the street from one another, Domestic and International.
I will review SCL more fully in a separate article. Per Flight Connections, the main airlines that fly there are LATAM (Delta joint venture partner), Sky Airlines (a low-cost carrier that merged with Star Alliance member Avianca in 2021), and JetSmart (an ultra low-cost carrier that operates a codeshare with OneWorld member American Airlines).
There are 6 main lounges. I enjoyed the SkyTeam Lounge near the E gates in the International Terminal, a Priority Pass Lounge, while flying Aerolíneas Argentinas (a SkyTeam member). The new LATAM Lounge has terrific reviews but the customs line took so long that we did not get a chance to experience it.
Transportation Details:
Rental Car:
We rented a car from the airport in hopes of driving to the vineyards near Santiago. While that did not come to fruition, it meant we had a car on Sunday. The rental cost was $82.85 for a 1-day rental and an additional $15.10 in filling the gas tank up before returning the car, a total of $97.95.
Filling up the car with gas before returning the car was quite exciting! I missed the turn for the gas station as I was talking to Austin about where to go for food. Unfortunately, that was the last stop before the airport so I had to turn around on the highway and drive back! When I finally got to the gas station, I was about to get out of the car when I noticed nobody else was. In Chile, like many other countries (and, for some reason, New Jersey), there is a gas attendant to pump gas for you.
When it was my turn, he asked how much gas I wanted to put it, then showed me the zeroed out meter to show he was not overcharging. After the tank was full, he asked if I wanted my windshield cleaned and when I said no, he thanked me and told me to move up. Travelling really does expose you to new ideas!
Note that the price of the rental was higher than the cheapest possible option (roughly $45) as I do not drive stick. If you can drive manual, you may find that allows for much cheaper rentals abroad!
Rideshare:
Lyft seems to not exist in South America, unfortunately. That meant we had a couple of options for transportation: Uber, a taxi, or the metro. In Santiago, this was an easy choice– by taking an Uber, we could mitigate the risk of being ripped off, enter the location of the destination beforehand, and earn 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Pretty good!
We took many Ubers. Rather than list them all, I will break out the categories to give an idea of how far and expensive the different types of destinations were:
Airport:
After dropping the car off at the airport, I took an Uber back to the hotel. It took 18 minutes to go 23.83 kilometers (14.29 miles). The fare was 26,245 Chilean pesos with a 1,000 peso tip, or $28.12.
Our Uber to the airport on Wednesday morning was a 26.09 km (16.16 mi) trip that took 22 minutes. The price was 26,143 Chilean pesos with a 1,500 peso tip ($30.15).
Historic Downtown:
The next morning, we took an Uber to the historic part of downtown to visit the museums. It took 9 minutes to go 2.84 km (1.24 mi) and the fare was 3,495 pesos with a 500 peso tip ($4.22).
Our return a few hours later was a 7 minute drive to go 2.7 km (1.24 mi). The fare was 3,017 pesos, with a 500 peso tip once more ($3.71).
The majority of the Ubers to this location were around 3,000 pesos from the Vitacura neighborhood in the daytime. The one exception was to the Human Rights Museum. There was a lot of traffic on the way there and it took us 27 minutes to go 11.64 km (6.84 mi). The fare was 7,981 pesos with a 1,000 tip ($9.66).
At night, these were slightly higher (around 5,000-6,000 pesos or $5.40-$6.60 per trip).
Nearby Dinner and Drinks:
For dinner on Monday, we took an Uber to Osaka, the incredible Peruvian-Japanese restaurant. The ride took us 4 minutes to go 2.04 km (1.24 mi) and the fare was 1,710 pesos with a 500 peso tip ($0.53).
The return ride was much more expensive! It was a 6 minute ride to go 1.84 km (0.62 mi) and the fare was 2,297 pesos with a 500 peso tip ($0.53).
Fares fluctuated from the 1,000’s to the low 4,000’s.
Total Price: 101,407 Chilean Pesos ($109.49, $54.75 per person)
Points Earned: 328.47 UR Points
Food & Drink:
As I mentioned in the flight review, my friend was unfortunately struck with food poisoning and unable to join me. As such, I wandered down to a nearby restaurant (Tip y Tap) for lunch on Sunday. That proved to be a terrific decision as the food was terrific and the waiter recommended Vinolia.
Tip y Tap:
Tip y Tap is a fun neighborhood bistro along Isidora Goyenechea in Las Condes, the financial district of Santiago. It is only 1.5 blocks from the W Santiago where we were staying, a mere 3 minute walk! This is 1 of 6 in Santiago, but the food was quite tasty.
I wandered in around 4pm local time on Sunday and had no trouble finding a table. I ordered the cebiche (we saw it spelled both with a b and a v here), the Tip y Tap special sandwich with steak, avocado, pickles, lettuce, and tomato as well as a creamy mushroom sauce. The bread is typical of Santiago– a whipped French-style bread. Quite tasty as well!
To drink, I ordered a Helles Bock from Patagonia.
Despite being known for being a remote, beautiful area, there is a large German population in Patagonia. Apparently, when the Chilean government kindly asked the natives that were living there to relocate, they brought in German immigrants to help facilitate the relocation and build up settlements. Hence, there is a strong German influence in Patagonia.
Price: 30,800 Chilean Pesos ($33.51)
Points Earned: 134 MR Points
Tiramisu:
Upon recommendation of the kind woman who sat next to me on the plane, we visited Pizzeria Tiramisu. A short walk from the hotel, this restaurant was quite lively at 10pm local time on a Sunday when we walked in. I was still full from my late lunch and opted for a lovely prosciutto and mozzarella plate with olives and bread while my friend ordered a pizza that was equally delicious.
Although the lighting was poor (for photo making), the presentation was exceptional and the taste exceeded expectations. The bread was quite a delight– flaky and lighter than usual. We each had a glass of wine– a Carmenère for me and a Cabernet Sauvignon for Austin– and both were delicious. The crowd was raucous for a Sunday night but there were plenty of couples as well. By the time we left (around 12:30am local time), the party was dying down but there were still pockets of revelers.
Price: 54,450 Chilean Pesos ($59.24 total, $29.62 per person)
Points Earned: 237 MR Points
Mussels– Chilean style:
I learned about this delightful dish in Chile. While baked tahong is common in the Philippines, in Chile there is also a mussels dish with baked parmesan cheese on top. The result? A mild yet mouth-watering layer over cheese covers fresh mussels. The taste is glorious, like heaven. Unfortunately, the name of the restaurant does not appear on any maps or the internet, so sharing the name would do no good. We were the only two people in the restaurant for over 2 hours! In any case, their food was delicious, even if the advertising was subpar. 🙂
Vinolia:
I was looking for a quality wine bar to taste wines since we could not visit the vineyards on this trip. The waiter at Tip y Tap recommended Vinolia and what a terrific recommendation it was! The waiters asked if we would prefer an English-speaking sommelier, which we certainly did. Javier was fully fluent in English, with a great sense of humor nonetheless! We opted for their daily flight option. The 3 wines were a Carmenère, a Syrah, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. All 3 were from Chile, but were from different regions.
However, we were not merely presented with the wines. We also enjoyed 3 delicious small bites. Fresh prosciutto with a honey glaze, thinly sliced salmon, and tasty mozzarella with fresh tomatoes were the stars of the show, but the bread was exceptional and the ensemble proved a perfect pair to our wine.
As for the wine reviews, the Carmenère was my favorite– given the spicyness, it is certainly not for everyone– while Austin loved (and I certainly seconded the admiration for) the Syrah. Unlike most Syrahs (especially those from France), this one was much lighter and more playful. It could be enjoyed with a tender piece of meat but would work equally well on a summer evening after dinner. Don’t worry, the Cabernet Sauvignon got plenty of love as well– it was delicious in its own right.
We had to leave Vinolia soon after the tasting was complete to catch our reservation at Osaka. However, if we had had more time, we certainly would have returned. The wine offerings were reasonable and there was a small corkage fee on the Monday that we were there.
Price: 50,578 pesos ($53.87, including a generous tip for the excellent service, $26.94 per person)
Points Earned: 215 MR Points
Osaka:
Our meal at Osaka was too delicious and extensive to include in this review. A full review is published separately.
Price: 128,260 pesos ($136.61, $78.31 per person)
Points: 137 MR Points (unfortunately, this coded as “Merchandise & Supplies” not restaurant.)
Bocanariz:
Named as the best wine bar in Santiago both by tourists and locals, this is a must-visit in Santiago. I had met a lovely woman from Santiago and she met me here. The two of us opted to split a flight of wines. We had an orange wine, a Carmenère, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. We had a great time with the marvelous wines and ambiance. I highly recommend this bar as a date spot!
Price: 23,430 ($25.22 or $12.66 per person. Don’t worry, I paid because I’m a gentleman.) 😉
Points Earned: 25 MR Points. Unfortunately, this machine also registered as Merchandise & Supplies so I earned 1x on this purchase as well.
Restaurant Castillo Forestal:
The last meal we had in Santiago was of course at a French restaurant! A short walk from a large park in the Lastarria neighborhood, this chic French bistro has both indoor and outdoor seating. We split the salmon carpaccio, and I ordered the confit de canard (Duck Confit). I tried a Pisco Sour that was exceptional. The pisco was labelled as “the best Pisco in Santiago” and I have to agree!
Sidebar: The origin of Pisco is fiercely debated between Peru and Chile. Most foreigners likely believe that the drink belongs to Peru. However, Chile produces much more and claims to have invented the tasty grape brandy. Whichever country you believe, Pisco is a terrific drink!
Price: 57,970 pesos ($62.40 or $31.20 per person)
Points Earned: 62 MR Points. Unfortunately, this coded as Merchandise & Supplies again.
Lagerhaus Vitacura:
I know some of you are reading this and thinking, “Enough wine. Where’s the beer?” For you, my dear readers, I present Lagerhaus Vitacura. For our last night in Santiago, we opted to visit the terrific beer bar. The beer menu was at least 15 pages long and had a large local selection, as well as beers from the rest of South and Central America and Europe. We had several local draft beers, then split this classic Belgian Oude:
We sat outside on the patio. There was a moment of uncertainty as I had to hop the rope since the door was temporarily closed from the outside, but I persevered. 😉 The upstairs of the building was incredible. I went upstairs to go to the bathroom before leaving and noticed that there was a game room set up, complete with a billiards table, tv’s, comfortable chairs, and many decorations. It’s safe to say that when I come back to Santiago, I’ll be visiting the upstairs!
Price: 34,000 pesos (~$36.60 or $18,80 a person)
Points Earned: None, I used cash.
Activities:
There is plenty to see and do in Santiago. We attempted to enter the Fine Arts Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum. However, both were closed due to a protest!
Museum of Human Rights
As I mentioned above, Chile has a fascinating history, politically and economically. One of the must-visit spots in Santiago is the Museum of Human Rights which talks about life under Pinochet and the rise and fall of the dictatorship. While a little heavy-handed at times, this museum does a good job of describing the events without beating you over the head or intimating that capitalism is bad. The museum is free to enter, though accepts donations. We spent about 45 minutes and got through all 3 floors.
Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral:
We made it into the Cathedral for the Catholic Diocese of Santiago on Monday. I had attempted to visit for mass on Sunday, but the man at the front door told me in no uncertain terms that there was no mass that day and the visiting hours were over. The cathedral is typical of South America: enormous with many small shrines inside. The cathedral is Neoclassical in style and dates to the 1700’s.
Entry was free.
Santiago Metropolitan Park:
This park is MASSIVE. It is more than 1,700 acres, double the size of Central Park in New York. I climbed to the top of San Cristobal Hill for the breathtaking view of the city of Santiago.
While the Japanese gardens were closed when I visited, the park itself is enormous and the views are beautiful so I didn’t suffer too much. Note: I called an Uber and he informed me that cars are unable to climb the hill. I saw a couple of cars but it is possible Uber does not allow their drivers to go up. If you want to conserve energy, consider taking an Uber to the start of the park and walking up and then back down to the city.
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art :
Unfortunately, the Pre-Columbian Latin American floor was closed, so we only were able to visit the Chilean art portion of the museum. However, we enjoyed learning about art in the Pre-Columbian era. One unique characteristic: Southern Chilean art depicts its subject with a connected eyebrow and nose.
Price: 10,000 Chilean Pesos (5,000 each, roughly $5.38 per person). If you are a student, the price is only 2,500 Chilean Pesos per Person
Points Earned: None, paid with cash
Total:
Price:
Food and Drink: 385,307 Chilean Pesos ($438.60, $274.28 for me)
Transportation: 101,407 Chilean Pesos ($109.49, $54.75 per person)
Flights: 26,000 AmEx Membership Rewards Points & $21.20
Hotel: $89 & 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points ($44.50 & 5,000 points per person)
Activities: 10,000 Chilean Pesos ($10.76, $5.38 per person)
Total Price: $669.05 ($400.11 for me)
Points Earned:
Food and Drink: 934 AmEx Membership Rewards Points
Transportation: 607 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Flights: None, award flight
Hotel: 1,445 AmEx Membership Rewards Points and 6,094 Marriott Bonvoy Points, as well as 3,000 bonus Hyatt points.
Activities: None, paid in cash
Total Points: 2,379 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 607 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, 6,094 Marriott Bonvoy Points, 3,000 Hyatt Points
Gracias, Santiago! Next up: El Calafate, Argentina.
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