Santiago walking tour 1

Today we joined a walking tour taking in Santiago, the Funicular, San Cristóbal Hill and the cable car — and it turned out to be a great way to get our bearings of this big, busy city.
We arrived well before time for our 10am start… which, in true travel fashion, became 10.30 thanks to a couple of late arrivals. No stress — just more time to people watch and soak up the atmosphere.
Our guide, Natcha, led us on a relaxed walk from the university area, across the river and into what she called the “party district” — better known as Bellavista. By 11am it was pretty quiet, but you could see the signs… bars, restaurants, street art and souvenir shops everywhere. Apparently it’s a tale of two halves — one lively and well-patrolled, the other a bit more “after dark, proceed with caution!”
We made our way to the base of the funicular, which has been hauling people up San Cristóbal Hill for over 100 years. With our jump-the-queue tickets, we were straight on — always a win.
At the top, it felt like a mini village — cafés, ice cream stands, trinket shops and even a café perched above the workings of the funicular itself. Then came a very “local experience” — trying Chile’s famous dessert drink Mote con Huesillo. Think sweet peach nectar, a whole peach, and husked wheat sitting at the bottom. Sweet, unusual… and yes, glad I tried it!
From there we wandered further uphill, passing the Stations of the Cross, 7 crosses telling a religious story, before reaching the towering statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking the city. A pretty special spot, both spiritually and visually.
And then… the views.
Santiago stretches out endlessly below, framed by the Andes. Unfortunately, there’s a noticeable haze — the mountains trap the smog over the city — but even through that, it’s an impressive sight.
To finish off, we hopped on the cable car for the ride back down — a smooth glide over the treetops with more great views of the city and parklands.
All up, about three hours, a few good stories, a bit of local culture, and some pretty spectacular scenery.
Another great day on the road with Not So Grey Wanderers ✔️Læs mere