We landed early in the morning on Saturday 3rd November and had three full days to discover the city before heading to the next destination on the coast. Our base was the lovely boutique hotel The Aubrey in Ballavista neighbourhood, nested at the foothills of Cerro San Cristobal.

The main destination of our Chile escape was Patagonia, where we plan to spend about 5 days. As even for adventurous parents, Patagonia is not the most toddler friendly destination, we have decided to leave our son with his grandparents back in Europe. I will continue to highlight family friendly spaces and activities in Santiago and surrounding central plateau that do not pose access difficulties. So, this article might still be worth the read if you are heading to Chile with the kids.

From the airport

There are several options, including a pre-paid cab and a local bus. They are all signposted at arrival. A cost effective and comfortable solution is to share a transfer with a few other passengers in a minibus. When you leave the luggage area, head to transporte terrestrial exit. Ask around for prices at the counters. We took Transvip that was 15200 CLP for 2 adults and 1 luggage. They will drop you at your hotel.

Getting around in the city

There is a metro that is very useful if you plan to reach spots that are outside central barrios like the Sky Costanera building. You will have to buy a bip card and charge it with the necessary amount. A metro ride is 700 CLP. We walked most of the time as the points of interest are located in the Center barrio and surroundings.

Our favourite sights and activities

You will need at least two days to get a flavour of the city. Three days if you want to have some time to recover from jet lag and 4-5 if travelling at a slower pace or with young children.

• Cerro San Cristobal

One of the hills of Santiago, home of the largest urban park in Latin America. Santiaguinos love this area that provides multiple entertainment opportunities for families: a funicular takes you up the hill, there is a zoo, a botanical garden and several paying pools on the hillside and a teleferico (cable cart) takes you down and in between hills. You can easily spend a day to enjoy this area alone if travelling with little ones. Avoid Monday if you do not want to climb up and down the hill on foot or are pushing a pram . The funicular and teleferic are not in operation on Monday. But if you want to enjoy the park in peace and really soak up the nature and trails, then Monday will be the best choice. It takes about 50 min to get to the hill top in a medium difficult hike ( we went to the Zoo and then took the Paseo meropolitano and the Zorro Vidal path up).

• La Chascona

The house of Pablo Neruda in Bellavista neighbourhood. Tickets are 7000 CLP and an audio guide is included. It provides a great introduction into the life of one of Chile’s most celebrated poets and the history of the land. The house is divided in 3 levels and has many steep stairs. You will have to bring a carrier if visiting with small children. Open daily as of 10h till about 18h.

• Do a Tour 4 Tips

A concept that is popular in South America are the tours organised by students or young tourism professionals for tips. We did one and can really recommend it. It takes about 3 h and it offers a good overview of the City Center as well as many tips on what to visit further. They organise two trips per day, starting in Plaza de Bellas Artes ,in front of the museum. You will recognise the guides by their red and white stripe jackets. The afternoon tour focuses on the city highlights: Plaza de las Armas, La Moneda, Lastaria district and the GAM.

• The GAM

The modern cultural Center built in commemoration of artist Gabriela Marquez is a unmissable landmark. Many art exhibits take place there. It is worth a visit to check out what is going on.

• Cerro Santa Lucia

The second city hill, a few hundred meters from the GAM. It is a peaceful escape from the city, with a lovely round park and a small castle. You will have to climb some stairs if planning to go all the way up to the view point. It is popular with local families and a good spot for a picnic.

• People watching in Lastaria

Lastaria is an emblematic neighbourhood where you should definitely spend s few hours relaxing, enjoying street art and having some drinks or dinner. I recommend below a few places below that we really liked and several of them are in Lastaria. On Sunday, there is a street market as well. The Chile Museum of modern art is tucked away in a small street.

• The tallest building in South America – Sky Costanera

A bit out of the City Center, in the district of Providencia, Chile boasts its highest building. You can take an elevator to the highest floor (60) and climb another flight of stairs to the highest floor that has no roof. It costs 15000 CLP per person. Children under 4 are free. The views are quite impressive, especially towards the Andes. We enjoyed the ride and perspective over the urban conglomerate.

• Museum of Pre -Colombian art

If you find yourself wanting to find out more about the folklore and history of the region, the museum will offer a few glimpses into pre- Colombian times in South America. If you travel with children, there is s small interactive section in the patio. They can colour a llama, dance to traditional music and even build the map of Chile through a huge puzzle. For adults, head to -1. This is where Chile’s traditional objects are on display. The museum is free on the first Sunday of the month.

• Have a lunch in busy Mercado Central

Mercado Central is close to the river, in the barrio Centro. Skip the touristy places in the Center and head for a local, smaller place close to the exits. We followed the locals to a restaurant called Clarita, next to the South East exit. They have tasty fish/seafood soup and fried fish with fries. Several families with small children were having lunch there as well. As many restaurant are closed on Sundays, this might be your best bed for a fresh local meal.

• Where to eat

Santiago is living a sort of food revolution, with many nice dinner places popping up around town. We asked our hotel for recommendations and cross checked with the tour guide. Here is what we tried and liked:

Utopia in Lastaria: good for drinks and vegetarian and vegan options

Mulato, Lastaria : good for drinks and tasty ceviche

Boca Nariz, wine bar in Lastaria: lovely food and amazing selection of Chilean wines. Book ahead as very popular.

Peumayen, Bellavista: ancestral food menu that represents a culinary journey through Chile. A nice introduction into Chilean food. Book ahead.

Galindo in Bellavista: good place to go with small children as they serve no frills dishes and sandwiches. Many local families attend for their Sunday meal.

Jose Ramon in Lastaria : craft beer and tasty sandwiches too

Emporia la Rosa: original ice cream flavours

While Santiago is a safe city to walk in and discover at leisure, do pay attention to pickpockets. They are ubiquitous in all touristic sites and transport and apparently very skilled in their job. Keep bags and backpack in front when possible.

Thank you for reading and happy travels!

CGK