Santiago city tour, Chile
A light spray of spittle erupts from Felipe’s mouth. His eyes are animated, his hands moving wildly and his voice booming across the crowd.
As he tells stories of Chile’s fight for independence, his mood lifts with the jubilation of victory.
When he discusses the difficulties of life under Pinochet, his tone softens in respect for those who went missing or were killed. And as he explains the recent student riots in the city, there’s a muted anger in the way he talks.
Felipe is an actor and today Santiago is his stage and we his audience.
Every day Felipe guides a free tour of Santiago – sometimes two – in exchange for tips.
It’s a system that’s been adopted in cities all across the world. The one in Sydney uses to stop at my old office and point in the windows at us.
I’d been meaning to do one of the free city tours somewhere for a long time. This was my first, though.
Through the sites of the centre he led us, where we saw the Presidential Palace and the city’s largest church.
We went to the trendy nearby suburbs, with a small arts and crafts market, outdoor cafes and busy restaurants. And we walked through the park which follows the path of the river across much of the city.
The European architecture mixes with the South American lifestyles and the plaza is full of Chileans relaxing in the shadows of the old buildings.
And the whole time Felipe explains the context of the sites and how they fit with the history and culture of the city.
Visiting Santiago, Chile
Santiago is a lively and friendly place with a cosmopolitan feel and it’s enjoyable to stroll its streets.
On one side, the Andes keep a watchful eye over it and as the sun begins to set towards the end of our tour, they turn a shade of gold, a symbolic reminder that the valuable natural resources they hold have helped make this city and this country so economically stable.
In return, this city has helped make Felipe economically stable as well.
He joins a couple of us for a few drinks after the tour and tells us that business has been good recently.
The average person on the tour tips about US$10 each and with about twenty people per tour that’s US$200 for four hours work.
On the weeks he does two tours a day he can earn more than two thousand dollars.
Still, he’s an actor by training and this is just something to pay the bills while he struts the stage.
Although he brought all his skills to his tour he didn’t need to pretend that Santiago was a fascinating city. It sells itself.
THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN SANTIAGO
It’s a big city, but I think the best areas to stay in Santiago are around Bella Vista or Barrio Suecia.
BACKPACKER
Set in a historic area, Eco-Hostal Tambo Verde is a charming hostel that’s convenient to the main attractions and the metro.
BUDGET
With lots of character, Hotel Voila Londres is clean and comfortable and is located in the city centre.
BOUTIQUE
There’s lots of art at The Singular Santiago, which also has fantastic service, an outdoor pool, and a free breakfast.
LUXURY
One of the nicest hotels in Santiago, The Ritz-Carlton is everything you expect, with plush rooms, great service, and an indoor pool.
This is definitely a place I want to explore. I’ve actually got some distance ties to Chile including Santiago and Vina del Mar. Chile really is a fascinating country!
It’s a great country and quite easy to explore because you just go up or down. It’s easy to see everything you want because you don’t need to go too far off the path.
A guided tour is always a good option to explore a new city, understand it’s history and center yourself in the great scheme of things.
Yeah, I often tend to just wander around a city but you get a lot more out of it when someone can explain what everything is!
Wish we’d known about this tour when we were there last year – looks really good and you got some awesome photos!
It was great. The good news is they do these kind of free tours in cities all across the world so it’s not too late to start going along with a few of them!
Ooooh, I haven’t been to South America yet, but I really want to go! It’s on the list, no doubt about that. I’ve always enjoyed those ‘free’ tours as well, they’re mostly really well done (it does depend on your guide though).
You definitely need to get to South America. And give yourself plenty of time to do it all properly. There’s so much to see and do!
I agree with you. People like Felipe are just icing on the cake. Santiago’s scenery, architecture and culture is enough to invite tourists in.
I never knew too much about it before I got there but it’s easily become one of my favourite cities in South America.
Chile’s been rising fast on my list since I learned it was named the world’s most ethical travel destination for 2012. We love South America (heading to Peruvian Amazon in two weeks!), so I’m sure we’ll get there soon enough. Thanks for the story!
Oh, you’ll love Peru! I haven’t been there yet but everyone raves about it. It’s a pity our paths won’t cross seeing as we’re vaguely in the same area.
Why don’t you just add a couple of weeks onto the trip and pop down south somewhere? 🙂
Love the photos (and the variety).
Great shot of Santiago from up the hill.
I didn’t know they’d painted the houses up near the ex-OZ disco (Bellavista). They look quite good, like a hint of Valparaiso there.
Thanks for sharing the tip about the Free Tour too.
Ah, you’re clearly an expert when you know that some houses have been painted 🙂
You should check out the free tour sometime, even if you know the city well. There’s sure to be something new that you’ll learn!
i like the first pic. that is too high but the view is really great.
Don’t worry. It would be pretty hard to fall down from there! 🙂
Looks beautiful! Kinda polluted? Ive actually never been to S. America. Going to Honduras in April, but that’s about all the traveling I’ve done south of the boarder.
Santiago is actually one of the most-polluted cities in the world because of the way the mountains trap the smog. But I was there in February and that’s supposed to be a really good month. Imagine what it’s like the rest of the time!!
Hi! I´d like to contact your guide in Santiago, do you know how can i do it?
Best and congrast for the blog!!
Hi, I’ve sent you an email with some info. Hope it helps.