Tours of the City
Walking Tours
The Santiago Tourist Office (tel: (2) 632 7783/5; website: www.ciudad.cl) offers four walking tours of the city, provided free of charge by bilingual (Spanish and English) guides. The ‘Church Circuit’ visits the Cathedral and the churches of Santo Domingo and San Augustin. The ‘Civic Neighbourhood Circuit’ covers many public buildings in the Plaza de Armas and the downtown area (including the former Chilean parliament building, the law courts and Constitution Square in front of the Moneda Palace) and ends at the mausoleum of Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile’s liberator. The ‘Museum Circuit’ takes in the Museo de Santiago and the Museo Histrico Nacional, among others. The ‘Santa Lucia Circuit’ is a tour of Santiago’s historically significant hilltop sanctuary. Those in search of more strenuous walks within the city limits should head for Cerro San Cristobal (see Key Attractions), which is traversed by hiking trails and tracks.
Bus Tours
TurisTour (tel: (2) 488 0400; website: www.turistour.cl) operates evening city tours of major landmarks with minibus transportation and a bilingual (Spanish and English) guide. The tour is rounded off with a dinner and show with traditional Chilean dancing and singing. Terracota Excursions (tel: (2) 696 1097 or 836 1026; website: www.terracotachile.cl) offers a four-hour tour of Santiago’s historic sites and parks with a bilingual guide and private transportation.
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Tours of the City