Home > Santiago > Santiago Like a Local: Private Walking Tour with Coffee, Markets, Street Food and San Cristobal Hill
USD $132.00
Santiago Like a Local: Private Walking Tour with Coffee, Markets, Street Food and San Cristobal Hill
Santiago, Chile
On this private walking tour, experience Santiago like a true local -- a Santiaguiño -- as you explore boutique shops, food markets and diverse neighborhoods with your knowledgeable guide. You’ll sip coffee, sample street food, stop for lunch and have a drink at a local bar, immersing yourself in Chilean culture as you go.
After pickup from your hotel in Santiago, your private guide will accompany you on the metro -- just like a local -- to Universidad de Chile station, where you’ll stop to admire Mario Toral’s murals, called ‘Visual Memory of a Nation,’ which record Chilean history.
Then, join Santiago’s bustling downtown and see its vibrant urban culture firsthand. You’ll walk with your guide through a classic, colonial-style building that houses the stock exchange. Afterward, experience a cheeky piece of Santiago culture as you sip a cup of coffee at a café con piernas (coffee with legs), where female servers show off their limbs in high heels and miniskirts, bikinis or lingerie.
Next, meander through the Paseo Ahumada, a 4-block-long pedestrian mall filled with retail shops and shoeshine stands. Follow the promenade to Plaza de Armas, a gathering spot for Chilean immigrants. You’ll visit Chile’s largest cathedral and snack on some classic street food such as sopaipilla (or sopapilla), a pastry made of deep-fried pumpkin dough.
Continue along Puente Street, lined with shoe stores, until you reach the Mercado Central (Central Market), a national monument built in 1872. Watch the fishmongers cut fillets before stopping for lunch at one of the many seafood restaurants frequented by the locals. Here, try tangy ceviche, fish marinade or razor clams!
After a satisfying meal, walk across the Mapocho River to La Vega Central, a market brimming with seasonal produce like figs, quince, persimmons and chirimoyas (custard apples).
Then, walk through Barrio Bellavista, Santiago’s Bohemian district, where famous poet Pablo Neruda lived. Artists and intellectuals still reside here, along with boutiques and galleries housed in old mansions. Your guide will take you to a local bar to try a Terremoto (Earthquake), a typical Chilean drink made of pipeño (sweet fermented wine) paired with pineapple ice cream.
Afterward, you’ll be taken back to your hotel by a comfortable van.
A great way to see the city and to taste a few local delicacies and ride the metro. Our guide was brilliant. It was one of the best tours, ever and the walking was at a steady pace with plenty of time to stop, observe and take photos.
Review by: John T, January 2018
Very pleasant and enjoyable day--greatly enjoyed walking around Santiago and seeing the sights. Particularly enjoyed the coffee and street food.
Review by: John L, December 2017
Our guide Claudio was excellent but we were given the City tour not the Food tour. No street food or San Cristobal hill. We did get coffee and saw the changing of the guard at the presidential palace. We also got lunch at the very end when it became apparent there was no food. There needs to be better communication between the company and the guides.
Review by: Kevin, February 2017
We were met in the lobby of our Hotel by Eduardo. He was a little unsure of what the tour entailed as he was only called the night before to do it. As we walked to the nearest Metro Station We discussed this and got things organised. After riding a train to downtown we strolled through the district viewing the historic buildings and the Santiago Cathedral. _br/_ When we left Mercado Central we were picked up by a driver and proceeded to go to San Cristobal Hill. This was a unique experience because it was a Sunday. The Funicular to the summit had a wait of at least 45minutes so it was decided to drive up. The road was full of cyclists and runners/walkers and near the top the road to the summit was closed to cars. We didnt get to the top but stopped in a layby to get a view of the city._br/_ Once we descended the hill we went around the Financial area of the city ending up back at Mercado Central where we left our driver and had a seafood lunch which included a Pisco Sour and a glass of wine._br/_ After lunch, we caught the Metro and Eduardo escorted us back to our Hotel._br/_ Eduardo gave a good commentary and his English was very easy to understand. Sometimes some of the questions we asked got lost in the translation but we got there in the end and were able to laugh about it.
Review by: Natalee R, December 2016
If you are a history or architecture buff, this might be the thing for you. We learnt a lot but didn and #39;t feel any of the personality of Santiago. The food in the Mercato Centrale for lunch was disappointing to say the least. Given we paid a premium price I expected a premium tour and was disappointed.
Review by: Dave K, October 2016
Great tour - my guide was very knowledgable and showed me a lot of Santiago's history and interesting locations
Review by: William B, December 2015
I was there on a religious holiday so not everything was open. San Cristobal Hill was deleted from the tour. Paula the tour guide was great. Mostly walking tour. Good lunch and explanation of the capital and culture.
Review by: Carolyn R, July 2015
Excellent tour and Carol was a very good guide. She spoke excellent English and explained the history of the city well and the importance of the various areas that we saw. It was Sunday so the city was quiet and easy to walk around and see the buildings. The highlight for us was the market and lunch in one of the restaurants there. The cafe with legs was also an experience - unique to Santiago.
Review by: Brenda L, March 2015
This was NOT the tour I thought I'd signed up for. We ended out on a downtown walking tour and I kept saying to the guide - but what about the markets? I kept getting the brush off - she was saying - we will go to the blue stone market. After our walk on San Cristobal Hill she took us to her friend's Lapis Lazuli store - this was NOT appreciated. I wanted to try market food and get a taste of the cuisine.
Review by: Stuart, December 2013
Good tour and the guide was very knowledgeable.
Review by: Stuart E, June 2013
Didn't go because of disappointing tour the previous day
Review by: Ronald R, June 2013
Need to do some walking to get a better understanding of the city. Coffee with legs not to be missed. It was also good to look inside some interesting buildings.
Review by: Terry-Ann H, June 2013
Kudo's to Paola our guide. Came out in unexpectedly cold weather and on time. Had a great day with her - just wasn't long enough!
Review by: Clair M, May 2013
(see review for Private Walking Tour, Santiago like a Local). Our tour guide was Gladys and she was excellent in every way. Can't recommend this half day tour with her enough - we wish all of our tours this week had been with Gladys, such was her knowledge of the subject matter, country and culture. She had excellent English, was and looked very professional and was fun - she joined in our English humour. Fascinating day, the best tour we did as it gives you a great introduction and background to the city and country you're in. If there's one thing you do in Santiago, do this tour. A very nice lady. Thank you Gladys - you're a credit to your employer.
Review by: BigKev, May 2013
Local took us for the tour. Interesting sites and facts about the city. Excellent lunch. Unfortunately, we were driven up to San Christobel Hill, but we had to pay to get down on the funicular. This was supposed to be part of the fees, so a little disappointing.
Review by: Sparkles, May 2013
Local took us for the tour. Interesting sites and facts about the city. Excellent lunch. Unfortunately, we were driven up to San Christobel Hill, but we had to pay to get down on the funicular. This was supposed to be part of the fees, so a little disappointing.
Review by: Robert C, April 2013
gOOD ALLROUND TOUR
Review by: Donald D, February 2013
We had a wonderful tour guide, Richard Soto. He took us to all the sites a tourist would appreciate. His English is superb and his knowledge of Chilean history was very good. I am a knitter he found yarn shops for me. I asked him to take us to a "hole in the wall" restaurant....he granted my wish.
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