Santiago's Museums & Palaces Free Tour

This walk keeps close to Plaza de Armas, the square Pedro de Valdivia laid out the day he founded Santiago in 1541, and uses it as a base to read the institutions built around it: the Metropolitan Cathedral, the former Royal Court palace that now houses the National History Museum, and the ornate Central Post Office building. Over roughly two and a half hours, your guide traces how colonial Santiago grew into a republican capital, one façade at a time.

From the square, the route pushes toward the Barrio Cívico and the exterior of La Moneda Palace, pointing out the government buildings, monuments and public squares that still anchor Chilean political life today. Expect plenty of architectural detail and a clear timeline of how the city's center took the shape it has now.