A day of tourism in Santiago!

Santiago is a metropolitan city with a lot of very distinct neighbourhoods, all with their own charms and "onda" (Spanish word for "energy"). Therefore, it is a good idea to have at least some idea of what you will be seeing, and that you see the things you are interested in! I do recommend taking a tour to find the true "onda" of Santiago, but I will also highlight a few stops that you cannot miss!

The city tours of Santiago
These are offered in English and are well-informed! The bike tour offers you a nice bike ride that will take you around the most essential building and neighbourhoods at a comfortable pace. The free tour starts at Plaza de Armas, and will take you on a 4 hr tour around Santiago to see all of the highlights!
http://www.biketours.cl/
http://www.freetoursantiago.cl/when_where.html

Moreover, at Trip Advicor I found plenty of different tours of Santiago and its surrounding. There is definitely no reason to wander around aimlessly, check them out to see if any of them suits your interests!
http://www.tripadvisor.com.ar/Attractions-g294305-Activities-c25-Santiago_Santiago_Metropolitan_Region.html

Here are some examples I found interesting:
http://horseridingchile.com/
http://www.chileofftrack.com/

Los Barrios:
There is a lot to see in the various neighbourhoods in Santiago. I recommend turning to one of the city tours. I worked most of the time I spent in Santiago, and therefore cannot tell you enough.

Los cerros; Santa Lucia & San Cristóbal

As opposed to running up, even if the view is stunning on a clear day,
there is a mechanical lift-system at the base of San Cristóbal in Bellavista

The Virgin Carmen

Stellar view from the top at sunset

View from the run up San Cristóbal

Cerro de Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia lies conveniently close, and does not require a full work-out to reach the top. From there, you are rewarded with a stunning view of the city, the mountains,  and perhaps a sunset (especially on a clear day!).  There is a little park on the way up, where you can enjoy an ice-cream and relax in the afternoon to an amazing outlook of Santiago. 

La Moneda, the castle 

Plaza de Armas -  The Cathedral
You also find the National Museum,
and lots of shops around the plaza

Plaza de Armas offers culturally the gran Cathedral, the National Museum, and the many activities that take place in the amiable square. There are artists selling their paintings, standing as statues, fountains and lots of birds. Also, it is surrounded by a shopping district where no traffic enters, and offer everything from trendy clothing and cheap markets selling electronics, cloths, hats, to restaurants, american food-chains, and cafeterias. 

Here you will also find the free city tour!

- It is a good place to start the day! :D

Don´t forget to check out Barrio Bellavista y Manuel Montt for a good evening/night out! - You will find more information in my
post "The must-see Nightlife and the culinary experiences in Santiago"
http://motorbiketoursa.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-must-see-nightlife-and-culinary_10.html