San Cristóbal Hill

San Cristóbal Hill is a prominent hill in northern Santiago, Chile, rising about 300 meters above the city. It is the third highest point in Santiago and offers views of the entire city. At the summit, you'll find a sanctuary with a 22-meter statue of the Virgin Mary, an amphitheater, and a chapel. The hill is also home to Santiago's largest public park, the Santiago Metropolitan Park.

Don't miss

• 22-meter statue of the Immaculate Conception at the summit, lit up at night
• Amphitheater and small chapel near the statue, where Pope John Paul II prayed in 1987
• Chilean National Zoo and a Japanese-style garden at the foothills
• Two municipal pools, Tupahue and Antilén, on the hill
• Santiago Metropolitan Park, the city's largest public park

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit San Cristóbal Hill

Cheapest way inA Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -4.9★ · 581 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$25 per personSee dates →Best full dayValparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting4.9★ · 7,763 travelers~10 hoursFree cancellationFrom$68 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleSantiago Skyline: Cable Cars & San Cristobal Private Adventure4.9★ · 13 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$79 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• You can reach the summit on foot (about a 45-minute walk with a 300-meter elevation change), by car, by funicular, or by cable car.
• The cable car (Teleférico) reopened in November 2016 with new cabins, some of which can carry bicycles, strollers, or wheelchairs.
• The Chilean National Zoo is accessible from the Bellavista entrance.

A bit of history

The hill was named by Spanish conquistadors for St. Christopher, who used it as a landmark. Its original indigenous name is Tupahue. It began to be used in 1903 with the installation of the Mills Observatory, now known as the Manuel Foster Observatory.