Chile
Santiago in December
☀️ Warm dry seasonWarm and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: sunglasses & hat
Why December scores 9.2What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort9.6
- ✓Warm (29°C highs / 12°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 0.7°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~3 mm rain)
- Air quality8.1
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~17 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.2 Excellent | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Warm dry season | ☀️ Warm dry season |
| High / low | 29° / 12° | 30° / 14° |
| Rain | 3 mm | 1 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 1° | dew pt 3° |
| PM2.5 | 17 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Santiago Quinta Normal weather-station normals. Rainfall: Quinta Normal, Santiago weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Christmas Day 25–27 Dec · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Immaculate Conception (8 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore SantiagoEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyChile's capital in a valley beneath the Andes, a base for wine country, ski resorts and day trips to Valparaíso.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
Santiago a MilDate variesUsually January
An international theatre festival with many street performances.
Why go: Some shows are free outdoors.
Where: Theatres and streets citywide
Lollapalooza ChileDate variesUsually March
The Chilean edition of the international music festival.
Why go: Hotels and transport are busy that weekend.
Where: Santiago
Fiestas PatriasEvery year18–19 September every year
Chile's national holidays, with fondas (fair stalls), cueca dancing and barbecues.
Why go: Many businesses close; the whole country celebrates.
Where: Parque O'Higgins and nationwide
Cerro San Cristóbal
A large hill park with a funicular, cable car and a statue of the Virgin overlooking the city.
💡 Clear days, often after rain, give the best Andes views.
Cerro Santa Lucía
A small hill in the centre with terraces, fountains and a lookout.
Plaza de Armas
The historic main square with the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
A museum about human rights violations during the 1973–1990 military dictatorship.
La Chascona and Bellavista
Pablo Neruda's Santiago house, in the bohemian Bellavista neighbourhood.
Ski resorts
Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado are within driving distance.
💡 The ski season is usually June to September.
Empanadas de pino
Baked pastries filled with beef, onion, egg and olive.
💡 Bakeries and markets
Pastel de choclo
A baked dish of meat topped with sweet corn paste.
💡 Traditional restaurants, mainly in summer
Completo
A hot dog loaded with avocado, tomato and mayonnaise.
💡 Snack bars
Mote con huesillo
A cold summer drink of dried peaches and wheat.
💡 Street stalls
Pisco sour
A cocktail of pisco, lemon and sugar.
💡 Bars
Lapis lazuli
Blue stone jewellery; Chile is a major source of lapis.
💡 Jewellery shops
Chilean wine
Wine from Maipo, Colchagua and Casablanca valleys.
💡 Wine shops
Pisco
Grape brandy.
💡 Liquor shops
Handicrafts
Copper, ceramics and woven goods.
💡 Pueblito Los Dominicos craft village
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
Partner links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects scores.