Santiago is full of things to see. There are many museums, monuments, and interesting culture. The area has been populated since the 1500s; the first church was built in 1547 and is still standing. You can visit Cerro Santa Lucia and see the beautiful view of Santiago, or if you want an even higher view you can walk up or take the train up Cerro San Cristobal. You can visit the Plaza Central and see many different artists, people playing chess, or just admire the amazing architecture. Later you could visit the Moneda, where the governmental meetings are held. Below the Moneda there is a fantastic museum with different exhibitions depending on when you visit. Santiago is the heart of Chile, you can find anything and everything you could want here, you just have to spend some time looking.

-How to get around?
suggest traveling through Santiago by foot or in the Metro (subway) or Micro (city busses). I do not recommend using taxis, I think they are overpriced and the city is so large that you will spend a lot of money on a little travel. The metro is only in service until 10:00pm, but the micros are available at any time of the day.

-Where should I stay?
The best place to stay in Santiago is in Providencia near Santa Lucia Cerro. This is the center of Santiago and you will have easy access to all of the tourist attractions and to the metro. It is relatively safe here, but you should still be careful. There are many nice places to eat and most everything you can get to at walking distance. -What is there to see?

Valapariso: In Valapariso there are many interesting things to see.
One the Chileans are proud of is Pablo Neruda´s house; he was a famous Chilean poet.
Amongst all the hills and stairs to climb, I recommend two; the Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion.  I suggest that you go in the mid morning before all the pick-pocketers wake up.
You can walk up the hills and take one of the elevators back down.  These elevators are conveniently located throughout Valapariso.
I also think that walking through Museo a Cielo Abierto is very interesting and beautiful; here you can see a variety of wall murals by local artists.
I suggest visiting Valparaiso Street; it is a great place to go shopping and get some great coffee.

Viña del Mar: While in Viña del Mar, you should try and visit Quinta Vergara; this is the home of the founder of Viña del Mar and is now a Museum of Fine Arts and the backdrop for the International Song Festival.  You should also visit Riojoa Palace; it is a gorgeous French style palace located in Viña del Mar and is now a National Monument.  It is home to the Environmental Museum.  For a great view of Viña del Mar I suggest visiting Mt Castillo, it was built within the last century and is also home to the flower clock which is a common icon of Viña del Mar.  Peru Avenue is a great place to walk in Viña; it is along the beach, and a beautiful place to watch the sunset.

-How to get around?
I suggest taking the metro to go from Viña to Valapariso and walking while in the cities.  There are many small busses that go from one town to the other, but I find that the metro is safer and a bit quicker.

-Where should I stay?
Temuco is a pretty big city.  While you are here you should try and stay between Caupolican, Barros Araña, Balmaceda and Manuel Montt.  From here you can walk most anywhere.

Puerto Natales is another small town.  However, if you are not careful you can get out of the city center and will end up about a 15 minute walk from all the conveniences the city has to offer.
The town has two plazas; I would recommend staying within 3 blocks of either of these plazas.
The majority of the cities commerce is located on Bulnes, Eberhard, and Baquedano.

-What is there to see?
Natales is a small fisherman and cattle rancher town.  In recent years it has become the gateway to Torres del Paine.  It is a great rest spot before and after entering the park.  You should try and visit the town museum located on Bulnes, the butchery museum and have a walk through the still somewhat historical looking town.

-How to get around?
Natales is easy to get around, you can walk most everywhere.  However, if there is rain, or you are just too tired to walk, a taxi will take you anywhere in town for 1,000 CLP. 

-What is there to see?
There is beautiful architecture in Puerto Varas; I suggest taking a small walking tour around the city to see some of the interesting sights.  You should be sure and make a stop in the Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon.  This church was built in 1915 and was recently renovated.  It is a beautiful German constructed church.  If you have some time I would also recommend taking a trip out to one of the local volcanoes.  Osornos is the largest and most breath-taking of the surrounding volcanoes. 

-How to get around?
Puerto Varas is very small and it is easy to walk around the town.  If you decide you want to explore a bit of the outdoors any taxi will take you for a reasonable price and there are also tour companies in town that you can arrange a tour with.

-Where should I stay?
Puerto Varas is a fairly small town and everything is located compactly in the center.  I recommend staying near San Jose and Del Salvador.  From here everything should be at walking distance.

-What is there to see?
I recommend visiting the main plaza, Plaza Anival Pinto.  You can see an interesting monument.  Also you should visit the Mercado Municipal for some indigenous (Mapuche) artifacts; including silver, woven ponchos, mate gourds, etc.  Another market you should try to visit is the Feria Libre; here you can find some wonderful fresh fruit and veggies.  Here you can see traditional Mapuche people coming from reservations to sell their goods.  There is also a regional museum de la Araucania, where you can learn about the history of the Mapuche people.  Temuco also is home to the Pablo Neruda National Railway Museum, here you can learn about the history of the railroad in Chile.  Temuco is the gateway into Pucon; here you can see the incredible Villa Rica Lake.

-How to get around?
If you decide to stay in the center most everything should be in walking distance.  However, if you want to leave town the taxis are not ridiculous.  There are also collectivos running specific routes.

-Where should I stay?
Temuco is a pretty big city.  While you are here you should try and stay between Caupolican, Barros Araña, Balmaceda and Manuel Montt.  From here you can walk most anywhere.

San Pedro de Atacama, commonly known as San Pedro is a tiny “pueblo”.  Anywhere you choose to stay in San Pedro will be considered in the center.  The hostels fill up very quickly here because there are so few, so be sure and make a reservation. 

-What is there to see?
San Pedro is a beautiful desert town.  The most popular sites are the geysers and the Valle de la Luna.  I suggest visiting these two places and taking other tours if possible.  There are many agencies in town and I recommend waiting until you arrive to make tour arrangements.

-How to get around?
Because San Pedro is such a small town, walking is the best way to get around.  Tours will take you in their vehicles to any far away locations.

Iquique is a great beach town.  You can relax while lying on the beach or visit the historical center with a beautiful boardwalk that takes you to the Plaza Central.  In Iquique you can spend time surfing or visiting historical museums.
Iquique is a must shop spot.
The extremes of Chile have duty free shopping; be sure and stop into the Zona Franca to check out any hot deals.
You should also visit the Pampa del Tamarugal it is a natural reserve of Tamaraugo trees that were almost extinct.
Before leaving Iquique, be sure and stop by the Nitrate Mining Camps, they are now abandoned, but historically there were an important part of the local economy.

-How to get around?
Iquique has a great system of “collectivos”.  They are like shared taxis.  In most cities the collectivos have one specific route, but in Iquique they are more like shared taxis and take you to your exact destination for less than 1000 pesos. 

-Where should I stay?
While in Iquique I recommend staying in Cabancha.  Really anywhere along the beach will be fine.  They have developed a beautiful boardwalk and the beach is interconnected for walking, jogging, or just passing through.

-Where should I stay?
In Arica, where you stay should depend on what you want to do.  If you are just passing through, the bus station is located well outside the city center but has lots of great hostels nearby.  The walk from the bus station into the city center is approximately 30 minutes.  I suggest paying the taxi (should have a meter) to take you into the center and stay near the San Marcos Plaza, so you can do some sightseeing. 

-What is there to see?
Arica is a great place to do a bit of history research.  The town was originally Peruvian until after the war in 1879, when it became Chilean.  There is a beautiful history museum atop the hill that towers over the city; here you can learn more of the details about the war.  Another place to get a taste of history is in the Miguel de Azapa Archaeological Museum.  It is located just outside of Arica and you can go by taxi or find a tour in town.  You should also stop in the San Marcos Church designed and built by Eiffel, in the town center.

-How to get around?
In Arica the taxis are not too expensive and work with meters.  When you enter the taxi be sure and check the sticker in the windshield to see the price and then watch the meter.  You can also take a collectivo, but they have specific routes like a city bus and will not take you to your specific destination if it isn´t on their route.

When you are in Puerto Montt, you should try to see the Av Angelmo for a bit of shopping and interesting dining.  They have some great seafood here.
Another great place to stop is the Casa del Arte Diego Rivera; here you can catch a glimpse of some beautiful art that is both local and foreign.
The house was established in 1964 and is still a great place to see art.
If you have a bit more time you should catch a boat from Puerto Montt out to the Isla Tenglo where you can relax on a great beach.
A fantastic local history museum is called Museo Juan Pablo II, I recommend going here to learn a bit about the people that originate from here and Chiloe and learn about the colonization of Puerto Montt.
The last place I recommend is the Parque Nacional Alerce Andino.
Here you can get away from the hustle of the city and go for a hike through a beautifully populated forest.

-How to get around?
If you decide to stay in the center most everything should be in walking distance.  However, if you want to leave town the taxis are not ridiculous.  There are also collectivos running specific routes.

-Where should I stay?
Puerto Montt is a fairly large city.  You should try your best to stay near the Plaza Central and the old dock.  If you decide to stay here you will be within walking distance of everything you need.