Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport

Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport is about 15 km northwest of central Santiago, roughly 17 km by road. The Costanera Norte and Vespucio Norte motorways link it with the city. Airport buses take about 40 to 45 minutes to reach Los Héroes or Terminal Alameda, and travel times by car depend on traffic, especially at rush hour.

No. The airport is in the commune of Pudahuel, on the western edge of the Santiago metropolitan area, about 15 km from the historic center. You need a taxi, shared van, transfer or airport bus to reach central neighborhoods such as Providencia, Las Condes or Santiago Centro, as there is no direct Metro line.

Santiago airport has two passenger terminals in one complex. Terminal 1 handles domestic flights within Chile, and Terminal 2, opened in 2022, handles international flights. The terminals are connected on foot, and walking between them can take up to 15 minutes, so allow extra time if you are connecting between flights.

LATAM Airlines uses both terminals at Santiago airport. Its domestic flights, for example to Antofagasta, Calama, Puerto Montt or Easter Island, use Terminal 1. Its international flights, such as those to Lima, São Paulo, Miami or Madrid, use Terminal 2. Sky Airline and JetSMART follow the same split, while foreign airlines use Terminal 2.

Book an official taxi at the counters inside the arrivals area, which you pass before exiting to the public hall in both terminals. Drivers and touts often approach arriving passengers after the arrivals gate offering rides; decline politely and use the official counters, which give you a registered car that takes you straight to your address.

Yes. Centropuerto buses run to Los Héroes Metro station and Turbus buses to Terminal Alameda, both stopping at Pajaritos, in about 40 to 45 minutes. They leave from outside the terminal between exits 4 and 5. RED public buses 555 and 444 also serve the airport. There is no direct Metro or train line.

Cabify became an authorized transport service at Santiago airport in 2025, with staffed counters in both the domestic and international terminals that are open 24 hours. You can request a shared van or private ride there or through the app. For other ride-hailing apps, check pickup rules in the app before you request a car.

Check the passport and visa rules for your nationality before you fly. On arrival you also need the sworn declaration for the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) and customs. Your bags are X-rayed after baggage claim, and you must declare any food, plants or animal products, as fines for undeclared items are high.

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are on the Pacific coast west of Santiago, reached by Route 68 through the Casablanca wine valley. From the airport, most travelers take a private transfer or rental car directly, or go into Santiago first and catch an intercity bus from one of the city's bus terminals to the coast.

The ski areas of Valle Nevado, La Parva and Farellones are in the Andes east of Santiago, on the far side of the city from the airport. The road climbs through many hairpin bends, so most visitors arriving by air use a private transfer, a ski shuttle or a rental car with suitable equipment for winter mountain driving.

Santiago follows Chile's continental time zone, UTC−4 in winter, and switches to UTC−3 for daylight saving time during the southern summer. Chile's currency is the Chilean peso (CLP). The city has a Mediterranean climate, with dry, warm summers from December to February and cool, sometimes rainy winters from June to August.

The airport belongs to the Chilean state and has been run since 2015 by the Nuevo Pudahuel concession, formed by Aéroports de Paris, Vinci Airports and Astaldi. It handled about 25.8 million passengers in 2024, a record. LATAM Airlines has its main hub here, and Sky Airline and JetSMART also operate large networks from Santiago.