Southern Cone itinerary — December 2026
For the Southern Cone trip (Buenos Aires & Santiago), December 2026 is mixed for weather comfort. Daytime highs run from about 29°C / 84°F to 30°C / 86°F across the stops. Plan around 7–9 days for the full Buenos Aires & Santiago loop.
In this order — about 7–9 days:
- Buenos Aires4 nightsArgentina
- Santiago3 nightsChile
- Route noteReserve the longest intercity leg first and keep transfer days free of timed sights.
By TripSapien Research · Updated May 20, 2026
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires in December
TempTemperature
84°F / 65°F
29°C / 18.5°C
RainPrecipitation
7d
4.8in · 123mm
LightDaylight
14.3h
Sea
77.4°F
25.2°C
December is hot and festive, with late dinners, outdoor bars, and storm breaks around Christmas travel.
City overview
Buenos Aires is a Rio de la Plata port city whose identity comes from immigrant theatres, political plazas, tango halls, and apartment-lined barrios rather than one monumental old core. Recoleta and Palermo carry the leafy cafe-and-gallery stay, San Telmo and La Boca keep the tango and port history visible, and Puerto Madero adds the glass-and-dockland skyline beside the Costanera Sur reserve.
Food & drink
Buenos Aires eating revolves around asado, bife de chorizo, choripán, empanadas, milanesa, fugazzeta pizza, dulce de leche, and late-night helado. Mercado de San Telmo, Don Julio in Palermo, Güerrin on Avenida Corrientes, and neighborhood parrillas around Recoleta and Palermo show the range without leaving the city.
Events & festivals
- Dec 11 – Dec 13
Holidays & observances
- Dec 8Immaculate Conception of MaryPublic holiday
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Teatro Colón
- 2El Ateneo Grand Splendid
- 3Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
- 4MALBA
- 5Caminito
- 6La Bombonera
- 7Puente de la Mujer
- 8Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada
- 9Palacio Barolo
- 10Recoleta Cemetery
1Teatro Colón
4.8★ · 87,706indoorThe opera house opened in 1908 after work by architects Francesco Tamburini, Vittorio Meano, and Jules Dormal, and its horseshoe auditorium is famous for acoustic clarity. It stands beside Plaza Lavalle, a few blocks from the Obelisco and Avenida 9 de Julio.
WikipediaBook an official guided tour or performance ticket; the foyer and auditorium are not always open for casual walk-ins.
2El Ateneo Grand Splendid
4.8★ · 99,061indoorOpen dailyThe Grand Splendid theatre opened in 1919, hosted tango and cinema, and became a bookshop in 2000 without losing the frescoed ceiling, balconies, or stage cafe. It stands on Avenida Santa Fe in Recoleta.
Wikipedia
3Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
4.8★ · 39,371indoorClosed MonThe national fine-arts museum moved in 1933 into a former Recoleta pumping station adapted by architect Alejandro Bustillo. Its rooms hold Argentine painting, European masters, and sculpture beside Plaza Francia.
Show 7 more sights
- 4MALBA
- 5Caminito
- 6La Bombonera
- 7Puente de la Mujer
- 8Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada
- 9Palacio Barolo
- 10Recoleta Cemetery
Neighborhoods
1Recoleta
Recoleta feels Parisian and polished, with Avenida Alvear mansions, Recoleta Cemetery, Plaza Francia, El Ateneo, and museum lawns close together.
2Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood
Palermo is the long cafe-and-nightlife district, with Plaza Serrano, Armenia, Gorriti, Humboldt, design shops, parrillas, and late bars under plane trees.
3San Telmo
San Telmo is cobblestone Buenos Aires, anchored by Defensa Street, Plaza Dorrego, Mercado de San Telmo, antique stalls, and Sunday tango crowds.
4La Boca
La Boca is vivid but bounded, with Caminito, La Bombonera, Quinquela Martín murals, and tourist restaurants safest in daylight and on the main lanes.
5Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero is the clean dockland reset, with brick warehouses, Puente de la Mujer, upscale steakhouses, hotels, and Costanera Sur reserve paths.
6Belgrano
Belgrano feels residential and affluent, with Barrancas de Belgrano, Chinatown on Arribeños, Avenida Cabildo shops, and old houses near the Mitre train.
Getting around
Use a SUBE card for Subte lines, colectivos, commuter trains, and airport buses; Line D is useful for Palermo and Recoleta, while Line A follows Avenida de Mayo. Taxis and rideshares are practical after late dinners, and La Boca is better reached by bus or taxi than by a long walk from San Telmo.
Santiago
Santiago in December
TempTemperature
85°F / 53°F
29.5°C / 11.6°C
RainPrecipitation
0d
0in · 1mm
LightDaylight
14.2h
December is hot and dry, with holiday travel making coast and vineyard bookings tighter.
City overview
Santiago fills Chile central valley between the Andes and the coastal range, with the Mapocho River, hill parks, vineyards, and a long east-west metro spine shaping most visits. The useful first map is Santiago Centro for civic monuments, Lastarria and Bellavista for culture and nightlife, Providencia for transit and food, and Las Condes or Vitacura for the modern business edge.
Food & drink
Santiago food moves between completo hot dogs, pastel de choclo, cazuela, empanadas de pino, humitas, churrasco sandwiches, seafood, and Chilean wine. Mercado Central, La Vega, Fuente Alemana, Barrio Italia, Bellavista, and Providencia wine bars give the clearest first route.
Events & festivals
- Dec 4
Holidays & observances
- Dec 8Immaculate ConceptionPublic holiday
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
- Dec 31New Year's EveBank holiday
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Cerro San Cristóbal
- 2Costanera Center and Sky Costanera
- 3Cerro Santa Lucía
- 4La Moneda Palace
- 5Mercado Central and La Vega
- 6Plaza de Armas
- 7Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago
- 8Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
- 9La Chascona
- 10Barrio Lastarria and GAM
1Cerro San Cristóbal
4.7★ · 4,283outdoorThe hill rises above Bellavista and Providencia with a funicular, cable car, sanctuary, pools, and the largest views across the basin. Smog and winter haze can limit the Andes panorama.
Wikipedia
2Costanera Center and Sky Costanera
4.7★ · 25,558outdoorOpen dailyThe tower in Providencia is the tallest building in South America and has an observation deck above a large mall. It gives a practical weather check for Andes visibility.
3Cerro Santa Lucía
4.6★ · 3,616outdoorThe small central hill was remade in the 19th century with terraces, fountains, stairs, and viewpoints. It is a short walk from Lastarria and the Universidad Católica metro stop.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4La Moneda Palace
- 5Mercado Central and La Vega
- 6Plaza de Armas
- 7Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago
- 8Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
- 9La Chascona
- 10Barrio Lastarria and GAM
Neighborhoods
1Santiago Centro
The center is civic and busy, with Plaza de Armas, La Moneda, pedestrian streets, churches, museums, government offices, and strong weekday movement.
2Lastarria and Bellas Artes
Lastarria feels compact and cultural, with cafes, bookstalls, GAM, Santa Lucía, cinemas, restaurants, and easy metro access.
3Bellavista and Patronato
Bellavista is colorful and nightlife-focused below San Cristóbal, while Patronato adds Korean, Middle Eastern, and bargain shopping streets nearby.
4Providencia
Providencia is the practical middle city, with hotels, metro stations, Costanera Center, parks, restaurants, and good links east or west.
5Las Condes and Vitacura
The eastern districts feel corporate and affluent, with offices, malls, hotels, parks, embassies, and clear Andes views from broad avenues.
6Barrio Italia and Ñuñoa
These residential-cultural areas add design shops, cafes, theaters, bars, old houses, and a slower local pace south of Providencia.
Getting around
Metro de Santiago and RED buses use the Bip! card, with Line 1 tying Centro, Providencia, and Las Condes together. Air quality and long distances make metro-first planning smarter than relying on taxis across the whole basin.
Planning the Southern Cone route?
Add your dates and we'll pace all 2 cities — every place checked for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Weather by month for the Southern Cone trip
In December, the Southern Cone trip runs daytime highs from 29°C / 84°F to 30°C / 86°F, with nights down to about 12°C / 54°F at the coolest stop. Climate averages show about 7 rainy days at the rainiest stop. Weighed across both stops, December is mixed for weather comfort.
The most comfortable months across Buenos Aires & Santiago are November, April and September, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at every stop. December 2026 is mixed for weather comfort.
Common questions about the Southern Cone trip
- When is the best time to do the Southern Cone trip?
- The most comfortable months across Buenos Aires, Santiago are November, April and September, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at each stop. December is mixed for weather comfort — see the per-stop weather below for the climate averages in December 2026.
- How many days do you need for the Southern Cone trip?
- A comfortable Southern Cone trip runs about 7–9 days, allowing roughly Buenos Aires 4, Santiago 3 nights plus travel between stops. Add a day if you want a slower pace or extra day trips.
- What's the route for the Southern Cone trip?
- The classic order is Buenos Aires & Santiago. Each city below has its own December weather, any available event listings, and a top-sights list.
Ready to plan the Southern Cone trip?
Turn this route into a day-by-day plan for December 2026, every stop checked for closures and booking needs on your exact dates.