San Francisco Church
San Francisco Church
4.5
About
The immense red walls and vast great room leave visitors in awe as this 16th centruy structure is Santiago's oldest building.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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How to get there
- Universidad de Chile Ahumada • 3 min walk
- Santa LucÃa • 3 min walk
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2,481 within 3 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
996 reviews
Excellent
481
Very good
396
Average
110
Poor
6
Terrible
3
ruthandvern
Wilton, CA16,018 contributions
Mar 2020
This is not a gaudy display type church. This is a living, breathing community. It just happens to be fantastically beautiful. The ceilings are like none I've ever seen. Frescoes are on the ceilings of each apse. The alter and two side altars are mostly simple and fantastic. 1st constructed in 1622 it is the oldest surviving church through the earth's activity. What a miracle. It was quiet and peaceful.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steven T
Seattle, WA2,370 contributions
Sep 2019 • Solo
I was told that the San Francisco cathedral is the oldest building in the entire city. It is an amazingly well maintained and majestic cathedral. I didn’t see a speck of dust anywhere. In fact, a maintenance person was vacuuming the largest altar during my visit. You can definitely feel the centuries of history as you walk through this grand old cathedral. There are numerous altars throughout the cathedral, each uniquely beautiful. If you’re out walking along Avenue Libertador Bernardo (the main avenue in Santiago) it would be definitely worth your while to stop inside and have a look at this grand old cathedral.
Written September 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bukagirl
New Jersey4,204 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
A beautiful church if you are in the area and love old historic churches this is a must.
The artwork is beautiful and I was lucky enough to hear them
sing X-mas songs a beautiful experience.
The artwork is beautiful and I was lucky enough to hear them
sing X-mas songs a beautiful experience.
Written December 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
podrozniczka60
New Jersey16,442 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
The church looked relatively unassuming from the outside but it is a beautiful and worth the visit place in the downtown of Santiago. There is a convent right next to it and both are the oldest colonial-era buildings in Chile. They survived even major earthquakes - except for the bell tower.
Written October 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorraine B
Vienna, Austria11 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
The Church is the oldest in Chile and right next to our hotel, Plaza San Francisco and the Museo Colonial. Looks very plain from the outside but is quite impressive inside. Very calming interior and spacious, makes one want to just sit and absorb the peacefulness of it.
Written January 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jarko2015
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,731 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
The church and the accompanying museum in the next door convent are well worth seeing, if only for their rather faded and run down state of repair. The artefacts are interesting, but the walls are crumbling and the decay actually proves rather attractive. The church is free to visit (if mass is taking place) but the museum charges a minimal CS1000. The cloistered grounds of the museum house gardens and peacocks, whereas the galleries are packed with paintings and statuary.
Written July 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terrance1953
Manchester, CT80 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
Typical old Spanish church. To be honest, you've see one you've see them all mostly. Just missed the museum which gave you access to the cloisters.
Written February 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandro Mistro
Itapira, SP34 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
Small church but with a great architecture and atmosphere - a pearl in the middle of a busy downtown - don’t miss it!
Written September 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mlaz
Indian Head, Canada120 contributions
Nov 2014
This is one of the best places we saw while strolling around Santiago. The history of this church is very interesting and the architechture is so incredible.
Written October 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AvidTravellers56
Brisbane, Australia65 contributions
Dec 2011 • Couples
Right next door to our hotel - truly beautiful building - MUST SEE
Written February 11, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
estarei hospedado na rua merced 526. Qual o metro indicado para chegar a igreja?
Written July 19, 2017
Não achei a sua rua (Merced), deve haver outra grafia ou complemento.
Written July 20, 2017
Reiko T
New York City, New York
Do they change photos of the pets time to time? I left my loving dog's photo there and gave prayer to St. Francisco to take care of her. I hope they don't throw away all those pets' photos.
Written February 21, 2015
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