Santiago Airport to Central Santiago: Buses, Metro Connections and Late Arrivals

Santiago Airport does not have a direct Metro station. During Metro hours, the practical public-transport route is an airport coach to Line 1, then an eastbound train toward central Santiago, Lastarria or Providencia. With heavy luggage, several passengers or a late arrival, an official taxi or door-to-door transfer removes the interchange.

The key question is whether immigration, baggage collection and the coach ride leave enough time to enter the Metro before it closes.

The short answer

• For central Santiago, Lastarria or Providencia during Metro hours: take Centropuerto or Turbus to Pajaritos, then Line 1 toward Los Dominicos. Staying on Centropuerto to República can make sense for accommodation near that end of central Santiago.
• For a hotel near Universidad de Santiago or the bus terminals: Turbus to Terminal Alameda is the most direct coach option.
• For a late arrival, substantial luggage or a group: use an official taxi or an official shared or exclusive transfer from the airport counters.
• For a lower public-transport fare when you already have a usable bip! card: RED route 555 is an alternative, but it is not an airport coach and does not stop at the passenger terminals. It requires a free airport shuttle, bus 555 and then Metro.

Fares and hours below were checked on October 31, 2026.

Airport coaches: Centropuerto and Turbus

Centropuerto: Pajaritos or República

Centropuerto’s current city endpoint is Metro República, not Los Héroes. The one-way fare is CLP$2,400 when paid by card and CLP$2,500 in cash. Airport-to-República service runs from 06:00 to 23:30, generally every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 15–25 minutes on weekends and holidays. Fixed overnight departures leave at 00:00, 01:00, 02:00, 04:00 and 05:30 (current Centropuerto routes, hours and fares).

Those overnight buses do not create an all-night Metro connection. After Metro closes, passengers continuing beyond República need a separate road transfer for the final leg.

Centropuerto estimates about 40 minutes for the full journey, although traffic and intermediate stops can change that. It permits up to two large pieces of luggage per passenger, subject to available space (Centropuerto passenger information).

Choose your stop this way:

• Get off at Pajaritos for the earliest switch to Line 1 toward the centre, Lastarria and Providencia.
• Continue to República if the accommodation is nearby or if spending less time on the Metro matters more than making the earliest possible transfer.
• Ignore older instructions that treat Los Héroes as the terminus: Centropuerto now publishes the route as República–Airport (Centropuerto’s current route page).

Turbus: Pajaritos or Terminal Alameda

Turbus runs from the airport to both Terminal Pajaritos and Terminal Alameda. The airport lists departures to these destinations from about 05:30 until 23:35. Weekday frequencies are generally every 15–20 minutes; intervals are longer on weekends and holidays. The published general fare is CLP$2,100 (Turbus airport schedule and fare).

Choose your endpoint this way:

• Use Pajaritos to join Line 1 for central Santiago, Lastarria or Providencia.
• Use Terminal Alameda for accommodation around Universidad de Santiago, Estación Central or the intercity bus terminals.
• For an eastbound hotel, Pajaritos usually makes more sense than riding to Alameda only to make another street-level interchange; both connect with Line 1.

Which Metro stop suits the hotel area?

From Pajaritos, take Line 1 toward Los Dominicos. The useful arrival stops along the line include República, Los Héroes, La Moneda, Universidad de Chile, Santa Lucía, Universidad Católica, Baquedano, Salvador, Manuel Montt, Pedro de Valdivia and Los Leones (Metro’s journey planner and Line 1 station sequence).

As a planning rule:

• Historic centre: compare the address with La Moneda, Universidad de Chile and Santa Lucía.
• Lastarria: Universidad Católica is often the useful Line 1 stop. Some addresses are nearer Bellas Artes on Line 5, but changing lines with luggage may save little overall.
• Providencia: Salvador, Manuel Montt, Pedro de Valdivia and Los Leones serve different parts of the district. Check the exact address rather than treating Providencia as a single stop.

Metro operates 06:00–23:00 on working days, 06:30–23:00 on Saturdays and 07:30–23:00 on Sundays and holidays. Metro cautions that entering near closing time may leave too little time to complete a connection (official Metro hours and fares).

For a coach-to-Metro trip, the coach ticket and Metro fare are separate. On weekdays, the adult Metro fare is CLP$735, $815 or $895, depending on the time; it is CLP$815 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. A new bip! card costs CLP$1,550 before credit is added. For a rail-only onward journey, an eligible contactless Visa or Mastercard can also pay directly at Metro gates through Pago Ágil, so buying a bip! card is not always necessary. If you choose bip!, allow time at Pajaritos to buy and load it. Bank-card payment does not currently cover RED buses, including route 555.

Route 555 is not a direct terminal bus

RED route 555 connects Pajaritos with the airport’s public-transport intermodal station. That station is about 2 km from the passenger terminals; free airport shuttle buses link it with T1 and T2. An arriving passenger therefore takes the terminal shuttle first, then route 555, then Metro at Pajaritos (RED’s route 555 description and timetable).

Route 555 runs:

• Monday–Friday: 06:00–22:30
• Saturday: 06:30–22:30
• Sunday and holidays: 08:00–22:30

The route uses the bip! payment system and can form part of an integrated RED bus-and-Metro journey. The current integrated adult fare is CLP$795–$895 on weekdays, depending on the time, and CLP$815 on weekends and holidays; the integration window is two hours (Metro’s integrated-fare table).

That makes 555 reasonable for a lightly packed passenger who already has a usable card and accepts two interchanges. It is less attractive with large bags, children or tight timing. Centropuerto and Turbus serve the terminal transport areas directly.

Where to find the coaches

For Centropuerto, domestic passengers arriving at T1 should walk along the first level toward exit 6, then continue west to the bus station or Centro de Transportes (CTR) between T1 and T2. International passengers at T2 can board in the third lane on the first level, between exits 4 and 5. Airport counters accept cash and bank cards (Centropuerto boarding and ticket instructions).

For Turbus, the airport lists pickup at T1 domestic arrivals on the first level and at the T2 Centro de Transporte on the first level (official Turbus airport listing). Follow current terminal signs because the precise bay can change.

When a taxi or transfer is the better decision

Choose a direct vehicle when:

• clearing the terminal before Metro closes is uncertain;
• luggage makes a coach-to-Metro interchange awkward;
• the hotel is not close to a useful Line 1 station;
• several people can share the cost;
• reaching the hotel door matters more than minimizing the fare.

The airport’s official taxis operate 24 hours a day. The passenger pays at an authorized counter inside the terminal before travelling, and the airport says there should be no additional payment in the vehicle (official taxi process). The airport page does not publish destination prices, so ask for the total to the exact hotel before paying.

Official minibuses also operate 24 hours a day, with shared and exclusive options. The airport currently lists Cabify vans, Transvip and WeTransport among its authorized transfer services (official transfer operators). A shared transfer may involve waiting for other passengers and making multiple stops; an exclusive vehicle removes those delays.

The airport tells passengers to buy official transport at designated counters inside the terminal and reject unsolicited offers in corridors or parking areas (airport transport guidance).

A practical rule for late arrivals

A scheduled landing before 22:00 does not guarantee a usable Metro connection: immigration, baggage delivery and the coach ride still come first. If you cannot leave the airport with enough time to reach and enter Pajaritos before Metro’s 23:00 closure, plan on an official taxi or transfer rather than relying on the rail connection.

Centropuerto’s fixed overnight buses can still suit someone willing to wait and arrange a separate final ride from República. They are not a substitute for all-night rail service. For most late-arriving passengers with luggage, one 24-hour official vehicle from the terminal is the more straightforward route.