Chile volcano tourist selfie in front of Chile Volcano

Passage to Argentina

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Puerto Varas - Bariloche, Argentina
Duration:
2 days / 1 night (flexible)
Price:
from £615 per person (excluding flights)

During this crossing your eyes will be in for a feast of nature. This bite-sized trip has everything from thundering waterfalls, to stunning sunsets over perfectly calm lakes, to some of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world such as Osorno. You’ll travel by various forms of transport including catamaran, boats and buses, straight across the Andes and through the oldest national park in South America.

Argentina San Carlos de Bariloche mountain lake landscape

Day 1 – Puerto Montt – Puerto Varas

Following your arrival in Puerto Montt you’ll be transferred to Puerto Varas, 20 minutes’ drive away. You’ll be dropped off at your centrally located guesthouse with a cosy fireplace. This German style town is located on a lake with views across two volcanoes. At the end of the afternoon, head down to the lake and find a spot in the grass to watch a stunning sunset across the volcanoes.

Day 2 – Puerto Varas – Bariloche

After an early breakfast, you’ll be collected to begin your scenic Chile to Argentina lake crossing. For the first 1.5 hours you’ll follow the shore of the lake with the Osorno volcano permanently in the background. Next you’ll board a bus to Petrohue Falls. The falls are pretty modest in height, but the huge mass of water being forced through the narrow opening in the rocks is breathtaking.

You’ll continue the lake crossing by boat across Lago Esmeralda. You’ll be passing through Vicente Rosales National Park, the oldest national park in South America. If the weather’s nice, sit out on deck to enjoy the wonderful scenery. Dozens of waterfalls cascade down from the mountain side and sometimes you’ll sail so close you can feel the water spray. Around midday, you’ll arrive in Peulla where you’ll have time to get some lunch.

Next the boat docks at the scenic village of Puerto Frias at the foot of Mount Tronador. This is the border crossing, so once you’ve had your passport stamped, you’ll board the bus waiting to cross the border into Argentina. Next you’ll sail by catamaran across Nahuel Huapi Lake towards Bariloche. Finally you’ll be dropped at your lakeside hotel in Bariloche.