Chile · CHILEAN VOLCANO TOURS
Villarrica is a genuine crater climb with crampons; Osorno is a chairlift and a waterfall. These 10 are sorted by effort and price so nobody books a mountaineering day by accident.
Meet Zenit Travel in Pucón at 6:15 am, fit your gear, then hike Villarrica Volcano with one certified guide for every three people. The climb takes five to six hours, reaches 2,847 meters, and may include crampons, ice axes, crater views, volcanic gases, and a fast snow slide descent.
“Amazing experience and top notch guide (Chacha). Would highly recommend!”
Travel from Puerto Varas along Lake Llanquihue to Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls. Guides such as Nelly, Paula, Jenny, and Javier lead bilingual groups, with time for viewpoints, forest walks, optional chairlift rides, and a possible boat trip. Park entry, food, and lifts cost extra.
“Incredible trip with very knowledgeable guide, excellent driver and stunning landscapes.”
You’ll climb 1,700 meters up active Villarrica Volcano with Zenit guides such as Luisa, Felipe, Agustin, Leo, Edgar, and Jorge. Expect trekking, crampons, an ice ax, possible snow-lift support, crater fumaroles, lake views, and a fast snow-slide descent.
“Je ne sais pas ce qu'il faut "noter". Si c'est l'organisation et les guides, c'est "Excellent". Si c'est mon expérience personnelle, Zenit n'est évidemment pas responsable de la météo, très variable et aléatoire au Chili, et que mon programme ne me permettait pas d'attendre 2 jours la bonne météo. Le jour de mon ascension elle était épouvantable, notre groupe de 3 + le guide est le seul arrivé ce jour-là au bord du cratère en ne voyant même pas l'autre bord (10m de visibilité). La descente a été cauchemardesque pour moi, je ne voyais rien avec le givre dans mes lunettes, grosse crampe à la cuisse gauche au quart de…”
Spend 10 hours traveling from Puerto Montt to Lake Llanquihue, Osorno Volcano, and Petrohué Falls with a Spanish and English guide. Expect a small group of up to 14, optional chairlift and boat rides, strong photo stops, and a full day with limited time at each site.
“Javier and Javier were kind and attentive and made this a very nice trip for everyone,taking pictures and videos and explaining everything you need to know. You would have needed more time in all of the places, but this is what daytrips are- many great locations and beautiful places in a short amount of time. I definitely recommend this trip, it covers all the great spots and although time was of the essence, I didn't feel pushed around. Thank you again to the Javiers 😁”
Leave Pucón at 6:00 am for a demanding ascent of Villarrica Volcano with Turismo Montañas del Sur. Certified bilingual guides provide crampons, ice axes, helmets, backpacks, and other mountain gear. If conditions allow, you’ll reach the open crater, then descend by snow slide.
“The tour agency that was on the Viator website does not exist, is out of business. As the hike drew near, we were contacted by Viator to pay (which we did), and texted multiple times to the tour agency (through Viator) with questions, but never heard back. We arrived in town the night before the hike. On the day of the scheduled hike, we went to the designated meeting place—nothing/no one was there. We went to the address of the tour agency—found the building but it was obviously abandoned. Viator responded promptly to my text, said they would investigate. Got back to me within a day, and refunded me within…”
From Pucón, you’ll climb Villarrica Volcano to 2,847 meters with certified guides, safety gear, and transport included. Expect 5 to 6 hours uphill, possible views into the smoking crater, and a snow slide descent in cooler months. The optional chairlift can save energy early on.
“Une journée inoubliable ! Des guides exceptionnels, chaleureux et bienveillants. L’ascension reste difficile de part le dénivelé. Nous recommandons fortement de prendre le télésiège pour la première partie car il reste encore derrière 4 à 5h d’ascension avec des dénivelés entre 30 et 70%. La vue panoramique sur la Cordillère des Andes (volcans, forêts et lacs) ainsi que la découverte du cratère encore fumant en valent cependant largement l’effort. La descente en luge permet de reprendre des forces tout en s’amusant. Le moment de partage avec les guides a l’issu de l’activité est un vrai plus pour finir cette journée en beauté. Un moment inoubliable que nous recommandons !”
Travel from Puerto Varas to Osorno Volcano in a small group or private, air-conditioned van with a bilingual guide. You will reach the ski center at 1,240 meters, enjoy about an hour for views and photos, then choose a chairlift to 1,450 or 1,750 meters. Guide Paloma has added local history, plants, and wildlife to the drive.
“Este tur es de suerte segun como amanesca el día, si puedes subir o no a la segunda estacion o si tienes posibilidad o no de visibilidad hacia el lago. El servicio de transporte no tiene nada que ver con ello. Nuestro guia muy amable y nos fue explicando todo al paso que ibamos llegando al volcan.”
You’ll climb Villarrica Volcano with certified guides such as Felipe, Cristian, or JR, using crampons and ice axes near the glacier. The 8.5-hour outing includes transport, park entry, gear, crater views, and a snow-slide descent in cooler months. It is hard, rewarding, and weather dependent.
“Hard hike, straight up…we had lots of wind too…but, very cool to summit a volcano! And sliding down was a blast!”
Travel from Puerto Varas along Lake Llanquihue to Osorno Volcano, then walk through Vicente Perez Rosales National Park to turquoise Petrohue Falls. A bilingual guide leads this seven-hour small-group outing, with optional lifts higher on the volcano and hotel pickup in central Puerto Varas.
Meet your English or Spanish-speaking guide at Puerto Montt port for a private six-hour outing. Visit the city, Petrohué Falls, an Osorno Volcano viewpoint, and Puerto Varas. Guides William and Guillermo have led this route, with pickup and return to your cruise ship.
“We booked a small group of three private tour with William as our guide and we couldn’t have been more pleased. The itinerary was great and William whisk us away early to help us beat the big tour buses to the destination points. The volcano was amazing, the waterfalls were beautiful and the little town of Puerto Varese was exceptional. A little German town on the Shores of a magnificent lake with generations of history. I highly recommend this tour for anybody else who really wants to enjoy one day shore excursion in Puerto Montt.”
Pick a desert, a canyon, a cellar or a glacier.
