Chile · PUCON TOURS
A lake town under a live volcano, with hot springs, rivers and a summit day that needs crampons. The 11 below are priced and clear about fitness, guide ratios and what the weather can cancel.
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!”
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…”
Paddle the Liucura River near Pucón with guides such as Guillermo, Gio, or Lorenzo. Expect 1.5 to 2 hours on the water, open sit-on-top kayaks, white-water rapids, quiet river stretches, volcano views, and possible sightings of kingfishers and salmon.
“Guillermo is the best guide in Chile. Fun, knowledgeable, entertaining, and easy on the eyes! Great equipment too. We were the Dream Team!”
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…”
Ride from Antilco Horsetrekking through Araucanía pastures, the Liucura River, and Carhuello forest. Mathias and his team begin slowly, then adapt the pace for experienced riders, with views of three volcanoes and a waterfall. The four-hour ride has an 80-kilo weight limit.
“A beautiful day and experience. Highly recommend this activity. Beautiful scenery. Great guide. !!!!!!!!!”
Leave Pucón with guide Blas of Rutas Outdoors for a three-hour trek through native forest and araucarias toward Villarrica volcano’s southern slope. Then warm up in 20 Geometric Hot Springs pools linked by red walkways. This private, moderate outing lasts about eight hours.
“We had such a wonderful experience with Bos. The intense uphill was so worth it, as Bos was a supportive and smart navigator. We saw four volcanoes from the top! And the fact that the trek ended in these extraordinary hot springs was so unique -- most tour operators do not have access to this land. Highlight of our trip to Chile.”
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 Pucón through Licanray and Coñaripe to Geometric Hot Springs in Villarrica National Park. You get three hours across 16 pools from 35°C to 42°C, four cold pools, entry, and hotel transfers. Bring two towels and flip-flops, and confirm your pickup carefully.
“Horrible experience. The driver ignored our messages and calls, left us waiting, and we had to walk 15 minutes through mud to catch the van. The van almost left without us, and they had to stop it on the road. The driver pretended not to have an internet connection, wrote fake addresses to avoid finding our location, and refused to drop us off at the same place. He didn’t speak a single word of English, and when we suggested calling a uber, he told us to just get out of the van and figure it out ourselves. We had to pay for an Uber. Completely unprofessional and unacceptable.”
Spend six hours exploring Pucon with a bilingual guide such as Marcelo or Rocío. See the Trancura and Turbio rivers, volcano views, Caburgua's Ojos del Caburgua, the fish viewpoint, lake and beach, then relax for two hours in included hot springs.
“da guai, mas esperava mais, a terma uma decepção, lugar ruim atendimento péssimo, nem entramos nas piscinas, pedimos para o carro retornar e fomos embora, muito caro pra pouco.”
From Pucón, a certified English, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide leads you to Laguna Quillehue, Lago Escondido, and Laguna Huinfiuca near Lanín volcano. The relaxed family trail includes transport, park entry, boots, poles, and winter snowshoes, with beer or hot chocolate afterward.
“Es hermoso el paisaje parece de una película de Navidad, lo único es que le pondría de dificultad intermedia ya que caminar con las raquetas entre tanta nieve cansa bastante”
Join a bilingual guide for a four-hour visit to Villarrica and Pucón. Walk the Villarrica waterfront, see its archaeological museum and craft market, then visit Pucón’s wooden flowers, Grande Beach, La Poza, and main square. Pickup and drop-off details depend on your selected location.
Pick a desert, a canyon, a cellar or a glacier.
