Puerto Varas is a charming town in the Chilean Lake District that provides a great jumping off point for loads of great day trips. From hiking on a volcano to seeing wild penguins to small towns, there’s a lot of variety to be found. So all travelers, regardless of their interest, should be able to find a day trip from Puerto Varas that interests them.
This article will focus on the best day trip options from Puerto Varas. I haven’t done all of these day trips (yet!), but I want to make you aware of all of the options (and not just the trips I’ve done), so you can find what is best for you.
Day Trips from Puerto Varas
Of course, with a little creativity, you can find more day trips than what I have included here. But, this list covers what I believe to be the best day trips from Puerto Varas.
Osorno Volcano
From the town of Puerto Varas, you’ll see a volcano on the other side of the lake (provided you have a clear day). That’s the Osorno Volcano and you can visit it. The easiest way is to join a guided tour (which will likely be combined with a trip to Petrohué Falls—covered below), but travelers with their own car can make the drive themselves. Just a note, the roads to get to Osorno Volcano involve some windy mountain roads.
Starting from the ski lodge, there’s two distinct trails you can follow. There was a path of snow near the chair lift and a trail that went in the opposite direction. I took the trail to the right and walked out for some pictures overlooking the town of Puerto Varas. We had an exceptionally clear day, so the views were just incredible. I don’t know how we got so lucky because this area typically gets a lot of rain, but I wasn’t complaining. How far you walk on these paths are up to you.
I did this as part of a guided tour and got a few warnings from my guide that I’d like to pass on to you. The ski lodge has food for purchase, but it’s incredibly expensive and not very good. Additionally, there is a chair lift that will take you up the mountain. She said it was up to us if we wanted to do it, but explained that the views weren’t much different from what we were seeing at the bottom of the chair lift.
So basically, get to the volcano and just hike.
Petrohué Falls
Petrohué Falls is often combined with a visit to the Osorno Volcano. So if you aren’t on a guided tour and you have a car, definitely look to combine these two trips into one awesome day trip.
So what do you do at Petrohué Falls? Obviously, the best thing to do is to walk to the viewing platforms to see the waterfalls. But, don’t just stop there. There are also some short hiking trails that will take you into the forest and down to the river. The trail (named the Lovers Trail, or Sendero Los Enamorados) is short and can easily be completed during your hour visit (with plenty of time to take in views of the waterfalls).
Petrohué Falls is located in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park. When you arrive, you’ll need to pay an additional 7,000 peso entrance fee (about $8 USD). As a note, they prefer that this fee is paid by card and NOT in cash.
Chiloé
The island of Chiloé is famous for its unique churches. It’s a large island and one day is not enough to see it all, but I’m including it on this list anyway. Why? Because this was one of the day trips from Puerto Varas that I did. The day is long and filled with a lot of driving, but since I like a good scenic drive, I was ok. Other travelers may need to decided if all of the driving is too much for them.
On a guided day trip from Puerto Varas, you’ll stop in two small towns and visit Piñuhuil where you’ll get the chance to see wild penguins. It was definitely a highlight of my trip to Chile. If you have your own vehicle, you could do something similar, but honestly, if you have your own car, I’d recommend spending more than just one day on the island Chiloé.
Frutillar
If you’re looking for an easy DIY day trip from Puerto Varas, check out the town of Frutillar. Buses regularly depart from Puerto Varas and will take you up around the lake.
It’s important to note that there are two different areas of Frutillar. Most tourists will want to look for “Frutillar Bajo” as this is the area that is closest to the lake and most of the things that tourists will want to visit. Here you’ll find another town, similar to Puerto Varas. Get some lunch, do a little shopping, and take in the views of the lake from a different view than in Puerto Varas.
Admittedly, I didn’t do this day trip because I ran out of time.
Puerto Octay
Similar to Frutillar, another Puerto Varas day trip option is Puerto Octay. This town is even further up the road than Frutillar, but has a lot of the same attractions. Take in more views of the lake and the volcanoes (if you have a clear day) and wander the town.
You can catch a bus either from Frutillar or from Puerto Varas. Ambitious travelers could visit both Puerto Octay and Frutillar in the same day. This was my plan if I wasn’t able to take the guided tours I wanted.
While it is a perfectly reasonable plan to visit both Frutillar and Puerto Octay as one of your day trips, I’d definitely recommend looking at some of the other day trips first. With so much incredible nature around you, it seems a shame to only spend your time exploring towns. Now, if you’re spending more than just two or three days in Puerto Varas, then absolutely, add some more small towns to the list.
Reloncaví Estuary
During my time in Puerto Varas, I tried to make it out to Reloncaví Estuary, but it didn’t quite work out due to tour availability. But, since it was so high on my list, I have to include it here.
Reloncaví Estuary is a fjord in the Chilean Lake District and visitors here will be treated to incredible views. Plus, it’s a fjord, what better way to see the beauty of this area than to sail through the water.
Peulla
Peulla is a secluded small town in the Chilean Lake District near the Chile-Argentina border. As you journey from Puerto Varas to Peulla, you’ll take a boat across Lake Todos los Santos. The journey on Lake Todos Los Santos is beautiful. While I didn’t visit Peulla, I spent a bit of time on Lake Todos los Santos as part of my tour to the Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls. On a clear day, it’s gorgeous. Then, once in Peulla, you’ll find a nature paradise.
Puerto Montt
If you’re really looking for more options for day trips from Puerto Varas, the larger city of Puerto Montt is only a 30 minute drive away. Here you’ll find some parks, scenic viewpoints, good food, and some museums. It’s an option to consider, but I think this should be more of a last resort type of day trip.
The Best Day Trips from Puerto Varas
I’m going to be a bit biased here because I have yet to do all of the Puerto Varas day trip options on this list. But, here’s my recommendations.
If you only have the chance to do one day trip from Puerto Varas, make it a trip to the Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls.
If you’re looking for an additional day trip, I’d recommend trying either Chiloé or Reloncaví Estuary. I tried to take a trip to Reloncaví Estuary, but there were no English tours available, so I ended up visiting Chiloé instead. I obviously can’t say which is better, but I can say I really enjoyed my trip to Chiloé.
Finally, after you’ve done some nature day trips, then I’d look into day tripping to Frutillar and Puerto Octay.
When to Visit Puerto Varas
Peak tourist season is the summer months, but because you are in the southern hemisphere that means December through February. One of my tour guides mentioned that when the cruise ships come in, there are so many people traveling this area. As many as 2,000 people can visit Petrohué Falls in one day.
On the other hand, many businesses will close for the winter months (June through August).
So, I recommend aiming for shoulder season. The weather may not be as great as peak season, but you’ll have significantly fewer crowds. I visited in October and had great weather, but I think I may have been an anomaly. But there were hardly any crowds and that made for a much more enjoyable experience. I’d recommend looking at late October to November or March to April for your visit.
How to Get to Puerto Varas
You can get bus connections to many places in Chile and even to Bariloche in Argentina.
For travelers who want to avoid a long bus, you can look at flying. There is no airport in Puerto Varas, but the nearby airport of Puerto Montt (PMC) offers connections to a handful of Chilean cities, including Santiago. From the Puerto Montt airport, you have two options.
Option 1 is the easiest and it’s to take a taxi to Puerto Varas. The journey takes about 30 minutes and has a fixed price of 22,000 pesos.
Option 2 is cheaper but involves more effort. From the airport, you need to take a bus to the city of Puerto Montt where you can then catch a bus to Puerto Varas. There are no buses between the Puerto Montt Airport and the town of Puerto Varas.
Final Thoughts
Puerto Varas is a lovely town to visit, but I think it really shines as being a hub exploring the surrounding area. The nature is incredible and a visit to Puerto Varas would not be complete without exploring some of it.
Continue Your Adventure
Puerto Varas: Visit the charming town of Puerto Varas, but also take advantage of some of the awesome day trips, including the Osorno Volcano and Petrohué Falls and a visit to the island of Chiloé.
Chile Itinerary: For first time visitors, I recommend my 9 Day Chile Itinerary. Visit the capital city of Santiago, the beaches in Viña del Mar, and head south to Puerto Varas.
Chile Travel Guide: Check out my Chile Travel Guide for everything you need to start planning your trip, including itineraries, city guides, travel tips, and a detailed budget.