Chungará Lake & Lauca Park tour from Arica: Parinacota Volcano

One morning to reach the highest lake in the world and the volcanoes that frame it

This 11-hour tour from Arica climbs into the Chilean Altiplano to Lake Chungará and Lauca National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. You travel with a professional guide in an air-conditioned vehicle, stopping at pre-Inca archaeological sites and the 17th-century church in Putre on the way up, then descend through the park where vicuñas, guanacos and Andean condors live. Lunch and oxygen equipment are provided. The minimum age is 14.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Andean Highlands and Lauca Park

• Depart from Arica city
• Drive through Lluta Valley
• Visit pre-Inca geoglyphs and archaeological sites
• Visit 17th century church in small town
• Explore Pukara de Copaquilla archaeological site
• Pass through Putre town
• Visit Lauca National Park and observe wildlife
• Enjoy Lake Chungará and volcano views
• Return to Putre for lunch and town tour
• Drive back to Arica city

The experience

The tour leaves Arica in the early morning and heads inland toward the Lluta Valley, a 45-minute drive that takes you from the coast into agricultural terraces carved into the desert. You stop to walk among geoglyphs and pre-Inca archaeological sites scattered across the mountainside, then visit Pukara de Copaquilla, a fortified settlement from the same era. The route passes through Putre, a small town where a 17th-century church sits at the center, and from there climbs steadily into Lauca National Park.

Lauca National Park covers 137,883 hectares of the Altiplano and has been a protected area since 1970. The landscape opens into high grassland where vicuñas, guanacos and llamas graze, and if conditions allow, you may spot Andean condors overhead. The park's centerpiece is Lake Chungará, sitting at 4,517 meters above sea level (one of the highest lakes on earth) with the Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes rising directly from its shore. This is where you spend time photographing and absorbing the scale of the landscape. Oxygen equipment is provided because the altitude demands it. The guide will brief you on how to pace yourself.

After the lake, the group returns to Putre for lunch at a local restaurant and a walk through the town. The descent back to Arica takes two and a half hours, giving you time to rest and let the day settle. A professional driver handles the full route, and the vehicle is air-conditioned for the lower elevations. Bottled water is supplied throughout.

What’s included

• Professional guide in English or Spanish.
• air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver.
• entrance fee to Lauca National Park.
• oxygen equipment.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• box lunch or restaurant meal in Putre.
• hotel pickup in Arica.

Before you book

Days and timesFriday to SundayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (14 and older) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 7 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Anclatourchile

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup in Arica means you don't need a car or arrange your own transport to the highlands. The guide handles the full route and paces the day so the altitude and the distance work together rather than against you.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

How high is Lake Chungará and what makes it special?

Lake Chungará sits at 4,517 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest lakes in the world. It lies in the Arica and Parinacota region near the Bolivia border, framed by the Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes, and is part of Lauca National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1981.

What wildlife might I see in Lauca National Park?

The park is home to vicuñas, guanacos, llamas, tarucas, pumas, foxes and vizcachas. Bird species include Andean condors, flamingos, puna partridges and various aquatic birds, though sightings depend on the season and time of day.

What archaeological sites are included on the route?

You visit geoglyphs and pre-Inca sites in the Lluta Valley near Arica, then stop at Pukara de Copaquilla, a pre-Inca fortified settlement. The tour also includes a 17th-century church in Putre and a 19th-century central church there.

Is oxygen equipment really necessary at this altitude?

Yes. Lake Chungará sits at 4,517 meters, and the park reaches similar elevations. Oxygen equipment is provided and recommended, especially if you are not accustomed to high altitude. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, but the minimum age is 14.

What's included in the lunch, and when do we eat?

A box lunch or meal at a local restaurant in Putre is included. You eat on the return journey after visiting Lake Chungará and touring Putre, so the meal comes in the afternoon after several hours of driving and walking.