Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing

4.18 (39 reviews) 67% rated it 5 stars
Free cancellationTravelers' pick
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 2
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 3
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 4
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 5
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 6
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 7
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 8
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 9
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 10
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 11
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 12
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 13
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 14
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 15
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 16
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 17
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 18
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 19
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 20
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 21
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 22
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 23
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 24
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 25
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 26
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 27
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 28
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 29
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 30
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 31
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 32
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 33
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 34
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 35
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 36
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 37
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 38
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 39
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 40
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 41
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 42
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 43
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 44
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 45
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 46
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 47
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 48
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 49
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 50
  • Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing 51
1/51
Duration12h
GroupUp to 15
Live guideEN · ES · PT

Travel between two countries on three lakes and four mountain roads in one journey

A 12-hour overland and water route from Puerto Varas, Chile to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, crossing three lakes (Todos los Santos, Frías and Nahuel Huapi) by boat and connecting them with four scenic bus rides through Patagonian forests and past waterfalls. The route includes a guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese, all transfers, and border crossing procedures at Lago Frías. Lunch in the village of Peulla is at your own cost.

Compare the 6 alternatives

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each
  1. Petrohué Waterfalls40m
  2. Lake Todos los Santos2h · entry included

Scenic journey from Puerto Varas to Bariloche

  • Explore Puerto Varas city
  • Visit Petrohué Waterfalls
  • Sail on Lake Todos los Santos
  • Lunch in Villa Peulla
  • Cross Lago Frías and border procedures
  • Enjoy views of Valdivian Forest
  • Observe wildlife around Nahuel Huapi Lake
  • Stop at lakeside port near Bariloche
  • Arrive in San Carlos de Bariloche

The experience

The journey starts in Puerto Varas, a lakeside city with German-influenced wooden architecture on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. From there, a bus takes you to Petrohué, where you'll see a series of waterfalls and rapids in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park before boarding a catamaran for a two-hour crossing of Lago Todos los Santos. From the deck, you can see Mount Tronador and the volcanoes Osorno and Puntiagudo rising above evergreen forests and emerald water.

After landing at Peulla, a small ecological village, you board another bus for the next leg. The route then crosses Lago Frías, the smallest of the three lakes, where border procedures between Chile and Argentina take place. Lago Frías has glacial origins and appears in shades of green-turquoise. From the far shore, a final bus ride takes you through the Valdivian Forest (one of the few cold rainforests in the world), where the green waters of the Frías River meet the blue of Lago Nahuel Huapi. This landscape of native forests and Patagonian channels is home to condors, eagles, deer and other wildlife.

You arrive in San Carlos de Bariloche, an Andean city with Swiss-style architecture surrounded by mountains and lakes. The guide travels with you throughout, handling logistics and commentary in your chosen language. Bring a passport (name, number, expiry and country required at booking), binoculars and a camera. You can pack one carry-on up to 10 kg and one suitcase up to 23 kg. Lunch in Peulla costs extra and is not included in the fare.

What’s included

  • All land and lake transfers between Puerto Varas and Bariloche.
  • a live guide in your choice of English, Spanish or Portuguese.
  • border crossing procedures at Lago Frías.
  • passage across three lakes by boat and four scenic overland routes by bus.
  • luggage allowance of one carry-on up to 10 kg and one suitcase up to 23 kg.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00
AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free
GroupUp to 15
Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese
Audio guideEnglish and Spanish
Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.
Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.
Paid on siteUS$ 9

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know
Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cruce Andino

Is this one for you?Book the departure from Puerto Varas if you're starting in Chile and want to end in Bariloche, or the reverse if you're traveling from Argentina to Chile. Either direction covers the same three lakes and four bus routes, so choose based on where your trip begins and ends.

Traveler reviews

4.18
39 verified traveler reviews
5 ★26
4 ★3
3 ★5
2 ★1
1 ★4
Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens at Lago Frías during the crossing?

Lago Frías is where you cross the border between Chile and Argentina. The guide handles the migratory procedures at this point. The lake itself is glacial in origin and appears in striking green-turquoise tones as the Frías River meets Lago Nahuel Huapi on the Argentine side.

Can I see the Petrohué Waterfalls on this route?

Yes, you stop at Petrohué Waterfalls in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park before boarding the first boat. The falls are a series of waterfalls and rapids in a lush forest setting. Entry to the falls costs USD $9 and is not included in the tour price.

How many times do I switch between bus and boat?

You travel by bus four times and by boat three times. The route alternates: bus from Puerto Varas to Petrohué, boat across Todos los Santos, bus to Peulla, boat across Frías, bus through the forest to Puerto Pañuelo, boat across Nahuel Huapi, and a final bus into Bariloche.

Is food included, and where do we eat?

Food and drinks are not included in the tour price. Peulla, a small village partway through the route, is the main lunch stop. A meal there costs approximately USD $25 per person and is paid separately.

What wildlife might I see on the lakes and in the forests?

The area around Lago Nahuel Huapi and the Valdivian Forest are home to condors, eagles, deer and other Patagonian wildlife. Bring binoculars and a camera to capture birds and animals. The landscape also includes native forests and mountain views.

Puerto Varas to Bariloche: 3 lakes, 4 bus routes, border crossing

12h · EN · ES · PT

from US$ 379 per person

4.1839 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider
Book now See dates and times
More experiences in Puerto Varas »
Need help planning your next activity?