Bicycling Patagonia’s Lakes District Plus! The Island of Chiloé

Cycling in Patagonia - Beautiful vistas and big lakes cycling from Chile to Argentina

Length 10 days
From USD$5295
Style/Level Classic 3.5
Countries Argentina
Chile
Begin/End San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina / Puerto Montt, Chile (PMC). There may be a reciprocity entry fee for entering Argentina through an international airport

Overview

Join us on our 10-day Bicycling Patagonia’s Lakes District Plus! the Island of Chiloé from Argentina to Chile. We will cycle across the Continental Divide in the Andes, from Argentina into Chile experiencing the wild expanse of Patagonia’s ever-changing landscape of pristine lakes, lush forests, conical volcanoes and snowcapped Andean peaks. Next, we explore Chiloé Island’s tranquil fjords, wooden churches, pastoral landscapes and the rugged Pacific coastline. With its rich history and isolated location, Chiloé Island offers a cultural experience that is unique to Chile and the world.

If this sounds great but you prefer a shorter tour – check out our Bicycling Patagonia’s Lakes District tour which features the first 7 days of this itinerary.

Is cycling in South America for you? Check out our What to expect: Cycling in South America page.

Highlights

Chile’s Lake District
Views of Osorno and Calbuco Volcanoes
Waterfalls on the Petrohué River
thermal pools
San Carlos de Bariloche
Chiloé Island
Wooden Churches
Penguins

Includes

10 days, 9 nights accommodation
bilingual tour leaders
meals as noted in itinerary.
“The usual” (see Classic tour includes)

Keep in mind

We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.

We do shuttle to avoid traffic or sections of rough roads. A/C or fans may not always be available since they haven’t traditionally been needed.

Itinerary

We meet this afternoon at our hotel in San Carlos de Bariloche. This bustling mountain town is a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. We’ll meet late this afternoon to fit bicycles. After the fitting we’ll take a guided walk through Bariloche and enjoy a welcome dinner together.

Meals : Dinner
Lodging : Alma Suites del Lago

After a brief shuttle out of town we’ll do a short test ride to make any necessary adjustments to your bike before heading out on our longer route. Tiny back roads lead us through forests and offer stunning views of Lago Nahuel Huapi and the Lago Perito Moreno. Our ride ends at the base of Cerro Campanario. Freshen up at the hotel and then take a short walk to the base of the ski area where we’ll take the chairlifts up the mountain to enjoy a panoramic view of Bariloche – this is often called one of the top ten views in the world.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging : Bosque Del Nahuel

Your day begins with a quick shuttle to Lake Nahuel Huapi. From there, you’ll set sail on a catamaran* and view Bariloche’s surrounding area from a different perspective as you float towards the Quetrihué Peninsula. Upon docking we’ll walk a wooded path through Arrayanes National Park and some of the most pristine myrtle in South America. In the 1970’s, this 300-year-old myrtle stand was awarded special protection under the Argentine government. Local legend has it that Walt Disney walked through this forest in the late 1930’s and it inspired his choice for Bambi’s cinnamon color as well as the film’s setting. Our hike will take between 3 and 4 hours. *In December the catamaran schedule changes so there will be a longer (1.5 hr) group shuttle to Villa La Angostura. We will still get to enjoy a 30-minute catamaran ride on Lake Nahuel Huapi before setting out on the hike through Arrayanes National Park.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch
Lodging : Hosteria El Establo , Sol Arrayan Hotel & Spa

Today’s ride is all about crossing the Andes! While Argentina and Chile share the same latitude, Argentina’s dense and diverse vegetation is distinctly different from the lush green forests and farmlands of Chile. Prepare to be awestruck as you enjoy the incredible shift in landscape while pedaling from Lake Espejo over the Cardenal Samore Pass (4,311 feet) to our thermal resort at the Termas de Puyehue. We’ll have a picnic lunch together before enjoying the downhill into Chile! Be sure to take advantage of the hotel’s wonderful thermal pools before dinner together this evening.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Termas De Puyehue

There are a few options for today. Stretch your legs on a guided 2.5 hour hike, or relax by the hotel’s hot springs pool, before lunch at the hotel. We’ll shuttle to the starting point of your ride, overlooking Lake Llanquihue. After a quick downhill, you’ll pedal the east side of Lake Llanquihue with stunning views of snow-capped Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes in the near distance. Enjoy tranquil farmland and small forests before reaching our lakeside hotel. For those wanting a full day’s ride, you may depart the hotel this morning by bike and enjoy a picnic lunch along the way.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Petrohue

Just after leaving our hotel, plan to visit the famous “Saltos de Petrohue,” waterfalls. Continuing our ride around Lake Llanquihue we’ll enjoy more great views of Osorno Volcano on our way to Puerto Varas, a small but bustling town with numerous craft stores and great walks along the lake. We have the inside scoop on Puerto Varas’ best restaurant for dinner together this evening.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Solace

From Puerto Varas we’ll shuttle and then ferry to the island of Chiloé continuing to the beautiful Pacific Coast and rock islands of Puñihuil, which just so happens to be the only place in Chile where you can view both Magellan and Humboldt Penguins. First we stop in Ancud for lunch together and then we bike to Puñihuil bay, where we take a boat ride around the small islands to visit the local penguins. After that we shuttle to Castro and have dinner together.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Palafito 1326

We pedal to the east coast of Chiloé today towards Dalcahue, Curaco de Velez and the village of Achao on the Island of Quinchao. Achao is the main town of the island and where the oldest church of Chiloé archipelago is located. After Achao, we continue to an Agritourism for lunch and after that we’ll take the van back to Castro.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch
Lodging : Hotel Palafito 1326

We pedal from Castro to Chiloé National Park on the Pacific Coast today to explore its ancient forests and learn about its history. This region was described by Charles Darwin on his famous voyage as rich in its diversity of temperate-zone forest plants. The park was created by the indigenous communities of Chiloé who have fought to protect the environment threatened by intensive deforestation. The national park is also home to rare species of animals endemic to Chile, such as picaflores (hummingbirds), kingfishers, huillines (sea otters), and pudúes (the smallest deer in the world). We’ll visit with members of the indigenous community of Quilque over lunch with local products. Tonight we overnight in a unique stilt hotel in the small town of Cucao.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Palafito Cucao

We board our shuttle and transfer back to our ferry and then on to the airport in Puerto Montt this morning. Expect to be at the airport in time to catch flights scheduled after 2 p.m.

Meals : Breakfast

Visit our Tour Level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we dermine day and tour levels.

Dates & prices

Date	Price	Private room fee	Note
Dec 2-11, 2023	USD$5295	USD$700	Book by August 1st to receive a $200 per person discount!	Book it
Feb 3-12, 2024	USD$5295	USD$700	Private Departure	Book it
Feb 17-26, 2024	USD$5295	USD$700	Book now and save $200 per person	Book it

Date	Dec 2-11, 2023
Price	USD$5295
Private room fee	USD$700
Note	Book by August 1st to receive a $200 per person discount!
	Book it

Date	Feb 3-12, 2024
Price	USD$5295
Private room fee	USD$700
Note	Private Departure
	Book it

Date	Feb 17-26, 2024
Price	USD$5295
Private room fee	USD$700
Note	Book now and save $200 per person
	Book it

Bikes

E-Bikes in Argentina and Chile

Frame : Aluminum with front suspension
Type : E-Bike (Chile and Argentina)
Gravel Style Hybrid or Road Bike In Argentina and Chile

Frame : Aluminum frame with carbon fork
Type : Hybrid
Road Bike

Frame : Titanium with Carbon Fork
Type : Road

Arrival & departure

Pre-trip planning checklist

Photos

See all trip photos

Reviews

The guides were very good. Great trip.
Thomas E.Houston, TX
I’ve taken numerous bike tours with various companies and will say that ExperiencePlus! offers the best value for the money. Also, I find my fellow bikers in the ExperiencePlus! groups to be the easiest to get along with and among the nicest I’ve ever met while traveling – no whiners! Some of the more expensive bike tour companies tend to attract more high-maintenance travelers (who care more about the hotel and dressing up for dinner than the biking), meaning the focus of their trips will often stray from the biking and cultural experience. I like the fact that ExperiencePlus! will choose/recommend restaurants where the locals themselves dine.
Charlene L.Jersey City, NJ
The tour leader was outstanding. She was most attentive to our needs and helped us have the best experiences …
William D.Goshin, CT
[What I liked most was] the ride to Fruitallar. It was so beautiful and not much traffic.
Whitney R,Fresno, CA
[What I liked most was] The biking and the treatment we received from the tour leaders. Especially the birthday cake they provided at the day-three dinner for my 61st birthday.
James M., Hilo, HI
We just returned from the Argentina – Chile trip and wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had. The tour leader did an outstanding job leading this inaugural journey and along with our Argentine guides made our ride fun and interesting. The Chiloé extension only added icing to the cake. What a beautiful island filled with very special people and gorgeous scenery. I would highly recommend to anyone going on the bicycle trip to not miss this added bonus. It is well worth the time and money.
Larry and Corky B.Herkimer, NY
Thanks so much for everything, I feel really blessed in having such nice tour leader all the time. And I’m in love with the Hotel Puelche in Puente Varras, archecturally it was interesting, the porportions and lay out, plus the food was goood.
Barbara H.Lexington, MA
The trip was well organized: the guides were attentive, informative, helpful and fun to hang out with; the hotels were great; restaurants that were included or recommended by the guides were fabulous; bikes were in “new” condition; the other people on the trip were great travel companions. I would definitely recommend your company to anyone looking for a bike touring company and I hope to make it on another one of your trips some time.
Jeff F., Cottekill, NY
Thanks for a great ExperiencePlus!
Jeff W., Fort Collins, CO
What was your favorite experience on this trip? Hard to choose…stunning scenery, challenging climbs, helpful, supportive tour leaders. I also loved the garden luncheon, and enjoyed the farm tour.
Julia V., Nottingham, NH
I had so many great experiences but I think Chiloé Island was awesome. We saw penguins, had a really special lunch, stayed in the stilt hotel, went out to the lunch on the farm and had a really great ride along the river to the National Park. The people were so friendly! The lake district was beautiful and the volcanos and mountains were stunning.
Renee C., Johnston, IA
Asked what is his favorite opera, a friend replied “the last one I saw.” I feel somewhat the same about bike tours. (This is my fourth, the first with ExperiencePlus!.) Putting aside that bias, however, I have to say that you really did do everything possible to make this a first class and memorable experience. The cultural highlights are an extremely valuable addition to some great cycling.
Guy C., Vallejo, CA
What was your favorite experience on this trip? So many… reaching the summit, seeing the penguins, enjoying the curanto dinner and lamb lunch.
Diane C., Gabriola, Canada
I was very impressed by the local character of most of the places we ate at, like lunch on the seashore the last day in Chiloe. Biking in beautiful scenery, mountains, and rural roads. An introduction to Chilean coastal culture.
Jack R., Cary, NC
Spectacular scenery, good company, comfortable accommodations. My favorite exprience was the three days on Chiloe.
Zoe E., Williston, VT
Wonderful, wonderful food including meals that were at the homes of local residents. Consistently good lodging. Excellent, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable guides. Much beautiful scenery.
David S., Appleton, WI
Excellent, full of new information, new experiences. Great cycling. Chiloe – the phenomenal experiences with the people there. The market in Ancud, the curanto, phenomenal king crab lunch, dinner on the farm, seaweed collectors on the shore.
Jo E., Appleton, WI
One of the best bike trips ever, and we have had many. I can not say enough good things about the trip. I forgot to mention the navigational arrows, what a joy.
Elena P., New York, NY
Bravo!
Pam N., Fort Davis, TX
The stilt hotel on Chiloe Island was magical. We took a kayak up the lake to the Pacific coast swam in the ocean and that evening lay on the deck and wondered at the night sky. Fab. A great trip I will never forget, experience of a lifetime.
Len C., Harrogate, UK
How would you describe this tour to a friend? I would (and have) told them 1) that I had a great trip; 2) that the guides were wonderful; 3) that the mountains were exquisite; 4) accommodations and interesting meals were fabulous.
Benjamin L., Washington, DC
The combination of gorgeous routes and extra cultural experiences made for a totally rich experience. We would head out every morning eager to see what fabulous surprises awaited us. And of course our guides were the best! One of the best vacations of our lives!!!!
Starr and Phil T., Ft Collins, CO
A great bicycle trip with such beauty, interesting country, people, food, and wine. The guides are great! Fun, helpful, interesting! The road markings are good. The hotels, food, and wine wonderful. ExperiencePlus! has bicycle trips down! I am a big fan and look forward to my next trip!
Josephine C., Hilo, HI
Everything about the trip was excellent, from the well designed routes and navigational arrows, to the guides who were amazing in their knowledge and friendliness and willingness to make the trip a memorable experience.
Judi B., Waban, MA
It was truly the greatest adventure of my life–at the age of 71. So glad I did it. Everyone was wonderful!
Bonita O., Woodston, KS
Two weeks riding through a great place with great folks. I loved lunch at the border of Chile and the hot tub soak at the end of that day at the all inclusive spa.
Richard H., Raleigh, NC
What was your favorite experience on this trip? Crossing the border from Argentina to Chile. The boat trip to see the penguins. Enjoying the company of my fellow travelers. The home cooked meal on Chiloe Island.
Bill P., Meadville, PA
An experience of a lifetime! What was your favorite experience on this trip? I can”t say. Everything on this trip gelled. The guides, the cultural experience in Argentina and Chile, the other members of the group, and the riding was spectacular on a daily basis.
Susan M., Syracuse, NY
Fantastic scenery, a gorgeous view at every turn. Lakes, mountains, forest, volcanoes, wildlife, oceans, parks, it has it all. Great food at locations one would never find on one”s own. Warm and gracious people. Interesting accommodations, with a taste of every kind–B&B, high rise hotel, low rise hotel, park “lodges” and an all-inclusive resort. Challenging riding but one can”t have the scenery without hills.
Jill W., Sarasota, FL
A brilliant way to see Patagonia at close range with local guides and experience. An excellent tour with great guides. 10 of 10. Would recommend.
David E., Sydney, Australia
Do it. Do it. Do it. Trip of a lifetime. If a medium strength rider, ask for the E-bike and just have fun!
Melinda C., Renton, WA
Great biking, fabulous scenery, extraordinary guides… Would definitely use Experience Plus again, especially in Argentina with the same guides. Have already sung your praises to a number of biking friends. From my first phone call, through trip prep and then the tour, everyone was professional and went out of their way to make this the trip what we wanted. Phenomenal customer service.
Sue R., Vail, CO
How would you describe this tour to a friend? A very enjoyable cultural experience using bikes as a means of transportation that facilitates stopping and enjoying the country. There certainly is a fair amount of cycling effort but it is not a hard core cycling tour for hammerheads. Thanks for an awesome trip!
Kevin M., Salt Lake City, UT – December 2017
I”ve told my friends that this tour offered us the best of both worlds – a company to take care of the travel arrangements, support, and transfers, but with the advantage of not being wedded to a group 24/7. I enjoyed the freedom of riding at my own pace and having opportunities to stop and soak in local sights and culture as much as I wished. My favorite experience was when we cycled around the Island of Chiloe. I loved the quiet roads, jaw dropping scenery, and the friendly people we encountered along the way.
Margaret M., Salt Lake City, UT – December 2017
The trip of my life! Two days stand out – cycling across the Andes and the ever changing scenery from Argentina to Chile, lunch and birthday cake on the border, followed by hot spas – a perfect end to a perfect day! Also the first day in Chiloe – ferries, waterfront restaurant, fields of cows by the cliffs over oceans, cycling, penquins and an amazing dinner – all in one day!!!
Maz C., Shelter Island Heights, NY – February 2018
The entire experience was fantastic. Nadine and others in the office were a great help in the beginning. From leaders to routes to meals to hotels, this was a terrific experience! Thank you!
Paul T., Fort Collins, CO – February 2018
How would you describe this tour to a friend? Challenging cycling, amazing scenery, great cultural experience. Great trip! Thanks to all, I””m sure we””ll be back.
Stephen & Allison F., E. Greenwich, RI – Feb 2018
A great experience – with wonderful (and knowledgeable) local guides.
Paul B., Sydney, NSW – February 2018
This was an excellent, well organized trip that gave us the opportunity to see another part of the world that we would not have done on our own.
Gary P., Tucson, AZ – December 2018
A great holiday, great guides and great scenery.
Richard C., Limavady, NO Ireland – December 2018
Great trip with excellent and knowledgeable leaders as in all my ExperiencePlus! adventures.
Ole L., Fort Worth, TX – February 2019
Empanadas at the top of the Andes.
Thomas E., St Paul, MN – February 2019
This was our first tour with ExperiencePlus! and I definitely look forward to the next one. From the folks working with us on scheduling to the guides and the people on the tour with us, it was really a great experience. Thank you.
Terri T., Salt Lake City, UT – February 2019
Very diverse. Wonderful scenery. Great food. Favorite things: Boat trip to see the penguins. Riding around the lake in Chile with views of the volcano. Special dinner in Chile at agritourismo and all the lunches.
Debbie M., Tiburn, CA – Decemeber 2019
The tour was a great combination of fun riding, great eating and spectacular scenery. I didn’t have any idea what to expect, as I’d never been to South America before, but it was wonderful and I will go back again, maybe even for another ride!
Erika G., St Augustine, GA – December 2019
A wonderful way to get to experience the region, especially if you’ve never been before. Favorite things: the island of Chiloe. The food and the local restaurants.
Nadine K., Edmonton, Alberta – December 2019
Beautiful views, great exercise, spending time with like minded people, ExperiencePlus! knows their business.
Monty M., Admore, PA – February 2020
Exceptional! Very well planned itinerary and well thought out routes, accommodations and meals. The daily rides took us through back country scenic routes, some quite challenging. We definitely loved the chalked arrows signifying the routes which made it easy.
Lisa and Rick M., Evergreen, CO – February 2020