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 Varas. There may be a reciprocity entry fee for entering Argentina through an international airport
See related tours

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

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.


Highlights: Fit Bicycles, Welcome Dinner

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

Highlights: Bariloche, Cerro Campanario ski lift for panoramic view of the Andes, hotel spa

Today, 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 : Hotel Llao Llao

Highlights: Hiking day, Lake Nahuel Huapi, Arrayanes National Park

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

Highlights: Crossing the Andes, Cardenal Samore Pass, thermal spas

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

Highlights: Lake Llanquihue, views of Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes

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

Highlights: Puerto Varas

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

Highlights: Chiloé Island, Penguins, traditional curanto

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

Highlights: Fishing villages, traditional Chilote boats

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

Highlights: Quiet roads, birds and wildlife viewing

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

Highlights: Tour ends

We board our shuttle and transfer to the Puerto Montt Airport. 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.


Date Price Private room fee Note
Dec 2-11, 2023 USD$5295 USD$700 Confirmed Departure  
Feb 3-12, 2024 USD$5295 USD$700 Private Departure
Feb 17-26, 2024 USD$5295 USD$700 Sold out – wait list available.  
DateDec 2-11, 2023
PriceUSD$5295
Private room feeUSD$700
NoteConfirmed Departure  
DateFeb 3-12, 2024
PriceUSD$5295
Private room feeUSD$700
NotePrivate Departure
DateFeb 17-26, 2024
PriceUSD$5295
Private room feeUSD$700
NoteSold out – wait list available.  

Download Itinerary

We’ll send you a link to a full day by day tour itinerary that can be downloaded and printed so you can review all the details online and offline. This packet also includes details about what to expect on tour and arrival and departure details.
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  • E-Bikes in Argentina and Chile

    Frame : Aluminum with front suspension
    Type : E-Bike (Chile and Argentina)

  • Road (Chile and Argentina)

  • Hybrid (Chile and Argentina)


Pre-trip planning checklist



  • 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