Trek through the ancient forests of the Andes in Chile's Ventisquero Valley, glimpsing glaciers, waterfalls and condors
Raft and packraft on pristine glacial waters and sea kayak the secluded Reloncavi Fjord - all against a volcanic backdrop
Get involved in the Llanquihue wetlands conservation project, a critical and unique habitat for migratory birds
Day 1
Welcome to Los Lagos, a varied and beautiful region of Chile and a mecca for outdoor adventures. Your base is the small lakeside town of Puerto Varas, gateway to the Andes and the lesser-visited northern realm of Patagonia, situated a short drive from Puerto Montt airport.
Day 2
A short drive takes you to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park (Chile's oldest national park), where you'll get kitted out in wetsuits and take to the water for an unforgettable guided rafting experience down Petrohue River, flanked by incredible Andean scenery. Later, you'll travel to Cochamo where there will be a walk to an impressive viewpoint and a first chance to learn about the birdlife of the region. Bunk down for the night in an eco-lodge.
Day 3
Lace up your boots for the first of several long hikes in the Patagonian wilderness. You'll follow the impressive La Junta trail on a steady incline (approximately 300m across the first 11km) through temperate rainforest, passing waterfalls and rivers before arriving at an incredible picnic lunch spot with views of towering granite rock faces.
Day 4
Salty seawater from the Pacific meets fresh glacial melt in Reloncavi Fjord, where exploring by sea kayak gives you a unique perspective. Volcano views, the possibility of encountering Chilean dolphins or sea lions, and a lunch stop at a family farm make for a truly memorable paddle.
Day 5
Today you'll venture well off the beaten track, heading south and deeper into the Patagonian Andes. El Rincon Bonito ('the beautiful corner') doesn't feature on many maps and represents a true hidden treasure nestled in the Andean foothills. The long but scenic journey today will involve several forms of transport to navigate the terrain (a car, a boat and a truck), with the final 15km being on foot (with the support of mules to help with luggage). You'll follow a tranquil forest trail along Ventisquero River to the welcoming lodge.
Day 6
Immerse yourself in the majestic surroundings of the Ventisquero Valley, hiking a trail which is nestled in the verdant Patagonian Andes. The Mirador del Valle Trail follows an old muleteer path that ascends over the tree line (with a total ascent of around 900m today), giving wonderful views of the glaciers and the valley. The trail passes through ancient forest types, each endemic to this area of Patagonia and has several spectacular viewpoints along the way. Keep a look out for condors overhead!
Day 7
Today's walk is a flatter route, staying within the valley floor, although you'll cover a long distance. During the hike you'll criss-cross rivers, learn about the flora and fauna in this part of Patagonia, and visit a wonderful waterfall. Relaxing back at Rincon Bonito, a traditional Chilean BBQ will be cooked up to mark your final night in this special place.
Day 8
Another unique adventure awaits today as you packraft the pristine turquoise waters of Rio Ventisquero and Rio Puelo downstream, floating back towards civilisation. Arriving at the village of Puelo Libre, you'll jump back onto dry land and continue the road journey back to Puerto Varas which includes a short ferry across Lake Tagua Tagua. Enjoy a free evening in the lively little town.
Day 9
Travel the short distance to Llanquihue village to meet local environmental scientists from Legado Chile, a foundation involved in a project to sustainably restore a critical wetland habitat in collaboration with the local community. The wetlands, where the Maullín River meets Lake Llanquihue, support an impressive array of migratory birds and are now designated as a nature sanctuary. You'll have the opportunity to learn about the ongoing project and assist with some of the day's scheduled activities under the supervision of project staff, should you wish. At lunchtime, you'll go to a nearby artisan brewery for a taste of Patagonia's craft beer. Drive back to Puerto Varas in time for an invigorating dip in Llanquihue Lake and a final evening together.
Day 10
Your northern Patagonian adventure draws to a close today as you say goodbyes. You'll be transferred to Puerto Montt airport for your onward travels.
Our trips do not include flights, trains or other travel to the start point and back from the end point.
Tips for the main guide and local activity leaders are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion, but there is an expectation to tip for good service. We suggest around $7-10 USD (or equivalent in Chilean Pesos) per day, per person, as a guideline for the main guide.
There is also a local guiding team in El Rincon Bonito who lead the activities whilst in this region (packrafting, and trekking). Tipping a similar daily amount to be split between these local staff is also recommended - this can be passed on by the lead guide at a later date if travellers do not have cash to hand whilst in Rincon Bonito.
Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness. Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine (opens in new tab), as their insurance offers all of the above.
Visa requirements often change, and you are responsible for obtaining any required visas for this trip. Please check with your nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice.
Looking for a private room? See Optional Extras for details and pricing.
Chile is perhaps not well known for its cuisine, however, you'll discover a delicious array of tastes and signature dishes, each synonymous with this part of the world. Choripán (grilled chorizo sausage in bread) is widely eaten by Chilenos, as are a…
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Perfect for adventurers looking to gently step things up
You'll be enjoying a wide range of outdoor activities every day in this action-packed tour. You should be happy spending long active days immersed in nature, and be ready for ...
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Sunday 22nd November 2026
to Tuesday 1st December 2026
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Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
The Chilean host is based in Puerto Varas and its staff are closely involved with a very significant local environmental project aimed at conserving a unique habitat in the region. The Maullín River Wetlands is a river corridor of concentrated biodiversity that connects the Andes to the Pacific Coast of Chile and is home to increasingly vulnerable species of flora and fauna, in addition to many migratory birds. A large aspect of the work of the Legado Foundation is to engage local communities in the shared benefits of protecting this unique habitat. The Foundation welcomes us to Llanquihue in order to inspire others and raise wider awareness of environmental challenges being faced here. By including a visit as part of the itinerary our host is able to channel funds to the project which contributes towards ongoing operational costs. Together with field scientists from the Foundation, you'll be able to learn the basics and join in with scheduled tasks for a few hours that morning (e.g. reforestation, bird counts, water sampling) giving an insight into the important work that goes on. Any involvement with specialist activities would be closely supervised by qualified staff.
You should bring a refillable water bottle for use during the trip. The host will provide mineral water whilst in Puerto Varas and during road transfers, and clean spring water is easily accessible during the three nights spent at the remote 'Rincon Bonito' lodge.
Read our guide to water filters here
Yes. As we start and finish in the same hotel in the town of Puerto Varas, you can arrange to leave any items of luggage that you won't need for the duration of the itinerary.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
The weather in Patagonia is famously changeable and becoming increasingly unpredictable as a result of climate change, particularly in mountainous regions that this trip features. It is possible that weather conditions could impact the running order of the itinerary, and the host may decide to make changes with your safety and enjoyment in mind. Departures for this trip are scheduled throughout Chile's summer months (Oct-Apr) which are also the drier months. The geographic location of the Chilean Lake District on the western side of the Andes mountain range causes it to have a fairly wet climate, hence why it is such a verdant habitat with no shortage of rivers, and it isn't unusual for there to be scattered showers and fast-changing weather conditions all year-round. Travellers should be prepared to potentially encounter some wet and windy conditions, as well as clear summer days. The peak summer months of Dec-Feb are when temperatures reach mid-20s °C (75 °F) during the daytime, with the shoulder months on either side being cooler.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 308kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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75% join our trips as solo travellers, with most in their 30s-50s. 95% give our group dynamic 5 stars.
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