Lake Tours in Chile: 13 Weighed Up on Cost and Hours

1.Piedras Rojas, Altiplanics Lagoons & Salar Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 592 reviews · 10 hours · from $85Our pick

Leave San Pedro around 6:00 AM for Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Piedras Rojas, Chaxa Lagoon, Socaire, and Toconao. A bilingual guide such as Cheryl, Camila, or Denny leads the small group, with breakfast and lunch included. Expect striking scenery, wildlife stops, cold mornings, hot sun, and altitude above 4,100 meters.

“All in all it was a great tour with a great guide and group.”

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2.Portillo and Laguna del Inca Day Trip with Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 572 reviews · 10 hours · from $45Best value

Travel by air-conditioned minivan from Santiago to Portillo and Laguna del Inca, with stops at Salto del Soldado and Ruta Los Caracoles. Your guide, such as Sebastián, Sol, Carlos, or Emilio, shares local stories in Spanish or Portuguese. You get mountain views, free time by the lagoon, and a simple picnic near Los Andes.

“As described and expected. The picnic is not much but fair for the price.”

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3.San Pedro Atacama: Baltinache Lagoons

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 359 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

From San Pedro de Atacama, drive into the desert with a bilingual guide such as Francisco, Daniel, or Mauricio. Visit seven salt lagoons, float in extremely salty water when swimming is open, and enjoy a generous local breakfast near the Magic Bus. The five-hour trip includes transport and hotel pickup, but the CLP $12,000 entrance fee is extra.

“it was such a great experience to visit the the salt pools. Lorena was a great guide, very informative and friendly.”

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4.Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 233 reviews · 10 hours · from $80

Spend about 10 hours traveling from Santiago to Portillo Inca Lagoon with a multilingual guide such as Camilo, Sofia, or Eduardo. See the famous Caracoles switchbacks, hear Chilean and Incan stories, enjoy an empanada brunch, and taste wine at In Situ from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and holidays, tasting moves to Ventisquero Guardia Vieja, home to llamas.

“Everything about the trip was brilliant! Seba was a fantastic guide and our driver was lovely. Seba was incredibly knowledgeable and gave us lots of information at various points up to the lagoon - we all came away learning lots about Chile, especially the wine, which was great! Hoping to return soon and would definitely book another trip with him. There was nothing he could have done better! Thank you for a memorable trip.”

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5.Triple tour: Red stones, highland lagoons and Chaxa Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 219 reviews · 10 hours · from $85

Spend a full day above and across the Atacama Desert, with breakfast, lunch, bilingual guidance and stops at Piedras Rojas, Socaire, Miscanti, Miñiques and Chaxa Lagoon. Guides such as Manu, Karla and Daniel have earned praise for their humor, local insight and wildlife spotting. Expect small groups, rough roads, cold mornings and altitudes up to 4,200 meters.

“Excellent tour all around! Karla was a superb tour guide! She was highly knowledgeable and had great energy. She also had the best playlists for the sections of driving between stops. The sights were stunning and we have 0 complaints. I would definitely recommend this to others.”

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6.Red Stones and Altiplanic Lagoons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $75Top rated

Set out from San Pedro at 7:00 am for a full day among Red Stones, Miscanti Lake, Chaxa Lagoon, Socaire, and Toconao. Inti Para Travel includes breakfast and lunch, with guides such as Marlon and Juan leading the day. Expect striking scenery, close views of pelicans, and a park entrance fee paid separately.

“Marlon is an excellent guide. He is very knowledgeable and interacts well with his group. Company also communicates well regarding pick up, what to bring, etc. The scenery is stunning with a variety of things to see on this trip. Highly recommend this activity and this tour company!”

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7.Red Rocks & Altiplano Lagoons Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 108 reviews · 10 hours · from $129

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama to the Tropic of Capricorn, Chaxa Lagoon, Red Rocks, and the high Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons. A bilingual guide explains desert wildlife, geology, and local life, with breakfast, lunch, park entries, and hotel pickup included. Expect thin air, cold wind, and a 1-hour-15-minute walk at about 3,800 meters.

“Lu was a super guide. We managed to see almost all the wildlife that was possible (next time, pumas!). Really good value for money. Recommended”

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8.Andes Day Lagoon: Embalse El Yeso Tour from Santiago

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 9 hours · from $120

Leave Santiago early for Cajón del Maipo and the high-altitude waters of Embalse El Yeso. In a group of up to 12, a bilingual guide leads you to viewpoints, waterfalls, San Jose de Maipo, and a relaxed wine-and-cheese stop. The route can change with weather, road closures, or park restrictions.

“Sebastian was a delight and made our trip fantastic”

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9.Baltinache Hidden Lagoons

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 64 reviews · 4h 30m · from $58

Travel by van from San Pedro de Atacama to Baltinache’s salt lagoons with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide. You’ll have about two hours for sightseeing and swimming, then enjoy a cocktail and coffee tasting before returning. Bring water, warm clothes, swimwear, a towel, and cash for the separate entrance fee.

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10.Laguna del Inca and Portillo Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 61 reviews · 9 hours · from $54

Travel from Santiago through the Chacabuco Tunnel and Aconcagua Valley to Portillo Ski Center and Inca Lagoon. A guide in Spanish, English, or Portuguese explains local history and legends. You get free time at the resort, optional ski-lift access, and views of snow-capped Andes peaks. Hotel pickup is available in central Santiago districts.

“Muito além da expectativa, quero deixar aqui meu agradecimento especial ao nosso guia Edison Carrasco, que proporcionou a melhor experiencia que tivemos aqui no Chile durante os 8 dias que estivemos aqui. Passeio a Portillo foi espetacular. Muito obrigado!”

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11.Full day tour in Portillo and Laguna del Inca

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 61 reviews · 10 hours · from $50

Travel from Santiago in a small group of up to 20 people to Chacabuco, Salto del Soldado, Cuesta Caracoles, Portillo, and Laguna del Inca. Expect an early pickup, a bilingual or Portuguese-speaking guide, mountain photo stops, a picnic, and about 10 hours on the road. Breakfast and lunch are extra.

“Výlet byl naprosto příšerný, za ty peníze to opravdu nestálo. Vyzvednutí bylo okolo 5:30 a v popisu aktivity bylo napsáno, že doba trvání je deset hodin. Jak je tedy možné, že zpátky jsme byli už cca v 14:15? Navíc jsme neviděli ani všechny slibované body (např. vodopád Salto del Soldado). Průvodce byl asi jen na ozdobu, protože nám za celý výlet nic moc neřekl. Jen to, co se týkalo organizace, typu "Toto je hotel Portillo, Laguna del Inca je za ním. Běžte se tam sami podívat. Máte na to hodinu a půl." Samotná laguna byla taky celkem zklamání, protože k ní nebylo možné jít, byla za lyžařským areálem. Ale co…”

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12.Todos los Santos Lake and Villa Peulla Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 52 reviews · 10 hours · from $55

You travel from Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt to Todos los Santos Lake, then take a roughly two-hour boat ride toward Villa Peulla. Guides such as Fernando and Guillermo may lead the day in Spanish or English. Expect volcano views, forest, Petrohué Falls on some departures, and optional horse riding, canopying, or 4x4 trips.

“Technically the tour is a part of the Cruce Andino route, so we had to experience all the associated logistical challenges. They asked us to come to the meeting point at 7:30, but nothing happened until 8:00. Then we were unexpectedly (not listed in the program) taken to Petrohue Falls. We were left there for 1:45 hours, while visiting the falls takes 30 min maximum. This all contributed to the extension of the tour to 12+ hours. Of course, the lake and the Peulla valley are beautiful, but the logistics was very exhausting.”

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13.Inca Lagoon Tour with Local Vineyard and Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 43 reviews · 10 hours · from $79

Join a small group of up to 15 for a full-day Andes outing from Santiago. Guides such as Victor and Álvaro lead you to Viña San Esteban, Aconcagua views, the 29 switchbacks of Los Caracoles, turquoise Inca Lagoon, Portillo, and a llama stop. Pickup, wine tasting, transport, and lagoon entry are included.

“I had an absoluteley positive experience with tour operator providing the above tour. Great organisational skills and great comunication about booking, pick up time etc. Our tur leader Alvaro was very knowleadgeable, friendly and enthusiastic. A pleasure to listen to. Our driver Claudio was the perfect safe driver you want to have on a long trip/ drive up the mountains. I thank both Alvaro and Claudio for making my trip perfect. And would definateley recommend this trip.”

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