Shore Excursion: Petrohue Waterfalls, Frutillar & Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt

About this activity

With over 20 years of experience, this tour is designed for cruise passengers looking for a smooth, well-paced day. You’ll travel with an experienced local guide and professional driver, ensuring safe transportation and a timely return to port.

The experience includes a delicious traditional Chilean empanada, freshly made the same morning, along with tastings of local Chilean wine and a traditional pisco sour.

This is one of the most complete shore excursions in the Chilean Lake District, visiting the Petrohué Waterfalls in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park and the historic German towns of Frutillar and Puerto Varas, with all park entrance fees included. You’ll travel along Lake Llanquihue throughout the day, enjoying sweeping views of the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes.

Our fully authorized vehicles carry all required permits, insurance, and documentation, offering a reliable and worry-free way to experience the best of southern Chile in one day.

Nature and Wildlife Tours Half-day Tours Bus Tours Private and Luxury Ports of Call Tours Car Tours Shore Excursions Excellent Quality

At a glance

Duration: 6 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 100 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: Portuguese, English, Spanish
Operated by: GV Tours

Ages: Infants (0–5 years) · Children (6–17 years) · Adults (18–115 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Hearty baked beef Chilean empanada (vegetarian option must be informed at time of booking)
Included: Cruise Port pickup and drop-off
Included: Professional guide
Included: Glass of Chilean wine (red and white)
Included: Alcoholic beverages: Pisco Sour Tasting
Included: Dedicated professional driver separate from the tour guide
Included: National Park Entrance Fee (Petrohué Falls) – approx. $10 value

Not included

Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

Saltos del Petrohue

one hour Admission included

After your ship docks in Puerto Montt, you will ride onboard your air-conditioned private vehicle and begin your journey to Petrohue Waterfalls located in Vicente Perez Rosales National park. Once we get to the national park where the Petrohue River Waterfalls are, you'll then embark on an easy walk with your guide to a pathway that leads to the falls. You will see waterfalls tumbling over a lip of volcanic rock, with waters turning beautiful shades of blue and green. Surrounded by a thick forest, the falls stand against the gorgeous backdrop of Osorno Volcano, making for amazing photo opportunities.
Stop 2

40 min

You will head back south to the town of Puerto Varas. Puerto Varas was colonized by German settlers and is known for its German traditions, beer seafood, natural scenery and luxurious hotels. This town is located on the shores of Llanquihue Lake and the perfect cone of Osorno Volcano and the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Calbuco and Mt Tronador are visible from the lakefront. You can enjoy having a German beer (madein Chile) or walking around town filled with fragrant roses and historical statues that represent the history and founding of the town. If you enjoy shopping for souvenirs to take back home or simply enjoy looking at the local crafts this is a great place to do it.
Lago Llanquihue

Passing by

You will border this enormous, breathtaking lake all day long during your tour!
Volcan Osorno

Passing by

Breathtaking Volcano Osorno will be in view all day long if the skies are clear. You will be able to get pictures at every stop (weather dependent).
Muelle Frutillar

15 min

This all wooden pier offers a scenic lookout of the lake, volcanoes and the town.
Teatro del Lago

15 min

After you have walked around town accompanied by your expert guide, head to the van where you will go see the monumental “Theatre of the Lake” of Frutillar.
Stop 7

15 min

You cannot leave this town without trying a German dessert known as kuchen and is very popular in this part of the country.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Hello and Welcome!

We're excited to have you join us for your tour of beautiful Puerto Montt!

Meeting Instructions

We will meet you outside the main entrance/exit gate of the cruise port, about a 5-minute walk from the tender dock.

After stepping off the tender, continue through the terminal building and exit toward the right. If you reach the buses and vans, you've gone too far. If needed, simply ask port staff for the main exit ("salida principal").

Our team will be waiting just outside the gate holding GV Tours signs. To avoid confusion with other tour operators, please ask for the port exit rather than GV Tours. We'll confirm your reservation by your name and party size when you arrive.

Meeting Time

We plan to meet one hour after your ship's scheduled arrival.

Examples:

7:00 AM arrival → 8:00 AM meeting

8:00 AM arrival → 9:00 AM meeting

9:30 AM arrival → 10:30 AM meeting

If possible, please take one of the earlier tenders. If the tender process is delayed, don't worry—we're experienced with cruise schedules and will adjust as needed. We always ensure you're back at the port with plenty of time before the last tender.

What to Bring

Dress in layers.

Bring sunscreen.

Let us know in advance if anyone in your group is vegetarian or has dietary restrictions.

Need to Reach Us?

During the busy cruise season, calling us is the fastest way to reach us for anything urgent. We'll also respond to emails and messages as quickly as possible.

We can't wait to show you the beauty of Puerto Montt!

Warm regards,

Annie & the GV Tours Team

Using your ticket

Hello & Welcome!

We’re so excited to have you join us for a tour in beautiful Puerto Montt!

Meeting Instructions:

We will meet you at the entrance/exit gate of the port. This is a short 5 minute walk from where you'll disembark from the tender. Please note, we are not inside the port, but right at the gate. This is the only exit and entrance, so it will be easy to find us.

As you step off the tender, simply ask for directions to the port exit. Before reaching the street, you'll spot us holding signs with "GV Tours" clearly displayed. We recommend asking for the exit, not our company, to avoid any confusion or impersonation. Our team will have a GV Tours sign and we’ll also have a list of reservations, so once you arrive, we’ll confirm your name and party size.

Timing Plan:

To help everyone start the day together, we plan to meet 1 hour after your ship docks.

Here are some examples:

-If your ship docks at 7 am, we aim to meet at 8 am.

-If your ship docks at 8 am, we’ll meet at 9 am.

-If your ship docks at 9:30 am, we’ll aim to meet at 10:30 am.

…and so on, adjusting by one hour after the docking time. If possible, please try to disembark on one of the first tenders to keep us on schedule and give us all more time to enjoy the day.

If the cruise starts disembarking earlier than expected, please come ashore as soon as you can. Don’t worry if there’s any delay with the cruise—we’ll wait for you and adjust our timing as needed. With 20 years of experience at this port, we’ve got the process down and we ensure you have plenty of time to return. For example, if the last tender departs at 4:30 PM, we’ll be at the port at 3:30 PM, one hour before the last tender.

Contact Information:

On the day of the tour, reach Veronica via WhatsApp at +56-933-95-6029.

If you have any questions before your tour, please contact Annie at +1 949-892-0075.

Also, don’t forget to check out our online souvenir shop—no suitcase space? No problem! https://www.gvtourschile.com/shop

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
A moderate amount of walking is involved, comfortable shoes are recommended

Options

Bus Tour with Snack

6-hour tour, max 24 guests per air-conditioned bus. Includes a light snack and drink tastings.

Duration: 6 hours

Snack: Traditional Chilean empanada with local wine and pisco sour tastings.

Bus: Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned bus designed for shared tours, offering spacious seating and a smooth ride.

Pickup included
Small Group with Snack

Petrohue Falls Entry Fee

Duration: 6 hours

Snack: Traditional Chilean empanada, plus tastings of red and white wine and a pisco sour tasting.

Sprinter Van: Travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned Sprinter van designed for small shared groups, with spacious seating and smooth ride

Small Group Tour with Snack: 6-hour shared tour with 14 people max in vehicle. Entrance to Petrohue Falls included. Snack with glass of wine included.

Pickup included