The primary transport hub for air travel to Puerto Varas is El Tepual International Airport (PMC) in Puerto Montt, located approximately 20-25 kilometers away. For ground travel, Puerto Varas has its own bus terminal, with a larger bus hub available in nearby Puerto Montt.
Fly into El Tepual International Airport (PMC) in Puerto Montt. Airlines such as LATAM Chile, Sky Airline, and JetSMART offer flights from Santiago (SCL). The flight duration from Santiago to Puerto Montt typically ranges from 4 hours 1 minute to 4 hours 23 minutes, including transfers. Round-trip airfares from Santiago can start from approximately $64, with one-way tickets from $37.
Taxis from El Tepual Airport to Puerto Varas cost between $8 and $22 and take about 25 minutes. Shuttle services are also available, with prices ranging from approximately CLP$11,000 per person for groups to CLP$40,000 for a single person, and a travel time of around 1.5 hours. Direct buses from Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas take about 30 minutes and cost around $6. Alternatively, you can take a bus from the airport to Puerto Montt (approximately 40 minutes total journey including a transfer, costing $1-$68), and then a connecting minibus to Puerto Varas.
Direct bus services connect Puerto Varas to major cities like Santiago, with an average travel time of 11 hours 55 minutes to 12 hours 30 minutes and fares ranging from $21 to $55. Key bus operators include ETM, Cruz del Sur, Pullman Bus, FlixBus, and Turbus. Buses also operate from Osorno (1h 5m - 1h 20m) and from Bariloche, Argentina (approx. 6h 50m, around $39).
Frequent minibus services run between Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, costing around CLP$800 (approximately $1) and taking about 19-30 minutes. Small buses also serve local attractions and nearby towns such as Frutillar and Petrohué.
Renting a car provides flexibility for exploring the region. Daily rental prices in Puerto Varas average $30-$80, with compact cars around $48 per day. Driving from Santiago to Puerto Varas via Route 5 (Panamericana) takes approximately 10 to 12 hours (1009-1030 km), including tolls.
At TFA Travel we believe in travel for all. Our mission is to enable people to explore the world as easily as possible without having to pay a travel agent a huge commission.
Our typical audience are those that want to see something new and get involved with authentic experiences of a country. Whether you are a backpacker, solo traveller, solo female traveller, straight or LGBTQ+ couple, family, you will find local and authentic experiences here.
