Full day · From Putre or Arica
Lauca National Park & Lake Chungará tour
The classic route of the Chilean altiplano. We leave from Putre or Arica and climb gradually into Lauca National Park: wetlands with vicuñas, the Aymara village of Parinacota with its colonial church, and Lake Chungará at the foot of the Payachatas volcanoes.
What you will see
- Vicuñas
- Andean condor
- Wetlands
Photos from our trips
Before you go
Altitude & acclimatization
Putre sits at 3,500 m.a.s.l.; Chungará and Surire are above 4,500 m.a.s.l. Sleeping one night in Putre before the lakes prevents altitude sickness (soroche). Stay hydrated, eat light, coca leaf tea helps.
Weather & clothing
Sunny days, freezing nights. Layers: thermal base, fleece, windbreaker. Sunscreen 50+, hat, UV sunglasses. Between January and February expect some rain or snow (altiplano winter).
Best time to go
It can be visited all year. Between April and October only one or two millimetres of rain fall per month: clear, cold days with great visibility. Between December and March the altiplano winter arrives, with afternoon rain that turns the altiplano green and full of wildlife. We confirm conditions before every departure.
Yes, we work in Spanish and English. Our guides live in Putre: they know the altitude, the weather and the roads first-hand.
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