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Highlights
Join an unforgettable cycling journey through the Northern Patagonia
Explore the spectacular landscapes of Cerro Castillo National Park, including the highest pass of the Carretera Austral, as well as numerous other stunning viewpoints.
Border the turquoise waters of Lake General Carrera, South America's second-largest lake.
Discover Patagonia National Park, a conservation area rich in wildlife and stunning scenery, founded by The North Face's Douglas Tompkins.
Visit Caleta Tortel, a unique village known for its wooden walkways and picturesque setting, certified as one of the Best Tourism Villages by the UNWTO.
Join a cycling journey through the southern section of Chile’s famous Carretera Austral. This 11-day guided tour takes you from Coyhaique to Villa O’Higgins, travelling along paved and gravel roads through some of the most remote landscapes in Chilean Patagonia. Along the way, you will explore Cerro Castillo National Park, General Carrera Lake, the Baker River, Caleta Tortel, and spectacular scenery overlooking the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. Optional activities include visiting the Marble Chapels by kayak or motorboat and rafting on the Baker River. Your adventure concludes at Bahía Bahamondes, kilometre 1,247 of the Carretera Austral, followed by a supported return to Balmaceda Airport or Coyhaique.
Browse all Chile bike tours on 10Adventures, or see more Guided Chile tours in the south.
Join a cycling journey through the southern section of Chile’s famous Carretera Austral. This 11-day guided tour takes you from Coyhaique to Villa O’Higgins, travelling along paved and gravel roads through some of the most remote landscapes in Chilean Patagonia. Along the way, you will explore Cerro Castillo National Park, General Carrera Lake, the Baker River, Caleta Tortel, and spectacular scenery overlooking the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. Optional activities include visiting the Marble Chapels by kayak or motorboat and rafting on the Baker River. Your adventure concludes at Bahía Bahamondes, kilometre 1,247 of the Carretera Austral, followed by a supported return to Balmaceda Airport or Coyhaique.
Browse all Chile bike tours on 10Adventures, or see more Guided Chile tours in the south.
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Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Coyhaique
Meet the tour staff and other participants at your accommodation in Coyhaique at 3:00 p.m. After introductions, attend a briefing about the cycling journey and complete the bike and equipment checks. This is your final opportunity to purchase any necessary items in a large city before sharing dinner with the group.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Coyhaique
Distance: None
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Cycle to Villa Cerro Castillo
Begin your ride on a paved section of the Carretera Austral, crossing the countryside outside Coyhaique and passing El Blanco amid Patagonian steppe and rock formations. After the Route 7 and Balmaceda junction, climb gradually toward Laguna Chiguay for a picnic lunch. Continue through Cerro Castillo National Park to the highest pass on the Carretera Austral, then descend the Devil’s Slope past viewpoints over the Ibanez River to Villa Cerro Castillo.
Overnight Location: Cabins in Villa Cerro Castillo
Distance: 93 km; paved road
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 Ride Gravel Roads to Puerto Tranquilo
Leave Villa Cerro Castillo and reach the end of the asphalt after 15 km. The route becomes a demanding stretch of loose, corrugated gravel, passing Green Lagoon and the Dead Forest along the Ibanez River, a landscape shaped by the 1991 eruption of Hudson Volcano. Minibus support helps the group approach Murta Valley before you ride beside the turquoise waters of General Carrera Lake to Puerto Tranquilo.
Overnight Location: Cabins in Puerto Tranquilo
Distance: 74 km; loose gravel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 Follow General Carrera Lake to Puerto Bertrand
You may begin the day with an optional kayak or motorboat trip to the Marble Chapels. Then cycle beside General Carrera Lake, also known as Chelenko, with distant views of valleys and glaciers descending from the Northern Ice Field. Cross the General Carrera bridge near the formation of Bertrand Lake and the Baker River, then continue past the Puerto Guadal and Chile Chico junction. A series of climbs and descents leads to Puerto Bertrand.
Overnight Location: Cabins in Puerto Bertrand
Distance: 71 km; loose gravel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5 Cycle Along the Baker River to Cochrane
Continue south beside the Baker River through Patagonian steppe, where grasslands replace the trees beneath winding mountains. Stop for a hike at the confluence of the Baker and Nef rivers and see the powerful waters flowing from the Northern Ice Field. Ride onward near Patagonia National Park, where you may spot guanacos and other native wildlife before reaching Cochrane.
Overnight Location: Cabins in Cochrane
Distance: 44 km; loose gravel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 Ride to Los Nadis and Camp in Patagonia
Start on pavement before continuing over gravel past Emerald, Juncal, and Chacabuco lakes, with the possibility of seeing Mount San Lorenzo. Ride from the open steppe into native forest and descend Los Nadis Hill into a remote Patagonian valley. Set up camp in the evening and share a traditional Patagonian barbecue of spit-roasted lamb and vegetables prepared by a local pioneer.
Overnight Location: Camping in Los Ñadis
Distance: 48 km; paved and gravel road
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 Cycle Through Native Forest to Caleta Tortel
Ride through native forests, wetlands, and peatlands as the landscape transitions from Patagonian steppe to evergreen forest. Arrive in Caleta Tortel, a remote village known for walkways built from Guaitecas cypress that connect its homes, civic centre, and public services. Explore the village on foot after completing the day’s ride.
Overnight Location: Hostel in Caleta Tortel
Distance: 85 km; gravel road
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8 Cross to Rio Bravo
Take a final morning walk along Caleta Tortel’s wooden walkways before travelling by minibus to the junction of Route 7 and Puerto Alegre. Begin cycling with a long, demanding climb to the pass, followed by a descent to Puerto Yungay. Board the approximately 45-minute ferry to Rio Bravo, then enter one of the most beautiful and isolated sections of the Carretera Austral before camping in this remote area.
Overnight Location: Camping in Rio Bravo
Distance: 42 km; gravel road
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 Complete the Ride to Villa O’Higgins
Take on the final cycling stage, which features three major climbs and some of the route’s most remote scenery. Pass roadside waterfalls, broad valleys, Patagonian steppe, rivers, and lakes on the way to Villa O’Higgins. Continue to Bahia Bahamondes and kilometre 1,247, the southernmost point of the Carretera Austral, where you can celebrate completing the route.
Overnight Location: Hostel in Villa O’Higgins
Distance: 94 km; gravel road
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10 Return to Bahia Catalina
Load the bikes and luggage into the minibus and begin the return journey. Stop first in Puerto Yungay for travellers continuing by ferry to Puerto Natales, then travel north through Cochrane to Bahia Catalina. Scenic stops provide time to appreciate the Patagonian landscape before dinner at your lakeside accommodation on General Carrera Lake.
Overnight Location: Cabins in Bahia Catalina
Distance: 295 km by minibus
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 11 Transfer to Balmaceda Airport or Coyhaique
Continue the return journey by minibus toward Coyhaique. The tour concludes with a drop-off at Balmaceda Airport, and it is recommended that you book a flight departing after 2 pm. Alternatively, you may continue to Coyhaique, where post-tour accommodation is not included.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: 228 km by minibus
Meals: Breakfast
Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour Price and Dates
The Guided Southern Carretera Austral Highway Cycling Tour runs as a scheduled group trip between November 2026 and March 2027. Bike rentals are available, either mountain bike, gravel bike, or e-bike. The prices below are per person.Start
Finish
Duration
Spaces Left
Price
Thu, Nov 19
From Coyhaique
Sun, Nov 29
to Coyhaique
11 Days
5+
Spaces left
USD$3200
Thu, Dec 17
From Coyhaique
Sun, Dec 27
to Coyhaique
11 Days
5+
Spaces left
USD$3200
Accommodation on Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour
Stay in a mix of bed and breakfasts, cabins, hostels, and remote accommodations during the tour.
Single Rooms and Solo Travellers
Rooms are double occupancy. You can pay a supplement to have a private room in a hotel where possible.
What’s Included in the Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour?
Meals
This tour includes a total of 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 10 dinners.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 10 nights are included. Accommodations before and after the tour are not included.
Transportation during the Tour
The group will travel with a minibus as a vehicle support. Estuary reloncaví ferry, Bimodal route ferry and local transfers to adventure and side multi-activities are included.
Also included
- Staff of guides (Tour leader, driver)
- National Park entrance fee
- Equipment & implements
-
- Outdoor and camping kitchen implements for picnics and snacks.
- Security and communications: Spine board, orthopedic neck brace, first aid kits, radio transceivers.
- Mechanics: Repo-bike service (spare bike on route in case of serious mechanical issue), tool box, accessories and spare parts
- Sightseeing along national parks & towns
Not included
- Early arrival accommodation in Coyhaique
- International flights
- Transfer from and to the airport
- Alcohol drinks & meals “A la carte”
- Tips for guides
- Bike rental
- Services not specified above
- Some optional activities
Optional Extras
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Single occupancy upgrades
- Bike rental:
-
- MTB Giant Talon 0 or Gravel Revolt 1 or similar: USD300
- E-bike: MTB Giant Talon E+1 or similar USD500
- Optional activities or excursions:
-
- Kayak Marble chapels
- Rafting baker river
- Hiking Cerro Castillo National Park
- Boat trip Marble Chapels
- How hard is the Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Chile?
- Are meals included on the Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Coyhaique to start this tour?
- Is the Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour in English?
- Where does the Southern Austral Highway Cycling Tour end?
- Can I rent a bike?
- Can I bring my own bike?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Chile?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Chile?
We rate the difficulty of this tour as a 5 / 5. This highly challenging tour is best suited to experienced cyclists with excellent physical fitness and strong endurance. You will tackle long daily rides, demanding climbs, and extended sections of loose gravel and pavement. The remote Patagonian setting and unpredictable weather add to the challenge, making prior experience riding on varied surfaces essential. Regular endurance, hill, and bike-handling training is strongly recommended.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
This tour includes a total of 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 10 dinners.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip, and your insurance should cover cycling. Get your travel insurance.
The most convenient way to get to Coyhaique is by flying into Balmaceda Airport (BBA), which is the closest airport to Coyhaique, about 55 kilometers away. It receives regular flights from Santiago, the capital of Chile, with a flight time of approximately 2.5 hours.
Yes, the tour guide is English-speaking.
This tour ends where it starts, in Coyhaique.
Yes, you can rent a bike during the booking process. Rental bikes are MTB Giant Talon 0 or Gravel Revolt 1 or similar. You can also rent an ebike (MTB Giant Talon E+1 or similar).
Yes. If you bring your own bike, it should be a mountain bike suitable for the demands of the tour.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
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