Volcan Villarrica Hike in Pucon Chile – My Experience + 6 Tips for Hiking

When someone told me that you do a Volcan Villarrica hike up an active volcano just outside of Pucon Chile (northern Chilean Patagonia) – I knew I had to immediately divert my itinerary to get there. I was even more sold when I was told that you had to wear gas masks at the top because the active volcano spews gas and steam. As you’ll know if you know me, I’m always one to challenge myself to do even the most extreme of adventures, and the Villarrica Volcano sounded right up my alley.

Pucon is a mere 9 hours south of Chile’s capital, Santiago. Being on the Chilean side of the Andes mountains (closer to the Pacific), Pucon Chile is more prone to catch bad weather, and this was especially true when I was there.

When I arrived in the town, it was pouring rain for the first 36 hours. I had been in contact with Aguaventura Expeditions about planning a Pucon Volcano hike, and it was looking a bit iffy for a while given that it was raining so hard. In this type of situation, as in the Volcan Villarrica hike, you can’t fully know until the morning of the adventure whether the weather will be acceptable to do the ascent.

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We gathered at 6:30am on the supposed morning of our ascent, under some low-hanging clouds. We were still unsure, but got all our gear on anyway – our snow shoes, helmets, and backpacks fitted with crampons, gas masks, gloves, and extra gear for sledding down the volcano at the end (yes, I am serious… read more below). The Volcan Villarrica hike is the type of adventure where you absolutely must be prepared!

We had two guides for four guests, and we sped up to the base of the volcano in a big white van. Given that it had been raining for the past 72ish hours, the entire Villarrica Volcano had a fresh and thick layer of snow coating it. We were so surprised to learn that the snow had reached a few thousand feet lower than it had a few days back! The previous storms had been harsh ones, and we had to be careful to follow our guides to navigate our way up the steep volcano in deep powdery snow.

Keep scrolling for my Volcan Villarrica hike tips, where to stay in Pucon Chile, and what to pack!

View my whole Volcan Villarrica photo gallery by clicking here! 

6 Tips for the Volcan Villarrica Hike

My whole climbing story is right after these tips!

1. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Somehow, pretty much all the people from my hostel did the climb, but I honestly don’t think everyone was ready for how challenging it was. As an adventure blogger, this was one of the most awesome things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most intense. When in doubt, take your time when climbing the mountain. Ensure it’s not icy, and make sure your footing is stable at all times!

2. Now that you know it’s challenging – if you are adventurous, DO NOT MISS THIS if you’re in Chilean Patagonia.

Honestly, climbing Volcán Villarrica was incredible. There’s truly nothing like looking into the steaming crater of an active volcano, and seeing 3-4 other snow-capped volcanoes in the distance. It’s in a very special part of the world. If you’re thinking about making the trip to Pucon, do it.

3. Notes on the active Volcano

The gases at Volcan Villarrica are definitely not toxic; in fact, some people in my group opted not to use their masks at all. The masks are purely used as a precaution and to make it more comfortable for you to be at the top of the volcano, because the gases really do smell bad! However, depending on the day, there could be more or less gas and more or less visibility inside the volcano.

4. What to bring: If you have hiking poles or can get your hands on them, bring them.

The ice pic provided by Aguaventura was great, yet small. I think hiking poles would be a great addition for climbing Volcan Villarrica if you have the means, just for extra safety. I would also definitely bring multiple pairs of socks (wool), sunglasses (because the snow is very reflective), plenty of snacks (I made sandwiches), and layers (because walking uphill for hours makes you HOT no matter the outside temperature!). All other gear is provided by the adventure company.

5. Camera Gear

This would be the best adventure for a Go Pro, or a drone at the top. I don’t believe there are any rules against droning, and can you imagine how much more epic my drone photo would have been if it stayed alive longer? Maybe keep the batteries closer to your body so they don’t die from the cold.

6. Pucon is an adventure capital of South America.

There’s TONS more to do in the area (national parks, hiking, hot springs, kayaking, etc) if you have to wait for the weather to clear up for a Volcan Villarrica ascent. You could stay here for weeks!

The Volcan Villarrica Hike – The Ascent

We started walking up into the clouds. We quickly learned that there wasn’t much of a trail to follow up the mountain, rather just the winding footsteps of whoever had ascended before you. Maybe it was the fresh layer of snow or maybe it was simply the fact that ANY way up the volcano was fine, but it really seemed that all we were doing was climbing straight upwards, adding in twists and turns back and forth to make it a bit easier.

After 15 minutes or so, we could see the top of Villarrica volcano through the clouds, which had already begun to clear. This was quite the sight for me, given that it was my first sight of the volcano at all after all the storms – it’s usually visible from Pucon!

We could see a slight steam spewing from the top, which gathered into a thick cloud just above the top of the volcano before slowly dispersing out into the air.

It seemed so close, yet so far away. We could see tiny people hiking in front of us that disappeared into the distance, and we knew we had a long way to go.

Up and Up and Up…. and Up.

Guided by the steaming top of Villarrica volcano (which was so cool for me to look at – I’ve never even seen an active volcano before!) we pushed on. The low-hanging clouds actually totally cleared after the first half hour or so, giving us the ultimate green light to summit Volcan Villarrica that day.

Taking breaks every 30-60 minutes to eat, drink, and take photos, we made our way up. About halfway up, we got our ice picks to help safely guide our way up the side of the mountain.

It was pretty icy at times, and despite being very thankful to our guides for forging our path and chiseling footsteps into the ice at times, I was honestly pretty sketched out a couple times. As I said, there was no real trail besides some winding footprints up the mountain, and nothing to hold onto if you fell.

I looked back a few times, and upon seeing the 30-40-ish degree slope of the volcano going indefinitely behind me, I vowed to keep my eyes looking forward! There’s nothing better to help you gain your footing than knowing that you would fall a LONG way if you took a wrong step! This is why I sometimes took my time to make sure my footing was stable, and using my ice pick for extra balance. As you probably know I am usually a bit of a daredevil, but the Volcan Villarrica hike truly put me in my place! It was very humbling, to be honest.

After about 3.5 hours of climbing, we were close to the top. I was so impressed by the incredible textures and patterns in the snow and ice formed by the strong winds in the last few days, and was excited that it had cleared just in time for us.

The Final Ascent

To make the final ascent of Villarrica Volcano, we were told to put on our crampons and get our gas masks ready. We left our bags together and got our cameras, and walked the final hundred meters or so to the crater.

As we inched closer, it was almost as if we could feel the presence of the massive, open crater. We first saw the other side of the crater, seemingly hundreds of meters away, which slowly sloped down and around in a massive circle.

When I got close enough, I peered inside and felt an excitement I cannot explain. There’s something surreal about gazing into the crater of an active volcano, which is hissing and bubbling and making strange deep rumbling sounds you can almost feel under your feet. I tried to make out what was inside Volcan Vilarrica – it looked dark, like deep red dirt and rock. I could see the vapor rising up from this deep, dark crevice, and….

Oh dear Lord, THAT’S why I need my gas mask! I inhaled a large gulp of some type of strange, sulphur-y gas that was also like nothing I have, er, inhaled before. It was like an overwhelming hold on your lungs and senses that made you stop and gasp for real air. It was not a deadly gas, but let’s just say I was happy to keep my gas mask on for the rest of our time around Volcan Villarrica’s crater.

As I usually do, I got a bit too close to the edge for the comfort of those around me and anyone watching on my instagram story (sorry!). I always get a bit too close to the edges of things, but let’s be real – if there had to be a way for me to die, I think falling into the mouth of an active volcano would be a pretty badass way to do it… (kidding!).

After loads of photos in every direction, many selfies, and even a quick flight of the drone (which I HAD charged the night before, but died quickly… maybe it was the cold)! It was time to go. I took in the view of multiple volcanoes in the distance (one of which was very close, and actually in Argentina). I took one last impressive gaze into the abyss, and bade it farewell.

Sledding the Villarrica Volcano… the Descent

To be honest, I was a bit more scared to go down Volcán Villarrica than I was to go up. It was icy and steep going up, but I couldn’t imagine losing my footing on the way down… let alone sledding down!! I was apprehensive and interested to see how exactly we were going to attempt that.

It was a good sign that we began our descent at a different part of Volcan Villarrica that the ascent… a part that looked slightly less steep, and maybe more manageable? At least, that’s what I told myself. We slowly inched our way through thicker powder, making our way to a place that was acceptable to sled.

You can see my entire Instagram story from this day in my page highlights. Have a watch!

Luckily for us, there was another small group in front of us who were ready to blaze the trail down the mountains for us. I was still unsure how in the hell we were even meant to use these tiny little circular pieces of plastic with a small hole attachment, that fit inside our backpacks, to sled down Volcan Villarrica.

But luckily again, we watched the people in front of us do it first. They attached the small extended arm of the plastic circle to their belts, shoved the actual plastic bit between their legs to sit on, and used their ice pick to brake on the way down.

“Damn,” I thought. “This is gonna be…. interesting.”

Waterproofing up and sliding down

After taking out an entire extra layer of clothing from our backpacks used just for sledding (waterproof pants, shoe covers, jacket, gloves, and overall-thing), and attaching the sled to our belt, we were ready to go! We were taught how to properly use the ice pick to brake, taught the hand signals we hopefully wouldn’t need to use, and we were off.

Again, I am usually a daredevil, but both descending and climbing Volcán Villarrica really put me in my place! I feel that I would usually have loved speed, but on the way down this volcano, I was cautious as a mouse. I got the hang of it and allowed myself more and more speed with each section, and was eventually pretty comfortable to let my sled fly.

It was a massive ab workout at times, as there were some flatter sections where you would only maintain speed if you fully picked up your feet. The ice pick was held across my body to brake and steer, and as I went down, massive piles of snow flew up all over me and gathered between my legs.

After about 10-12 different smaller sections of sledding, we were finally back passing the chair lifts we had hiked up (seemingly many) hours ago. Luckily for us again, in that it had snowed so much in the last week, we were able to sled nearly all the way back down to the car while people last week had to walk down the last half of Volcan Villarrica.

Anyway, we had done it! I was quite sore in the legs, also a bit sore in the bit between my legs where the sled had awkwardly positioned itself, and the kind of happy-tired you get when you know you just completed a totally epic adventure. We went back to Aguaventura to share a rooftop beer, some laughs, and stories from out day, all the while gazing in the distance at the opulent Volcan Villarrica that we had just conquered.

Pucon Chile had provided me with an adventure I’ll never forget, and definitely one of the coolest things I have done in my travels. And trust me, that’s saying a lot!

These are zoomed in photos of INSIDE the volcano crater. If you can make out what they are, lemme know. View my entire photo gallery here!

Where to Stay to Climb Villarrica Volcano

Budget Accommodation in Pucon:

There are tons of hostels in Pucon for backpackers wanting to climb Volcan Villarrica or do any of the other awesome activities in the area. Check out:

• Chile Kiwi Lakefront: well-rated, nice space on the water, travel agency. A bit pricier, no free breakfast.
• French Andes Hostel – A bit more remote, community vibe, pod-type beds (my favorite), more affordable, no free breakfast.
• Hostel Rio Libre – Well rated and had to be included because it’s the only one with free breakfast! I couldn’t believe the amount of hostels in Pucon without it… free breakfast is a latin american/general hostel staple if you ask me.

Comfort Accommodation in Pucon

• Enjoy Pucon Gran Hotel Pucon – the classic hotel option in Pucon, this hotel is right in the city, beautiful, and comfortable.
• Hotel and Cabanas Monte Verde – a bit more remote, this hotel is right on the water outside the city with a great view.
• andBeyond Vira Vira – if you have the funds, this is truly the 5 star splurge experience of Pucon. Warning – you might not want to leave!

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Thanks to Aguaventura for giving me a discount on the Volcan Villarrica hike. As always, all words are my own and I loved climbing with you!