Futaleufu River Class 3-4 Kayaking
The Futaleufu - a landscape painted by god! The Rio Futaleufu is world class!
With many Class IV and V rapids the quality of whitewater is unbelievable. However it is not just the rapids that make the Futaleufu so famous. Situated in the heart of Patagonia the turquoise water colour provides a dramatic setting with tower mountains all around, Condors soaring high add to the ambience of being deep in the heart of Patagonia.
Kayak Tour Details
The locals of the Futaleufu valley are super friendly and welcoming. They like to take time out of their day to sit down and talk to you about where you are from and how life is there over a maté (a type of loose leaf green tea that is drunk through a metal straw). As well as listening to stories of afar, they love to tell you about life in the Futaleufu valley.
The Futaleufu is one of our top ten rivers in the world, so why not come along on one of our trips and let us show you just what makes the river and valley so so special.
Tour Overview
By far the easiest way to reach the Futaleufu is by taking an internal flight from Buenos Aires to Esquel in Argentina. Esquel is close to the border of Chile, we will meet you at the airport and drive the couple of hours back into Chile and onto our accommodation for the duration of our time in Patagonia.
Later in the day we fit out our kayaks, relax in the evening with maybe a chance to see a mighty condor soaring high above the cliffs in front of us.
The following 10 days we will be kayaking various sections and rapids of the Rio Futaleufu, whether it is a warm up on the El Macal section or the lower part of the Bridge to Bridge section, the plan is to get you used to the strength and gradient of the Futaleufu before kayaking the more challenging rapids.
Once we have got the gradient and volume of the river dialled in, we spend time getting to know the lines and moves on the Bridge to Bridge section. Be it the Class IV Entrada rapid, or Pillow rapid through to the famous Mundaca, a class V- just below the Cara del Indio campsite. There are plenty of opportunities to work on technique, maintain the line and of course have a whole lot of fun on this stunning river.
If everything is going well and we are paddling the Bridge to Bridge section confidently and dynamically, we can start checking out rapids and sections such as the Terminator and Casa del Piedra and if the stars aline and the levels are good we can go and explore the Inferno Canyon!
However, it is not all full on paddling. There are a couple of tributaries of the Futaleufu such as the Azul and Espolon that we can also head to and kayak for a bit more of a chilled days kayaking in the Futaleufu Valley.
The final evening we make a typical Patagon Asado (bbq), hopefully see the condors soaring above and if we are really lucky, get to the see the stars shining brightly over the Futaleufu Valley. The following morning we drop you back off in Esquel for your flight out of Patagonia.
Whatever rapids or sections we end up kayaking in the Futaleufu, we will have made plenty of memories and great times kayaking, hanging out, exploring and just enjoy being in such a special place in the heart of Patagonia.
Practicalities
Why us
We have been running kayaking trips to Chile for the past 10 years and our commitment to planning and preparation is second to none. We have an extremely strong and professional team comprising of David, Steve, Fran and Yiyi. All of our river leaders are qualified through British Canoeing and have years of experience, guiding, coaching and leading trips in Chile. We have 4x4 private vehicles which means we can drive safely on dirt roads and tracks and Fran our driver stays with one vehicle throughout the day.
To find out more about our leaders, instructors check out our Team page.
Experience Required
You should have plenty of experience of kayaking Class 3 and Class 4 whitewater such as the Sanna, Landeck Gorge and the Lower Oetz in Austria at good levels. Your roll should be solid. Chile’s river classifications tend to be solid so if the majority of rivers you are kayaking are Class 3(4) then we suggest you check out our No Stress Pucon Kayaking Class 3 Trip. We will be kayaking for around 4-5 hours a day so though you do not need to be an Olympic athlete, you should have a certain amount of paddle fitness and stamina.
If you are not too sure you have the right experience for our Futaleufu Kayak Trip then just get in touch. Our team have kayaked all over the world and so we will have some idea of your experience and ability once we have spoken to you.
Futaleufu Kayaking Season
Since we are in the Southern Hemisphere, everything is the opposite. Spring in Chile is October/November, Summer is December/January/February and Autumn is March/April. Our Patagonia Kayak Trip can run from early December through to March, so if there are no dates that suit your holidays then just get in touch and we will try and make it work.
As it is Patagonia the weather can be unpredictable, you can and should expect 4 seasons in a day. We have had beautiful sunny days with little wind, to classic Patagonia storms that set in for a few days, we have also had 5 days of rain!
Group Composition
Our ratios are extremely low, be it in Austria, India or Chile! The ratio of the group is no more than 1 guide to 3 guests! We will also not take more than 6 guests on this trip! This gives you plenty of whitewater action with the opportunity to become a much more all rounded confident kayaker where you can see the guide or instructors line down the rapid and with such small group sizes you also feel secure and have more contact to your guide/instructor! This is why we like to keep our group sizes small!
Acommodation
We spend our nights in Cabañas (wooden cabins). They are the perfect place to relax, get a good nights sleep and of course when it is raining or the wind is howling, there is plenty of space for everyone to chill out before enjoying their meal! If it is cold and rainy then we light the log fire to make the cabin nice and toasty, it is also an ideal way to dry out our thermals and kayaking kit ready for the following days kayaking! There is nothing better than putting on dry, toasty kit before heading out in the Patagonia weather!!
There is no need to rough it on our trips!!
Food and Drink
Food can be a real highlight in Chile. Throughout the Futaleufu Kayak Trip we eat extremely well with a mixture of cuisines from Europe, South America and also India. Our curries are renowned with our guests and though not spicy they contain amazing flavours and are a real highlight. Also let’s not forget the Asado Patagon - a local sheep that has been carved open and is cooked over a fire throughout the afternoon and evening. It is full of flavour and a real treat. However, if you are a vegetarian then we have some flavoursome options that are roasted over the fire! The spring water is so pure and is extremely refreshing. We also have different tea options and we take our freshly roasted coffee down to Patagonia from Madd Goat Coffee Roasters in Pucon, one of our core partners in Chile.
Beer and wine can also be purchased on the way to the Futaleufu or in the village itself.
Equipment
Included in the price is a kayak and paddle, we currently stock a wide range of Waka kayaks and a few Zet kayaks. We will be updating our kayak store in Chile for the 26/27 season with Spade kayaks and a few more Waka’s. Our paddles are from Striebel Designs, all of our paddles are Right Handed with a 30 degree feather and we have different lengths for you to choose. If you would like more information about our kayaks and paddles, just drop us an email.
Transport
We have our own 4x4 pick up trucks that will be our main workhorses on the Futaleufu Kayak Trip, it is important for us that we have solid 4x4 trucks with bespoke roof racks that keep our kayaks secured on those Patagonia roads.
Extension
If you would like to extend your time in Patagonia then there is the option of heading south to kayak the stunning Rio Figueroa and the Rio Cisnes. Drop us message at in the contact form to find out more.
Dates & Prices
Course dates
23 Dec 2025 - 03 Jan 2026
08 - 19 February 2026
No dates to suit your plans? Just let us know through the contact form, we are pretty flexible here at the Kayak School and we will try and give you more of a chance to make that dream trip to Chile.
All of our Chile Trips are guaranteed to run with just a minimum of 2 persons!
Trip price
The cost of our Futaleufu Kayak Trip is EUR 4000.- per person
Like we said we guarantee to run our trips with just a minimum of 2 persons, however if there are 4 people or more then the price will be cheaper.
Included in the price is:
All coaching and guiding from fully qualified and extremely experienced Expedition Kayakers and Instructors / Guides
Full Board Accommodation - Rustic wooden cabins (cabañas) based on 2 people sharing and wholesome, healthy meals cooked by ourselves.
Private 4x4 truck and fuel throughout the trip
Transfer to and from Esquel Airport in Argentina.
Modern whitewater kayak and paddle.
Not Included in the price is:
Visas & permits, passport and vaccination charges
International Flights
Medical & Kayak Insurance, laundry, personal clothing and any items of a personal nature
Medical expenses or Emergency evacuation charges
Alcohol for the duration of the trip
Domestic Flights or Bus Journeys
Excess baggage charges both international and domestic
Want to find out more about our Futaleufu Kayak Trip then just get in touch via the contact form. We also have a pdf with more information about the trip that we can send you.