# Refugio Volcán Tupungato, Chile: what it is and when to go

> Refugio Volcán Tupungato is a mountain hut in Chile (San José de Maipo), at 3,150 m above sea level. Interests: Mountains and Hiking. The best time to visit is January to March, a short season because of the altitude. In December there are 14 h 12 of daylight, and in June, 9 h 48. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/refugio-volcan-tupungato/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-08
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **What it is:** Mountain hut · Mountains, Hiking
- **Where:** Chile · Sector Agua Azul, San José de Maipo
- **Elevation:** 3,150 m
- **Best time:** January to March.
- **Nearest airport:** SCL Santiago, 84 km as the crow flies
- **Opening hours:** 24/7
- **Price:** Gratis
- **Website:** [andeshandbook.org](https://www.andeshandbook.org/blog/todo-lo-que-debes-saber-sobre-el-nuevo-refugio-volcan-tupungato)
- **Booking:** Recommended
- **Run by:** Gobierno Regional de Santiago y Fundación Deporte Libre
- **Coordinates:** -33.35283, -69.88812

## What it is and where

Refugio Volcán Tupungato is a mountain hut in Chile (San José de Maipo), at 3,150 m above sea level.

Its coordinates are -33.35283, -69.88812; the nearest main airport is Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL, Santiago), 84 km as the crow flies. How to get around Chile (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#moverse).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-33.35283%2C-69.888117)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-33.35283%2C-69.888117)

- **Booking:** Recommended
- **Run by:** Gobierno Regional de Santiago y Fundación Deporte Libre

It is one of the [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/montana/) and [Hiking](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/senderismo/) places in Chile. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

## When to go

The best time to visit Refugio Volcán Tupungato is **January to March**, and the season is short because it sits at 3,150 m: above 1,800 m there is snow until June and it returns in October.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Best time | 13 h 59 |
| February | Best time | 13 h 12 |
| March | Best time | 12 h 15 |
| April | Possible | 11 h 10 |
| May | Better not | 10 h 17 |
| June | Better not | 9 h 48 |
| July | Better not | 10 h |
| August | Better not | 10 h 46 |
| September | Better not | 11 h 48 |
| October | Better not | 12 h 51 |
| November | Better not | 13 h 46 |
| December | Possible | 14 h 12 |

In December there are 14 h 12 of daylight, and in June, 9 h 48. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

| What you come for | Best time | Possible |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mountains | January to March | April and December |
| Hiking | January to March | April and December |

It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Refugio Volcán Tupungato has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you.

When to go to Chile in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#cuando-ir).

## Before you go to Chile

To enter Chile there are 8 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Book domestic flights and Torres del Paine places”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Chile checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Chilean peso (CLP); plugs: Type C and L · 220 V · 50 Hz (the Spanish two-pin plug usually works); emergencies: 133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire brigade.

In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

## What is nearby

- [Tupungatito](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/volcan-tupungatito/): Mountain in Chile · 8.0 km
- [Tupungato](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cumbre-sur/): Volcanic dome in the Andes · 11 km
- [Alto San Juan](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-san-juan/): Mountain in Argentina · 15 km
- [Nevado Piquenes](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/nevado-de-los-piuquenes/): Mountain in Chile · 19 km
- [Punta Hoff](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/punta-hoff/): Summit · 20 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Chile guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/).

## More in Chile: Mountains

- [Fitz Roy](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/monte-fitz-roy/): mountain of Chile - argentina
- [Chaitén](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/volcan-chaiten/): mountain in Palena Province, Chile
- [Puyehue-Cordón Caulle](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/volcan-puyehue/): volcanic complex in Chile
- [Cerro Torre](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-torre/): mountain in Southern Patagonia in South America
- [Hudson Volcano](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/monte-hudson/): mountain in Aysén Province, Chile
- [Maipo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/maipo/): mountain in Chile

Every Chile place under Mountains, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/montana/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Refugio Volcán Tupungato?

It is a mountain hut in Chile.

### When is the best time to visit Refugio Volcán Tupungato?

January to March, and it is worth checking carefully: at 3,150 m the season is shorter than lower down. In December there are 14 h 12 of daylight, and in June, 9 h 48.

### How do you get to Refugio Volcán Tupungato?

The nearest main airport is Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), 84 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-33.35283%2C-69.888117) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Chile is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#moverse).

### How do I add it to my trip?

With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Chile map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby.

### What else is around here?

Nearby you have [Tupungatito](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/volcan-tupungatito/), [Tupungato](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cumbre-sur/), [Alto San Juan](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-san-juan/). The rest is in [the Chile guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/).

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/12537637100), licensed under the ODbL. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).

