Turisur

What Turisur does

Turisur is a privately held Argentine tourism operator (Turisur S.R.L.) founded in 1958 and headquartered in San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina. The company runs a fleet of six vessels on Lake Nahuel Huapi and Lake Frías, anchored by the 86-year-old historic ship Modesta Victoria and supplemented by modern catamarans including the Gran Victoria and Victoria del Sur. Its product portfolio spans lake excursions (Isla Victoria y Bosque de Arrayanes, Puerto Blest y Cascada de los Cántaros), the international Cruce Andino crossing between Argentina and Chile, land excursions (Cerro Tronador, Circuito Chico, 7 Lagos route, Cerro Catedral), and adventure products (Cruce Andino Bike, Canopy zipline, Paso de las Nubes trekking). The business also operates the Hotel Puerto Blest under partnership and hosts corporate and social events aboard its vessels.

The company's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across five physical offices (Mitre 219/150, Puerto Pañuelo, Puerto Blest, Villegas 310, plus Buenos Aires), supplemented by an online booking website available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, WhatsApp Business, and email. Pricing is unit-based with both ARS-denominated domestic offerings and USD-denominated international routes, supported by tiered promotional discounts (family groups, advance booking, combo packages, local resident rates) and installment payment options through Mercado Pago and Decidir. Revenue streams are transactional one-time ticket sales plus ancillary services (transfers, on-board events, Hotel Puerto Blest accommodation packages). Customer segments span international tourists, Argentine domestic travelers, Chilean cross-border visitors, adventure/active tourists, corporate event clients, and budget-conscious travelers, with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications reinforcing quality and environmental management positioning since March 2016.

Name

Turisur

Legal name

Turisur S.R.L.

Website

https://turisur.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Turisur is a 65-year-old Bariloche-based tourism operator running lake excursions on Lake Nahuel Huapi, the international Cruce Andino crossing to Chile, and land/adventure tours, serving international and domestic tourists through a six-vessel fleet and multi-channel direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure and Nature Tourism Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Tour Operators (561520), Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco-Cruises & Small-Ship Nature Cruises (Expedition Cruising) (THAAAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Taxi & Island-Hopping Excursions (Inter-island Day Trips) (THAJAJAK), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), River & Wetland Ecotours (Canoe/Kayak, Mangrove/Swamp Tours) (THAAAEAE)

Keywords

• Lake navigation tours
• Andean lake crossings
• Patagonia excursions
• Land excursion tours
• Adventure tourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Carlos De Bariloche

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Lake Navigation Excursions: Core revenue from lake navigation excursions departing from Puerto Pañuelo, including Isla Victoria y Bosque de Arrayanes, Puerto Blest y Cascada de los Cántaros, and optional Lake Frías extension. Prices in ARS for residents and USD for international visitors.
2. Cruce Andino: International crossing combining lake and land transport between Argentina (Bariloche) and Chile (Puerto Varas). Pricing in USD, with special rates for Argentine and Chilean residents including free return. Approximately 9 hours duration.
3. Land Excursions: Terrestrial tours including Cerro Tronador, San Martín de los Andes por 7 Lagos, Circuito Chico, El Bolsón y Lago Puelo, Cerro Catedral, Villa La Angostura y Cerro Bayo, and Circuito Grande. Prices in ARS.
4. Cruce Andino Bike: Adventure cycling tour combining land bicycle segments with lake navigation between Argentina and Chile. Passengers use own bicycles for land portions. Price in USD.
5. Events on Board: Corporate events, institutional events, and social/family celebrations hosted aboard the Modesta Victoria or catamarans. Includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners with customizable menus. Capacity ranges from 10-40 passengers for intimate events to larger groups.
6. Transfer Services: Hotel pickup and transfer services to Puerto Pañuelo departing from designated pickup points and hotels in Bariloche. Additional charge to excursion tickets.
7. Hotel Puerto Blest Partnership: Partnership offering accommodation at Hotel Puerto Blest with included lake navigation. Night packages including accommodation, round-trip navigation, breakfast, and facility access (pool and WiFi).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Turisur operates lake navigation excursions and land-based excursion tours in the Nahuel Huapi National Park region of Patagonia, Argentina, departing primarily from Puerto Pañuelo. The company offers daily lake excursions to Isla Victoria, Puerto Blest, and the historic Cruce Andino international crossing between Argentina and Chile, alongside terrestrial tours to Cerro Tronador, Circuito Chico, the 7 Lakes route, and other regional attractions. It also runs adventure activities (cycling, trekking, canopy), on-board corporate and social events, and accommodation at Hotel Puerto Blest.

Product overview

Turisur is a lake-navigation and excursion tourism company based in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, founded in 1958. The company operates a multi-product portfolio organized around three core excursion categories: lake excursions (navigating Lake Nahuel Huapi and Lake Frías aboard its fleet of vessels), land excursions (to regional mountains, lakes, and cities), and adventure activities. Key products include the flagship Cruce Andino international traverse between Argentina and Chile, lake excursions to Puerto Blest and Cascada de los Cántaros and to Isla Victoria y Bosque de Arrayanes, land excursions such as Cerro Tronador, Circuito Chico, and San Martín de los Andes por 7 Lagos, adventure offerings like Canopy and Paso de las Nubes trekking, the Hotel Puerto Blest accommodation property, and on-board event services aboard its vessels. The company also manages a fleet of six vessels including the historic Modesta Victoria (launched 1938) and the Catamarán Gran Victoria. All operations are certified under ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Puerto Blest y Cascada de los Cántaros Full-day lake excursion navigating the main arm of Lake Nahuel Huapi from Puerto Pañuelo to Puerto Blest, including a guided walk to the Cascada de los Cántaros waterfall, for individual tourists, families, and groups visiting Bariloche.
• Isla Victoria y Bosque de Arrayanes Half-day lake excursion to Victoria Island and the Arrayanes Forest on the Quetrihue Peninsula, with stops at Puerto Anchorena, Playa del Toro, and indigenous rock paintings, for tourists visiting Bariloche.
• Cruce Andino Multi-segment international traverse combining lake navigation and overland transport between Bariloche, Argentina and Puerto Varas, Chile, traversing four Andean Patagonian lakes for international tourists and cross-border travelers.
• Cruce Andino Bike Active cycling version of the Cruce Andino crossing where participants ride their own bicycles on the land segments while the company transports them across the lake segments, targeting adventure tourists.
• Cerro Tronador Full-day guided bus excursion to Cerro Tronador, the area's highest peak at 3,478 meters, featuring lakes, waterfalls, the Ventisquero Negro glacier, and panoramic mountain views for tourists.
• Cerro Tronador y Cascada de los Alerces Extended full-day land excursion to Cerro Tronador that includes a visit to Cascada de los Alerces, a 20-meter waterfall surrounded by ancient Alerce trees.
• San Martín de los Andes por 7 Lagos Full-day guided excursion along the Seven Lakes route visiting Villa La Angostura and seven glacial lakes with crystal-clear waters en route to San Martín de los Andes.
• Circuito Chico Half-day scenic bus excursion covering approximately 65 km along the southern shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, featuring viewpoints, beaches, Cerro Campanario, and Hotel Llao Llao.
• Cerro Catedral Half-day excursion to Cerro Catedral ski center featuring optional cable car ascent to panoramic summit views, available Monday to Friday.
• El Bolsón y Lago Puelo Full-day regional excursion visiting El Bolsón's artisan fair and Lago Puelo National Park in the Patagonian Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42 region, available Thursdays and Saturdays.
• Villa La Angostura y Cerro Bayo

Quantifiable outcome

• Modesta Victoria celebrating 86 years of navigation as of 2023, with continuous service since 1938
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hotel Puerto BlestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel located at Puerto Blest, accessible only by lake navigation. Partnership offering combined accommodation and navigation packages where hotel guests receive included round-trip navigation. Hotel amenities include pool, WiFi, and restaurant. Recently renovated property reopened 2015 with 15 rooms including accessible suite.
• Parque Nacional Nahuel HuapicoreOthersGovernment-managed national park where Turisur operates lake excursions. Company coordinates with park authorities for passenger registration, trail access (Paso de las Nubes), and compliance with environmental regulations. Park entry fees collected separately at ports.
• Prefectura Naval ArgentinacoreOthersArgentine naval prefecture responsible for maritime safety regulations. All Turisur vessels comply with safety standards defined and endorsed by Prefectura Naval Argentina. Regular safety inspections and certification of vessels and crew.
• Club Andino BarilocheminorOthersMountain club providing information and guidance for trekking activities including Paso de las Nubes trail. Turisur recommends contacting Club Andino for detailed information on trekking routes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Explora: Chilean/Argentine operator of high-end guided nature excursions and lodges across Patagonia (Torres del Paine, Atacama, Patagonia). Directly comparable to Turisur's model of multi-activity guided excursions in Patagonian natural settings, though at a higher luxury price point.
• Aqua Expeditions: Luxury small-ship operator on the Amazon and Mekong rivers offering expedition-style cruises with curated excursions. Comparable operating model of small vessels navigating scenic waterways with bundled nature and cultural experiences.
• Awasi Patagonia: Luxury lodge operator in Chilean Patagonia offering guided excursions and nature experiences similar in structure to Turisur's guided lake and land tours, though at a much higher price point and smaller scale.
• Servicios Turísticos Petrohué / Cruce Andino (Chile side): The Chilean counterparty operating the Petrohué-Puerto Varas segment of the Cruce Andino international crossing that Turisur runs on the Argentine side. Operates lake navigation and Andean crossing tours using the same historic route, making it the closest direct functional peer.
• Patagonia Camp: Chilean Patagonia adventure tourism operator offering multi-day guided excursions and lodge-based nature experiences. Comparable in offering curated nature excursions in Patagonia but operating on the Chilean side of the Andes.
• Lindblad Expeditions: US small-ship expedition cruise operator with national park partnerships and nature-focused excursions. Comparable model to Turisur's fleet of small-to-mid vessels running nature-based lake cruises with guided excursions in protected areas.
• Hurtigruten: Norwegian coastal and expedition cruise operator running scheduled passenger services through fjords with shore excursion programs. Directly comparable in concept — historic passenger shipping operation on protected waterways with bundled excursions.

Broad incumbents

• Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours: Global luxury river cruise operator with bundled shore excursion programs. Operates at much larger scale but runs a structurally similar model of small-vessel cruises with integrated excursion packages.

Others

• Llao Llao Hotel Resort, Golf & Spa: Iconic luxury hotel in Bariloche located near Turisur's Puerto Pañuelo departure point. While a hotel rather than tour operator, it is a key ecosystem participant and potential partner in the same regional tourism supply chain.

Regional players

• Cerro Catedral Alta Patagonia: Bariloche-based ski resort that Turisur partners with as a destination excursion (Cerro Catedral). Operates in the same regional tourism ecosystem, with overlapping customer base of Bariloche visitors, though focused on winter ski rather than lake navigation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TurisurBrc
• Facebookfacebook.com/turisurbrc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turisur

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Turisur