The Ultimate Patagonia Travel Experience

BEST OF PATAGONIA – 13 Days

Travel to Patagonia and take the best tours in Ushuaia and hiking path in El Chaltén

Visit stunning glaciers, majestic mountains and pristine national parks during this 13-day Patagonia travel experience in Argentina and Chile. Starting in El Calafate and ending in Ushuaia, you’ll enjoy the very best Patagonia tours: embark on a boat trip to Perito Moreno Glacier, hike in Chalten’s mountain ranges next to Mount Fitz Roy, visit Torres del Paine National Park, and take a road trip through the Patagonian steppe to get to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. An ideal trip for those interested in experiencing the cultural heritage and adventurous natural beauty of Patagonia.

Day 1 – From El Calafate Airport to the City

Your Patagonia travel adventure begins!

Start your journey through the best of Patagonia in El Calafate, the perfect place for adventure travelers who desire to unearth the most spellbinding natural wonders in the world, like the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the only glaciers on earth that’s still advancing. Upon arrival, you will be taken to your hotel, where you will have the rest of the day to relax or explore your new surroundings.

El Calafate: Land of Glaciers (and much more…)

For many years now, El Calafate has been considered the capital of glaciers. Located at the shore of Lago Argentino (the southernmost, largest Patagonian lake) it’s home to the Spegazzini glacier, which forms the natural border between Argentina and Chile, and the Upsala glacier, named Glaciar del Gigante (The Giant’s Glacier), whose discovery marked the biggest glacier to exist at the mouth of Lake Argentino.

But… is El Calafate all about the glaciers? Well, yes and no… glaciers are the main attractions that you can visit via hiking or a boat ride, but El Calafate offers a lot more to discover about Argentine rural culture. From Calafate, you can take any of our Patagonia day tours to visit a typical finca (ranch) and learn about the gaucho (cowboy) culture, all while enjoying a traditional asado (barbecue). You’ll soon realize that Calafate offers much more than just the Perito Moreno glacier…

Say Hueque Tips

Take a look at our Calafate Travel Guide to find more practical information about the city. Our advice: if you feel like exploring a bit on your own today, you can visit The Glaciarium Museum and learn about the history of glaciers and their first explorers. To get to the museum, there is a transfer you can take at the Tourist Office.

Day 2 – Your First Tour in Patagonia: Land of Glaciers

Start your journey visiting the most famous glacier in Patagonia

In the morning, we’ll drive you to Glaciers National Park to begin your 6-hour Perito Moreno Glacier tour. Get prepared to play with the giants!

Glaciers National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and is home to approximately 200 glaciers. Half of this park is occupied by the campo de hielo patagónico (Patagonian ice field), the largest ice field in the world, after Antarctica.

You will travel about 25 miles from El Calafate to the park, enjoying the views of the Patagonian steppe. Once inside the park, you will take walkways to explore the different viewpoints, and you’ll feel unbelievably close to Perito Moreno Glacier. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a piece of ice break off and fall from the glacier wall, sinking forever into the lake below.

Over the course of about one hour, a bilingual guide will provide you with all the information you might want to know…and things you may have never thought about. After this visit, you will take a boat ride that will bring you close enough to fully appreciate the 262-foot ice walls of Perito Moreno! You’ll never feel closer to this gigantic and impressive natural masterpiece.

Say Hueque tips

Have you ever imagined walking across the surface of a glacier? Well, this is your chance! Take a look at the Mini Trekking tour, which allows you to trek on Perito Moreno Glacier… This is one of our favorite Patagonia outings; we’re sure you won’t regret it.

Day 3 – Your Free Day in El Calafate

Optional tour to a Patagonian ranch

El Calafate has much more to offer than just its magnificent glaciers… we recommend that you complete this adventure by taking a day tour (not included) to immerse yourself in the rural culture of Patagonia.

Inside Glaciers National Park, at the end of National Route 15 and after a 1 hr 30 min drive over a rubble road, sits one of the oldest and most traditional Patagonian ranches in the area. It’s the only ranch that continues to maintain sheep and Hereford cattle-breeding as its main occupation. You can take a day trip to visit its 30,000 acres of land, learn about its history, and witness a sheep-shearing demonstration and horse-training. At the end of the day, a grilled lambed will await, sizzling on its traditional Patagonian rotisserie.

Say Hueque Tips

Looking for more things to do in El Calafate? We offer a wide variety of activities and day trips to personalize your travel experience. You’ll find it all in our blog article, “Travel Tales of Argentina”.

Day 4 – From El Calafate to El Chaltén

Take a bus to El Chaltén and start your hiking experience

Today, you will take a public bus to start your 3-hour trip to El Chaltén. You’ll travel along the famous Route 40, surrounded by the Patagonian steppe, and pass through La Leona River, which connects Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma, and where you’ll get to see La Leona Road house, where the famous thieves Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid for a while. After discovering some other gems along your journey, you’ll reach El Chaltén and we’ll drop you off at your hotel.

El Chaltén is the top-rated hiking destination in Argentina. This charming little village sits at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy and is surrounded by glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests. It’s also the jumping-off point for most hiking trails in the area. A paradise for sun-seeking walkers and trekkers alike. Enjoy your first afternoon of leisure by relaxing in the local brewery or strolling around a little waterfall…

Say Hueque Tips

Take a look at some of our favorite hikes in the Chaltén Travel Guide, and take note of our travel advice on how to make the most of your time here.

Day 5- Hiking in El Chalten: Mountains and Lakes (Self-guided)

Our hiking recommendation for your free day in El Chaltén

Today, you should be prepared for an exciting journey into the wild. El Chaltén offers a wide range of hiking paths with varied difficulty. You can choose where and when to go, since paths are self-guided and very well marked and maintained. Before starting any hiking trail, it’s important to stop by the National Park Visitors’ Center to check the conditions of each hiking path.

From the main door of your hotel, you can go for an easy 2-mile walk to Cerro Torre viewpoint — it will only take you around 1 hour. Enjoy the sounds of Rio de las Vueltas, take in some amazing views of the lenga forest, and be prepared to see all kinds of birds—this is the best woodpecker-spotting opportunity in your trip through Patagonia!

For true hiking lovers, continue all the way to Base Torre or go for a medium-difficulty, 9-hour hike to the most impressive view of Mount Fitz Roy and the emerald waters of Laguna de los Tres. And here’s a little secret: you can also reach Laguna Sucia from Laguna de los Tres… it’s only a 5-minute walk from there. Though this hike increases in intensity during the last bit, it’s totally worth it. This is one of the best day-hikes in the world!

Say Hueque Tips

Seize the day, wake up early, and watch the sunrise at Laguna de los Tres (see Fitz Roy’s peaks turning red)— this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You can depart from the town of El Chaltén during the night or stay one night at Poincenot campsite, just 1 hour away from Laguna de los Tres.

Day 6 – From El Chalten Back to El Calafate

Take the bus back to El Calafate

Enjoy an early walk around town or a quick hike this morning. We recommend that you walk to El Chorrillo del Salto, 1 hour away from the village, and reach its little waterfall encircled by native trees and flora, like the Patagonian Orchid.

Bear in mind that in the afternoon you will board your bus back to El Calafate, so you need to be back in time. The 3-hour drive back will be a good opportunity to relax while enjoying the passing landscapes out your window.

Once you arrive in El Calafate, the bus will drop you off at your hotel. Now is your chance to take another Patagonia day trip around the area or to try some tender Patagonian Lamb, or maybe a heavenly Calafate ice-cream. In Calafate, food options are varied and plentiful; from veggie delicacies to the best demonstration of national steaks, there really is something for everyone. You can choose a fancy restaurant for dinner, or a more traditional local tavern to spend an unforgettable night.

Day 7 – Travel to Chile: Torres Del Paine

Travel to Chilean Patagonia

In the early morning, we’ll pick you up to start your trip to Chile and your full-day visit to Torres del Paine National Park. It’s going to be a long day, but it’s worth every minute.

First, we’ll drive through the Patagonian steppe for 2hr 30min (you might be able to see rheas, guanacos, Patagonian hare, and even condors!) until reaching the border of Chile in Cancha Carrera, where we’ll go through customs.

We’ll keep traveling through isolated and windy landscapes, occasionally dotted by guanacos and native green-orange-tinted bushes; you’ll truly feel the momentous solitude which characterizes Patagonia. Torres del Paine is a gift that keeps on giving; it will unveil its enthralling natural beauties little by little…

Along a winding road, we’ll make different stops to have a close-up view of various attractions like Cascada Paine (Paine Waterfall), Paine Range at Lake Sarmiento, and the Paine Horns at Lake Nordenskjold. Depending on the weather, we’ll depart on an hour-long walk to reach the lake and get closer to the striking mountain peaks. At midday, after having stopped by the Lago Pehoé Viewpoint to gaze at the vastness of the French Valley, we’ll have our boxed lunch with this mountainous backdrop.

At the end of this dreamy travel experience, we’ll leave you at Laguna Amarga, where your transfer will pick you up and take you to your hotel in Puerto Natales.

Say Hueque Tips

This is an incredible National Park! We made this awesome Torres del Paine Travel Guide so you won’t lose out on any details of this adventure. Things to take into account: it is not allowed to take any fresh food, plants, seeds, etc. They are very strict, and fines can be high!

Day 8 –Hike to Base Las Torres in Torres del Paine

Discover the famous “Towers” del Paine

Today we’ll pick you up really early in the morning (around 7 am!) to drive you to the sector Las Torres and take you to Cerro Paine Ranch, the jumping-off point for our hike, where you’ll have an informative talk about this high-difficulty, amazing outing.

We’ll take the road heading into the valley and after 10 minutes walking, we’ll get to an old rope bridge which crosses the Ascencio River. You’ll see a fork in the road about 500 feet ahead; take a left at the fork to get to the Base Towers!

After following a winding, green slope for about an hour, you’ll pass by a Chilean campsite on the opposite bank of the river. We’ll continue walking for another 45 minutes until reaching Almirante Nieto Hill. Your next stop: the ‘mirador’ (viewpoint) and the foothill of the moraine!

We’ll continue hiking for an hour, and the path will become steeper and steeper as you approach the most amazing view of the three towers: Central, Monzino and Dagostini. Prepare to see some condor nests and the great Peineta Hill!

Time to rest and eat (your boxed lunch is included): this is the reward for courageous Patagonia travelers! You’ll have a moment to enjoy your lunch with this amazing backdrop before returning via the same road to the fork where you started, and your driver will be waiting to take you back to Puerto Natales.

Day 9 – From Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas: The last port before Antarctica

Today, travel deeper into Chilean Patagonia! First, make your way to the bus station of Puerto Natales for your departure to Punta Arenas. We advise arriving there 30 minutes before the departure time, in order to avoid any last-minute inconveniences. This is a 4-hour trip in a standard bus through the steppe, criss-crossed by mountains and fjords. Upon your arrival at the bus station in Punta Arenas, you’ll head to your hotel — you can walk, or take a taxi for around $5-7 US dollars.

Punta Arenas is the southernmost city in Chile, located on the Magellanic Strait, and is the leading port for Antarctic cruises and scientific research. Before the construction of the Panama Canal, Punta Arenas was the most important maritime crossroad between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, and thus, the city grew as a commercial center surrounded by European-style buildings. Its colorful houses, standing out from a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, are a site for sore eyes.

What should you do in Punta Arenas? You can enjoy the evening by taking a 3-hour city tour to visit Mirador Hill (and discover the most gorgeous views of Magellan Strait), or stop by the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum to see the masterfully crafted pieces made by the Onas, Yaganes and other natives of the area.

Day 10 – From Punta Arenas, Travel to Ushuaia

Welcome to the southernmost city of your journey in Patagonia

In the early morning, you will get to the bus station to embark on a full-day bus trip to Ushuaia, the last destination of your 16-day trip in Argentina and Chile. Take into account that you’ll be crossing borders again today!

This is a 12-hour trip in a comfortable bus, equipped with reclining seats, where you’ll cross the Patagonian steppe. Look out the window and you’ll see yellow and green grasslands with Chilean gauchos riding into the wild and grazing unbothered sheep, until you reach the ferry crossing. It will take around 45 minutes to cross the mythical Strait of Magellan and hit the road again to cross the Chilean border, finally entering Tierra del Fuego Island on Argentine soil.

As the famous end-of-the-world city approaches, grazing sheep will turn into wild guanacos and horses, with snow-capped mountains and evergreen woods arising at the entrance of Ushuaia. Once you get your “Southernmost City” passport stamp, you’ll realize that this intrepid journey through remote Patagonian roads was absolutely worth it.

Upon arrival in Ushuaia, you will journey to your hotel (taxis to and from the bus station should cost less than $10 US dollars). Ushuaia is a small town, and it is really easy to get around on foot. The Yamanas, the region’s first inhabitants, named the area ‘Ushuaia’, which means “protected bay” in their language. Ushuaia was officially incorporated into the Republic of Argentina in 1884, and it soon became a penal colony, in order to establish a permanent Argentine settlement.

Take the afternoon to explore the town, learn about the region’s rich history at the Prisoners’ Museum, or visit the Galleria of Fuegian History (it has a lovely restaurant as well!). Please, don’t forget the local gastronomy! Ushuaia has the best seafood in Argentina.

*This bus trip allows you to see the landscape of other, lesser-known parts of Chile, and will give you a much more complete perspective of the area. However, we understand that it is a long journey, and can be a very tiring day. For an additional cost, you can choose a quicker option; from Torres del Paine, you can drive back to El Calafate and then fly to Ushuaia.

Say Hueque Tips

You’ve arrived to the edge of the world… and there are two seafood dishes that you absolutely MUST taste: the Blake Hake and King Crab. Our Ushuaia Travel Guide will point you in the direction of the best restaurants in town and the best day tours in Ushuaia.

Day 11 – Trekking & Canoeing in the National Park

Tour the lands of the Yamanas, the first inhabitants of Ushuaia

Today we’ll pick you up to enjoy a 10-hour, moderate difficulty, visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park, just 7.4 miles away from the city and perched on the shore of the famous channel sailed by Charles Darwin.

Once at Ensenada Bay, you will have time to enjoy the view over the Beagle Channel before you start hiking along the coast. Four miles of wild trail awaits you, where you’ll discover native flora, wild fauna and the remains left by the Yamanas, the native inhabitants of the area. After this 3-hour hike, you will reach Lake Roca, where lunch will be served.

After a full homemade picnic, you will start the second part of this tour through the iconic Ushuaia National Park. Grab your oar and plunge in to start a 1hr 30min canoeing trip along the Lapataia river (only available for children over 5 years old). Make it all the way to Lapataia Bay, and enjoy the awe-inspiring landscape at the end of the Panamerican Highway and legendary National Route 3. After discovering the unique vastness of this setting, we’ll take you back to your hotel to rest and enjoy another Patagonian evening.

Travel Argentina and go rafting!

Day 12 – Sail the Beagle Channel; The Symbol of Ushuaia

Tour Ushuaia’s famous islands while sailing the Beagle Channel

In 1833 Charles Darwin sailed the Beagle Channel and found something great. Today it’s your turn: become another explorer of this channel, primitively named Onashaga Channel since the Onas where its first discoverers.

Make your way to the tourist pier (located downtown) to embark on a 4-hour Beagle Channel navigation in a fully equipped boat with a capacity for up to 26 people. With Argentina on your left and Chile on your right, you’ll sail this natural border until reaching the iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, which is still in operation.

On the way, enjoy uplifting panoramic views of Ushuaia Bay, crowned by the Martial Glacier’s diverse marine wildlife, such as cormorants (flying birds, closely related to penguins) and fur seals. Hop off on Bridges Island to explore its vegetation, and visit the archeological remains of the Yamanas (the native inhabitants) accompanied by a specialized bilingual guide.

During the trip, enjoy bottomless hot cocoa and cookies, or try the maté (loose herbal tea), which is every Argentinian’s favorite drink. Once we get back to the port, you can make your way back to your hotel or stop in a local cafe or brewery to enjoy an amber craft beer paired with a traditional Patagonian appetizer.

Say Hueque Tips

Have you ever walked amongst penguins? If not, Ushuaia is your chance to fulfill that bucket-list dream… you can switch out the Beagle Channel Navigation to take the Magellanic Penguin Rookery Tour on Martillo Island (available from October to April at an additional cost), or add one day to your Ushuaia itinerary so that you can do both. On Martillo Island you will also see a very rare type of penguin that is typically only found in Antarctica: the yellow-crested penguin.

Day 13 – Transfer From the City to Ushuaia Airport

The end of your Patagonia journey

Today we’ll take you to the airport, where this trip will come to its end. But don’t be sad! You can return whenever you want (we’ll welcome you with open arms), or… continue your trip towards the North of Argentina, to beautiful Salta or the wine region in Mendoza. Argentina still has plenty to offer! Check out our travelers’ favorite trips to Argentina and Chile.

Reserve this trip

Included

Transfers and tours mentioned in the itinerary

Daily breakfast

Meals according to itinerary: lunch (day 11)

4-night accommodation in a hotel (El Calafate), 2-night accommodation in a hotel (El Chaltén), 2-night accommodation in a hotel (Puerto Natales, Chile), 1-night accommodation in a hotel (Punta Arenas, Chile), 3 -night accommodation in a hotel (Ushuaia).

Bilingual guide (English / Spanish).

Round-trip bus El Calafate / El Chalten / El Calafate

One-way bus Puerto Natales / Punta Arenas

One-way bus Punta Arenas / Ushuaia

Not Included

National Park Entrance Fees

International or domestic flights

Guides during your days in El Chaltén are not included, since the trails are well-marked. However, if you would like to be accompanied by a guide, please let us know at the time of booking and we will advise you about the additional cost.

Travel / Medical Insurance – To get a free quote please follow this link: World Nomads

Accommodation & Prices

BEST OF PATAGONIA – 13 Days

INN/ B&B

USD 1975

CONFORT

USD 2280

SUPERIOR

USD 2660

*Prices in US Dollars.
*Valid until April 2020 (ask for prices in Christmas and New Year).

*The Perito Moreno Glacier mini-trekking tour is available from September – April.

*Prices are per person, based on 2 people in double occupancy. Single rates are available on request. Flights are not included in the price, but can be arranged on request.

*Please note that this tour is also available in Luxury Category. Ask your Travel Advisor for the details and quotation on this category.

Reserve this trip

Flights needed for this itinerary

No local flights are needed for this itinerary. Tour begins in El Calafate and ends in Ushuaia.

Estimated cost for the flights in South America: If you plan to visit other destinations in the region, local flights cost approximately $100 to $250 USD per segment (destination).
We offer special rates on flights for this tailor-made itinerary.

Included

Transfers and tours mentioned in the itinerary

Daily breakfast

Meals according to itinerary: lunch (day 11)

Bilingual guide (English / Spanish).

Round-trip bus El Calafate / El Chalten / El Calafate

One-way bus Puerto Natales / Punta Arenas

One-way bus Punta Arenas / Ushuaia

Not Included

National Park Entrance Fees

International or domestic flights

Travel / Medical Insurance – To get a free quote please follow this link: World Nomads

Trip Reviews

BEST OF PATAGONIA – 13 Days

Elaine Sidgwick

(5 / 5)

Would like to say ‘thank you’ for making our trip so pleasurable

We had a fantastic trip, thank you!

We chose to travel with Say Hueque because you provided a bespoke itinerary in line with where we wanted to go, we were looking with a company with local knowledge. We saw your website and you offered what we were looking for.

2The booking process was very good. All changes were to itinerary were made / advice given speedily. The only issue was not paying by pay pal - although we did this by credit card in the end the process was more complicated.

Our favourite hotel was the Kaulem Hosteria in El Chalten - an intimate and cosy place with only 4 rooms, delicious breakfast, cakes and coffee - brilliantly located and the staff were really friendly. Out least favourite hotel was Hosteria Koi Aiken in El Calafate. This is mainly due to the location due to a 40 minute power walk to the outskirts of town and tthe rooms were a bit tired looking, although the breakfast was very good.

It's difficult to say which was our favourite excursion as they were all fantastic. The trip to Perito Merino glacier was amazing, simply because the scenery was so breathtaking and the glacier hike really interesting with informative and friendly guides. The paddle trip into the national park at Ushuaia was also great fun - again the guide spoke excellent English and made the trip enjoyable with his knowledge of the park and flora and fauna. And the excursion to the Iguazu falls was also great as the guide knew all the tricks to make sure we spent the least time queueing as possible - and again he was very informative and knowledgeable. Its really difficult to pick out a favourite memory as we loved all of the places we stayed. We hiked to the see Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre - this was also amazing. My memory will be the the diverse and stunning scenery - glaciers, mountains, waterfalls and wildlife (beagle channel cruise) the friendliness of all the people we met and the knowledge of the guides. oh and the great steak and huge portions of food!

Rene - the Iguazu falls guide - he saved us so much time queueing and was really knowledgeable about the birds and plants. But all our guides made the experience memorable.

I was a bit disappointed with the location of the Koi Aiken hosteria as we spent a lot of time walking to and from town - and I did expect that arrangements would have been made for our bags to be transferred between the Rebelde hotel. We asked and the lady at the Rebelled sorted this out for us, but an agent from Say Hueque did email to say this was our responsibility.

I would definitely recommend your company to any friends who are travelling to Argentina and would like to say ‘thank you’ for making our trip so pleasurable.

15.01.19

Comments About:

Buenos Aires, Featured Trips, Patagonia

Stephanie Morillo

(4 / 5)

We hope to be back in Argentina in the future and will definitely book throughout Say Hueque

We wanted the help of a reputable agency to plan our trip. It was a rather large trip and since we were unfamiliar with the country, needed help coordinating everything. We also were overwhelmed with all of the possible places to go and Say Hueque made it easy with their trips. Working with Daiana was fantastic. She even took care of booking flights which was SO important for us.

Favorite hotel was Dazzler Polo and least favorite was Aeroparque Inn and Suites. The best excursions were in Ushuaia, followed by Iguazú. I really loved the hiking and paddling trip especially.

The team from Antartur were amazing and René from Ecoturismo Iguazú was phenomenal. He used all of his connections to get us around which were key because the amount of tourists in Iguazú was substantial.

The El Calafate trip could have been improved. We were scheduled to have a day of excursions, a day off, and a half day there before flying back. Because of the Christmas holiday, however, it meant that we couldn’t book the excursion we wanted for the free day (Estancia Cristina) but we did a glacier boat ride. And the following day we were in El Calafate until almost 5PM. In the future, it will help for the team to ensure travelers have something to do during the Christmas holiday and to have that booked far in advance (and an earlier flight out would’ve been great). It affected scheduling for Iguazú and we were on a flight every day for three days which wasn’t so fun!

We hope to be back in Argentina in the future and will definitely book throughout Say Hueque :).

08.01.19

Comments About:

Buenos Aires, Featured Trips, Iguazu Falls, Patagonia

Diane Thein

(5 / 5)

It was a fabulous trip!

It was a fabulous trip! We might even write a little blog for those traveling and not camping. We have friends with Patagonia on their list and we will definitely highly recommend you.

02.01.19

Comments About:

Buenos Aires, Featured Trips, Most Popular Trips, Patagonia

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