HIKING IN PATAGONIA – 16 Days

Take a bus from El Calafate to the hiking village of El Chaltén

You have arrived in Patagonia! Your 2-week dream trip through Argentina and Chile is about to begin. Upon landing in El Calafate, 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 it’s surrounded by glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests. It’s also the jumping-off point for most hiking trails in the area. A paradise for sunny walkers and trekkers alike.

Enjoy your first afternoon of leisure in Patagonia 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.

Hike to Laguna Torre (self-guided paths)

Today, we have a recommendation for true hiking-lovers: trek all the way to Cerro Torre and Laguna Torre, one of the most famous hiking trails in the area. Step into the wild for about 8 hours and 12 miles. This is a moderate-difficulty hike, but there is no steep climbing involved, so no previous experience is required!

The journey starts at a notable wooden sign which reads ‘Laguna Torre’ and features a  woodpecker; you probably already saw the sign if you visited the Cerro Torre Viewpoint the previous day. From there, you will continue through a stunning, multi-colored landscape; snow-capped mountains will rein over the native forest of lenga and ñire trees. You’ll pass by the De Agostini campsite and continue to the front moraine…you can hit the summit in 15 minutes! From here you can descend to the lagoon and watch the floating icebergs, or continue to the Mascardi viewpoint, 1 mile up the hill.

Take a bus back to El Calafate, home of Perito Moreno Glacier

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 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.

Take a tour to a traditional Patagonian ranch in Argentina

El Calafate has much more to offer than its haunting glaciers… We recommend that you complete this 2-week adventure in Argentina 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”, where you can read about other ideas for spending 2 to 3 weeks exploring Argentina and Chile while enjoying our immersive, adventure-orientated tours.

The most famous Torres del Paine trek: ‘Base las Torres’ 

Torres del Paine is one of the most beautiful protected areas of South America, and the best way to explore it is by foot. If you like hiking and nature, this should be one of the highlights of your trip. Depending on which area of the Park you are staying in, you will be able to explore different paths — please check with your travel advisor about which are the best options from your location.

Our recommendation is to make a solo hike to Base de las Torres del Paine. This is the most famous hike in the park since it takes you to the base of the Paine Horns (8500 f.o.s.l.), a challenge for climbers all over the world. It takes 8-10 hours round-trip. 

The first 2 hours of the trek are very tiring, since you are walking up, leaving the valley where the Hosteria and Refuge Torres del Paine are located. You’ll cross Ascensio Valley, taking its winding path and gazing over Ascensio River until getting to the first stop, Refugio El Chileno. From here, you’ll continue for one hour through a lenga forest — the changing landscapes will combat any tiredness! 

You’ll finally get to the moraine; the last beat of the trek, and the hardest. The last hour will be an uphill climb, but take your time, you’ll definitely make it to the top! Every effort will be compensated with breathtaking views of these massive granite mountains that grow past a blue lake and up to the sky.

Enjoy a boat tour for your last day in Torres del Paine

In the early morning, after enjoying a delicious breakfast, you will hike approximately 4 hours from Refugio Paine Grande to the Grey Mountain Hut. This is an amazing hike which will lead you to the shores of Grey Lake and its floating glaciers, with stunning views of the massive Southern Ice Field and the Grey Glacier that blend together and extend their white cloak far beyond what the eyes can see.

You already have a boat scheduled for later this day. Right after the hike, you’ll embark on a cruise from Grey Lake’s beach, and after crossing the blue waters, filled with floating icebergs and dramatically framed by glaciers and snow-capped mountains, you’ll get to Hosteria Grey. When you arrive, a transfer will be waiting to take you on a 4-hour trip through dry, mountainous steppes to finally reach Puerto Natales, where you’ll spend the night.

Make a trip to Ushuaia, the southernmost city of Argentina, via bus

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, first called 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 less adventurous 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. 

Tour along the border between Argentina and Chile and visit Ushuaia’s iconic islands 

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 on a fully equipped boat with a capacity for up to 26 people. Argentina standing at your left and Chile at 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 Yámanas (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.