Patagonia an incredible region in South America is a great place to come for an ultimate adventure. There are many amazing places to visit and things to do in the region. Your Patagonia itinerary will depend on how much time you have in the region. I would recommend having a minimum of 7 days and deciding what you want to see and do. In my opinion, southern Patagonia is the best place to come if you don’t have much time and want to see some of the highlights of the region. The suggested itineraries are focused on the south of Patagonia and include Perito Moreno Glacier, Torres del Paine National Park, El Chalten, and Ushuaia.
Where is Patagonia?
Patagonia is a vast region divided between Argentina and Chile. The Andes Mountains serve as a natural border between the two countries. The region occupies over 1 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles) in the south of the South American continent. There are hundreds of unique places to visit including several Patagonia National Parks that offer great opportunities for outdoor activities. Patagonia is a real paradise for nature lovers; glacial lakes, snow-capped mountains, and indigenous forests create a perfect natural habitat for diverse wildlife in the region.
How to get to Patagonia?
You can fly to different towns in Patagonia. Depending on your Patagonia itinerary you can fly to Bariloche, El Calafate, and Ushuaia in Argentina or Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales in Chile. These towns are close to some popular tourist attractions such as Perito Moreno Glacier or Torres del Paine National Park.
It’s cheaper to fly within a country. So if you’re in Santiago de Chile it’s cheaper to fly to one of the towns in Chilean Patagonia and the same for Argentina.
For finding the cheapest flights and the airlines that operate them I would suggest using Skyscanner but booking flights is better directly through the airline website. Keep in mind that in South America there are no budget flights like in Europe where you can fly for US$10. The average price for a local flight is around US$50-60.
Airlines that operate flights between Buenos Aires (and some other Argentinian towns) and Patagonia.
Aerolineas Argentinas, Flybondi, and JetSmart are the airlines that operate flights from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, Bariloche, and Ushuaia. Prices vary depending on destination and departure date.
Airlines that operate flights between Santiago de Chile and Patagonia.
There are three main airlines in Chile: SKY, LATAM, and JetSmart. All three have flights from Santiago de Chile to Puerto Natales, the nearest to Torres del Paine town. LATAM is usually quite a bit more expensive. Prices vary depending on the time and day. During the peak season between December and February, prices are higher. If there are no flights to Puerto Natales you can fly to Punta Arenas which is 250 km south and from there get a bus to Torres del Paine.
How much time do you need for Patagonia?
Honestly as much time as possible. We spent two months in Patagonia and still didn’t have enough time to do all we wanted. I’d say at least one week to see the highlights of the region such as El Chalten, Perito Moreno Glacier, and Torres del Paine National Park. If you want to see only Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the top attractions in Argentina 2 or 3 days will be enough. In two weeks you can go hiking in El Chalten or Torres del Paine and visit the glacier. If you have one month to spend in Patagonia you can include in your itinerary Bariloche and Ushuaia in Argentina or the Carretera Austral in Chile.
What are the best months to travel?
The summer months between November and April are the best months to visit the Patagonia region. December, January, and February are the warmest months with the least rainfall. These months are the best time for hiking in Torres del Paine as well.
The period from the second half of December to February is the high season in the region, it’s the time of summer holidays in Argentina and Chile. If you decide to visit Patagonia during that time I would strongly recommend booking plane tickets, transport, and campsites in Torres del Paine (for multi-day routes) in advance.
If you want to have good weather and escape crowds border months of November and the first half of December and March might be the best time to visit Patagonia.
Read our post to find out what to pack for traveling in Patagonia.
Is Patagonia worth visiting?
Patagonia is definitely worth visiting if you like wilderness, camping, and hiking. The region is known for its untouched nature, unique landscape, spectacular scenery, and diverse wildlife. Even if you don’t like hiking it’s worth visiting Patagonia. It’s an amazing place for a road trip. If you rent a car you can include several top attractions in your Patagonia itinerary.
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Renting a car in Patagonia
Renting a car is a great way to have flexibility in your Patagonia itinerary. It is the fastest way of getting around in Patagonia, especially in the Chilean part of it on the Carretera Austral. Renting a car might work out cheaper as well if you’re a family or a group of friends traveling together.
If you fly to El Calafate airport you can rent a car there on arrival.
It’s possible to rent a car at Punta Arenas airport or in Puerto Natales (in the town itself) but your options will be more limited.
How to get around?
To get around the Argentinian Patagonia without a car you can use buses. There is a wide network of buses that connect the towns and the region with the rest of the country. You can get by bus to any touristy place though sometimes you’ll have to switch buses. Overall traveling by bus in Argentina is nice and easy. Long-distance buses are very comfortable some even have fully inclined seats.
Chilean Patagonia, especially the part of the Carretera Austral (it’s not included in the suggested Patagonia itinerary), is a bit more tricky to get around by bus. Due to many ferry crossings and remoteness in the region. If you want to cover long distances it might be better to take a ferry to fly. Buses are operated by small local companies which often don’t have websites so it’s difficult to find the actual timetable, routes, and prices.
7-day Patagonia itinerary (Perito Moreno and Torres del Paine)
If you have 7 days in Patagonia, I would suggest visiting the two highlights of the region: the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina and Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Both places are among some of the top natural landmarks to visit in South America.
Where to start the itinerary depends on where you’re coming from. If you fly to Patagonia from somewhere in Argentina then it’s better to start in El Calafate. If you fly from Chile then Puerto Natales is a better option. Flying within a country be it Argentina or Chile is significantly cheaper than flying internationally.
The highlights of the suggested 7-day itinerary are Perito Moreno Glacier and Torres del Paine National Park.
As an alternative instead of using buses and moving between towns you can stay in El Calafate and visit Torres del Paine with a day tour. In this case, you’ll have time to visit El Chalten and do some hiking there.
You’ll save a lot of time if instead of using public buses you rent a car or use a private shuttle service. There are direct buses between El Calafate and Puerto Natales but they are not very frequent and take longer than driving.
Day 1. Flight Buenos Aires – El Calafate
I would suggest booking an early flight to El Calafate so you have time to explore the town, rest, and prepare for the next day. El Calafate is a small town known as a gateway to Perito Moreno Glacier. The town caters to tourists there are plenty of accommodation options, restaurants, and shops.
If you start your Patagonia trip in Chile then it’s better to fly to Puerto Natales.
Fligths from Buenos Aires to El Calafate
There are three airlines (Aerolineas Argentinas, Flybondi, and JetSmart) that operate fights from the Argentinian capital to El Calafate. Flybondi seems to have the cheapest flights, from US$70 one way. The other two airlines offer flights from US$100 one way. The duration of the fight is 3h30min.
El Calafate is a small and quite expensive town it’s not the best place to buy hiking or camping gear. If you need to buy some stuff it’s better to do it in Puerto Natales.
Places to stay in El Calafate
Day 2. Perito Moreno Glacier
Spend a day exploring Perito Moreno Glacier. The glacier is one of the top places to visit in South America. It is located in Los Glaciares National Park. You can visit the park, walk on boardwalks, and enjoy spectacular views of the glacier from several lookout points. It’s the cheapest option to visit Perito Moreno.
If you want to get close to the glacier, you can do a boat tour that will take you very close to it.
For an ultimate adventure go on a glacier hike.
- Opening hours of Perito Moreno National Park – daily from 8 am to 7 pm
- Admission fee – ARS 10 000/US$36 per person
- Getting there – by bus, driving, hitchhiking
