13-Day Best of Patagonia Tour from El Calafate to Ushuaia Los Glaciares Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego National Parks

13-Day Best of Patagonia Tour from El Calafate to Ushuaia Los Glaciares Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego National Parks

See the stunning glaciers, majestic mountains and pristine national parks that make Patagonia the world-renowned region it is on this 13-day adventure tour from El Calafate to Ushuaia. You’ll visit both Argentina and Chile, exploring Los Glaciares National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Torres del Paine National Park and Tierra del Fuego National Park on full-day guided tours. Trip highlights include a boat cruise to Perito Moreno Glacier, hiking in the Fitz Roy and Chalten mountain ranges, guided canoeing and a Beagle Channel cruise, as well as one full free day in El Calafate and 1.5 free days in El Chalten. This comprehensive tour is ideal for those interested in experiencing the natural beauty, culture and adventure of Patagonia with transportation between cities and 12 nights of accommodation included!

Itinerary

Day 1: El Calafate

Stop At: El Calafate Airport, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Upon arrival at El Calafate Airport, you’ll be transported to your hotel (shared service). After check-in, you have the rest of the day free to explore local shops and restaurants around town, or venture outside El Calafate to surrounding areas like Laguna Nimez, where you’ll see a beautiful sunset (the front desk personnel at your hotel can give you information on transportation, hiking and more).
Duration: 40 minutes

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 2: El Calafate - Full-Day Perito Moreno Glacier with Boat Tour Included

Stop At: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Avenida Del Libertador 1302, El Calafate Z9405AHY Argentina
After an early breakfast, head out for a full-day guided excursion to Los Glaciares National Park, where you’ll see Perito Moreno Glacier.
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

Stop At: Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park Argentina
Admire beautiful views of this UNESCO World Heritage Site on a boat cruise, which allows you to see the glacier up-close. Then take a walk on nearby trails with your guide to viewing platforms which showcase the 19-mile-long (30 km) Perito Moreno Glacier from different angles. Stop for lunch at the park before continuing your exploration (lunch is not included). After your visit to the national park, you’ll be driven back to your hotel in Calafate, where you’ll have free time to eat dinner and relax.

**OPTIONAL: If you would prefer to upgrade your tour to include the Mini-Trekking or Big Ice excursions, both of which allow you to hike the glacier, please write it down in the special requirements box (while booking) and we’ll quote it for you.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 3: El Calafate

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Today is a free day. Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading out to spend the day as you wish and explore El Calafate on your own.
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 4: El Calafate / El Chalten

Stop At: Road to El Chalten, El Chalten Argentina
In the morning, your transfer will pick you up at your hotel to take you on a 3-hour journey to El Chaltén (shared service). After a scenic drive surrounded by the Patagonian steppe you will reach El Chalten and have the rest of the day free to get familiar with the town or go for a short hike from your hotel.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Chalten

Day 5: El Chalten: Self Guided hiking

Stop At: San Martín, El Chalten, Santa Cruz, Argentina
After breakfast, head out to one of the many nearby trails for an optional self-guided hike. You can get all the necessary hiking information at your hotel or at the Tourist Information Center located right next to the bus station. There are full-day hiking options to Cerro Torre and Mt Fitz Roy, located on the border of Argentina and Chile, as well as shorter, 2- to 3-hour hiking trails near the mountain. Don't forget to pack lunch if you decide to take one of the full-day hikes! Also, if you don’t feel like hiking, you can take an optional boat tour down Lago del desierto (Desert Lake) to discover more of Chalten’s natural beauty.
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Chalten

Day 6: El Chalten / El Calafate

Stop At: San Martín, El Chalten, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Enjoy an early breakfast and spend your last few hours in El Chalten at your leisure. This is the perfect day to go for a morning hike and buy some souvenirs before departing to El Calafate.
Duration: 7 hours

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
In the afternoon, your transfer will pick you up at your hotel in Chalten to take you back to El Calafate where you’ll have the evening free to do as you wish.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 7: El Calafate / Puerto Natales

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Today, you’ll leave Argentina behind and head to Puerto Natales in Chile. After breakfast at your hotel, make your way to Calafate bus station (transport not provided) for your public bus ride to Chile. Please make sure to keep your passport handy!
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, Chile
Upon arrival in Puerto Natales, you’ll make your way to your hotel (transport not provided). Taxis cost roughly $7 USD. After checking into your hotel in Puerto Natales, you’ll have the rest of the day free to explore this Chilean coastal town on your own
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Puerto Natales



Day 8: Puerto Natales - Full-Day Torres del Paine

Stop At: Torres Del Paine National Park, Torres del Paine National Park Chile
After breakfast, you’ll go on a full-day guided excursion to Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most beautiful parks in Patagonia. On the way to Torres del Paine, you’ll visit Milodon Cave, a natural monument composed of three caverns (entrance fee is not included). After reaching Torres del Paine, you will visit the most scenic panoramas of the park that are accessible by vehicle. Covering 447,260 acres (181,000 hectares), this national park is full of stunning natural beauty. Some highlights of this tour are: Grey Lake, Pehoe Lake, Salto Grande waterfall, Nordenskjöld Lake, Amarga Lagoon, etc. On the way, your guide will point out local wildlife like wild guanacos, caramel-colored animals in the llama family, which can be found roaming the nearby plains. After admiring the breathtaking views you can call it a day as your transport takes you back to your hotel in Puerto Natales. The evening is yours to do as you wish.

**OPTIONAL: If you would prefer to change this tour to a full-day hiking tour please write it down in the special requirements box (while booking) and we’ll quote it for you.
Duration: 11 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Puerto Natales

Day 9: Puerto Natales / Punta Arenas

Stop At: Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, Chile
After breakfast, make your way to Puerto Natales bus station (transport not provided). It is highly recommended that you reach the bus station at least 30 minutes before departure time. Once on board, a 3 to 4-hour bus ride will take you to Punta Arenas.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Universidad de, Punta Arenas, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Upon arrival in Punta Arenas, you’ll make your way to your hotel (transport not provided). The rest of the day will be free for you to enjoy on your own.

**OPTIONAL: This day, you have the option to upgrade your regular bus to a door-to-door transport that includes a navigation and walk on Magdalena Island (which houses one of the largest colonies of Magellanic Penguins). This tour is available from mid Oct to March 31st at an extra cost. Please write your request of quotation in the special requirements box (while booking) and we’ll check availability.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Punta Arenas

Day 10: Punta Arenas / Ushuaia

Stop At: Universidad de, Punta Arenas, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
After breakfast, you’ll make your own way to Punta Arenas bus station (transport not provided) to embark on a full-day bus trip back into Argentina, passing through some of Patagonia’s most stunning scenery. Cross the mystical Strait of Magellan before arriving in Tierra del Fuego Island, on which Ushuaia is located.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Perito Francisco Moreno 1398-1310, V9410KSR, V9410KSR Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Upon arrival in Ushuaia, make your way to your hotel (transport not provided) and spend the rest of the night resting up for the day ahead. (Taxis to and from bus stations should cost less than $8 USD and are at own expense).
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Ushuaia

Day 11: Ushuaia - Full-Day Trekking & Paddling in the National Park

Stop At: Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Avenida Gral San Martin 1395, Ushuaia V9410BGA Argentina
After breakfast, you will leave on a full-day excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park. This tour will give you the opportunity to get off the beaten path and see a side of the park that most visitors miss. Your guided tour of the park includes hiking along the Beagle Channel and canoeing on the Lapataia River to Lapataia Bay (lunch is included). After enjoying the stunning views and learning about the region’s incredible scenery, you’ll be driven back to your hotel. The rest of the evening will be free to enjoy as you wish.

Note: canoeing is subject to weather conditions. Canoeing difficulty: low.
Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Ushuaia

Day 12: Ushuaia - Beagle Channel Cruise

Stop At: Canal Beagle, Ushuaia 9410 Argentina
After breakfast, you’ll make your way to the pier for a boat cruise on the famous Beagle Channel (transport to the pier is not provided). Gain gorgeous panoramas of Ushuaia Bay and see diverse marine wildlife like cormorants and fur seals on De los Lobos and De los Pajaros islands. Very close to those, is Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, an authentic symbol of Ushuaia, built in 1919. Hop off the boat on one of the Bridges Isles, where you’ll walk and listen to the history of the native inhabitants, the Yamanas. As this is the largest island, you’ll enjoy amazing panoramic views of the Beagle Channel with the town of Ushuaia in the distance. During the cruise, you will be offered included snacks and a glass of mate, the typical Argentine beverage. After the tour, you’ll get back to your hotel by your own means. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy as you wish.

**OPTIONAL: If you would prefer to upgrade this tour to include the Magellanic Penguin Rookery visit on Martillo Island, please write it down in the special requirements box (while booking) and we’ll quote it for you. Please note this optional excursion is available from October to April and from July to mid September.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Ushuaia

Day 13: Ushuaia

Stop At: Ushuaia Airport (USH), V9401 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina
At the appropriate time, you will be transferred to Ushuaia airport (shared service). From there, it’s time to head home or continue to wherever your Argentina adventure takes you next!

NOTES: Our itinerary is pretty flexible so if you need to add extra nights at any of the mentioned destinations we can quote them for you. Also, we can quote extra tours or replace any of the included tours for a different one of your preference at an extra cost. Just make sure to let us know in advance using the special requirements box while booking.


Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.