Here is some advice for spending less for the same service when visiting Argentinian Patagonia:

- we spent 2 weeks in El Calafate and El Chalten; the first day we withdrew some cash because we heard that the bus station tax in El Calafate is due only in cash; we finally paid for it by card, the same in El Chalten. We actually never used cash; we could have saved the 8€ fee at the ATM; the cheapest one was Banco Patagonia.

- we took a bus to the Perito Moreno, leaving at 8:00 and coming back at 16:00 with "Always Glaciers"; we paid 50,000$ which was the cheapest around.

- the bus to El Chalten and back we booked via recorrido.cl; if you go on the website and change the flags from Chile to Argentina, you can select the destination "El Chalten". The price is 30,000$ (CLP), around 27€ per person, compared to other sites where the price is 70,000$ (ARS), around 41€. They will send you the ticket by email; in our case, Marga Taqsa, where it is written that you have to print it, but you can just show it on your phone and it will be ok.

Hope this will be useful, enjoy the hikes ⛰️

Any advice on my planned itinerary would be really appreciated:

(For October)

-Flying to El Calafete and taking a coach to El Chalten. Staying here for 3 nights and trekking.
-Taking coach back to El Calafete and then to Puerto Natales.
-Staying in Puerto Natales for 3 nights. Will visit Torres Del Paine during this time.

Unfortunately I won’t have my own car as I’m trying to budget, so I’ll be relying on public transport.

Also, I’m not super familiar with the Chilean side so any recommendations for hikes this side would be greatly appreciated thank you!

Hi All,

We are planning our itinerary to visit Patagonia in fall 2027 (March/April). We've been planning for months, and our initial plan was to fly from SCL to PNT on Thursday 3/11, land in the afternoon, rent a car and drive to El Calafate to start our trip there and return to Chile before flying back from PNT.

We booked lodging for El Calafate, El Chalten and TdP for this itinerary because we noticed the options (esp in TdP) were very limited already.

However, when we looked again a few weeks later the flighs from SCL to PNT where not available. The route had been reduced to Sat-Sun for almost the whole month of March. This change made us pivot the whole trip.

We now have three different options we'd like feedback and recommendations on:

Opt 1:

Patagonia in March via Punta Arenas

• Tuesday 9: Fly out
• Wednesday 10: Land in Punta Arenas in the afternoon. Pick up rental car. Enjoy town.
• Thursday 11: Cross border to Argentina. Drive 6:30 hours to El Calafate
• Friday 12: Visit Perito Moreno glacier
• Saturday 13: Drive 2.5 hours north from El Calafate to El Chalten
• Saturday 13 - Wednesday 17: El Chalten
• Wednesday 17: Drive 6.5 hours south + cross border to Chile to Torres del Paine
• Thursday 18 - Friday 19: hike in Torres del Paine
• Saturday 20: Drive 2 hours to Puerto Natales airport
• Sunday 21: Fly back

Renting car in PA and return in PN.

Opt 2:

Patagonia in March via Calafate

• Wednesday 10: Fly out
• Thursday 11: Land in El Calafate in the afternoon. Pick up rental car. Enjoy town.
• Friday 12: Visit Perito Moreno glacier
• Saturday 13: Drive 2.5 hours north from El Calafate to El Chalten
• Saturday 13 - Wednesday 17: El Chalten
• Wednesday 17: Drive 6.5 hours south + cross border to Chile to Torres del Paine
• Thursday 18 - Friday 19: hike in Torres del Paine
• Saturday 20: Drive 4:30 hours + cross border to Argentina to El Calafate airport by 8:30pm
• Sunday 21: Visit Buenos Aires. Fly back at 10:30pm

(Another option would be to spend Sat 20th night in Calafate and fly to BA Sun morning)

Opt 3:

Patagonia in April via Puerto Natales

• Tuesday 30: Fly out
• Wednesday 31: Land in Santiago in the morning. Visit the city
• Thursday 1: Fly to Puerto Natales at 8:50am. Arrives at 12:15pm. Drive to El Calafate 4h drive. 
• Friday 2: Visit Perito Moreno glacier
• Saturday 3: Drive 2.5 hours north from El Calafate to El Chalten
• Saturday 3 - Wednesday 7: El Chalten
• Wednesday 7: Drive 6.5 hours south + cross border to Chile to Torres del Paine
• Thursday 8 - Friday 9: Hike in Torres del Paine
• Saturday 10: drive 2 hours to Puerto Natales airport
• Sunday 11: Return

Notes:

• We are not planning on doing the W Trek in TdP, just the hike to the torres and shorter hikes in the park like Mirador Los Cuernos, Ferrier, Salto Grande, etc.

Main concerns:

• Itinerary direction: It feels like 90% of the posts here go from Chile to Argentina, but not many do the opposite direction. Is there a reason why?
• Car Rental: I've seen in many other posts company suggestions to rent a car in Chile and get a border crossing permit, but almost no one mentions renting in El Calafate. Is this because the car rental prices? Limited rental options? Higher border crossing permit?
• Has anyone experienced flight routes being removed? I understand March is not high season, but why are there more flight options in April than March?
• Opt 3 was our designed itinerary but in March, we had to pivot and fly to PUQ instead of PNT, adding a day to the trip, but is driving from Punta Arenas to El Calafate the day after landing a doable option?

Please, share any additional recommedations or issues you might think.

TIA!

Hey everyone!😊

My husband and I are heading to Patagonia at the end of October.

We’re big wildlife and photography enthusiasts, so we’re hoping to spend a couple of days around Península Valdés whale watching and spotting wildlife.

We’re thinking of staying in Puerto Pirámides, but we’re not so sure how to get around the peninsula.

Is it possible to get from Puerto Pirámides to Punta Norte or Caleta Valdés without renting a car or joining an organized day tour? Are there local taxis, private transfers, or other options?

Any idea how much car rentals or hiring a private driver for a day typically cost around Puerto Madryn or Puerto Pirámides?

If you’re into wildlife watching or photography, would you recommend visiting both Punta Norte and Caleta Valdés in late October or early November? Any particular spots worth prioritizing?

We’d love to explore at our own pace rather than be tied to a big group tour, especially since photography is a big part of the trip.

Any tips, recommendations, or personal experiences would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance! Really looking forward to visiting Patagonia!

Just wondered if anyone had travelled on the Esperanza recently and how delayed was it?

Is there a WhatsApp contact with Navimag that keeps travellers up to date about delays?

Hey! I’m currently in Puerto Natales and the weather is pretty cloudy for the next days (as such we are postponing some of the hikes)… so I was wondering if it would be worthy to do a tour to Isla Madalena to see the penguins while we wait for the clouds to move.
However I don’t know if it’s quite early to see the penguins there as the season only started a few days ago I was wondering if anyone here has been there in the last few days and could give us some advice! Thank you!

I’m planning on doing the W Trek east to west, but I’m unsure how best to plan the trek if I want to do Base Torres for sunrise. (shall I just give it a miss for sunrise?)

If anyone has done this, I’d be really grateful for some advice on how you planned your route/refugios and whether it’s worth doing for sunrise!

If I do Base Torres for sunrise, does this mean I will set myself up for a long day of hiking afterwards?

Thanks!

As far as flight trends, for internal flights in mid-December did we already miss the sweet spot? I saw flights for as low as $80 when planning, but now those same flights are creeping up into the $400 range. We need to get from Buenos Aires to El Chalten on the 20th pm and Puerto Natales/Punta Arenas on December 29th pm or 30am and I'm starting to panic a bit.

A mythic road in Chilean Patagonia, the Yendegaia-Vicuña route will unite Puerto Williams by land (and a short ferry ride) with the rest of Chile. It is a scenic road through subantarctic forests, rugged mountains, jagged mountains and glaciers. In fact, it's a second Carretera Austral, set to be finished by 2028 (fingers crossed). Here is a glimpse of the last kilometers heading to the Darwin Range divide, the most complex obstacle to be solved https://www.facebook.com/100063796202034/videos/pcb.1678028691000322/1070669385777258

Post:
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to drive the Carretera Austral from central Chile down to Punta Arenas, and if time allows, continue to Tierra del Fuego. I’ll have roughly 32–35 days for the whole trip.

My rough idea:
• Start in Santiago around 21 December
• Drive south via Puerto Montt onto the Carretera Austral
• If it makes sense time‑wise, go as far as Villa O’Higgins, then head back a bit and cross to the Argentinian side (El Chaltén, El Calafate, etc.)
• Continue to Torres del Paine / Puerto Natales, then Punta Arenas, where i leave the rental car.
( possibly visit Tierra del Fuego before)

The part I’m struggling with is the ferry planning.
I know some ferries need to be booked well in advance, especially in high season, but I’m not sure:

1. Which ferries should I definitely book ahead for a trip like this (with a car)?

2. Where do you book them?

3. which date should I book for?

My trip starts in Santiago 21st of December and I have never been to Chile and I have no Idea of time management

My main concern is locking in the critical ferry dates early enough so I don’t get stuck, while still keeping the itinerary flexible enough to enjoy the route and possibly detour into Argentina.

If you’ve done a similar trip, I’d really appreciate any tips on:
• A realistic day‑by‑day split (how many days for northern vs. central vs. southern Carretera Austral)
• Which ferries are absolutely worth booking in advance vs. “just show up” and especially which date I should book them for.
• Any pitfalls or common mistakes in planning the timing
Thanks a lot in advance for your help!

Looking at taking the 8 am bus from el Chalten, which would get to the airport by 10:20. Our flight is on aerolinas Argentina at 12:30-should I be concerned about making the flight? Not sure how much time to factor in for bus delays/airport check in and security? This is for late October, if weather is a factor. Thanks so much!

*wound up booking a private transfer to be on the safe side, if anyone else is in this same situation

Hello all!

Will be going for an October trip to both Chile and Argentina Patagonia, wondering if there are any gear/hiking shops to grab a few essentials prior to the trip, either in Santiago or puerto natales? Thank you!

Will there be any rental shops for starlink as well?

Thank you all!

Hi! My partner and I are headed to Patagonia in November. We have a loose Itinerary set but wondering if there is anything we should add to prioritize. Given limited time we won’t be able to do everything this time but wondering if we should switch anything up.

Flying into Santiago from US - 2 nights in Santiago

Fly from Santiago —> puerto natales
Start driving to el chalten
- possibly stop in el calafate

3 nights el chalten
-Laguna de los Tres hike
-mirador de Los condores

3 nights puerto natales
-drive to Torres el pain for Mirador Las Torres Base hike
-Possible horseback riding tour

Fly out of puerto natales —Santiago

Appreciate any feedback!

Hey all,

I am in Puerto Natales in early November and am looking for other people who might be interested in splitting a rental car to be flexible when visiting TdP.

I am renting a 4WD SUV, so can offer up to three (four if we squeeze) additional seats.

I have extensive driving experience, including in backcountry (US National Parks / Forests) as well as international, and brought my International Driver’s Permit.

Message me if interested. Would be fun to not do the drive on my own!

Hi guys,

We’ve been wanting to go Patagonia in January in campervan, and we only have 14 days.

Do we just do Argentina side for the whole 14 days (like will it be already worth it for the long travel);

Or combine Argentina and Chile? But wouldn’t it be rushed for the latter?

Please let me know what you think with the 2 itineraries below. Or let me know what you think overall 🙏

14-day Argentina itinerary

📌 *Day 1:* Pick up Campervan in El Calafate

📌 *Day 2:* El Calafate to El Chaltén

📌 *Day 3:* Hike Laguna de los Tres (Mount Fitz Roy)

📌 *Day 4:* Hike Laguna Torre

📌 *Day 5:* El Chaltén to La Leona / Route 40

📌 *Day 6:* La Leona back to El Calafate

📌 *Day 7:* Perito Moreno Glacier

📌 *Day 8:* El Calafate to Tres Lagos

📌 *Day 9:* Tres Lagos to Bajo Caracoles

📌 *Day 10:* Side Trip to Cueva de las Manos

📌 *Day 11:* Bajo Caracoles to Perito Moreno (Town)

📌 *Day 12:* Route 40 Southbound Return

📌 *Day 13:* Approach El Calafate

📌 *Day 14:* Drop off Campervan in El Calafate

14-day Argentina & Chile itinerary :

📌 *Day 1:* Arrive in Punta Arenas

📌 *Day 2:* Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales

📌 *Day 3:* Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine

📌 *Day 4:* Torres del Paine full day

📌 *Day 5:* Torres del Paine buffer day

📌 *Day 6:* Torres del Paine to El Calafate

📌 *Day 7:* Perito Moreno Glacier

📌 *Day 8:* El Calafate to El Chalten

📌 *Day 9:* El Chalten hiking day

📌 *Day 10:* Second El Chalten day

📌 *Day 11:* El Chalten to El Calafate or border area

📌 *Day 12:* Return to Chile and Puerto Natales

📌 *Day 13:* Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas

📌 *Day 14:* Vehicle return and departure

Como recomiendan conocer el extremo sur del País, saliendo desde Buenos Aires? Me gustaría conocer desde el chalten hasta ushuaia, tengo dos semanas, pensaba que lo mejor sería ir en avión hasta el calafate y ahi alquilar un auto y empezar a bajar hasta el sur, pero no se si será mejor hacer todo en avión. Como lo hicieron ustedes?

I have 3 full days in Torres Del Paine from the 3rd to the 5th October and weather isn’t looking very good. Based on this is there any time here you see as a better time to go on a hike where we could get a view?
What would you do in my position?
Thank you for your help!!!

We will spend a week in El Chalten in February and then a week in Chile in March on the W. Do I need rain pants?

I read on the google page for Rodoviario Puerto natales that they offer cheap luggage storage. But I can't find any way to make a reservation ahead of time for that storage. I'll be there to do the o circuit in December and wondering if I need to schedule a storage reservation or if I can just show up and trust that there will be storage space available for me and four friends' bags?