Patagonia is one of the most magical places I’ve ever visited—rugged mountains, abundant wildlife, and some of the most spectacularly colored lakes on the planet. But it’s also HUGE—encompassing the southern tip of both Argentina and Chile, Patagonia stretches for over 730,000 square miles! So, if you don’t have YEARS to explore this massive area, it can be hard to know where—and how—you should spend your limited time here.
But not to fear! After exploring this special part of the planet for over two months, I’ve put together the perfect two week Patagonia itinerary—with lots of ideas on how to tailor your trip if you have more or less time here.
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Two week Patagonia itinerary
Let’s just jump right into it—how to spend two weeks in Patagonia!
As mentioned above, Patagonia is MASSIVE and it would be impossible to see it all within two weeks. So, for the purposes of this itinerary, we’re primarily going to be focusing on southern Patagonia around four areas—El Calafate and El Chaltén, Argentina and Torres del Paine and Punta Arenas, Chile.
Additionally, most travelers heading to Patagonia are outdoor adventure lovers, eager to get as many dusty kilometers under their hiking boots as possible. Accordingly, this itinerary is going to primarily focus on hiking, including some more challenging trails. Most visitors in decent shape with the appropriate gear will be able to tackle the hikes I’m suggesting below, but I’d definitely recommend getting some trails under your belt before heading to Patagonia—hiking up the slope of Mount Fitz Roy shouldn’t be your very first time on a trail!
Day 1: Fly into El Calafate, Argentina
Fly into Comandante Armando Tola International Airport in El Calafate
Many of the cities in Patagonia are pretty remote and do not have their own airports. El Calafate, Argentina, on the other hand, is a decently-sized city with an international airport that serves as a good springboard for exploring the rest of Patagonia.
The airport is about half an hour outside of El Calafate, so you can either grab a taxi into town (which typically costs around 30,000 ARS, cash-only) or pre-arrange for a private transfer, like this option, to pick you up.
Explore El Calafate
You’ve probably had a pretty long travel day and the rest of this Patagonia itinerary is pretty jam-packed, so take it easy on your first day and, after dropping off your bags at your hotel, just mosey around El Calafate.
To be honest, El Calafate is not my favorite town in Patagonia—it feels pretty touristy and commercialized. Still, you can easily spend a great afternoon here, enjoying what the town has to offer, like:
- Visiting the Glaciarium Patagonian Ice Museum before your visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier on Day 2. The museum is located about ten minutes outside of town, but there’s multiple free shuttles each day from this meeting point.
- Trying some of the local breweries. Our favorite in town is La Zorra, thanks to their wide range of brews, made from local ingredients, and laidback atmosphere.
- Walk the boardwalk of the Laguna Nimez Nature Reserve—it’s an incredible place to see dozens of species of birds, including flamingoes!
- Peruse the locally made handicrafts and pick up an actually cool souvenir at the El Mercado Artesenal
Where to stay in El Calafate
Hotel Posada Los Alamos has an incredible location in the heart of El Calafate, with some really solid perks, like an indoor swimming pool, complimentary breakfast, and an onsite restaurant AND spa!
Day 2: Perito Moreno Glacier
Visit the Perito Moreno Glacier
While El Calafate is a perfectly nice town, the reason everyone comes here is to explore the Perito Moreno glacier, which is one of the only glaciers that’s actually advancing AND, sprawling at 97 square miles, is also one of the biggest glaciers in the world!
Depending on how up for adventure you are, there’s a couple of different ways that you can enjoy the glacier:
Hiking the boardwalks
If you’re looking for a chill way to ease into your Patagonia adventures, there’s five interconnected metal boardwalks and stairways around the glacier that offer different views and perspectives of its towering spires and icebergs.
Hiking around the Perito Moreno glacier is kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure—you can walk along a wheelchair-accessible pathway for as little as 565 meters to get spectacular views of the glacier or combine all of the trails to make a 3 mile long loop to see up-close-and-personal vistas of the northern and eastern faces of the glacier.
Kayaking around the glacier
For something a bit more adventurous, consider booking a kayaking tour around the Perito Moreno glacier, navigating your way around icebergs and craning your neck to see the spires of ice towering hundreds of feet overhead.
Kayaking tours here, like this small group option, include roundtrip transportation from El Calafate; all of your kayaking gear (including a drysuit to keep you, well, dry as you paddle around the glacial water); one to two hours of kayaking around the glacier; and free time to walk around the metal boardwalks to experience this massive sheet of ice from above.
Trekking on the glacier itself
For the ultimate glacier experience, you can even trek on the Perito Moreno glacier itself, hiking past huge crevices, climbing up huge hunks of swirling ice, and even getting the chance to drink 18,000 year old glacial water.
There’s a couple of different tour options that you can choose from that trek on the glacier, like this option, that includes one hour of climbing on the ice, or this “Big Ice” option, that includes three hours of hiking on the glacier. No matter how long you want to climb on the glacier for, these tours will include roundtrip transportation from El Calafate; guides that are knowledgeable in the science of glaciology AND important safety know-hows; all the gear you’ll need to safely climb on the glacier; and free time to explore the metal catwalks after your glacier expedition!
How to get to the Perito Moreno glacier
The Perito Moreno glacier is located here in Los Glaciares National Park, about an hour and twenty minutes from El Calafate.
The most affordable option is to take a bus from the El Calafate bus station to the glacier, which costs around 50,000 ARS per person for a roundtrip ticket. You can try purchasing tickets online, through the bus operators’ sites (Cal Tur, Chaltén Travel and Marga Taqsa, respectively), but I had a lot of issues when I tried doing so. Accordingly, your best bet may be to go purchase tickets in person at the El Calafate bus station.
Alternatively, there are plenty of tours that will take you from El Calafate to the glacier. For example, this day trip includes a guided hike around the glacier, as well as the option to add on a boat ride in the surrounding glacial lake if that sounds up your alley, whereas this option includes both a guided hike AND a boat ride. Given how pricey normal bus tickets to the Perito Moreno glacier are, you might want to evaluate whether it makes sense to just go on a tour!
Tickets to the Perito Moreno glacier
As mentioned above, the Perito Moreno glacier is located in Los Glaciares National Park, a massive reserve that sprawls over 2,800 miles, covering this massive sheet of ice and most of the popular hiking destination of El Chaltén.
Entry to the park costs 45,000 ARS per person per day. You can either purchase tickets online ahead of time here or in person, with cash or credit card (although the card machine can be finicky so I’d recommend bringing enough in cash!).
In my opinion, 45,000 ARS for one day in a national park is pretty dang steep. However, there are a few ways that you can save a bit of money here.
For example, if you plan on visiting Los Glaciares two days in a row (i.e., visiting the Perito Moreno glacier and hiking in El Chaltén the very next day), you can save 50% on your entrance the second day, if you purchase tickets for both days in person and tell the attendant you want to take advantage of the discount. Alternatively, you can buy a Flexipass, which gives you a 33% discount when you purchase a three day pass that can be used over the course of a six month timeframe.
If you follow the itinerary for Patagonia outlined in this article, I’d suggest purchasing a 3 day Flexipass for Los Glaciares (you can buy your pass here)—it should cover you for all of your adventures in Los Glaciares National Park.
Spend the evening exploring El Calafate
You’ll likely get back to El Calafate in the late afternoon or early evening, so spend the rest of the day wandering around the city and enjoying some of the solid Argentinian cuisine the city has to offer (El Gaita Pizza Bar seriously has some of the best pizza we’ve ever had!).
Where to stay in El Calafate
Day 3: Transfer to El Chaltén, Argentina
Take a bus to El Chaltén
Time to head to one of the best hiking destinations on the planet—El Chaltén! This town is home to Mount Fitz Roy, arguably the most famous mountain in South America, known for its dramatic spires (which are so iconic, they’re the basis of the Patagonia clothing brand logo!).
The easiest way to get to El Chaltén is to take a three hour bus—you can purchase tickets here. Most of the buses that run between El Calafate and El Chaltén are double decker and I HIGHLY recommend booking a seat on the first row of the second floor. If you luck out with a clear day, you’ll get killer views of Mount Fitz Roy as you approach El Chaltén.
Alternatively, if you don’t like big buses or want to figure out a way to get to the El Calafate bus station (which is located outside of the downtown area), you can opt for a door-to-door transfer instead, like this option, that picks you right up from your hotel in El Calafate.
Go on a short day hike
Depending on your energy level and when you get to El Calafate, consider spending the afternoon doing one of the shorter day hikes around town that are not in Los Glaciares National Park (if you bought a three-day Flexipass, you’re going to need your remaining two entries for the following two days in the park!).
For example, Laguna Azul is an excellent option, with waterfalls, a fun suspension bridge, and a deep blue lake, surrounded by the Andes Mountains. This trail is on private property, Estancia los Huemules, and you’ll need to reserve a ticket (28,000 ARS) online ahead of time.
Pssst… there’s a lot of guidance online about how to skip out on paying the Los Glaciares entry fee for various hikes around El Chaltén, from taking alternative trailheads to skirt around rangers to hiking at unusual hours when rangers won’t be stationed along the trails. I strongly would recommend against doing this—if you’re electing to take multiple modes of transportation to reach a foreign country and electing to do an activity there, you are responsible for paying the associated fee. Not doing so is, in my opinion, straight up stealing.
If you’re a budget traveler and legitimately can’t afford the Los Glaciares entry fees (I get it—they really are expensive!), I’d suggest skipping El Chaltén entirely and instead, adding Ushuaia to the end of your trip, which has tons of awesome day hikes that are free, like Laguna Esmeralda or Laguna de los Tempanos.
Where to stay in El Chaltén
Posada y Cabañas El Barranco is a super cozy property, with cabins that come equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay in El Chaltén (including a kitchen to cut down on costs on eating out!), complimentary breakfast every morning, and a warm fireplace to curl up to after your hikes.
Day 4: Hike the Laguna de los Tres Trail in El Chaltén, Argentina
Hike the Laguna de los Tres Trail in El Chalten
This hike is the most popular trail in El Chaltén and probably offers the best view of Mount Fitz Roy on the planet (that is, if you luck out with a clear day!).
This trail gets BUSY, so I suggest waking up bright and early to get to the trailhead. There’s rangers stationed at the trailhead who will ask to see your ticket. I’d suggest screenshotting your Flexipass ticket on your phone, as reception at the trailhead can be spotty, at best.
Here’s some quick stats on the Laguna de los Tres hike:
- Length: 13.7 miles (22 km)
- Elevation gain: 3,454 feet (1,052 meters)
- Difficulty: Challenging
The trail takes you past stunning views of the Río de las Vueltas snaking through an impossibly green valley, along a boggy meadow with the impossibly blue Piedras Blanca glacier glowing in the background, and, after an INCREDIBLY steep final climb up, to a jaw-dropping viewpoint of Mount Fitz Roy’s iconically jagged peaks. Beyond just the spires of Mount Fitz Roy, there’s also two vibrantly colored lakes here, countless waterfalls, massive glaciers—this trail’s endpoint is really quite the feast for the eyes.
It’s important to note that this hike is pretty challenging and can experience unpredictable weather—during our hike here, we experienced sunny skies, wind, freezing rain, snow, and pretty much everything in between. So be sure to come with the appropriate gear, including trekking poles, waterproof hiking boots, and a rain jacket (here’s the one that Justin uses and here’s the one that I use).
Insider tip: If you’re looking for a more adventurous option than simply hiking the Laguna de los Tres trail, you can consider camping overnight here! It’s popular for visitors to combine the Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre hike into a larger backpacking circuit, with your night spent at Campamento Poincenot (here’s a trail map if you’re interested in going this route).
You don’t need a reservation or permit to stay at the campground—all of the tent sites are first come, first serve. But, like any proper backpacking trip, you will need to bring everything (like, shelter and food) with you on the trail. If you don’t visit Patagonia with all of your backpacking gear, there’s tons of outfitters in El Chaltén that you can rent everything you need from, like VientoOeste.
Enjoy the evening in El Chatén
After returning from your hike, take the evening to enjoy the surprisingly solid food and drink scene in this tiny town. For example, Maffia Trattoria is a beloved Italian restaurant (Italian food is HUGE in Argentina!); La Roti is great for trying a mix of classic and creative takes on empanadas; and Laborum has some of the BEST pizza you’ll find in South America.
Where to stay in El Chaltén
Day 5: Hike Laguna Torre
Hike the Laguna Torre trail
The second most popular hike in El Chaltén is actually my favorite!
The Laguna Torre trail winds through a desert-like plateau and dense lenga forest, before spitting you out onto the shores of a glacial lake (complete with vibrant blue icebergs!), which is fed by the ancient ice of Glacier Grande and beyond, the jagged spires of Cerro Torre.
Here’s some brief stats for the Laguna Torre hike:
- Length: 11.1 miles (17.9 km)
- Elevation gain: 1,873 feet (571 meters)
- Difficulty: Challenging
In my opinion, the Laguna Torre trail is a lot easier than Laguna de los Tres, with pretty gradual elevation gain throughout—it’s just looooong!
Catch a sunset
If you’ve got energy left, I’d suggest heading someplace in the evening to watch the sunset.
Mirador Cóndores is a short and easy trail that leads to a beautiful overlook of a valley between the Rio de las Vueltas and Rio Fitz Roy and beyond, the rocky spires of Mount Fitz Roy. Keep your eyes peeled on the sky here—true to its name, this is a great place to see Andean condors, one of the biggest birds on the planet!
Just don’t forget your headlamp to be able to safely make your way back to the trailhead once the sun sets!
Where to stay in El Chaltén
Day 6: Transfer to Puerto Natales, Chile
Take the bus to Puerto Natales, Chile
Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to El Chaltén this morning. Grab a couple of empanadas for the road and make your way to Puerto Natales, Chile, which is the springboard to explore Torres del Paine National Park.
The easiest way to do this is to first grab a bus from El Chaltên to El Calafate and then grab another bus from El Calafate to Puerto Natales.
The bus schedule usually aligns well for this, with a bus departing El Chaltén at 7:40 AM and arriving in El Calafate with plenty of time for you to catch the 11:45 AM bus to Puerto Natales. You should arrive in the town of Puerto Natales before dinnertime!
Insider tip: Remember to keep your passport with you on the bus, as you’ll need it to exit Argentina and cross into Chile.
When you cross into the latter, the immigration officer will stick a tourist card in your passport—don’t lose it! You’ll have to show this when you leave Chile and when you check into your accommodations in Torres del Paine National Park. Without it, you’ll be charged an additional 20% tax while you’re in the park (and things are already pricey there!).
Stop by the Last Hope Distillery
One of our favorite things to do in Puerto Natales is to stop by Last Hope, a little distillery cranking out some seriously tasty hand-crafted gin.
Depending on whether your bus driver made good time and how fast you can sprint to the distillery from the bus station, you may even be able to make it to the distillery for the daily tour at 5:30 PM. On the tour, you’ll be shown how the gin and other spirits the distillery is cooking up is made by the cheeky owner—we’ve been on a LOT of distillery tours and this interactive and laidback tour is definitely one of my favorites!
Even if you can’t make the tour, you can still try some of the distillery’s inventive cocktails and creative light fare.
Pssst… you’re going to be headed to Torres del Paine National Park tomorrow to start the W Trek, a 45.7 mile multi-day thru-hike. The hike is a choose-your-own-adventure—you can either stay in fully-equipped tents and hostel beds at the refugios along the trail or you can stay in your own tents. Similarly, you can buy all of your meals from the refugios or bring all of your own food.
If you need to rent gear and pick up provisions before heading to the park, I’d suggest renting from Rental Natales, which has solid equipment that you can either rent online or in person and stays open until 10 PM every day. For food, there’s a Unimarc supermarket in downtown Puerto Natales that stays open until 9:30 PM on every day, but Sunday.
That being said, finding dehydrated food, other than ramen and powdered soups, is pretty scarce in Puerto Natales, so I’d suggest purchasing some at home, like this option or this option, and bringing it with you.
Day 7-11: Hike the W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park
Over the next five days, you’re going to be hiking the W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park.
As mentioned above, the W Trek is one of the most iconic thru-hikes on the planet—and SO much fun! By day, you’ll trek to stand in the shadow of impossibly jagged mountain peaks, on the shores of electric blue lakes, and overlooking massive glaciers, while, by night, you’ll stay in refugios (or mountain huts), where you can sleep in warm, cozy hostel beds or, if you’d prefer, a tent that you carry on your back.
Here’s some stats about the W Trek at a glance:
- Length: 45.7 miles (73.5 km)
- Elevation gain: 9,671 feet (2.948 meters)
- Difficulty: Challenging
There’s WAY too much to know about this trail to fit into this article—it’s honestly a tiny bit of a logistical nightmare.
Lucky for you, though, we actually wrote an entire guide on hiking the W Trek with everything you need to know about planning, booking, and hiking this trail. Or, if you don’t have the time or patience to deal with the aforementioned logistical nightmare, you can alternatively go on a tour, where the operator will take care of figuring out your transportation, accommodations, and food for you, like this self-guided option or this guided option.
If you want a brief look into what your days will look like, this is the itinerary in a nutshell:
Day 7
Distance
9.0 miles (14.5 km)
Elevation gain
2,567 feet (782.4 m)
- Book an early morning bus from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park and get dropped off at the Laguna Amarga ranger station. You will be asked to show your Torres del Paine National Park ticket to a ranger, which you are required to purchase online ahead of time.
- Take a Hotel Las Torres shuttle bus (4,000 CLP, cash-only) to the W trek trailhead in the Central District.
- Hike to Mirador Base las Torres, which features a vibrant turquoise lake and some of the most famous mountain peaks in South America.
- Hike back to Refugio Chileno to spend the night.
Day 8
Distance
7.7 miles (12.4 km), if you don’t hike back to Torres del Paine for sunrise, or 12.9 miles (20.8 km), if you do hike to Torres del Paine
Elevation gain
285 feet (87 m), if you don’t hike back to Torres del Paine, or 1,734 feet (528.5 m), if you hike to Torres del Paine
- If you’re feeling ambitious, you can wake up early for sunrise and make the trek from Refugio Chileno to Mirador Base las Torres to watch the first fiery rays of the sun hit Torres del Paines’ iconic spires (optional). Just be sure to include a solid headlamp on your W Trek packing list if you decide to make this trek!
- From Refugio Chileno, you’ll hike to Refugio Paine Grande, taking in the views of the turquoise waters of Nordenskjöld Lake and the uniquely two-toned mountain, Cuernos del Paine.
- Stay the night at Refugio Cuernos.
Day 9
Distance
14.7 miles (23.7 km)
Elevation gain
2,437 feet (742.8 m)
- Hike from Refugio Cuernos, up into the French Valley to reach Mirador Britanico. Along the way, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of Glaciar Frances and some of the most dramatically rugged mountains on the planet.
- From Mirador Britanico, you’ll make your way to Refugio Paine Grande to stay the night.
Day 10
Distance
7 miles (11.3 km) or 11 miles (17.7 km), if you hike to the second suspension bridge over Glacier Grey
Elevation gain
692 feet (211 meters)
- Hike from Refugio Paine Grande to Refugio Grey, passing Glacier Grey, an enormous glacier that’s over 104 square miles large, looming in the distance.
- If you still have energy, you can drop your packs off at Refugio Grey and continue on to Mirador Grey and two suspension bridges, each which provide even more spectacular views of the glacier.
- Return to Refugio Grey to stay the night.
Day 11
Distance
6.4 miles (10.3 km)
Elevation gain
527 feet (160.6 m)
- If you didn’t want to splurge on kayaking or trekking on the Perito Moreno glacier, you can consider spending your last morning on the W Trek having some of these adventures around Glacier Grey, which is WAY cheaper. Here’s an option for glacier trekking and here’s an option for kayaking, both of which meet right by Refugio Grey.
- Hike from Refugio Grey back to Refugio Paine Grande. Congrats—you’ve officially finished the W Trek!
- Take the catamaran ferry from Refugio Paine Grande across the turquoise waters of Lake Pehoe to the Pudeto pier. You are required to purchase your catamaran tickets online ahead of time.
- Grab a bus from Pudeto back to Puerto Natales
- Get a burger, fries, and a solid 10 hours of sleep to celebrate. Woohoo!
Pssst… if you’re not up to do a 50 mile hike over the course of 5 days, not to worry! You can still do lots of cool day hikes in Torres del Paine, including portions of the W Trek, like the Mirador Base las Torres trail and the Glacier Grey hike. You could easily spend four or so days exploring the day hikes that Torres del Paine has to offer (plus, you can go on this awesome-looking puma tracking tour around the park!).
It’s not particularly easy to get from trailhead to trailhead here, so I’d suggest renting a car and staying at one of the hotels around the park, like Hotel Lago Grey or Hotel Las Torres Patagonia.
Day 12: Transfer to Punta Arenas, Chile
Take a bus to Punta Arenas
Since you’re sadly flying home soon and Puerto Natales doesn’t have an airport, you’ll need to transfer somewhere that does. So we’re headed to Punta Arenas, a port city that has the unique title of the southernmost city in the world with more than 100,000 inhabitants.
To get here, take a two hour bus ride from Puerto Natales (you can buy tickets here).
Tour the Austral Brewery
Austral Brewery is one of the largest producers of beer in Patagonia and, like many businesses in this region, has a unique claim to fame—it’s the southernmost brewery in the world!
They offer tours from Tuesday through Saturday at 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM, where you learn about the history of the brewery and how the beer is made and, of course, get to try some of their beer for yourself! You have to make reservations ahead of time here.
We’ve been on lots of brewery tours before and thought this one was pretty solid. I think it’s really cool that they use local ingredients in their beer, like calafate berries (which is actually found no place else on the planet!).
Pop into a museum
After almost two weeks of hitting dusty trails and hiking on glaciers, perhaps it’s time to take it a bit easier, eh?
So spend the afternoon perusing some of Punta Arenas’ museums. There’s actually quite a few to choose from, but I’d recommend checking out:
- Museo Nao Victoria, which highlights the city’s and surrounding area’s maritime history
- Museo Maggiorino Borgatello, which focuses on the natural history and anthropology of the Indigenous people who call Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego their ancestral home.
Some of these groups are absolutely fascinating—for example, the Yaghan people historically wore little to no clothing, despite living in such a cold environment, with the women regularly diving in the near freezing waters to hunt for shellfish (so hardcore!). They actually were found to have higher metabolic rates than other humans, which helped keep them warm in cold conditions!
Both of these museums offer signage in Spanish and English, if you don’t happen to be a Spanish wizard.
Where to stay in Punta Arenas
Hotel La Yegua Loca is a boutique hotel in the heart of the city, which has kind of a rustic Chilean theme to it (don’t be surprised if your room is gaucho themed!). The onsite restaurant, where you’ll have complimentary breakfast, is absolutely killer and the beds here are what dreams are made of.
Day 12: Explore Pali Aike National Park
Take a tour to Pali Aike National Park
Out of all of the suggested activities in this article, taking a tour to Pali Aike, like this option, may be the most under-the-radar—which is a shame, because it’s SUPER cool!
Located about two and a half hours from Punta Arenas, this national park offers an interesting mix of both geological and anthropological history. The landscape was formed by multiple volcanic eruptions, leaving behind barren lava fields, cinder cones, and dramatic basalt formations.
But, perhaps, the most famous feature of the park is Pali Aike Cave, which holds evidence of humans using the cave as a shelter over 12,000 years ago. These humans lived here at the same time as now-extinct megafauna, including the saber-toothed tiger and giant ground sloth, the remains of which have been found in the park.
Have one last Chilean dinner
I’d suggest treating yourself to dinner in Punta Arenas on your last night in Patagonia .
La Luna is one of our favorite restaurants here, with local dishes made from impossibly fresh ingredients, beer that’s brewed in house, and a quirky, buzzing atmosphere. For something a bit more casual, Kiosko Roca, dating back to 1932, is considered a Punta Arenas institution, serving up banana milkshakes and simple, yet delicious sandwiches.
Where to stay in Punta Arenas
Day 14: Walk with thousands of penguins and fly home
Take a tour to Isla Magdalena
Punta Areas isn’t just any ol’ southerly city—it happens to be home to Isla Magdalena, the nesting grounds of over 40,000 Magellanic penguins from October through March!
So join a tour, like this option, to explore the island and walk amongst the largest Magellanic penguin colony in South America! Along the way, you should also get to see some of the 1,500 sea lions that live on the neighboring Isla Marta, as well as other wildlife, like imperial cormorant, albatrosses, and petrol.
Tours typically leave bright and early in the morning and last for about five hours. So, if you have an afternoon flight, you should be able to squeeze some well-deserved penguin time in!
Fly home
It’s sadly time to fly home and start planning your next Patagonia itinerary!
Two week Patagonia itinerary at a glance
I know that was a LOT of information, so here’s your Patagonia itinerary in a nutshell:
- Day 1: Fly to El Calafate, Argentina
- Day 2: Explore the Perito Moreno Glacier
- Day 3: Transfer to El Chaltén, Argentina
- Day 4: Hike the Laguna de los Tres Trail
- Day 5: Hike the Laguna Torre Trail
- Day 6: Transfer to Puerto Natales, Chile
- Day 7-11: Hiking the W Trek
- Day 12: Transfer to Punta Arenas
- Day 13: Explore Pali Aike National Park
- Day 14: Explore Isla Magdalena and fly home
How much time do you need to explore Patagonia?
In case we haven’t beaten this point like a dead horse, Patagonia is enormous and stuffed to the brim with endless hikes, wildlife spotting opportunities, and road trips. So you could easily spend a lifetime exploring this incredible area and still not see it all.
That being said, two weeks is a great amount of time to see a lot of the highlights in Patagonia, like El Chaltén and Torres del Paine.
If you have significantly less time than that, I’d suggest concentrating on a smaller area—-for example, a week would be a solid period of time to see the Perito Moreno glacier in El Calafate, in addition to either El Chaltén or Torres del Paine National Park. Don’t underestimate how long it takes to get between destinations here—it’s at least a couple hours drive to get from one point of interest to another, so it’s not really an area that you can easily squeeze seeing ALL the things into.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you have more time than two weeks in Patagonia, you have endless options of other activities or destinations that you can add on.
For example, instead of hiking the 45.7 mile W Trek, you can consider, instead, tackling the O Trek, a 78 mile loop that’s typically hiked over the course of 8 days, instead of 5.
Alternatively, consider adding on other destinations, like Bariloche, which is known as the Switzerland of Argentina, or Ushuaia, which is literally known as the “End of the World”! We spent over a week in the southernmost city in the world and I definitely have a soft spot for it—there’s tons of awesome things to do in Ushuaia, from visiting an island that’s home to over one hundred thousand penguins to some of the best hikes in Patagonia.
Do you need a car to get around Patagonia?
Can you hire a rental car to get around Patagonia? Absolutely!
Does it make sense? … probably not.
If you’re traveling in a large group that can split up the cost and want to have the ultimate freedom and flexibility, then renting a car in Patagonia might be a great option. For example, you won’t have to worry about working around bus schedules, which can be limited between certain destinations, and can just travel between places whenever you’re ready to move on.
On the other hand, Patagonia is a notoriously expensive destination and renting cars here is no exception. So, consider how much you’d pay to rent a car (including extra fees for picking it up in El Calafate, Argentina and dropping it off Punta Arenas, Chile) and decide whether it’s worth it for you!
We didn’t rent a car for the two months we were in Patagonia and thought it was incredibly easy and surprisingly cheap to navigate around such a large area by buses.
When to visit Patagonia
The best time to visit Patagonia is during the warmer months, from October through April. During this period of time, you’ll have the best chance to have moderately warm temperatures and clear skies.
For the optimal weather for outdoor adventures, I’d suggest visiting from December through February—this was the timeframe that Justin and I visited Patagonia and, even with the area’s wild and unpredictable weather, we still had great conditions during our stay.
You can certainly visit Patagonia during the winter months, but be prepared for cold, snowy conditions and businesses either to be closed or have reduced hours. Additionally, many of the trails may be inaccessible due to heavy snowfall and ice or may have additional restrictions. For example, you can technically hike the W Trek all year long, but, due to the dangerous conditions along the trail in winter, you are required to have a guide with you from May through September.
Tips for visiting Patagonia
Book things well in advance
Patagonia is remote, so, even though tourism here is fairly well-developed, transportation and accommodations can be extremely limited. For example, refugios in Torres del Paine National Park book up almost immediately after going on sale (typically in May or June that precede the hiking season) and more affordable hotels, especially in smaller towns like El Chaltén or Puerto Natales, are hard to snag reservations at.
So I’d recommend making reservations as soon as you know you’re heading to Patagonia. It’s a pricey place to visit, in the best circumstances—you definitely don’t want to be stuck booking the most expensive hotels here!
Credit card is accepted pretty much everywhere
There’s a handful of circumstances where you’ll need cash, like taxis, street food, or shuttles, but, for the most part, credit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. So, I’d suggest just taking out a nominal amount of cash in each country and only using it when needed.
Accept that the weather may not always be your friend
After hearing about how unpredictable the weather is in Patagonia, Justin and I built in PLENTY of buffer time during our visit. We run our business remotely, so we basically went on adventures on days when the weather was nice and stayed inside and worked on days when it wasn’t. But, even using that approach, we weren’t always able to capitalize on nice weather days—for example, Fitz Roy was obscured by clouds each of the six days that we were in El Chaltén.
All that is to say you might not have perfect weather while you’re in Patagonia—it likely will be windy, rainy, or snowy at least one of the days that you’re supposed to be outside, having epic adventures. Be sure to bring the right gear to deal with pretty much any weather conditions, a positive attitude, and a willingness to switch to a Plan B if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
What to pack for Patagonia
We wrote an entire Patagonia packing list guide, but, in a nutshell, here are some key items that you should make sure to bring with you:
Clothing
- Puffer coat
- Rainjacket (here’s the one I use and here’s the one that Justin uses)
- Plenty of warm layers
- Beanie
- Rainpants (here’s the pair I use and here’s the pair that Justin uses)
- Hiking boots (here’s the pair that I use and here’s Justin’s)
- Baseball hat
- Waterproof gloves
Gear
Toiletries
Miscellaneous
- Credit card
- Passport
- Applicable visas—be sure to check whether you need any visas to get into Argentina or Chile! We went on a tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia with an Australian woman, who spent the whole trip panicking, because she didn’t have the right visa to get into her next stop, Chile.
There you have it—the ULTIMATE two week Patagonia itinerary! We LOVED Patagonia and hope you enjoy is as much as we did! Do you have any questions about planning your trip to this special corner of the planet? Let us know in the comments below!
