Where is Patagonia?
Patagonia is located in the south of Chile and Argentina. The border of the region lies to the north at Puerto Montt in Chile and Neuquén in Argentina.
The mountain region stretches all the way to Tierra del Fuego in the south. This describes the icy landscape, which also includes the southernmost tip of South America, Cape Horn.
Patagonia consists largely of mountains and meadows and is one of the least populated places in the world. Tourism in Patagonia is therefore limited to just a few destinations. The largest city in Patagonia is Punta Arenas in Chile.
When is the best time to travel to Patagonia?
As the region is primarily an outdoor and hiking destination, the summer months of November to April are best suited for a trip to Patagonia. Outside of these months, there is a lot of snow in Patagonia and it is very cold.
As the weather in Patagonia is all extremes, it is important that you are well prepared for the climate. We will show you all the tips on travel times and what you should bear in mind in a separate article.
Patagonia by car or bus?
We recommend traveling to Patagonia by car. You are much more flexible than by bus and get from A to B faster. Although a rental car is a little more expensive than traveling by bus, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.
Important: You must return the car to the country where you picked it up! This means that you cannot pick up your rental car at an airport in Argentina and drop it off at an airport in Chile.
We recommend the website Check 24 for booking a rental car:
Book a rental car with Check 24
However, you can also travel around Patagonia by bus. That’s why we’ll also show you how to cover our routes by bus.
Patagonia in 10 days: our suggested route
We think that 10 days is a great amount of time to see the most important highlights in Patagonia. The more time you have, the better.
In addition to the top sights in southern Patagonia, there is much more to see in the region. But we’ll get to that later when we present our 3-week program.
But for now, let us introduce you to our route for 10 days:
- Day 1: Punta Arenas
- Day 2: Isla Magdalena
- Day 3: Puerto Natales
- Day 4: Torres del Paine
- Day 5: Torres del Paine and drive to El Calafate
- Day 6: Perito Moreno Glacier
- Day 7-9: El Chaltén
- Day 10: Punta Arenas
If you have less time, we recommend that you cancel day 2 and days 7-9. You will then have a total of six days in Patagonia – but that should be the absolute minimum. Otherwise, a trip to the other end of the world really isn’t worth it.
We recommend Patagonia in six days if you are doing a 14-day round trip through Chile.
Patagonia 10 days round trip map
For a better overview, we have marked our stops on the 10-day route on a map.
Now we present our route for the Patagonia round trip in 10 days in more detail.
Day 1: Arrival in Punta Arenas
On day 1 of your Patagonia round trip, you will land in Punta Arenas by plane, probably from Santiago de Chile. Pick up your rental car at the airport and drive to your accommodation in Punta Arenas. It is around 20 minutes by car from the airport to the city center.
We recommend that you book your flight so that you arrive in Punta Arenas at midday. You can then use the afternoon to explore the city.
The top sights in Punta Arenas are the Mirador Cerro de La Cruz, the Cementerio Municipal cemetery and the Costanera del Estrecho. Apart from that, the city is not super exciting. One afternoon is more than enough.
Our hotel tip for Punta Arenas
Hostal Boutique Puerta Roja: Small, very cozy and individually furnished accommodation with free parking.
From the airport to the city center without a rental car
If you want to travel through Patagonia without a car, there are only cabs from the airport to the center of Punta Arenas. The price is CLP 13,000 – it is fixed, so you shouldn’t pay more.
Day 2: Penguin watching on Isla Magdalena
While many tourists head north directly from Punta Arenas, we recommend that you use day 2 to take a boat trip to Isla Magdalena.
The island is located 35 kilometers from Punta Arenas. The special thing about it is that penguins live here. When do you ever get the chance to see these cute animals in their natural habitat?
Unfortunately, the boat trip is not cheap fun. You pay 85,000 CLP (around 95 euros) for the return trip. You can book the excursion on the Fiordos del Sur website, for example.
Day 3: Drive to Puerto Natales
On day 3, you will travel to Puerto Natales early in the morning. The journey takes around three hours. Puerto Natales is smaller than Punta Arenas, but is also a very pretty little town. You can easily explore all the sights of the town in one afternoon.
The standard program in Puerto Natales is to walk the waterfront promenade from start to finish. The highlights on the waterfront are the Monumento al viento and Monumento de la mano statues and the Muelle Historico pier.
If you have plenty of time and are motivated, you can also hike up the local mountain, Cerro Dorotea. However, you will need to plan a total of 3 hours for this.
Our hotel tip for Puerto Natales
Hotel Martín Gusinde: Great hotel with a great price in the heart of Puerto Natales. You can also park here free of charge.
By bus
There are several buses a day from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales. Tickets usually cost CLP 10,000 (12 euros). It is best to buy them directly at the bus terminal in Punta Arenas or on the Recorrido Bus Sur website.
Day 4: Torres del Paine National Park
On day 4, you drive to Torres del Paine National Park early in the morning. The park entrance is called Laguna Amarga. The drive takes just under 1 hour 30 minutes and you have to be at the entrance by 9 am at the latest. After that, the park entrance is closed.
The ticket for the national park costs 35 USD and you should book it online at aspticket.cl at least one day in advance.
On this day, the day hike to the Mirador Base las Torres is on the agenda – our absolute highlight in the whole of Patagonia!
In the evening, you can either drive back to Puerto Natales or spend the night in the national park. As you will also be spending day 5 in Torres del Paine, the latter is definitely an option – unfortunately, accommodation in the national park is quite expensive.
Our hotel tip for the Torres del Paine National Park
Hotel Lago Grey: Beautiful hotel with a fantastic view of Lago Grey. Rooms are large and cozy.
Day 5: Torres del Paine and drive to El Calafate
On day 5, you have the morning to visit more great viewpoints in Torres del Paine. Highlights include the Mirador Condor and the Mirador Salto Grande.
We have only briefly explained the entire program in Torres del Paine National Park here. We will show you a detailed description of the sights in Torres del Paine, how to get there and how to buy tickets in a separate article:
All the important tips for Torres del Paine National Park
You then set off for Argentina in the afternoon. You will drive to Cerro Castillo. This is only a 30-minute drive from the national park. The Chilean border control is located in Cerro Castillo.
There you must first present your passport and confirmation of residence and then show your vehicle documents.
You then drive across the border and after a few minutes you reach the Argentinian border control. The process here is similar. Please note that you will not receive a stamp or confirmation of residence in Argentina.
You should allow about an hour for both border controls. If there is a queue, it will take a little longer. However, there are usually only longer queues in the high season in February.
From there, it takes around 4 hours to drive to El Calafate. If you take the route via Esperanza, the road is completely paved except for the first few kilometers. Google Maps will show you a shortcut, but it is in very poor condition.
In El Calafate, you simply check into your accommodation in the evening and change money. Please note that you should change euros or dollars into ARS (Argentine pesos) in Argentina and not pay by card, as otherwise everything will be about twice as expensive. We will explain this in more detail in another article.
Our hotel recommendation for El Calafate
Hotel ACA El Calafate: Central location and the rooms are large and stylishly furnished. Free parking is also available.
By bus
Without a car, you won’t be able to drive to El Calafate after Torres del Paine. That’s why you take the bus back from the national park to Puerto Natales in the evening and spend the night there.
Day 6: Perito Moreno Glacier
On day 6, you will make a full or half-day excursion from El Calafate to the Perito Moreno Glacier. You have several options for visiting it.
You can either drive to the national park by car and organize your own visit. Parking at the glacier is free. The entrance fee to the national park is ARS 5,500. You can then walk to the various viewpoints on site. You should plan a total of 1-2 hours for this.
You also have the option of taking a boat tour or kayak trip. You can get even closer to the glacier by boat. The tours are best booked on site.
However, you also have the option of booking guided tours. You will be picked up in El Calafate and can leave your car behind. You also have the option of booking a glacier hike.
Glacier hike and Perito Moreno boat trip
Tour to the viewpoints at Perito Moreno and optional boat trip
By bus
There are several buses from the terminal in Puerto Natales to El Calafate. If you book a bus at 7 am, you will arrive in El Calafate at around 1 pm.
We recommend that you then take your time to change money and check into your hotel and only visit the Perito Moreno Glacier on day 7. You can book bus tickets to the glacier at the terminal or at your accommodation. The return trip costs around ARS 7,000.
Day 7-9: El Chaltén
On day 7, you will drive to the mountain village of El Chaltén. This is about a 2.5-hour drive by car. El Chaltén is something like the hiking capital of Argentina and you can do a lot here. You should therefore plan a few days for El Chaltén.
The seventh day is perfect for a short hike. We recommend these two:
- Mirador Las Áquilas: A total of 4 kilometers and about 200 vertical meters.
- Chorrillo del Salto: A total of 3 kilometers, mostly flat.
On day 8 and day 9 you will have more time to do the two most popular hikes in El Chaltén: Laguna de los tres at Fitz Roy and Laguna Torres.
The two mountain lakes are not far from each other. If you fancy a camping adventure, you can also spend the night at one of the campsites here instead of returning to El Chaltén between hikes.
Please note: You will need your own camping equipment and it is usually very cold at night.
The most important tips for the hikes:
- Laguna de los tres: A total of 20 kilometers and 800 vertical meters, about half of which you cover on the last kilometer. This is very steep and strenuous. Difficult hike.
- Laguna Torres: A total of 20 kilometers long and around 300 meters in altitude. Moderately difficult hike.
Our hotel tip for El Chaltén
Andino Aparts – El Chaltén: Beautiful, cozy apartments with large beds. Great value for money.
By bus
You can either travel to El Chaltén directly on day 7 after your glacier visit or in the morning on day 8. A bus ticket costs around ARS 5,500 and the bus journey from El Calafate takes just under three hours.
Day 10: Return journey to Punta Arenas
As the route from El Chaltén to Punta Arenas is very long, the car journey is the only item on the agenda for the day. You need to allow nine hours for this, including border controls. Your return flight from Punta Arenas should therefore not leave until the evening.
If that’s too much driving in one day, you can also cover part of the route on day 9 and spend the night in El Calafate again, for example – from there it’s only a 6.5-hour drive to Punta Arenas.
By bus
If you are traveling by bus, we do not recommend driving back to Punta Arenas. After all, you don’t have a rental car that you have to return to Chile. It’s best to book your return flight from El Calafate on day 10. The bus ride from El Chaltén to Calafate airport takes around 2.5 hours.
Although there are no direct flights back to Chile, there are flights to Buenos Aires. There are many flights from Buenos Aires to Santiago.
Patagonia round trip, if you have more time
The route we have just presented to you is the classic round trip through southern Patagonia. However, Patagonia has many more beautiful corners to offer.
If you want to continue the 10-day route, you don’t drive back to Punta Arenas on day 10, but instead take route 40 north from El Chaltén in Argentina. Incidentally, this is the only road that connects southern Patagonia with civilization.
From here, we recommend two different routes, depending on which country, Chile or Argentina, interests you more. You will spend a total of 3 weeks in Patagonia on both routes.
If you are traveling without a car, then you should opt for the Argentina option, as the Chilean side of Patagonia is very difficult to travel without a car.
Option 1: Onward journey through Patagonia in Argentina
We’ll first show you the route through Argentina by car and then tell you how to get around if you don’t have a rental car.
Day 10-11: El Chaltén – El Bolsón
Your first stop on your onward journey is El Bolsón. This is a total of 16 hours’ drive from El Chaltén. You should split this into two days. The small village of Perito Moreno is a great place to spend the night as it is halfway along the route.
Our hotel tip for Perito Moreno
Hotel Kelman: Plain and simple. Great for a stopover. You can park for free.
Day 12-13: El Bolsón
The beautiful town of El Bolsón is something like the hippie center of Patagonia. You’ll immediately notice how many hippies walk the streets here.
Day 12 is best spent driving to the Mirador Del Azul or walking up the local mountain Cerro Amigo. A trip to Lago Puelo is also worthwhile. It is around 18 kilometers from El Bolsón.
On day 13, we recommend hiking to the Cajón del Azul. To do this, drive 20 minutes by car to Wharton. From there, a 16-kilometre hiking trail (there and back) leads to the cajón.
The Cajón del Azul is a gorge through which a river flows, in which the water is an incredible shade of green. You can take great photos here and swim in the river in summer.
Our tip: If you stay longer in El Bolsón, you can also do a hike lasting several days. You will not only hike to the Cajón del Azul, but also to the Hielo Azul lagoon, which is 1,000 meters higher up.
Our hotel tip for El Bolsón
Sukal: Beautiful apartments in a quiet location. Great value for money. Parking is free of charge.
Day 14-16 Bariloche
From El Bolsón to Bariloche is only a good hour’s drive by car. Whether you make the journey in the evening on day 13 or in the morning on day 14 is therefore relatively irrelevant.
Bariloche is one of the most popular vacation destinations for Argentinians. The city is therefore very touristy overall. But there is also plenty to see.
The first thing you should do on day 14 is explore the city. The architecture of the Centro Cívico is reminiscent of the Alpine region and there are many great places to eat.
Bariloche is particularly known for its delicious chocolate and beer. It’s funny that a popular beer is called Kölsch – it actually tastes similar to the beer in Cologne.
The best way to use days 15 and 16 is to explore the area around Bariloche. There are beautiful hikes, but also car routes along lakes, so there is something for everyone.
Here are some highlights and things to do in Bariloche:
- Cerro Otto: Bariloche’s local mountain, which you can reach by car, on foot or by cable car.
- Circuito Chico: car or cycle route that passes by small and large lakes. It is around 60 kilometers long.
- Hike Refugio Frey: Popular hike near Bariloche.
- Colonia Suiza: Small Swiss-style village with delicious restaurants.
Our tips for Bariloche
Day 17-18 San Martín de los Andes
On day 17, you will travel from Bariloche to San Martín de los Andes. The journey takes around 3 hours. As the route is a popular panoramic drive, you should plan the whole day for it. It is called the Ruta de los Siete Lagos.
The first section of the journey – from Bariloche to Villa la Angostura – is not officially part of the panoramic route, which only begins at Villa la Angostura.
From then on, you will pass seven lakes – each one more beautiful than the next. You can stop at viewpoints everywhere and go swimming in some of the lakes in summer.
You will pass these seven lakes:
- Lago Espejo
- Lago Correntoso
- Lago Escondido
- Lago Villarino
- Lago Falkner
- Lago Machonico
- Lago Lácar
The pretty village of San Martín de los Andes is located on the last lake. On day 18, you have time to explore San Martín. We recommend taking the short hike to Playa Bonita. The beach is simply breathtakingly beautiful and perfect for swimming (at least in the summer months).
Our hotel tip for San Martín de los Andes
Rotui Apart Hotel: Beautiful bungalows, great service and delicious breakfast. Parking is free of charge.
Day 19-21 Pucón
On day 19, you will cross the border into Chile at the Lánin volcano. It is around 1.5 hours by car from San Martín to the border. We recommend setting off early, as there is often a lot of traffic at this border.
The procedure at the border is the same as in the south at Torres del Paine. Once you have passed the Chilean border control, it is a good hour’s drive to Pucón without any traffic jams.
You should allow a total of 4-5 hours for the car journey and border control.
In Pucón you then have two more days to round off your Patagonia round trip. The most popular activity is the hike to the Villarica volcano. But you can also simply put your feet up on the beach in Pucón.
You return your rental car on the last day. Alternatively, you also have the option of driving to Santiago de Chile and dropping off the car there. The journey takes around 8.5 hours.
Our hotel tip for Pucón
Pucontours River Lodge: Great accommodation just outside Pucón but in a fantastic location surrounded by nature. Parking is free.
Onward journey through Argentina without a car
You can also do this route through Argentina by bus. However, we recommend that you drive from El Chaltén to El Calafate airport on day 10 and fly from there to Bariloche. There is also a bus connection to Bariloche, but this takes 24 hours.
Buses run from Bariloche to El Bolsón and San Martín de los Andes. Here are the prices and durations for the routes:
- Bariloche – El Bolsón: 1.500 ARS (4 Euro)
- Bariloche – San Martín de los Andes: 2.500 ARS (6 Euro)
From San Martín you can take the bus to Pucón:
- San Marín de los Andes – Pucón: 7.000 ARS (about 15 Euro)
Option 2: Onward journey through Patagonia in Chile
You can only continue your journey through Chile by car. There are no public buses here.
Day 10: El Chaltén – Los Antiguos
With our second option for a 3-week round trip through Patagonia, you drive up Route 40 from El Chaltén only as far as Perito Moreno. There you turn off to the west and drive to Los Antiguos. The drive takes around 9 hours.
Los Antiguos is located on Lago Buenos Aires, where you can swim in summer. Otherwise, Los Antiguos is a small, rather unspectacular village just before the border with Chile.
Our hotel tip for Los Antiguos
Lau-Fert-Apartamentos: The apartments are perfect for a short stopover. You can park here for free.
Day 11-16: Carretera Austral
The Carretera Austral is a highway through Chilean Patagonia that leads from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgings.
If you start from Los Antiguos, you begin your road trip on the Carretera Austral at the village of Aldana. It is just under a three-hour drive from Los Antiguos to Aldana.
In Aldana, you turn off onto the Carretera Austral heading north. You will not explore the southernmost section of the Carretera Austral between Aldana and Villa O’Higgings on this round trip.
You now have 6 days to drive the almost 1,000 kilometers along the Carretera Austral. The landscape is beautiful in every corner, so it’s best to stop where you like it best – you have complete flexibility with your rental car.
But you shouldn’t miss out on these highlights on the Carretera Austral:
- Capillas de Mármol
- Villa Cerro Castillo
- Rio Futaleufé
- Cochamó
Day 17: Puerto Varas
Puerto Varas is a very pretty little town at the end of the Carretera Austral. It is just under 1.5 hours by car from Cochamó. If you set off in the morning, you have almost the whole day to explore Puerto Varas.
The fact that many German colonies once settled in Puerto Varas can be seen in the architecture as well as in small things such as the fire engines.
From Puerto Varas, you have a great view of the Osorno volcano, which rises up behind Lago Llanquihue. The lake is crystal clear and in summer you can relax on the beach in Puerto Varas.
Our hotel tip for Puerto Varas
ApartHotel Kintumay: Beautiful apartments with sea views. Good location and there is free private parking.
Day 18-20: Chiloé
Chiloé is an island that is connected to the mainland and is only about two hours by car from Puerto Varas.
The island is a paradise for nature lovers. The majority of Chiloé is unpopulated and there is no sign of crowds of tourists here. So you’ll soon have the beautiful green landscape all to yourself.
The most popular destinations on Chiloé are the Muelle de las Almas, the village of Castro, the Cascadas de Tocoihue and the Isla Aucar.
Our hotel tip for Chiloé
Hotel Palafito: Beautiful hotel in Castro with a view of the water. Breakfast and service are fantastic.
Day 21: Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt is your last stop in Patagonia. From Chiloé it is about 2 hours by car to Puerto Montt.
The port city is one of the largest cities in Chile, but to be honest it doesn’t really have much to offer. The long promenade along the river and the viewpoint on Isla Tenglo are nice.
Depending on what else you have planned after your Patagonia round trip, you can drop off your rental car in Puerto Montt or continue on to Santiago. It is about an 11-hour drive to the capital.
Our hotel tip for Puerto Montt
Hotel Don Luis Puerto Montt: Central location, large breakfast buffet and free parking. The price-performance ratio is also good.
Costs for a Patagonia round trip
It is virtually impossible to estimate the exact cost of a round trip through Patagonia, as it depends entirely on how you organize it and how long you are on the road.
The approximate costs per person for our 10-day round trip (without return flight) are as follows:
- Rental car: 400 Euro
- Gasoline: 80 Euro
- Accommodation: 300 Euro
- Sights: 150 Euro
- Catering: 200 Euro
Total costs: 1,130 euros
Average costs per day: 113 euros
This was our route for a Patagonia round trip!
Do you have any questions about a round trip through Patagonia? Feel free to write to us in the comments. We look forward to hearing from you!