How to travel in Patagonia
Our Patagonia Vacations
Chile and Argentina tour
Santiago, Lake District, Patagonia, Glaciers & Buenos Aires
Small group adventure vacation to Patagonia
Explore the spectacular wilderness and mountains of Patagonia
Patagonia & Torres del Paine vacation
The best of Patagonia and Torres del Paine National Park
Patagonia tailor made vacation, 14 days
Be awed by beautiful Patagonian wilderness on this trip
Paine and Fitz Roy trek, trekking vacation
Spectacular Andes scenery from glacial lakes to towering granite peaks
Cycling the Lake District of Chile and Argentina
Amazing cycling through Argentina and Chile
Argentina tailor made vacation, Buenos Aires to Patagonia
10-days: Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, El Calafate & Glaciers
Patagonia trekking tour
Natural beauty, dramatic vistas and cosmopolitan cities.
Patagonia self drive vacation
Showcases three contrasting regions of Patagonia in Argentina and Chile
Self drive Patagonia vacation including Mapuche culture
Independent trip to explore the Mapuche culture
Tour of Patagonia, El Calafate & Torres del Paine
Patagonia's best - Torres del Paine and Perito Moreno Glacier.
Patagonia overland truck tour, South America
From the Chilean Fjords to the Magellan Straits
Patagonia tailor made tour, self guided
Self-guided vacation in stunning Patagonian mountains.
Patagonia luxury adventure vacation
Luxury hotels and adventure in Patagonia
Chile highlights tour, 10 days
10-days: Santiago, Atacama, Patagonia & Torres del Paine
Chile adventure vacation
Chile's best: the Atacama Desert, Lake District and Patagonia
Patagonian adventure vacation
Explore the highlights of Argentine and Chilean Patagonia
Rio Futaleufu rafting vacation in Chile
Raft deep canyons and pristine wilderness of Patagonia
Patagonia trekking vacation Fitzroy and Paine
Dramatic scenery and the trekking world-renowned
Patagonia trekking vacation, Patagonia Eco-camp
Camp & trek Los Glaciares & T. del Paine Parks, Patagonia
Patagonia self-drive vacaton
10 days - Torres del Paine, Calafate & Perito Moreno
Chile tailor made tours, volcanos & National Parks
Explore vineyards, spot penguins & journey through volcanoes
Patagonia trekking vacation
Trek the third largest single expanse of ice on earth
Patagonian adventure vacation in Chile and Argentina
Discover stunning Patagonia
Adventure vacation in Patagonia with Iguazu Falls
Explore cities, national parks, glaciers and mountain ranges
Chile off the beaten track vacation
Explore a little visited part of Patagonia
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls & Patagonia vacation, Argentina
Visit the best cities and landscapes in Argentina
Grand tour of Patagonia vacation
Rainforest, glaciers and the fauna of Peninsula Valdes
Patagonia 11 day tour, best of Patagonia
For adventurous types who wish to experience Patagonia
Patagonian glaciers vacation with ice trekking
Independent trip to Patagonian glaciers and mountains
Guided small group vacations in Patagonia
All your transport around Patagonia will be included, ranging from internal flights and ferries to private buses and 4x4 adventures. Itineraries are fixed, but many will build in free days for independent hiking. Or relaxation. Whichever floats your Patagonian boat.
Patagonia self drive tours
For most self drive vacations you’ll pick your hire car up from Punta Arenas – Chile’s main Patagonian hub, or El Calafate – the Argentine equivalent. Both Patagonian towns play host to several quality car rental services and have excellent road links to both Puerto Natales (for Torres del Paine National Park) and Los Glaciares National Park.
As with most Patagonian vacations, in a car you’ll do your fair share of border-hopping between Argentina and Chile. Luckily, border formalities with a hire car are relatively straightforward and usually hassle-free. Your vacation provider and rental company will ensure you have any necessary paperwork to smooth the process.
What is it like driving in Patagonia?
Both Chile and Argentina drive on the right and the main roads are in excellent condition, with ribbons of smooth tarmac reaching towards the horizon in an oft-unwavering straight line. The few exceptions include much of the route from Puerto Natales into Torres del Paine National Park and the roads within the park itself, which are all ripio (gravel). However, these are well maintained and do not necessitate a 4x4 – simply slow down and enjoy the views.The classic El Calafate – El Chaltén – Torres del Paine itinerary is particularly well suited to independent road trips. Distances between mighty glaciers, iconic hikes and spectacular miradores are, by Patagonian standards, relatively short. Watch your fuel carefully though and fill up whenever you have the opportunity; distances between petrol stations can be enormous in Patagonia and carrying an emergency fuel supply is recommended.
Our top Patagonia Vacation
Chile and Argentina tour
Santiago, Lake District, Patagonia, Glaciers & Buenos Aires
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Patagonia by bus
Your vacation company will book your tickets for you and arrange transfers to and from the bus stations to make your journeys as smooth as the tarmac you’ll be traveling on.
Flying in Patagonia
To give you a sense of scale, traveling by bus from Buenos Aires to El Calafate would take at least two days, depending on where you stopped along the way. For this reason, tours which cover decent ground usually use a combination of domestic flights and hire cars, public buses or private transfers to keep overland travel times to a minimum. Internal flights are usually included in the cost of a tour.
If you’d prefer to limit flights during your vacation you’ll need to pick one region of Patagonia and stay there. But don’t feel you’re missing out; slowing down is the best way to experience the real power of the Patagonian landscape, A popular – and convenient – option is to focus your trip around El Calafate, Los Glaciares National Park and Torres del Paine, all of which are within a few hours’ drive of each other and include some of Patagonia’s most classic landscapes.
On the water
In the northern Lake District, the almost all-day journey from Puerto Varas in Chile to Bariloche in Argentina, traversing the Andes by catamaran (and a few short sections by bus), is nothing short of spectacular. You could skirt around the lakes it crosses – Llanquihue, Todos los Santos, Frias, and Nahuel Huapi – by car, but you’d be missing out on views of towering, snow-capped volcanoes. This really is one of the most beautiful journeys in Patagonia.
No visit to Torres de Paine National Park is complete without the journey by catamaran across Lake Pehoé. Not only does this afford breathtaking views of the Cuernos del Paine peaks but is also one of the only way to access trails into the beautiful Valle Francés from the lodges and camps around the Hotel Las Torres.