Patagonia is a vast region, so it’s tough to explore it without a local guide. Each destination is separate by kilometers and kilometers, and…. So, in order to maximize your time here, an organized schedule is essential. Especially if you want to go hiking, there’re so many places to recommend that you can not miss!

Patagonia 9-day hike trip

For those who want to spend 2 weeks of trekking in Patagonia, we have designed a travel itinerary that combines the classic destinations in Argentina but also in Chile. Your hiking trip won’t be completed without a visit to Chilean Patagonia… that’s for sure.

• El Calafate: Worldwide known to be the home town of the Perito Moreno Glacier (the only glacier in the world that is still advancing), El Calafate is a usual jumping for any trekking adventure in Patagonia. In this town, you can visit the Glaciers National Park, navigate next to the Perito Moreno, but also visit the Glaciarium and learn more about the history and nature of glaciers on Earth. El Calafate is also an excellent location to learn about rural life in Argentina, the typical “gaucho” environment. Secluded ranches surrounded by lakes and mountains can be visited easily from town.
  

• El Chaltén: This is a little village not far away from Calafate, best known as the Trekking Capital of Argentina and Patagonia. Some years ago this town was a truly lost spot in Patagonia but now is visited by thousands of travelers a year. If hiking in Patagonia was your dream, this is the land where your dreams come true. Al around El Chaltén (which is a one Street town) there are many self-guided hiking trails that take you to stunning natural monuments like Laguna Torre, Cerro Torre, and the imposing Mount Fitz Roy.

• Puerto Natales: This city in Chile, best known as the Gateway to Torres del Paine national park, sits at the shore of the Last Hope Sound. Although Puerto Natales is not a hiking destination in Patagonia, it’s often an obliged stop before continuing to Torres del Paine. However, Puerto Natales is a picturesque town and there are some glaciers you can explore from here like the Balmaceda and Serrano.

• Torres del Paine: Well, a trekking trip to Patagonia won’t be the same without a visit to the most famous hiking destination in Patagonia, Chile. Torres del Paine is a National Park and protected area where hikers from all around the world come to stay in the few hotels there are or in the campsites. Inside the park, you’ll find, apart from the most stunning solitude, glaciers, immense peaks, lagoons, and amazing native wildlife like the puma. To really make the most of your Patagonia hike trip in Torres del Paine, you should stay at least five days and make the W Circuit, a 5-day trekking adventure of different levels of difficulty. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!
  

13-day Patagonia hiking trip: What else can you see in Patagonia?

Our 9-day trip is a good option for the first visit to Patagonia, but if you want to go trekking really far into the southern lands, our 13-day trip will take you to discover all the already mentioned destination, plus, the mythical Ushuaia in the province of Tierra del Fuego, best known as “the end of the world”.

• Ushuaia: This is one of the last cities in Argentina before Antarctica. Many years ago, when Argentina was born as a nation, the most dangerous criminals were sent to Ushuaia which was the farthest corner they can be sent in the country. But today, Ushuaia is a very respectable city that sits between mountains, glaciers, and the famous Beagle Channel that Charles Darwin sailed time ago. Tierra del Fuego National Park is the favorite hiking destination in this secluded spot in Patagonia. Here you can enjoy different trekkings but also canoeing trips. From the city of Ushuaia, you can also embark on a boat adventure through the Beagle Channel, visit the Bridges Island, and discover the marine wildlife and the End of The World Lighthouse.
  

El Calafate is one of the most popular destinations in Argentine Patagonia. The best time to visit El Calafate and Patagonia, in general, is summer (from December to February). However, you can try to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, the main attractions in El Calafate at the end of the beginning of winter too.

Why summer is the best time to visit El Calafate?

• Patagonia doesn’t characterize as being exactly warm… but during summer you can enjoy a tolerable 13°C during your outdoor activities. 
• As El Calafate is located in the far southern hemisphere, during summer you can enjoy up to 17 hours of daylight (during winter, sunlight is far less generous…).
• Rains are unusual during summer.
• If you go in February you’ll enjoy the 2-week Festival del Lago Argentino where cultural and sports events are held.
• A bad one: the win blows still like hell in summer (not much to do about the win in Patagonia…)

Now that you know when is the best time to visit El Calafate, you have to know that, probably, many others have read this useful article too. This leads to an inevitable fact: during summer El Calafate and the walkways of Perito Moreno Glacier will be crowded. So, “is it summer the best time to visit El Calafate, if I want to be alone with the mighty glaciers?”. The answer is no. 

Spring: not THE BEST but a good time to visit El Calafate

Sping in Argentina goes from September to November and many travelers choose it too to visit the country, because:

• Temperatures rise to 11°C and down to 5°C.
• Daylight is still generous: from 12 to 16 hours.
• It won’t probably rain (4 times a month is the average in sping)
• A bad one: November is the windiest month….

Can I visit El Calafate in winter?

Yes, you can, but you need to take into account that many places can be closed due to the heavy weather (it usually snows in Patagonia), days will be shorter and temperatures can drop to -2°C. But the good news is that you’ll have a few windy days and you’ll be practically alone with the Perito Moreno to take your best shot. 

So… when is really the best time to visit El Calafate?

Well, probably spring and autumn (from March to August) are the best options in terms of weather and the affluent of visitors. Though Autumn is still a bit rainy, winds are calm and you’ll have enough daylight to explore.

All this being said, the best time to visit El Calafate, in fact, is whenever your heart wants, since in each season you’ll have advantages and disadvantages. The important thing when planning a trip to Patagonia is to check if there is there are enough flight offers, and if the natural highlights you want to see are available (during winter, some national parks closed) which is not the case of Glaciers National Park where sits the Perito Moreno.   

• Visit the Ombú de Areco one of the traditional estancias near Buenos Aires.
• Continue visiting other estancias in Argentina in legendary Patagonia. 
• Visit Perito Moreno Glacier, enjoy horseback riding and learn about the gaucho culture. 

In this 9-day trip to visit the best estancias in Argentina get to know the life of the Argentine cowboys, or “gauchos” in the tranquility of a ranch surrounded by the most incredible scenery. Stroll through uninhabited forests, appreciate nature’s contrasting colors and gaze upon the impressive mountains of Argentina’s Patagonia. This itinerary fully immerses you in the Argentine culture and the history behind it.

• Start in Buenos Aires and enjoy a tango show in a traditional tango house.
• Fly to Patagonia and meet the famous Perito Moreno Glacier and travel to Ushuaia, at the end of the southern continent.
• Fly to the North and tour the colorful landscapes around Salta and visit the mighty Iguazú Falls. 
• Best time to travel: From October to April

In this 17-day travel itinerary to Argentina is the most ambitious itinerary ever. Being such a long country, it is sometimes hard to take the time and find the right way to visit both the Northern and the southern areas. But fear not! This North to South adventure in Argentina proposes to experience first-hand nature, history, culture, and beauty at a normal pace, perused and recommended itinerary.

• Get a first-row seat into the lives of the Southern Right Whale.
• Get active with a scenic trek, canoe adventure, in Ushuaia,  and stare in awe as you cruise up to the walls of El Calafate’s gigantic glaciers.
• Fly to the immense Iguazú Falls and explore the rainforest.
• Best time to travel: From October to April

‘Argentina for Adventurers’ is our ‘all-in-one’ trip for those who want to discover the absolute best that Argentina and Chile have to offer in a 3-week action-packed expedition. Start in Buenos Aires, the vibrant capital of Argentina, and fly to Patagonia to experience the two best trekking destinations in the region—El Chaltén in Argentina and Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. 

• This itinerary allows you to kayak through the most impressive landscapes in Argentina
• Travel through the Parana Delta, one of the 5 biggest in the world, all from the peace and quiet of a kayak.
• Experience the enormity of one of the biggest glaciers in Patagonia, which you can only reach by kayak through the waters of Canal Upsala while paddling past huge chunks of ice.
• Best time to travel: From October to April

This 11-day itinerary will take you to discover the rivers and lakes of Argentina and enjoy kayak tours and boat trips through the most impressive landscapes. Enjoy the local culture and traditions of Buenos Aires, the wildlife of Iberá Wetlands, the world’s second largest marshes, in a nautical safari by paddling, the cultural heritage of Guaraní community in Iguazú, and enjoy a kayak tour in streams with amazing natural falls. 

• Wander the colorful streets of  Buenos Aires city on a bike.
• Take a boat trip to sail next to Perito Moreno Glacier front wall and have a close-up encounter with the amazing Iguazú Falls (both sides, Argentina and Brazil).
• Best time to travel: From October to April

On this 10-day trip to Argentina discover stunning glaciers, super-sized waterfalls, and a vibrant city with your family. Enjoy our tours designed to discover the culture of each destination, and both suitable to ensure fun for grownups and kids.  

• Explore Buenos Aires at your family own pace and discover the traditions of locals. 
• Fly to Patagonia and discover the Perito Moreno Glacier and the National Park at “the end of the world” in Ushuaia. 
• Best time to travel: From October to April

Land in Buenos Aires, the capital that never sleeps. Then fly to Calafate, the famous gateway to the glaciers in southern Patagonia, and finally to Ushuaia, the only Argentine city behind the great Andes Mountain Range. In this 10-day family adventure itinerary to Patagonia you will hike through stunning landscapes and meet the little lords of the southernmost lands: the Magellan penguins!

• Bike the streets of Buenos Aires and explore the biggest green areas.
• Enjoy a full-day visit to a traditional ranch near Buenos Aires and unveil the traditions of La Pampa
• Fly to Patagonia and discover the lands of glaciers and the beautiful lake district.
• Best time to travel: From October to April

In this 10-day family travel itinerary to Argentine Patagonia and Buenos Aires you will learn about conventillos (where the first immigrants to Buenos Aires lived), then fly to El Calafate to explore the land of glaciers, and visit the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Enjoy with your kids these icy giants and visit Bariloche, the capital of the Lake District. Zip line with your kids in fairy-tale woods, and enjoy the best chocolate in Argentina. 

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