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!
1. Patagonia 9-day hike trip
For those who want to spend 2 weeks 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 hometown 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, and 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 an only-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!
2. 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 destinations, 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 to 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 Bridges Island, and discover the marine wildlife and the End of The World Lighthouse.
