Patagonia North & South Explorer — Self-Launched

Land at Ezeiza (EZE) or Aeroparque (AEP). Skip the hotel transfer and take the Tienda León shuttle or public bus (Linea 8) into the city — around £4-6. Settle into a hostel in San Telmo or Palermo. Spend the evening wandering Plaza de Mayo and grabbing a choripán and a cheap bottle of Malbec.

🚌Airport shuttle/bus ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm in San Telmo/Palermo (~£14)

• →Self-guided walk around Plaza de Mayo
• →Cheap eat at San Telmo market

Fly Aerolíneas Argentinas or JetSmart from AEP to Bariloche (~£70-90 booked in advance, cheaper than operator's included flight if you book early). Afternoon: do the Circuito Chico independently by renting a bike (~£15/day) or taking local bus 20 to the km 18 viewpoint. Sample chocolate and craft beer at the artisan shops along the loop.

🚌Domestic flight ~£80; local bus/bike ~£12

🛏Hostel dorm in Bariloche centre (~£16)

• →Circuito Chico by bike or local bus
• →Artisan chocolate & craft beer tasting stop

Book the Puerto Blest boat excursion independently through a local operator (~£35-45) for rainforest, glaciers and the emerald Laguna Frías. Alternatively, hike the Cerro Campanario trail for the famous viewpoint, then swim at Playa Bonita. Cheap parrilla dinner in town.

🚌Local bus to trailhead ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm in Bariloche centre (~£16)

• →Puerto Blest boat excursion (self-booked)
• →Optional Cerro Campanario hike

Do the classic Cruce de los Lagos crossing yourself: bus Bariloche → Puerto Frías, catamaran across Lago Frías, minibus to Peulla, ferry across Lago Todos los Santos, then bus to Puerto Varas. Buy the crossing as a single ticket from local agencies (~£90-110). One of the world's most scenic lake crossings with volcano views.

🚌Bus + ferry Cruce de los Lagos ~£100

🛏Hostel dorm in Puerto Varas (~£15)

• →Cruce de los Lagos (Peulla crossing)
• →Volcano viewpoint photos on the ferry

Day trip to Chiloé Island independently: bus to Ancud or Castro to see the palafitos (stilt houses), iconic wooden churches, and try curanto. Or stay local — hike around Lago Llanquihue, visit the Osorno Volcano viewpoint, and eat kuchen at a German-Chilean tea house.

🚌Local bus to Chiloé ~£10 return

🛏Hostel dorm in Puerto Varas (~£15)

• →Chiloé Island day trip (optional, self-organised)
• →Osorno Volcano viewpoint

Fly Puerto Montt → Punta Arenas (~£100-130, book early). From Punta Arenas take a public bus to Puerto Natales (~£8, 3 hrs) then a shuttle or local bus into Torres del Paine (~£12). Stay in Puerto Natales or at a refugio inside the park if you want an early start.

🚌Flight ~£115; bus + park shuttle ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm in Puerto Natales (~£16)

• →Scenic border/steppe drive
• →Gear check and park briefing

Book a shared full-day tour or DIY the park with the public shuttle system. Must-sees: the Base of the Towers hike (day hike, ~8 hrs) or the shorter Mirador Las Torres / Grey Glacier viewpoints. Pay park entrance (~£25) and shuttle passes yourself. Cheaper than the operator's guided day.

🚌Park shuttle & shared van ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm in Puerto Natales (~£16)

• →Base of the Towers hike
• →Grey Glacier & Salto Grande viewpoints

Cross back into Argentina: public bus Puerto Natales → El Calafate (~£25, 5-6 hrs, book with Bus-Sur or Turismo Zaahj). Arrive in El Calafate, base for the glacier. Evening walk along Lago Argentino and a lamb asado dinner.

🚌Cross-border bus ~£25

🛏Hostel dorm in El Calafate (~£16)

• →Lago Argentino waterfront walk

Take a local shuttle bus to the Perito Moreno Glacier (~£20 return, hourly departures) and wander the boardwalks to watch ice calve thunderously into the lake. Optionally add the boat safari up to the glacier face (~£25) paid on-site. Park entrance ~£10.

🚌Glacier shuttle ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm in El Calafate (~£16)

• →Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalks
• →Optional boat safari to glacier face

Fly El Calafate → Ushuaia (~£120-160, book early; flight is the only sensible option, operators charge more). Transfer to town, settle into a hostel, and get your bearings at the end of the earth — stroll the waterfront and see the sign 'Fin del Mundo'.

🚌Domestic flight ~£140

🛏Hostel dorm in Ushuaia (~£18)

• →Ushuaia waterfront & 'Fin del Mundo' sign

Take the local shuttle or bus to Tierra del Fuego National Park (~£10) and hike the Senda Costera coastal trail to Lapataia Bay where the road ends. Park entrance ~£10. Afternoon free in Ushuaia — optional Beagle Channel boat trip (~£30).

🚌Shuttle to national park ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm in Ushuaia (~£18)

• →Senda Costera coastal hike
• →Lapataia Bay (end of the Ruta Nacional 3)
• →Optional Beagle Channel cruise

Fly Ushuaia → Buenos Aires (~£120-160). Return to your hostel in San Telmo/Palermo. Evening free to explore Buenos Aires nightlife on your own — Palermo's plazas and San Telmo's bars.

🚌Domestic flight ~£140; airport transfer ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm in Buenos Aires (~£14)

• →Free evening in Palermo or San Telmo

Do a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£8 tip) covering Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, and the Eva Perón balcony. Afternoon in Recoleta Cemetery and Palermo's street art. Evening: book a tango dinner show directly (~£40-55 for dinner+show in San Telmo) — or cheaper, watch free tango in Plaza Dorrego and eat at a local parrilla.

🚌Local bus/métro ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm in Buenos Aires (~£14)

• →Free walking tour of central Buenos Aires
• →Tango dinner show (self-booked)

Last mate and medialunas in a café, then take the shuttle/bus back to the airport for your onward flight. Trip ends.

🚌Airport shuttle ~£5

🛏—

• →Café breakfast and departure