Patagonia Overland: Santiago to Ushuaia (Self-Launched)

Fly into Santiago and settle into a hostel in Bellavista or Barrio Lastarria. Pick up a Bip! transit card, get a Chilean SIM, and stock up on bus tickets for the week ahead. If you have time, ride the funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal for a panoramic view of the Andes.

🚌Airport bus (Centropuerto/Turbus) to city centre ~£2

🛏Hostel in Bellavista (dorm ~£12/night)

• →Cerro San Cristóbal funicular (~£3)
• →Markets and street food in Barrio Lastarria

Take a long-distance bus south along the Pan-American Highway on the spine of the Andes. If you want to break the journey, there are regional buses serving the Saltos del Laja waterfall area near Los Ángeles — most travellers do it as a day stop or just continue straight to Pucón. Arrive in the Lake District and check into a hostel or campground.

🚌Santiago to Pucón bus (Turbus/JAC), ~10-11 hrs, ~£25

🛏Hostel or campground in Pucón (~£12/night)

• →Optional stop at Saltos del Laja waterfall
• →Evening walk around Lago Villarrica

Choose from Pucón's adventure menu. The classic is a guided ascent of snow-capped Volcán Villarrica — book the day before through any agency on O'Higgins street. In the evening, take a local shuttle or taxi to the Termas Los Pozones or Termas Geométricas hot springs to soak out the day's hiking.

🚌Local shuttle/taxi to hot springs ~£10 round trip

🛏Hostel or campground in Pucón (~£12/night)

• →Guided Villarrica volcano summit hike (~£75)
• →Termas hot springs entry (~£12)

Spend the day whitewater rafting on the Trancura River (Grade III, suitable for beginners) or rent a bike and ride the lakeshore. Alternatively hike in Huerquehue National Park, reachable by local bus, for monkey-puzzle forests and pristine lakes. Self-cater dinner back at the hostel.

🚌Local bus to Huerquehue NP ~£2 each way

🛏Hostel or campground in Pucón (~£12/night)

• →Trancura River rafting (~£35)
• →Huerquehue NP hike (park entry ~£5)

Cross the Andes into Argentina. The classic route goes via the lakes crossing (Pucón-Las Termas de Chillán or the Seven Lakes route), a scenic chain of buses and boats linking Chilean and Argentine lake towns. Arrive at San Martín de los Andes on the shore of Lago Lácar and set up in a hostel or campground. Sort your Argentine pesos — ATMs here are unreliable, so bring cash.

🚌Lakes crossing buses/boat Pucón to San Martín ~£40, full day

🛏Hostel or campground in San Martín de los Andes (~£14/night)

• →Seven Lakes scenic route
• →Evening stroll along Lago Lácar

Explore Lanín National Park, named for the ice-capped Lanín Volcano that dominates the skyline. Take a local bus or join a shared shuttle to trailheads for day hikes with views over glacial lakes and araucaria forests, or relax on the lake beaches. Book any national park entry in advance where required.

🚌Local shuttle to park trailheads ~£10 round trip

🛏Hostel or campground in San Martín de los Andes (~£14/night)

• →Hiking in Lanín NP (park entry ~£6)
• →Lake viewpoints and beaches

Take a bus south along the famous Ruta de los Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Route) to Bariloche, the hub of Argentine Patagonia's lake district. The journey weaves through one glacial lake after another — one of the most scenic road stretches in South America. Arrive in Bariloche and find a hostel near the centre.

🚌San Martín to Bariloche bus ~3.5 hrs, ~£15

🛏Hostel in Bariloche (~£14/night)

• →Seven Lakes Route scenery
• →Bariloche chocolate shops and lakefront

Rent a bike or take local bus 20 to ride the Circuito Chico, a 27km loop of lakes, forest and viewpoints, with a stop at the Llao Llao hotel. Alternatively take the cable car up Cerro Catedral for panoramic views. In winter Catedral is a ski resort; in summer it's all hiking.

🚌Local bus to Circuito Chico/Catedral ~£2 each way

🛏Hostel in Bariloche (~£14/night)

• →Circuito Chico bike rental (~£12)
• →Cerro Catedral cable car (~£18)

Head further south by bus to Esquel, home of La Trochita, the legendary narrow-gauge steam train (the 'Old Patagonian Express'). If scheduling permits, ride a section of the heritage line — check departure days in advance. Otherwise continue on the east-side route toward the Carretera Austral, or overland via Chile toward Futaleufú for rafting.

🚌Bariloche to Esquel bus ~5 hrs, ~£20

🛏Hostel in Esquel (~£13/night)

• →La Trochita steam train (~£20)
• →Esquel town and surroundings

Begin the long crossing into Chilean Patagonia toward the Carretera Austral. Buses run via Futaleufú and the Argentine-Chilean border into Coyhaique, capital of the Aysén region. This is a full travel day with border formalities — carry your passport and cash. Arrive and find lodging.

🚌Esquel to Coyhaique bus ~9-10 hrs with border crossing, ~£30

🛏Hostel in Coyhaique (~£13/night)

• →Andes border crossing
• →Carretera Austral gateway atmosphere

Spend a day around Coyhaique. Hire a bike or join a local tour to the Coyhaique National Reserve for views of the city and surrounding peaks, or visit the marble-ish river valleys nearby. This is a good rest day before the push south toward the big glaciers.

🚌Local transport/tours ~£15

🛏Hostel in Coyhaique (~£13/night)

• →Coyhaique National Reserve (~£8 entry)
• →Riverside walks

Travel south along the Carretera Austral — gravel road, dramatic peaks and lakes. Local buses and shared vans run to Puerto Río Tranquilo on the shores of Lago General Carrera, base for the Marble Caves. The long gravel sections are slow, so plan a full travel day.

🚌Coyhaique to Puerto Río Tranquilo bus ~6-7 hrs, ~£20

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Puerto Río Tranquilo (~£15/night)

• →Carretera Austral scenery
• →Lago General Carrera shoreline

Take a boat or kayak tour out to the Capillas de Mármol, the marble caves carved into the lake cliffs — one of Patagonia's most photographed sights. In the afternoon, hike or bike to the Exploradores Glacier viewpoint if time permits.

🚌Boat tour departs from the village pier

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Puerto Río Tranquilo (~£15/night)

• →Marble Caves boat tour (~£15-25)
• →Exploradores Glacier viewpoint hike

Begin the journey toward Torres del Paine. Options include returning toward Coyhaique then flying/bus to Punta Arenas, or the long overland via Balmaceda and the Chilean-Argentine border. Many travellers break this with an overnight stop. Arrive in Puerto Natales, the gateway town for Torres del Paine, and prep supplies.

🚌Long bus legs toward Puerto Natales (combined ~£60-80)

🛏Hostel in Puerto Natales (~£15/night)

• →Patagonian steppe journeys
• →Puerto Natales waterfront

Use this day to prepare for Torres del Paine — buy park tickets online, book your catamaran or bus to the trailhead, and arrange any camping provisions. Optional day trip to the Mylodon Cave or the Balmaceda and Serrano glacier boat trip.

🚌Local transport to day-trip sites ~£15

🛏Hostel in Puerto Natales (~£15/night)

• →Mylodon Cave (~£8)
• →Balmaceda/Serrano glacier boat trip (~£60)

Enter Torres del Paine National Park and start the W Trek or a shorter multi-day route. Most hikers self-organise using the park's refugios and campgrounds, booking well in advance through the official operator (Vertice). Walk in via Laguna Amarga toward the base of the towers.

🚌Bus Puerto Natales to park entrance ~£12

🛏Refugio or campground in Torres del Paine (~£20-35/night)

• →Torres del Paine park entry (~£25 multi-day)
• →Hike toward the base of the towers

Continue the W Trek through the Valle del Francés, with hanging glaciers and granite peaks towering overhead. Overnight at a refugio or campground. Bring cash for refugio meals if you don't carry your own food.

🚌Walking — this is the heart of the W Trek

🛏Refugio or campground (~£20-35/night)

• →Valle del Francés hike
• →Glacier viewpoints

Walk to the Grey sector for views of the massive Grey Glacier, or take the optional ice-hike excursion onto the glacier itself. Catch the catamaran across Lago Grey if you're exiting that way. Overnight in the park or return to Puerto Natales.

🚌Catamaran across Lago Grey if exiting (~£25)

🛏Refugio, campground, or hostel back in Puerto Natales (~£15-30/night)

• →Grey Glacier viewpoint
• →Optional ice hike (~£90)

Cross back into Argentina to El Calafate, base for the Perito Moreno Glacier. Buses run via the border crossing at Cerro Castillo. Arrive, find a hostel, and book your Perito Moreno excursion for tomorrow.

🚌Puerto Natales to El Calafate bus ~5-6 hrs, ~£30

🛏Hostel in El Calafate (~£15/night)

• →Border crossing into Argentina
• →El Calafate town and Lago Argentino

Full-day trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Walk the boardwalks for close-up views of the calving ice wall, or add a minitrekking excursion on the glacier itself (book ahead). Return to El Calafate in the evening.

🚌Shuttle/bus to Perito Moreno ~£20 round trip

🛏Hostel in El Calafate (~£15/night)

• →Perito Moreno boardwalks & park entry (~£25)
• →Optional glacier minitrekking (~£120)

Bus north to El Chaltén, Argentina's trekking capital beneath Mount Fitz Roy. Arrive and pick a hostel. If time allows, take a short afternoon hike to a viewpoint over the Fitz Roy massif.

🚌El Calafate to El Chaltén bus ~3 hrs, ~£15

🛏Hostel in El Chaltén (~£15/night)

• →El Chaltén village trails
• →Mirador de los Cóndores/Águilas

Day-hike the classic Laguna de los Tres route to the base of Mount Fitz Roy — roughly 20km round trip with a steep final push, rewarding you with the postcard view of the jagged peaks. Self-guided is easy here; trails are marked and free. Pack lunch and plenty of water.

🚌Walking from town to trailhead

🛏Hostel in El Chaltén (~£15/night)

• →Laguna de los Tres hike (free)
• →Fitz Roy viewpoints

Hike or rest in the morning, then bus back to El Calafate. From here, the final push south to Ushuaia begins. Long-distance buses run El Calafate–Río Gallegos–Ushuaia, or you can fly El Calafate to Ushuaia. Break the overland journey at Río Gallegos if needed.

🚌El Chaltén to El Calafate ~£15, then ongoing bus/flight

🛏Hostel in Río Gallegos or overnight bus (~£12-15/night)

• →Morning walk in El Chaltén
• →Patagonian steppe crossing

Continue the long overland leg to the end of the world. Cross into Tierra del Fuego via the Strait of Magellan ferry and the Chilean-Argentine border, passing Río Grande before arriving in Ushuaia. This is a long travel day (or two) — buses run overnight so you can sleep on board.

🚌Río Gallegos to Ushuaia bus ~14 hrs incl. ferry, ~£50-60

🛏Overnight bus or hostel in Ushuaia (~£15/night)

• →Strait of Magellan ferry crossing
• →Tierra del Fuego scenery

Explore the southernmost city on Earth. Visit Tierra del Fuego National Park (bus from town), ride the End of the World Train, and take a Beagle Channel boat trip to see sea lions and the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse. In the evening, celebrate reaching the end of the world.

🚌Bus to Tierra del Fuego NP ~£10 round trip

🛏Hostel in Ushuaia (~£15/night)

• →Tierra del Fuego NP (~£15 entry)
• →Beagle Channel boat trip (~£35)
• →End of the World Train (~£25)

Final morning in Ushuaia — get your End of the World passport stamp at the tourist office, pick up any last souvenirs, and fly out (most travellers connect via Buenos Aires or El Calafate). Journey's end, kilometre by kilometre.

🚌Transfer to Ushuaia airport ~£5

🛏None — onward travel

• →End of the World passport stamp
• →Last look at the Beagle Channel