2 Weeks Backpacking Patagonia Itinerary for Solo Travelers

2 Weeks Patagonia Itinerary

For this itinerary, your first destination is Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, and a great place to get yourself acquainted with the country and prepare for your Patagonia adventure. There are a ton of things you can do here that should occupy you for a day or more.

While you are here, be sure to try the famous Argentinian beef in one of the many restaurants in San Telmo, a lovely and vibrant neighborhood. It is my favorite area to explore in the city with its creative scene and lively late-night events happening in the main square.

You can also learn more about the country’s history by visiting the many museums available, such as the National History Museum and the Falkland Islands War Memorial or you can go on a day trip and visit La Boca, home to the colorful houses you often see on social media.

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

Getting From Buenos Aires to El Chalten

To get from Buenos Aires to El Chalten, you are going to have to fly to El Calafate via Aerolineas Argentinas. The flight ticket can cost as little as $100 one-way if you book in advance.

From El Calafate Airport, there will be two transfer services available: one to El Chaltén and the other to El Calafate. We will be going to El Chaltén first, so take the bus heading in that direction. The bus should cost around 800 ARS.

El Chalten, Argentina (2 Nights)

And now, we have entered Patagonia proper, and the first place to stop by is El Chalten, an incredible mountain town in Argentina, home to the famous Fitz Roy mountain peak, probably one of the most iconic and well-known peaks in Patagonia.

The moment you arrive, if the weather permits, you can go on a little hike just outside the city for about 30 minutes to get up this hill and you will be rewarded with an unobstructed view of the incredible mountains surrounding El Chalten. You can begin your hike from the Visitors Center just outside of town.

I highly recommend you stay here until sunset so you can get a glimpse of what’s to come the next day as we will be hiking the Laguna de los Tres trail to see Fitz Roy up close. Be sure to book the transfer service via your accommodation in advance.

For the second day, you will embark on a journey to hike the famous Laguna de los Tres trail early in the morning by starting at 6 AM from the trailhead. From there, it should take about 4 – 5 hours to arrive on the foothills of Fitz Roy where you can admire the view before heading back in about 3 – 4 hours.

You should be back in time before nightfall. The earlier you start, the better as the trail can get a bit crowded during the day. If you really want to beat the crowd at the viewpoint, you might want to consider camping at the base of the trail for a night before making your way up in the morning although you will have to rent a tent from town and carry everything with you the day before.

Another trail you can hike in El Chalten is Laguna Torre, which takes around 6 – 7 hours and is just as impressive as the Laguna de los Tres trail, so if you prefer the view from this trail or you have another day to spare in El Chalten, you can go on this hike instead.

One thing to note is that internet access, ATMs, and credit cards don’t come by easily in El Chalten as the town is extremely remote, so be sure you have enough cash with you before you arrive in El Chalten. Once you are back from your hike, make sure you go to the bus terminal and get a bus ticket to El Calafate for the next day. For more information about the bus schedule, check out: Bus Schedule between El Chalten and El Calafate.

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

Getting From El Chalten to El Calafate

From El Chalten, you can take an early morning bus at 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM to El Calafate. You can find morebus schedules here. It will take around 3 hours to reach El Calafate, a tourist hub located on the other side of Lake Argentino, where you can immerse yourself deeper into Los Glaciares National Park.

Once you have arrived in El Calafate, before leaving the bus terminal, buy another bus ticket to go to Perito Moreno for the next day at the CalTur kiosk. It should cost you around 500 ARS for the 9 AM – 4 PM time slot. Another available time slot is 1 PM – 7:30 PM.

For more information on the bus to Perito Moreno: Perito Moreno Bus Schedule.

El Calafate, Argentina (2 Nights)

El Calafate is another must-stop town in Patagonia. It is home to some of the most beautiful glaciers in the world with one in particular that I found most fascinating. It is one of the few glaciers that are still growing instead of many others that are shrinking away due to global warming.

While you are in El Calafate, you can go on a day trip to Perito Moreno Glacier and spend the entire day day strolling around and admiring the glacier from the national park’s elevated pathways. The massive scale of the glacier is going to blow your mind.

Icebergs frequently break away at Perito Moreno, and if you watch long enough, you might witness a large one falling into the water, creating a thunderous sound unlike anything you’ve experienced before. I waited for hours, and it was incredible when it finally happened.

This is what I saw when I was at Perito Moreno. I waited for about 15 minutes and saw this happening right in front of my eyes. It was incredible! It is definitely worth the wait if you have never seen an iceberg breaking before.

If you have an extra day in El Calafate, you can also go on a glacier mini trekking excursion and really immerse yourself in the towering glacier of Perito Moreno and explore an ice cave, which is only accessible on foot.

Once you are done, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying your time at one of the many ice bars in El Calafate before we continue our across the border to Torres Del Paine in Chile. After you get back from the trip, make sure to go to the bus terminal and book another bus ticket to Puerto Natales for the next day before retreating for the day.

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

Getting from El Calafate to Puerto Natales

Cootra LTDA has a bus that runs once a day to Puerto Natales at 7:30 AM for $26. Buy that ticket from El Calafate Bus Terminal and make sure to be there 30 minutes before the bus departs. It should take about 6.5 hours before you arrive in Puerto Natales. It will also depend on how long the queue is at the border crossing. For me, it only took 30 minutes as I took the earliest available bus, so it was not a problem. The queue might be longer later in the day, so make sure you plan carefully.

Puerto Natales, Chile (2 Nights)

And we are finally in Chile as we head across the border to Puerto Natales, the perfect base to launch yourself into Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most famous hiking spots in Patagonia.

The city itself is nothing to brag about, with nothing but crazy expensive restaurants and accommodation, so I would recommend you go straight to Torres del Paine National Park and do some hikes the next day.

One of the most famous treks in Torres del Paine is the W-Trek which takes 4-5 days to complete the circuit, and you will be sleeping in mountain huts provided by the park. However, you will have to book these huts several weeks in advance, so if you have a few days to spare and you want to do the W-Trek, be sure to plan your trip way in advance. You can book the mountain huts here or book an organized tour here.

If you cannot book these huts in time, you can just do a one-day hike as I did and hike to the base of Cordillera Paine and get that iconic view of the 3 towers without having to spend overnight. You can do this trip independently by booking the bus from the Puerto Natales bus terminal the day you arrive (it gets booked out very fast so make sure you do it 2 days in advance) or you can go on an organized tour instead.

The hike to the base of Cordillera Paine is not very difficult as the trail consists of a bit of ups and downs, but not as steep as other hikes in Patagonia. The whole hike should take about 8 hours excluding the ride to and from Puerto Natales. For the entire trip including the 4 hours roundtrip rides, you should expect to spend around 12 hours for the day.

Depending on whether you want to do the W-trek or a 1-day trek, you will either have one full day here or 4 full days. Once you are done with the hike, you can retreat for the day and prepare for the long journey to Ushuaia in Argentina.

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

For more information on hiking Torres del Paine: How To Hike Torres Del Paine Independently

Getting from Torres Del Paine to Punta Arenas

To get to Punta Arenas, you will have to catch an early morning bus from Puerto Natales Bus Terminal. They have buses running between 7 AM to 7:30 PM, almost every 2 hours, and it should cost about 12 USD and take you about 3.5 hours before you arrive in Punta Arenas. You can look up the bus schedule here.

Punta Arenas, Chile (1 Nights)

After Puerto Natales, our next stop is a town called Usuhaia located at the “end of the world” on the tip of the Southern Hemisphere. However, first, we have to pass through Punta Arenas because from what I know, there are not many direct buses between Puerto Natales and Usuhaia, so you are going to have to spend the night in Punta Arenas.

If you are lucky enough, you might be able to find a direct bus, but I was unable to find one so I ended up having to spend a night here before catching another bus to Usuhaia the next morning. Punta Arenas is simply a large city with nothing particularly interesting to do (for me, at least). Therefore, I would suggest that you spend the day acquiring a bus ticket to Ushuaia for the next day.

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

Getting from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia

To get to Ushuaia, you can catch a bus from Punta Arenas Bus Terminal. They have only one bus going to Ushuaia at 8 AM and it will cost you around 75 USD and takes 12 hours before you arrive. You can look up the bus schedule here.

Ushuaia, Argentina (2 Nights)

Ushuaia is a town right at the edge of the southern tip of South America. The place is also dubbed the end of the world, as this is the last point of civilization before people launch themselves to the least explored continent in the world, Antarctica. Of course, you can do the trip from here if you have 6,000 – 8,000 USD lying around. If you do, you will need to add another 12 – 15 days to this itinerary for the Antarctica excursion. Here are some of the cheapest offers available for Antarctica trip.

If not, you can spend the day exploring and hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park, a beautiful coastal park that allows you access to the delicate Patagonian forest and lakes, with many hiking trails you can explore. In the park, you will also get a chance to see some of the rare plants you won’t see anywhere else but here, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

To get to the national park, you should be able to catch a local bus from Usuhia Bus Terminal. The bus departs at 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM, and it returns at 1 PM, 2 PM, and 5 PM every day. The roundtrip ticket should cost about 3500 ARS (4 USD). Spend the entire hiking around the national park, and go around and explore the city the next day.

Some of the best tourist attractions you might wanna check out while you are here are Museo del Fin del Mundo, a museum to learn more about the local history, Plaza Islands Malvinas, a memorial and a park dedicated to the people that died during the Falkland Wars with the British in 1982, and the most iconic of all, St. Christopher Shipwreck.

After almost two weeks in Patagonia, I think it’s about time we go back to civilization and enjoy a little comfort or two with our final destination: Santiago, the capital city of Chile.

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

Getting from Ushuaia to Santiago

To get from Ushuaia to Santiago, you will have to fly on either Aerolineas Argentinas or Jet Smart airlines and you will likely have to transit via Buenos Aires. The flight should take about 7 hours including about 1.5 hours of transit time (internal transit so you do not have to get out of immigration and back in again), and cost around 190 USD. You can book the flight here.

Santiago, Chile (2 Nights)

Next up, we visit Santiago, the capital city of Chile and one of the safest capitals in South America. It’s also a fantastic place to spend a few days, allowing you to truly absorb the fun and vibrant culture that Chile and its people have to offer.

On your first day, you can explore all the main tourist attractions in the city such as San Cristóbal Hill, an incredible viewpoint over the city, Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, a stunning 19th Century cathedral, La Moneda Palace, a stunning colonial palace, and many more.

You can also explore all the awesome museums in Santiago like Museum of Memory and Human Rights, a great place to learn more about the history of the city, Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, a pre-Columbus historical museum, La Moneda Cultural Center, a lovely modern art museum, and more.

Santiago has some of the most vibrant cafes and nightlife culture here so on your third day, you can spend the day resting and enjoying all the lovely cafes and bars in the city before we make our way to the famous Easter Island. I happened to spend Thanksgiving with my travel friends here and it was amazing!

If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips.

First time in South America? Check out:20 Best Places to Visit in South America

When to Visit Patagonia?

There are a few things to consider when visiting Patagonia. For one, it is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from all over the world; hence, why peak seasons might not actually be the best time to visit. Secondly, it is a mountainous region, and the weather is unpredictable even in mid-summer.

The best time to visit, in my opinion, is during the shoulder season between March and April and October and November. During this time, not all the hotels are fully booked, prices of tickets, buses, and accommodations are lower, and best of all, there are fewer people around.

How to Get to Patagonia?

First, you will have to get to Argentina (or Chile if you are going in the opposite direction). There are several airlines that fly to Buenos Aires, such as American, United, and LATAM if you are from the US, and Turkish, Air France, or Lufthansa Airlines if you are coming from Europe or Asia.

Be sure to browse through Skyscanner or Expedia to compare prices and find the cheapest and fastest route to Argentina.

Transportation Around Patagonia

Patagonia is very remote, and the area consists of terrain that makes it difficult to build and maintain infrastructure in order for an efficient transportation network to exist.

The fastest way to travel around Patagonia is to fly domestically via Aerolineas Argentinas for Argentina and LATAM or Sky Airline for Chile. A one-way ticket costs around 300 USD for a flight from Buenos Aires/Santiago to Patagonia.

Another option is to travel around by bus. This is by far the cheapest way to travel in Patagonia. Buses in Chile and Argentina are comfortable, reliable, and cover all the places I recommended in the itinerary.

Keep in mind that the further south you go, the less time the bus runs, so be sure to book them ahead of time if possible. Especially the one going in and out of Puerto Natales, the base town for Torres del Paine, as it gets crowded during peak season and buses (and accommodations) get booked fast.

For Chile, I would recommend Turbus and Pullman bus operators to travel in Chile, and Andesmar for Argentina. They have a good bus network throughout the countries, are affordable, and quite comfortable for travel.

If you want to travel all the way by bus from Buenos Aires, you will have to first travel to Bariloche, Argentina. From there, you will have to take another bus to El Chalten and, from there, continue your bus journey to the rest of Patagonia.

My recommendation is to fly domestically from Buenos Aires to El Calafate Airport and take the bus from there throughout Patagonia. Then, fly back from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires or Santiago. That way, you won’t waste 2 days traveling by land from Buenos Aires to Patagonia.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Patagonia?

Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Patagonia, Chile/Argentina without having to switch out your physical SIM card.

Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you’ll be good to go. If your phone doesn’t support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Patagonia, Chile/Argentina:

Internet in Patagonia is okay. It’s not the fastest, whether it’s WiFi or with a local data SIM card, but it’s reliable enough. The Claro SIM card works well in most towns in Argentina and Chile (you have to buy it separately if you want to be connected in both countries), except in El Chalten and all the remote hiking trails you will be doing while in Patagonia.

Before you arrive in El Chalten, make sure to have cash on hand for your time there (NO ATM), book everything that needs to be booked online beforehand, and inform people that you will be offline.

Other than that, the internet in the capital cities is fast and reliable. There is plenty of WiFi available, and you can get a 4G connection from a local SIM card everywhere.

For more information on Patagonia SIM cards: Chile Prepaid Data SIM Card | Argentina Prepaid Data SIM Card.

Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It’s FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

What to Pack for Patagonia?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Patagonia, Chile/Argentina:

Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.

Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.

Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi’s jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.

Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).

Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It’s lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.

Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker’s towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.

Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.

Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.

Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It’s a total game-changer.

Universal Adapter: You’ll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.

Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.

Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It’s large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it’s stylish as hell!

Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can’t go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Looking for a more comprehensive packing list for South America? Check out:What to Pack For South America: The Essential Packing List

Further Reading for Argentina and Chile

I hope you found these Argentina and Chile travel guides useful. If you are looking for more information about traveling in Argentina and Chile, be sure to check out the articles below.

Looking for a complete backpacking guide to the entire South America continent? Here is the ultimate 6-Month Backpacking Itinerary for South America.

First time in South America? Check out the 20 Best Places to Visit in South America.
Packing for a trip to visit South America can be extremely daunting. Here’s a packing guide to help you: What to Pack for South America

Looking for a complete travel guide for Chile and Argentina? Here’s a 2-month itinerary for Chile and Argentina.
You can also visit Puerto Natales in Chilean Patagonia and hike the Torres del Paine trail in one day if you don’t have 2 weeks to spare. Here is how to hike Torres del Paine independently in one day.
Easter Island is one of the best experiences you can have in Chile. It is expensive, but with its unique culture, especially during the Tapati festival, you will not regret traveling to Easter Island. Here is the ultimate 5-day itinerary and travel guide for Easter Island, including everything you need to know, like how to get there cheaply, how much it will cost you, and many more.
Looking for unique things to do in Argentina? Iguazu Falls offers a great change of scenery from Patagonia, in the best ways possible. Here’s a complete travel guide on how to spend 3 days in Iguazu Falls from both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides.
You can watch my Chile travel video here: “Charming Chile” travel video.
You can also watch my Argentina travel video here: “Terra Argentina” travel video.
To access all articles about Chile and Argentina, visit the Chile Travel Guide page and the Argentina Travel Guide page.
Looking for a place to go after Argentina and Chile? Bolivia is a great place to continue your journey north. Visit my Bolivia travel guide page for more information.
Looking for more travel guides for South America? You can find more on my South America Travel Guide page.
For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.