Patagonia road trip: Buenos Aires to Bariloche via Chile
Traverse 5,841 km across Patagonia from Buenos Aires through Chile and Argentina's most dramatic landscapes. This 2-3 week route connects Punta Arenas, Isla Magdalena, El Calafate with Perito Moreno Glacier, El Chaltén, and ends in San Carlos de Bariloche via Nahuel Huapi National Park.
- Distance
- 5841.9 km
- Mode
- route
- Start
- Getting To Patagonia
- End
- Buenos Aires
- Stops
- 8
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Getting To Patagonia — Remote southern region accessible via flights to major hubs like Punta Arenas and El Calafate, requiring advance planning due to limited transportation options.
- Punta Arenas and Isla Magdalena — Southernmost Chilean city serving as gateway to penguin colonies on Isla Magdalena, where thousands of Magellanic penguins nest seasonally along windswept shores.
- Isla Magdalena — Island home to Magellanic penguin colonies and wildlife
- El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier — Argentine town near a colossal advancing glacier that dramatically calves icebergs into Lake Argentino, creating one of Patagonia's most spectacular natural spectacles.
- El Calafate — Town on Lake Argentina shores, 4-hour bus from Puerto Natales, gateway to Los Glaciares National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Nahuel Huapi National Park — Established 1943, encompasses snowcapped mountains, crystal-clear lakes, and forests
- San Carlos de Bariloche — Gateway town to Nahuel Huapi National Park, reachable by bus or plane from El Chaltén
- Buenos Aires — International arrival hub for travelers heading to Patagonia
Useful for your trip
- Timing
- Plan a 2-3 week trip to visit all major Patagonia highlights, or pick and choose destinations if you have less time.
- Transport
- Fly into Buenos Aires or Santiago de Chile first, then fly down to either the Chilean or Argentinian side of Patagonia.
- Transport
- Bus Sur operates frequent buses between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales (3-hour drive). Journey from Puerto Natales to El Calafate takes 4 hours plus border crossing time.
- Tip
- Keep your PDI document from Chile entry; you must present it to Border Control Officers when exiting Chile at the Argentina crossing.
- Timing
- Book campsites and transportation for Torres del Paine multi-day treks well in advance during peak summer season.
- Tip
- Visit Isla Magdalena via 45-minute speedboat from Laredo Bay port near Punta Arenas to see over 100,000 Magellanic penguins during breeding season.
- Tip
- Take a boat tour of Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate to see glacier ice collapses and floating ice chunks from lake level.
- Timing
- Allocate extra days in El Chaltén to increase chances of clear skies, as weather is notoriously unpredictable.
- Transport
- Reach San Carlos de Bariloche from El Chaltén by either long bus ride or short plane ride from El Calafate.
- Tip
- Explore Nahuel Huapi National Park by driving the Seven Lakes Route between Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes.
- Tip
- Do the W-Circuit trek (4 days) in Torres del Paine to see Base de las Torres, Nordenskjöld Lake, French Valley, Grey Glacier, and Los Cuernos Peaks.
- Tip
- Hike Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre as must-do day hikes in El Chaltén with views of Mount Fitz Roy and glacial lakes.
Video on this route
PATAGONIA, CHILE & ARGENTINA (2025) | Highlights on a Patagonia Trip (2-3 Week Travel Itinerary)