BA to Ushuaia
Hello,Looking for some advice on my itinerary in Argentina. I will first arrive into Salta from Chile and then going to fly to Buenos Aires. I am really looking forward to making my way down to Ushuaia by bus for a cruise to Antarctica.
I am giving myself 2 weeks to do this at a leisurely pace, making some stops along the way. My rough plan right now is to stop at Puerto Madryn, Bariloche, El Chalten and/or El Calafate to see the Perito Moreno glacier and the surrounding area. Then a stop in Rio Gallegos before arriving to Ushuaia.
I am not looking to do any treks. Maybe a day trek or something but really just want to enjoy the view and being there.
I plan on staying 2 to 3 days at each stop and then using the night buses in between. Would 2 weeks be enough to see everything and not be in a mad rush? Also, is there anything worth seeing I am missing or have I listed anything that might not be worth the stop?
Any advice or ideas is greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks.
PS. I know entering into Salta then flying to BA seems a little out of the way but I have my heart set on seeing BA and I have the LAN pass to use.
Edited by: lenoxhill
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2 weeks seems a lot but is not for your itinary and the distances involved and there are much more places to visit along this route if you want, like El Bolson and San Martin de los Andes. If you are not into hiking, El Chalten isn´t a good deal. El Chalten is amazing but you need to hike to get to the good scenery and places. Puerto Madryn without the whales isn´t very interesting considering you are going to Antartica Try not to stop at Rio gallegos as it is a very expensive place, very difficult to find lodging in summer and pretty dull. From El Calafate or go directly to Ushuaia by plane or bus or go via Torres del Paine and Punta Arenas allthough you would need a bit more time. Ushuaia itself has some good things to see and you should allow at least 3 or 4 days2
Essentially what Beerfree said, two weeks is not an awful amount of time to see the sights on the way to Ushuaia.I was not an avid trekker (I wouldn't say I am one now). But I would say El Chalten is a great place to do a day trek and you'll think more about doing trekking/hikes. There are two good day hikes. But apart from that, there isn't much to do there.
A lot of Patagonia is about the nature and outdoors. So getting out and walking about is what you need to do.
El Calafate is a dull town, but it does have the Glacier nearby. I would spend a few days in Bariloche, El Bolson, then El Calafate/El Chalten. And then go directly to Ushuaia.
I hope you have a few days on your return to explore Ushuaia, it does have a few good things to do.
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We are not huge trekkers either (which we discovered after we started the W and gave up after 1 day - which was the best thing we could have done!) but we certainly enjoyed a short trek at El Chalten. You can do at least one (probably more) 4 hour return hikes to spectacular scenery.San Martin del Los Andes is one of my favorite places - it is very cute and quite upscale - you can do a short hike up to a lookout over the lake (I can't remember, maybe an hour?), you can hang on the 'beach' by the lake (depending on the time of year!), but it is really great for just meandering about and feeling quite posh for a while!
