Advice needed for Patagonia itinerary
Replies: 14 - Last Post: Dec 7, 2012 3:35 PM Last Post By: zzoohhaarr
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Advice needed for Patagonia itinerary
Hello!I am planning a trip to Argentina starting January 8, 2013. I will fly into BA, spend a few nights there, then head south. This is my hypothetical plan so far:
-Fly down to Ushuaia
-Puerto Natales (TDP)
-El Calafate
-El Chalten
-Esquel
-El Bolson
-Bariloche
-San Martin
I was thinking it may be best to fly down to Ushuaia to check out Tierra del Fuego NP then takes buses to hit the rest of my destinations. I have a decent amount of time (2 months) but I am on a pretty limited budget.
My questions:
-Is it worth going down all the way to Ushuaia? I have heard mixed opinions on this.
-Are the long bus rides bearable? Do they need to be booked in advance?
-Is it worth stopping in El Calafate to see the glacier? If I stopped here it would only be for 1 day.
-Any opinion on North to South or South to North travel? For example, are some of these areas best to visit at certain times. I will be traveling January - April.
I appreciate your advice and look forward to hearing from you soon!
1
2 months are enough.I think there are many reasons to go up to Ushuaia. It is not only Tierra del Fuego NP. The city has "personality", I went there 3 times and someday I will go again.
Don´t miss El Calafate. Stay there at least 2 full days, to do 2 day tours, one to walk in the ice, another to see glaciers from a boat.
If you have to skip a place, Esquel can be the best choice. Not so interesting, and very expensive. Good for skiing, but not in summer.
December has the longest days, it is better to go south first, you will have many hours of daylight. As Bariloche is more expensive, and you will arrive there after the high prices season (Jan is the most expensive, Feb a little less), you will save more this way.
2
Two months sounds like plenty of time. With that much time it would be ashamed to miss seeing Iguazu Falls - one of the most spectacular and beaultiful places on the planet.I think Perito Moreno is the 2nd most visited site in South America. I'd seen lots of big glaciers in Alaska, Baffin Island, etc., but I still enjoyed seeing Perito Moreno - you can get so slose to it, via car or boat.
3
Don´t miss El Calafate. Stay there at least 2 full days, to do 2 day tours, one to walk in the ice, another to see glaciers from a boat.I think 1 full day is enough time. If OP is on a budget, an ice walk is going to be too expensive. And not warranted.
Are the long bus rides bearable? Do they need to be booked in advance Bearable. Take a book and a laptop loaded with battery and movies.
Any opinion on North to South or South to North travel? For example, are some of these areas best to visit at certain times. I will be traveling January - April.
I went north to south. And it was fine. Its a matter of personal opinion really.
4
El Calafate (EC) to the Perito Moreno Glacier(PMG) is 80kms, a fairly fast journey and IMO and per #3, 1 night there is probably all you need.With an early start from EC we bussed to the PMG, did the boat journey in the morning (highly recommended), and spent early afternoon walking the terraces. We were back in EC mid-late afternoon.
Being from Australia I had no glacier experience to compare the PMG to other than Glacier Grey (GG) from a couple of days prior. GG was wonderful but dwarfed by the PMG. Don't miss it.
6
If you are worried about scarcity of bus tickets then I would skip Torres del Paine and access the area from the Argentine side (Fitzroys). Additionally, when I was in TDP end of Dec many years ago the weather was very wet and I think that is typical in summer. Should be drier on the Argentine side. And when you add up the bus tickets, camping/hut fees, and boat ride, a visit to TDP is not cheap.And I agree that Perito Moreno is not to be missed.
Jon
7
very good plan. Ushuaia is a highlight for anybody who likes outdoors.9
If I want to fly out of BA to Ushuaia, how far in advance should I book my plane ticket? Any recommendation for a good airline?13
Awesome, thanks for the advice! Just booked my ticket to Ushuaia!14
Hmm I just read this post and wondering if I should be changing my plans. See, I will also start my 2-month trip but later towards end of Jan. I was thinking of flying into Santiago, Chile and then heading south by land from there - also to see similar highlights, do the full TDP (O) and head down to Ushuaia. Based on suggestions here, that's not recommended?
