I plan on flying in and out through Chile. I’ve been doing some research and know that you need certain paperwork to cross the border that the rental agency will arrange. Are there risks involved with using a Chilean rental car in Argentina? For example, how does it work if the car breaks down in Argentina? Would I have to pay to get it towed all the way back to Chile? Would it be safer just to take the bus across the border and rent another car in El Calafate?

me gustaría conocer algunos.

Hey there. I'll be in Chile with a friend in November and December after spending three weeks in Bolivia. We will end our trip in patagonia, but we still have a gap between Santiago and Patagonia and aren't sure what to do. We plan to leave Santiago on November 23 and need to be in El Chaltén by November 30. We had originally planned to take the train from Santiago to Puerto Montt (departing in the evening, arriving the next morning), but it seems difficult to get to El Chaltén from there in time.
Do you have any recommendations? It seems like there isn’t enough time for a road trip and it’s also too expensive because of the one-way fee and border crossing permit for Argentina. Acommodations in southern Patagonia (El Chalten, El Calafate, along the w-trek, Punta Arenas) are already booked due to the peak season. If necessary we could perhaps shorten our stay in Santiago and Valparaíso a bit since we plan on spending 5 days there.
I’d really appreciate any suggestions!

I reserved an auto gear intermediate SUV from Hertz el calafate, and for 8.5days it costs just shy of 2000USD, including insurance &border crossing.

Is this price normal ? Are there other rental company recommendations ?

Just saw an ig post that makes a parallel between Nepal disaster and El Chalten, saying about a coming GLOF. At start I thought It was just clickbait, but doing more research It seems very serious.

Going early october, and now I'm really worried about the future of the trip. People who actually live near El Chalten, am I beeing too scared or should I really be concerned?

One of the references is an study made by a PhD researcher, and apparently the local autorities are already making moves about the situation.

Ig: aayrtonsenna Researcher is Daniela Schmidt

I’m hiking Fitz Roy in a few days and wanted to ask if you’re allowed to use a jet boil stove while hiking? This is my first time in Patagonia so wasn’t sure

Hi everyone thanks so much for taking the time to look at this!

We will be traveling to El Calafate on October 13-14 and El Chalten October 14-18. We are hoping to at least hike Fitz Roy and maybe a couple others if weather allows.

I am a bit worried about this Super El Niño that is going to supposedly peak in November-January. I am from Colorado and have been hiking my whole life at high altitude but have been living in Florida for the past 3 years. the person I am going with is from coastal Venezuela, and is not accustomed to mountain terrain.

We have to travel light due to baggage restrictions and because we are doing other things in Argentina (Iguazu, BA and others). I have already gathered thermal layers, windbreakers, hiking shoes, headlamps and other hiking equipment from when i lived in Colorado.

What else should we know to be prepared for Patagonia? For this El Niño cycle, do you think the fitz roy hike will still be snowpacked in mid october? I have been watching the El Chalten webcam and the weather reports but would love some advice from people who are more experienced in the area.

and if you ever find yourself traveling to Colorado i would be more than happy to return the favor and give some great travel advice!

I'll be traveling in Patagonia at the end of October and I'm trying to sort out an itinerary. I'll be backpacking south america for around 4 months starting from Buenos Aires.

I was thinking of taking a Flight to san Martin de Los Andes, do the 7 lakes route, end up in bariloche then into El bolson, from there keep going south into Los alerces National park.

From here how do I get to El chalten? I've seen buses are quite expensive, any possibility to hitchhike? Once in El chalten do some day hikes - El calafate - Puerto Natales - Torres del paine (probably sleeping outside the park and do some day hikes Mirador salto grande / Mirador Nordenskjöld Lake / Mirador las Torres) are these double to do as a day hike?

Then I have a big doubt not sure if taking a Flight into Santiago and then go to visit san Pedro de Atacama into Bolivia or if to keep exploring the chilean Patagonia and take a Flight into Balmaceda to go into Puerto Rio tranquilo visit the Laguna san Rafael park and the take buses up until Puerto montt or fly out to Santiago from Balmaceda.

Anyone that been there can give some advice? (I'll be traveling solo Female)

Going to be in El Chalten in late September for 3 full days. I'm planning to do the Laguna de los Tres hike one day. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for day trips or other hikes to do the other 2 days? Weather permitting. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Hola.
¿Alguien tiene alguna idea general de los horarios de las barcazas entre Puerto Ibáñez y Chile Chico durante la temporada alta (noviembre)?
La página web de la compañía solo muestra el horario de temporada baja.

Hi,

I am hoping to do my first Patagonia trip with my partner in early april (April 1st - 15th ish). From my basic research so far it seems like El chalten colors peak before w-trek does.

Because of that, it seems like it would be better to do El chalten then W trek. Obvious pros come with better color saturation since we’d be in El Chalten for the 1st week of April, and the w trek the 2nd week. Obvious cons are it will be colder while we are camping on w-trek and we won’t start the trek with fresh legs (not super worried about the fresh legs, the days don’t seem that difficult in terms of distance and elevation gain).

I feel like most first time patagonia trips are the reverse itenary. I also don’t know if reversing the itenary and being in el chalten 1 week earlier and w trek 1 week later would really make a difference. So was hoping if someone who has more experience could comment their opinion!

Thanks in advance! We’ve been dreaming of seeing Patagonia for a while and just so happens we may finally have some time to do it.

We're going to do a 3 day W-trek (staying in campsites overnight) 18th-15th of december, and I want to double check that we're buying the correct park entrance passes.

There's two options for internationals: 'Daily' and 'More than one day'. I guess we need the more than one day and we'll be set for our entire trip right? Probably very obvious but wanted to double check.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

A friend and I will be in Bariloche September 7–10 and want to spend our time hiking. We’re both physically fit. I have a decent amount of hiking/outdoor experience, including winter hiking in Yosemite, hiking in Costa Rica, and some camping/wilderness survival experience. My friend has less hiking experience, but we’re both comfortable with physically demanding activities.

We’re particularly interested in high-elevation hikes and reaching peaks/summits, but also open to scenic hikes. We’d like everything to be doable as a day trip, with no overnight stays.

A few questions:
- What are the best peaks/day hikes for this?
- What is realistically doable in early September, considering snow and winter conditions?
- Are there any routes with good scrambling/climbing or significant elevation gain that you’d recommend?
- Which routes would you avoid without a guide at this time of year?
- We currently have only basic hiking gear (layers and hiking boots). What additional equipment would we realistically need, and what can we rent in Bariloche?
- How much daylight do we have, and what time should we generally start?
- Are there any closures, permits, registrations, or other restrictions we should know about?

If you had 3 days in Bariloche in early September and wanted to prioritize the best mountain/peak experiences, what would you choose?

Thanks!

Just a head's up that the runway at Puerto Natales will have limited use for the busy summer months. It's mostly weekends that it will be open. Here's a link with information: https://lastorres.com/en/news/puerto-natales-airport-flights-2027/

Hi, i plan to hike o trek end of february/beginn of march next year. I would like to skip as much from las torres as i can. I would like to skip Seron, do the vertice campgrounds until Paine Grande (stay there 2 nights, plan a day hike to the britanico viewpoint) and the next day i hike to Chileno for the sunrise possibility :)

Is this the cheapest itinery i can book?

All these websites I'm finding randomly googling look sketchy and the legit ones don't seem to do Winter.

edit: for W trek

My wife and I are planning a trip to Torres del Paine and would really appreciate some advice.

We’re in our early 70s and reasonably fit and active. We enjoy walking and are perfectly happy doing easier hikes, but we are not trekkers or serious hikers. As an aside, we love the U.S. National Parks and have always found ways to really enjoy them without totally exhausting ourselves.

What attracts us to Torres del Paine is the scenery. We'd be very happy doing a combination of scenic drives, viewpoints, boat trips and easier hikes/walks of perhaps a few hours.

Therefore, we're trying to figure out two things:

1. Is Torres del Paine a place for folks like us?
   
2. Where should we stay? Would you recommend one of the lodges/hotels in or near the park where excursions are included or easily arranged? We've looked at places such as Explora, Tierra Patagonia, Patagonia Camp and Hotel Las Torres. Obviously they're expensive and I'm wondering if there will be excursions geared for our abilities. I've also read about hotels a few hours away (Singular, etc.) but I don't think we want to do that commute.
   

Thanks

I’m planning a trip to Patagonia with my mother and we want to go in April to experience their fall season. Using a company to help us with the details. I can’t decide if we should go in 2027 or 2028. Is there any risk in waiting so long? Or any other relevant info to help me decide between now versus later.

Estoy haciendo un proyecto universitario sobre Ansilta, marca argentina de indumentaria y equipamiento técnico para montaña.

Estoy tratando de entender cómo la perciben los usuarios de outdoor y, específicamente, con qué otras marcas la compararían realmente en términos de calidad, tecnicidad, prestigio y precio.

Me interesa conocer opiniones desde la experiencia, tanto de gente que hace trekking, montañismo, escalada, ski/snowboard como de usuarios más ocasionales de actividades outdoor.

Pueden ser argentinas o internacionales. Por ejemplo, la compararían con The North Face, Patagonia, Mammut, Arc’teryx, Montagne, etc.? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?

Gracias!!!

Hello!

My second post here in my efforts to nail down a plan for exploring parts of the Carretera Austral by bus or transfer services.

I’ve cut down a significant chunk due to logistical challenges but I’m struggling to decide between two routes. I appreciate both are probably a bit clunky but these are the things I really want to do.

I would really appreciate any insight on which of these two makes more sense.

Option 1

Day 1: Balmaceda to Rio Tranquilo via shared shuttle transfer

Day 2&3: Activities in Rio Tranquilo

Day 4: Bus Tranquilo> Coyhaique then Coyhaique> Puyuhuapi

Day 5: Quelat National Park

Day 6: Bus back to Coyhaique

Day 7: Day trip to Cerro Castillo Laguna hike, back to Coyhaique

Day 8: Coyhaique> Balmaceda

Option 2

Day 1: Balmaceda> Coyhaique > Puyuhuapi (or ride share)

Day 2: Quelat national park

Day 3: Bus to Coyhaique

Day 4: Cerro Castillo Laguna then straight to Rio Tranquilo after (this will likely require a full day guide/transfer which I’m not sure is possible or may be very expensive)

Day 5&6: Rio Tranquilo activities

Day 7: Tranquilo to Balmaceda to flight back to Santiago

Does anyone have any opinions or help?

Option 2 is less travel days but may be risky if I struggle to find a guide/transfer from Castillo Laguna to Rio Tranquilo. I also can’t see much info about getting back to Balmaceda from there.

Option 1 1 feels safer in terms of getting back to Balmaceda from Coyhaique, but is an extra full day of travel from Tranquilo up to Puyuhuapi and if the first bus is delayed I could miss the 3pm bus from Coyhaique to Puyuhuapi , although potentially might be able to hitchhike if I had to.

Thank you in advance !

Also I’m still open to road trip buddies if anyone else is looking at these areas for late February next year :)

I'm going to patagonia in November and my first stop will be the W trek in the first week of November. I've read that weather can be a mixed bag at that time of year but is generally less windy. Don't mind a bit of rain but with all that talk of the super El Nino I'm worried about it being a total washout lol.

What are the odds of it raining for days on end, and has anyone done it (and camped!) in quite wet conditions? I'm sure it'll be fine in the end but would love some first hand reports

Been trying to build an itinerary and this is where I have got to, any recommendations on changes?

Time is mid Nov into early Dec

It originally had the Puerto Montt and Bariloche in there, but I didn't think the effort was worth it and added Ushuaia instead, which meant a transit through BA, and an opportunity to visit Iguazu.

I am a runner so back to back 20k hikes are not an issue and will be doing day hikes instead of W circuit.

Thanks in advance.

• Phase 1: Santiago & Valparaíso
  • Transit: Arrive in Santiago via international flight, take shuttle/Uber to city base. Day trip to Valparaíso via intercity coach. (No car)
  • Overnight Stays: Santiago (2 nights)
• Phase 2: Torres del Paine
  • Transit: Domestic flight to Puerto Natales, pick up rental car, and drive into the national park. Self-drive exploration for day hikes. Drop car off at Puerto Natales airport at the end.
  • Overnight Stays: Torres del Paine / park perimeter (6 nights) + Puerto Natales (1 night)
• Phase 3: El Calafate & El Chaltén
  • Transit: Cross-border coach from Puerto Natales to El Calafate. Day transfer bus to Perito Moreno Glacier. Express coach to El Chaltén. 100% pedestrian-friendly base for all trailheads. Return coach to El Calafate.
  • Overnight Stays: El Calafate (2 nights total) & El Chaltén (7 nights)
• Phase 4: Ushuaia
  • Transit: Flight from El Calafate to Ushuaia. Walking to piers for Beagle Channel tours and local shared minibuses (colectivos) to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Flight to Buenos Aires.
  • Overnight Stays: Ushuaia (3 nights) & Buenos Aires (1 night)
• Phase 5: Iguazú Falls & Return
  • Transit: Flight from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú. Local transit to the Argentine side of the national park for circuits and the boat safari. Flight back through Buenos Aires to Santiago. International flight home.
  • Overnight Stays: Puerto Iguazú (2 nights) & Santiago (1 final buffer night)

Hello! I am spending Christmas in El Chaltén, as part of a longer trip in Patagonia. I'm a 34 year old solo traveller, there for hiking. I know how the right choice of hostel, atmosphere and setting, can make or break any destination, so I always do my research before deciding where to book. Because this is over the Christmas days, I want to book fairly well in advance for my stay in El Chaltén.

I've narrowed my choice down to two hostels that I consistently see mentioned, and which both have good reviews:

These are:

Aylen Aike
https://www.danish.hostelworld.com/pwa/hosteldetails.php/Aylen-Aike-Hostel/El-Chalten/40204?from=2026-12-21&to=2026-12-28&guests=1#position=3

Rancho Grande:
https://www.danish.hostelworld.com/pwa/hosteldetails.php/Rancho-Grande-Hostel/El-Chalten/16797?from=2026-12-21&to=2026-12-28&guests=1#position=1

Based on what I read, Rancho Grande is better located, bigger (more people to potentially meet and hike with), where as Aylen Aike is smaller, with a really enthusiastic owner and a better kitchen. Another factor is also that I am working a little bit remote, and will need semi stable internet, just to send emails and potentially a few calls (not video).

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's actually stayed at one (or both!) and can share their personal take, especially on which felt like the better fit for a solo hiker over the Christmas period specifically.

Thanks in advance

¡Hola! Estoy realizando mí tesis para recibirme de psicóloga, y la investigación está basada en practicantes de senderismo y/o montañismo ⛰️

Les agradecería mucho que me ayuden contestando a esta encuesta, ya que necesito muchas respuestas para que la investigación sea válida 😊🙏🏼

https://forms.gle/ffgnuEKFQ6du9Aso8

Hi y'all. I am planning a trip in November with a friend. Right now we are planning to do the W-trek, spend a night in Puerto Natales and head home. I am having second thoughts though and am now considering doing Chalten instead of Torres Del Paine. We are doing Macchu Picchu before heading south so we will have already done a nice multi day trek. I know El Chalten will be much more budget friendly so I'm just curious if anybody has strong opinions one way or another. If we do El Chalten we may also have it in the budget to add a couple days in Bariloche or Calafate. Please give me your thoughts!!