Ushuaia in 3 or 4 days: a day-by-day itinerary

The plan at a glance

The order of the days depends on each tour’s availability on your dates: check it before you finalize your trip. All the tours come with a guide in Spanish, English or Portuguese (a Chinese-speaking guide is available on request).

Day 1: Tierra del Fuego National Park

The classic tour (about 4 hours) picks you up from your accommodation at around 8:00 / 8:30 and visits Ensenada Zaratiegui Bay, Lake Acigami (Roca) and Lapataia Bay, where National Route 3 ends, with park admission included. If you want the train, swap it for the tour with the End of the World Train (about 6 hours), which has the same meeting time and also includes admission. Either way, your afternoon stays free: if you want to add the city tour (about 2 hours), ask whether it runs that day.

If you would rather hike and paddle, the hike and canoe tour takes the whole day (about 8 hours): 7 km along the Coastal Trail, lunch with drinks and inflatable canoes to Lapataia Bay. Park admission is not included. All three are compared in which National Park tour to choose.

Day 2: Beagle Channel and penguins

The Martillo Island walk (about 6.5 hours) leaves by bus from a central point or terminal in Ushuaia for Estancia Harberton; from there you sail to the island and walk alongside Magellanic and Gentoo penguins. Both species come to the island between October and April: if you are traveling outside those months, ask first which departures there are.

The other option is by boat. The penguin colony boat trip (about 5 to 6 hours) leaves from the Tourist Pier and passes Bird Island, Sea Lion Island and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse before reaching the penguin colony. If penguins are not your priority, the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse cruise adds a landing on the Bridges Islands. Both boat trips repeat the islands and the lighthouse: one is enough. Species and season in penguins in Ushuaia: where and when to see them.

Day 3: the mountains and Laguna Esmeralda

The Laguna Esmeralda hike (about 4 to 5 hours) picks you up from central hotels at around 8:00: 9 km round trip, moderate, for people aged 12 to 60, with a box lunch. Waterproof footwear above the ankle, waterproof trekking pants and a waterproof jacket are mandatory. In the afternoon you can add the helicopter flight (about 15 minutes), which passes over the bay, the Olivia River Valley and the Carbajal Valley, if it runs that day.

If you are in good shape and want to reach a glacier, swap it for Ojo del Albino (about 8 hours, with a walk on the ice subject to conditions; it already passes Laguna Esmeralda) or for Vinciguerra (about 8 hours, through the Andorra Valley to Laguna de los Témpanos, for people aged 12 to 60). All three are compared in hiking in Ushuaia.

Day 4: Puerto Almanza or a day in the city

The King Crab Route (about 8 hours) goes to Puerto Almanza, the fishing village 75 km from Ushuaia, on the Beagle Channel, with a country breakfast at Laguna Victoria, lunch facing the channel and a walk to the Duende Waterfall.

If you prefer a quieter day in Ushuaia, combine the short outings: the city tour (about 2 hours, ending at your accommodation), the helicopter flight (about 15 minutes in the air) and horseback riding (2 hours, with a country meal). The times for the city tour and the helicopter flight are confirmed when you book, and the horseback ride’s time is not in its program: the combination depends on the day.

If you have 3 days

Stick to the first three: the park, the channel and the mountains, without repeating places. If you do not want to hike, swap day 3 for the King Crab Route.

What not to repeat

• The classic and the train tours: both visit Ensenada Zaratiegui Bay, Lake Acigami (Roca) and Lapataia Bay. Pick one.
• The two boat trips: both pass Bird Island, Sea Lion Island and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse.
• Laguna Esmeralda and Ojo del Albino: the glacier trek already skirts the lagoon.

How to order the days

• Early starts: the classic and train tours (meeting around 8:00 / 8:30) and Laguna Esmeralda (pick-up around 8:00).
• Full-day outings: the King Crab Route, the hike and canoe tour and the two glaciers (about 8 hours), and the Martillo Island walk (about 6.5 hours).
• Times that depend on the departure: the penguin colony boat trip, on the boat company; for the lighthouse cruise, Martillo Island, the city tour, the helicopter flight and the glaciers, the time is confirmed when you book.
• The day you arrive or leave: the shortest options are the helicopter flight and the city tour.

What to pack

Ushuaia has a subpolar oceanic climate, with an average annual temperature of 5.7 °C. If your plan includes a hike, bring what its program lists as mandatory: waterproof footwear that covers the ankle and waterproof clothing on all three, plus trekking pants and warm clothing for Laguna Esmeralda and Vinciguerra. More ideas for the city and its surroundings in things to do in Ushuaia; and if you end up with just one day, Ushuaia in one day.