Three years after exploring northern Argentina and Chile, my two travel buddies and I want to discover the southern part of these two countries.
We’re traveling on a budget, backpacker-style, favoring public transport and modest accommodations, but we don’t hesitate to splurge a little when it’s worth it.
The classic spots that have been fueling our dreams: Bariloche, the lakes, Chiloé, El Chaltén, Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno, El Calafate, Fitz Roy, Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego, and wrapping up in Valparaíso.
We’ll take a round-trip flight to Santiago, then I’m thinking of a one-way flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas. From there, we’ll explore and do several day hikes in the south, including Ushuaia and, if possible, Tierra del Fuego.
Then we’ll head back north by bus to Bariloche and the lakes, followed by Chiloé, then a bus to Santiago and Valparaíso.
Based on your experience, could you help me figure out the best way to structure this trip and maybe suggest some ideas?
Thanks in advance.
Didier
Hi there,
We’re two friends and want to explore Patagonia in 3 weeks, traveling from Puerto Natales to Santiago. We’d like to use public transport. Has anyone tried this before? If so, could you share your itinerary, booking tips, etc.? We’ll be traveling in December–January.
Thanks!
This topic has come up before, but I wanted to share a fresh experience from early 2025.
For those of you looking to take the bus to Santiago Airport, I recommend taking the Centropuerto bus from their departure point, which is located in the middle of Alameda, Santiago’s main avenue, just outside Line 1 of the Los Héroes metro station. If you board the bus anywhere else, it’ll most likely be full, and if you have luggage, that can be a hassle.
During daytime hours on weekdays, these buses run every 10 to 15 minutes. Plan for anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to reach the airport from this spot, depending on the time and traffic.
The ticket costs 2000 CLP pesos, payable in cash in the local currency—about 2 € or $2 USD per person.
Hi there,
We’re heading to Argentina and Chile next February and really want to do the Carretera Austral starting from Coyhaique.
We’d love some info and feedback on bus routes to get to Coyhaique:
Buenos Aires to Comodoro (which we’ve found pretty easily so far),
or Buenos Aires to Bariloche (same, there are buses).
The tricky part is getting to Coyhaique in Chile, the starting point for the Carretera Austral. We can’t find any routes! Has anyone done this trip before and could share some tips?
