Feedback on a Patagonia road trip itinerary

Hello, We’re planning a trip to Patagonia for November–December 2026. After reading forums, blogs, and guidebooks, we’ve sketched out a rough itinerary and would love to hear from experts. We initially wanted to rent a camper van, but it’s hard to find options and we have no idea about prices. We’ve settled on starting in Bariloche, crossing into Chile for the Carretera Austral, then back into Argentina before crossing into Chile again for Punta Arenas, and finally ending in El Calafate to drop off the car. We don’t want to make any advance reservations so we can stay flexible based on weather and road conditions. Do you think this route is reasonably doable? And if you have any idea about the cost of renting a car for 17 days with a different drop-off location and the paperwork needed for border crossings… Thanks a million in advance for your replies! Céline

Day 1: Flight – 24 hours of travel, overnight on the plane Day 2: Arrival in Buenos Aires, overnight in BA Day 3: BA, overnight in BA Day 4: BA, overnight in BA Day 5: Flight to Bariloche, overnight in Bariloche Day 6–7: Seven Lakes route, overnight in Bariloche Day 8: Drive to La Junta, overnight stop Day 9: Drive to Puerto Tranquilo, overnight in Puerto Tranquilo Day 10: Catedral de Mármol, overnight in Puerto Tranquilo Day 11: Drive to El Chaltén, overnight stop Day 12: Arrival in El Chaltén, overnight in El Chaltén Day 13: El Chaltén, overnight in El Chaltén Day 14: El Chaltén, overnight in El Chaltén Day 15: Drive to Punta Arenas, overnight in Punta Arenas Day 16: Punta Arenas, overnight in Punta Arenas Day 17: Punta Arenas, overnight in Punta Arenas Day 18: Drive to Torres del Paine, overnight in Torres Day 19: Torres del Paine, overnight in Torres Day 20: Torres del Paine, overnight in Torres Day 21: Drive to El Calafate, overnight in El Calafate Day 22: El Calafate, overnight in El Calafate Day 23: Flight to BA, overnight in BA Day 24: Flight to Paris

Good evening, On paper, it seems doable. However, don’t rely on the driving times given by route-planning platforms—they usually don’t account for road conditions. You can use Ruta0 Argentina, which will show you the type of roads you’ll encounter. There are several stretches of *ripio* (gravel roads) on the Bariloche/La Junta section, and you’ll also need to factor in border crossing time (check opening hours).

Two days in Punta Arenas seems like a lot to me. What do you plan to see there? If your goal is Torres del Paine National Park, it’s better to stop in Puerto Natales, which is only 1.5 hours from the entrance.

I don’t have any info on the cost of renting a van in Bariloche and returning it in El Calafate. You’ll be charged a significant drop-off fee based on the distance between the pickup and return cities. Another option would be to go to Pucón, Chile, and rent a van you could return in Punta Arenas. You can request quotes from Casatorrante or Chile Campers. You could take the Carretera Austral to Puerto Río Tranquilo, then cross into Argentina as you planned.

Hello, First off, I’m glad our itinerary isn’t completely unrealistic. For the route between Bariloche and Puerto Tranquilo, we’ve decided to add an extra stop because we realize the travel time can be unpredictable, especially with the border crossing. We won’t make any reservations either, so we can adjust the route based on time (duration) and weather!

For Punta Arenas, my husband really wants to see penguins! That’s the only must-see for us... so one day might be enough. It’s the stop we could skip if we fall behind on the rest of the trip.

We’re also thinking of saving a day by leaving from El Calafate and waiting for our flight to Paris at the airport.

Ideally, we’d have more than a month—there’s so much to see—but we only have three weeks!

I’ll look into the Pucón option. From experience, do you know if car or van rentals are more or less expensive in Chile vs. Argentina? Our first estimates for a 4x4 from Bariloche to El Calafate are 5,400 €!

Thanks again for all your tips and comments!

Good evening, If your husband wants to see penguins, the detour to Punta Arenas is definitely worth it. There are two distinct colonies: the little ones on Magdalena Island, which you can see up close, and the King penguins on Tierra del Fuego. The latter can be seen from a bit farther away, but you won’t be too rushed for time on-site to watch them move around, hold little meetings, or court each other. There are telescopes available, but if you have binoculars or a good zoom lens, you’ll enjoy it even more. Plan for a full day since you’ll need to take two ferries: usually, the morning one that leaves from Punta Arenas and goes to Porvenir. It takes 2 to 3 hours depending on the weather. From Porvenir, I recommend taking the less well-paved road along the bay—the views are stunning if the weather’s nice! For the return trip, you can take the same ferry or go via the small port of Bahía Azul, crossing in about twenty minutes. On weekends and holidays, there can be a long wait (we waited for hours...). This lets you explore more of Tierra del Fuego and another road along the strait. You could even head to Puerto Natales from there.

Hi Sheepie, Thanks again for all this info... We’ve got a year to fine-tune our trip and save up—it’s gonna be a big one!!! Céline