Looking for ideas and inspiration for the best places to see in when you visit Patagonia? We’ve got you covered!

The snow crunched beneath our feet, white and crisp as we took our first steps towards the towering rugged peaks ahead of us, full of hope and anticipation for the day ahead and the sights we would soon see. Our lips chapped from the weeks prior, dry and cold, feet blistered and our hair turned to icicles. Nothing would stop us from exploring the incredible views that lay before us.

There were 2 more weeks left in Patagonia, and each sight would rival this near-perfect one.

This post is all about the incredible spots in Patagonia, where not to miss when you visit Patagonia and our favourite spots. Read on to hear all about it.

Patagonia is one of the most diverse regions in the world. Spread across two countries, Chile and Argentina, Patagonia makes up a whopping 1.061 million km²! What is it that makes Patagonia such an incredibly epic place? Well, aside from the stunning mountain peaks, huge glaciers, unique wildlife, and vast landscapes, it’s the fact that Patagonia is filled with bucket-list experiences. Not simply just “things to do” but rather experiences you’ll never forget and probably won’t repeat!

You can read about our time spent in Argentina prior to our Patagonia road trip here.

Best places to visit in Patagonia

#1 Go hiking in Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine is without a doubt one of the most famous spots in Patagonia and is full of incredible hiking trails. Whether you choose to hike the famous W trail or opt for a range of smaller ones, you certainly won’t be disappointed. You can read all about our time spent in Torres del Paine here.

#2 Visit Ushuaia

Ushuaia, otherwise known as the end of the world is located at the southernmost tip of Argentina and the capital city of the Tierra del Fuego province, this port city marks the end of South America and serves as a port for all Antarctic cruises. The gateway to Antarctica is beautiful in its own right and well worth a visit even if you’re not planning on visiting Antarctica.

We spent 5 nights in Ushuaia and loved every single one of them! 2 of those nights were spent in Los Cauquenes an incredibly beautiful hotel just outside of the city centre complete with a spa (including outside hot tubs which we can guarantee you’ll want to get into after a cold day of exploring). Next, we then spent 3 nights in the city, which was a great combination for us to see both sides of Ushuaia. The weather was slightly unpredictable which meant we spent a lot of time inside its cute coffee shops and cafes just enjoying being in Ushuaia. We especially enjoyed some amazing vegetarian food in Triumph cafe including one of the best soups we have ever tried, a vegan bolognese and vegan sushi! Out of all of the places in Argentina, Ushuaia certainly had the best food.

#3 Hike Cerro Campanario in Bariloche

Cerro Campanario is one of Bariloche’s most breathtaking and therefore, popular viewpoints. From the top, you’re treated to uninterrupted 360-degree cinematic views over what seems like the entire lake district – What the lakes in Bariloche are known as. You can either opt to hike to the top or take the cable car. The cable car costs 1200, approx $10 each way. The hike takes 30- 40 minutes and is relatively easy.

We visited Bariloche right at the start of our Patagonia road trip and it was easily one of our favourite places on our whole trip, so make sure you don’t miss it!

Read all about our hike here.

#4 Visit Glaciar Perito Moreno

Perito Moreno Glaciar is an epic 3-mile-wide glacier and is one of the only 3 glaciers in the world that is growing rather than retreating. It’s an absolute bucket list destination and certainly not one to be missed when you visit Patagonia. The entrance to the glacier costs ARS 2500 per tourist, you have to pay this in cash or card before entering the national park. You can opt to *just* walk around the glacier as we did, go on a boat trip around it or even hike on the glacier.

To visit here stay in El Calafate. This town is about a 1hr15 drive from the glacier but is a lovely little town in its own right, full of restaurants, shops and coffee shops.

#5 Go hiking in Fitz Roy National Park

Fitz Roy was without a doubt one of the highlights of our whole entire Latin America trip, however, it was also one of the scariest moments of our whole life. If you’re planning on hiking Laguna de Los Tres during the winter then ensure you are prepared, otherwise, you could end up like us, sliding down a mountain on your bum on the ice for 3 hours because you can’t stand up without falling over every 2 minutes after not even making it to see Fitz Roy. You can read more about our um little mishap on our Instagram here. However, don’t let this put you off, just be more equipped. There are plenty of hikes to do in Fitz Roy national park including Laguna de Los Tres and Laguna Torre, both of which were incredibly beautiful.

The town of El Chalten where you will stay is a super cute village home to restaurants, craft beer bars, spas and hotels. The best thing about it? El Chalten is right at the bottom of the mountain range, meaning you don’t have very far to go for the start of all of the incredible hikes. They’re all roughly a short 10-minute walk away and the close proximity means the whole town is surrounded by insanely beautiful views.

#6 Road trip along Ruta 40 in Argentina

The drive through Patagonia is incredible in itself and well worth the long drives each day. You’ll see amazing wildlife, beautiful scenery and mountains at every corner. Ruta 40, a bit like Route 66. Stretching from Santa Cruz Province in the south to Jujuy Province in the north. Ruta 40 runs parallel to the Andes mountains, meaning you’ll have incredible views wherever you look.

#7 Admire the incredible wildlife that lives in Patagonia

We saw some incredible wildlife during our time in Patagonia including Guanacos, (the wild relative of the Alpaca), Culpeo and Gray Foxes, Chilean and Andean Flamingos, and Lesser Rhea (the smaller cousin of the ostrich) as well as Sea Lions. We, unfortunately, visited during the wrong season to see Penguins and Whales however, these are easy to spot during the summer months in Patagonia.

#8 Road trip through Chile’s Patagonia

We have spoken about Patagonia’s famous Ruta 40 but the part of our drive that stole the show for us was just across the border into Chile. The views were absolutely incredible in every direction and we enjoyed a beautiful lunch down by the lake. Easily the most beautiful spot we have had the pleasure of enjoying.

#9 Take a trip to Antarctica

Ok, so this is something we haven’t personally done ourselves however, it is so so high on our bucket lists if only our budget would allow it! Antarctica is the most remote continent on the planet and is full of absolutely incredible wildlife and landscapes.

To get to Antarctica first make your way to Ushuaia. The most southerly city is the gateway to Antarctica and the place the cruises leave from. From Ushuaia, you’ll cruise through the Drake Passage and onto Antarctica.

We have heard stories of being able to get a reduced rate for a cruise if you turn up last minute to one of the tour offices and ask, however, this is a big risk if you’re main aim during your time visit to Patagonia is to get to Antarctica. 

#10 Hike around Futaleufu National Reserve

On our first day of road tripping through Patagonia, on our way to the small town of Esquel we opted to take a detour through this incredible national park and we were so glad that we did. The drive itself was absolutely breathtaking, with mountains and lakes wherever you looked. The day after we decided to hike through the national park and explore it a bit more, we walked alongside the river until we couldn’t get by any further and enjoyed the quiet serenity.

You can also opt to go white water rafting in Futaleufu National Reserve or horseriding.

Is a trip to visit Patagonia on your bucket list?