Ushuaia is proud of its position at the end of the world. This remote city, which is perched on the southern most tip of the American continent, is nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is a popular stopping point for cruise ships and visitors to Antarctica. But is worth a visit if you’re not in either of the above categories. Particularly for the mesmerising Tierra del Fuego National Park. We were enchanted by the rugged beauty of Ushuaia. Here is my itinerary for a 3 day visit.
How to get to Ushuaia
As mentioned above, many visitors to Ushuaia arrive by ship. It is also possible to drive there via National Route 3, which passes through the Andean foothills to join the city to the rest of Argentina. We opted to fly from Buenos Aires. A stunning, if rather bumpy journey. The airport is located just a couple of miles out of town.
Getting around Ushuaia
Ushuaia is small enough to easily explore on foot. The only transport necessary is to get to the National Park.
Where to stay in Ushuaia
We stayed at the Apart Hotel Cabo San Diego. These very pleasant self contained rooms are conveniently located close to the city centre.
Ushuaia in 3 Days Itinerary
| Flight to Ushuaia Accommodation – Apart Hotel Cabo San Diego | |
| Day 1 | Tierra del Fuego National Park Dinner at Alakush Visitor Centre |
| Day 2 | Beagle Channel Boat Trip Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse Isla Martillo Estancia Harberton |
| Day 3 | Museo Maritímo de Ushuaia Civic Plaza Malvinas Memorial Ushuaia Sign Iglesia de la Merced Dinner at Paso Garibaldi |
Flight to Ushuaia
Today, we fly 1500 miles south to Ushuaia. The flight is very basic – none of this in-flight entertainment nonsense. Two hours in, some warm coke and a bag of rice cakes materialise. The old man is so bored he determines to count his rice cakes. After two more hours, we begin our descent. All of a sudden, I am no longer bored for three good reasons. Firstly, we have to descend through a huge bank of cloud which causes enormous turbulence. Bouncing through it like a plaything of the gods it terrifying.
Next, come stunning views of the Andes sweeping down to the ocean. Then, it’s time to try to land, in heavy winds, on the tiny strip of land sticking out from the end of the world. Attempt No 1, abort, circle, try again, circle, try again, abort, circle, try again. In all, from first attempt to finally landing – 21 minutes of pure fear. The atmosphere is tense; deathly silence permeated only by the rustle of sick bags and the occasional scream (some of them mine). Once we are gratefully back on solid ground, to the sound of cheers and a well earned round of applause for the pilot, we catch a taxi the short distance into town.
Accommodation – Apart Hotel Cabo San Diego
We check into our accommodation; Apart Hotel Cabo San Diego. The room is clean and comfortable and has its own mini kitchen. There is a supermarket just round the corner, which makes the apartment a good choice budget wise, as we don’t have to eat out. Once checked in, we go in search of food and beer – it’s been a very stressful day! And retire to contemplate how the end of the world nearly was the end of the world…
Ushuaia Day 1
Tierra del Fuego National Park
Today, we are going slightly further afield to Tierra del Fuego National Park. The park is located around 8 miles west of town. We walk into Ushuaia to the shuttle bus departure point. The price is more than we’d expected, but we cough up and head for the park. After a brief stop to hand over more money for entry fees, we reach the Visitor Centre.
We set forth on a five hour hike. It’s very beautiful; on one side is the Beagle Channel with its abundant bird life, on the other, snow capped mountains. Most of the area is peat bog, so the rivers and lakes are a spooky green-brown colour.
We walk to the Beacon at the End of the World, then (once I have pocketed a souvenir rock for my baby geologist – bad mummy!) we head back towards the Visitor Centre.
We return via an area which fell victim to a disastrous attempt to introduce beavers to the park.
Dinner at Alakush Visitor Centre
Getting back to Ushuaia is surprisingly complicated. There are dozens of seemingly identical white buses all bearing the logo ‘Linea Regular’. But they are all owned by different companies and our tickets are only valid on one particular bus. It leaves in two hours. So, we while away the time exploring the Visitor Centre and eating empanadas in the café (our bus driver is sitting at the table behind us for the whole of this time). Once the driver is suitably siestaed, we can go back to town. We pile onto the bus, wait a while, then are told to change to a different bus. Finally, we depart in a convoy of similar, yet somehow subtly different white buses.
The park is open daily from 8 am until 8 pm. Entry for foreign adults costs 30,000 pesos (around £23.60). Shuttle buses run 3 times a day from the Bus Terminal and cost 16,000 pesos return. You can also catch the End of the World Train. That’s even more expensive ($62,000) and only covers a section of the journey, starting 4 miles outside Ushuaia.
Ushuaia Day 2
Beagle Channel Boat Trip
This morning, we are taking a Beagle Channel Boat Trip. The route conjures up school history lessons about explorers; The Beagle Channel, Cape Horn…
We arrive at the port 20 minutes before the published departure time, which is good because passports are required to embark. The old man rushes back to the apartment to get the passports. The boat eventually departs 40 minutes behind schedule, so the mad dash was totally unnecessary.
We leave Ushuaia, sailing into the Beagle Channel. The scenery is beautiful and the pilot navigates to line up with an island of black and white imperial cormorants.
Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse
Next, comes Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse which sits on an island inhabited by sea lions. I manoeuvre myself into a position on the bow of the catamaran, just as we hit a rogue wave on the otherwise calm sea. With six hours of the journey left, I am completely soaked and smell faintly of sealion poo. But I get my sea lion photos, to go with my impending pneumonia.
We cruise on in search of penguins. I go to the toilet, but am horrified to find that the toilet is placed over a hole and I have peed into the Beagle Channel.
After the almost excitement of a tiny glimpse of whale, we reach the point where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, and the main attraction; penguins.
Isla Martillo
Isla Martillo is an island covered in penguins; penguins on the beach, penguins fishing in the sea, penguins everywhere. It’s a wonderful sight.
Disembarking on our cruise is not permitted (you have to pay a lot more for that!) but the boat pulls up alongside the island for long enough to satiate everyone’s penguin sighting desires.
Estancia Harberton
Then we return to Ushuaia, with a detour to drop passengers for an optional stop at Estancia Harberton, Patagonia’s oldest ranch.
A number of companies run Beagle Channel boat trips. We went with Rumbo Sur, who offer the 6 hour trip described above for 140,000 pesos (around £110).
Ushuaia Day 3
Today is spent exploring the city of Ushuaia.
Museo Maritímo de Ushuaia
I start at the Museo Maritímo de Ushuaia, which is is housed in an old prison (the city was originally a penal colony). It is much larger and than I’d expected. In fact, it’s really four museums in one. I emerge three hours and 100 photographs later.
Prison Museum
The prison consisted of several wings. In the Prison Museum, the building has has been left untouched to show the conditions prisoners lived in.
You can learn about the history of the penal colony and some of the prison’s more infamous inmates.
MARINE ART MUSEUM
One wing contains a gallery of Marine Art.
Maritime Museum
The remaining area holds the Maritime Museum, which detail the area’s seafaring history. There’s the tragi-comedy of the chaos wreaked by the first missionaries and a section on piracy starring Sir Francis Drake. Plus plenty of other fascinating Fuegian facts.
ANTARCTIC MUSEUM
The is a separate section dedicated to Antarctica, including the first successful expedition to the South Pole. Here, you can see some of the equipment used and even some sketches of Norwegian flags discovered in Scott’s notebook.
The museum is open daily from 10 am until 8 pm. Entry for foreign adults costs 40,000 pesos (around £31.50).
Civic Plaza
In the afternoon, time for one last wander, along the water front and back through town to take advantage of the many photo opportunities. The Civic Plaza in home to various moments, an End of the World Sign and the Tourist Information Office.
Malvinas Memorial
The Malvinas Memorial consists of a large plaza with a number of monuments to those who lost their life in the conflict. It tells the story of Argentina’s fight with Britain over the tiny Pacific islands, with a population of just 3,700 people, which led to the death of over 900. The greatest loss of life was the sinking of the General Belgrano, which killed 323. Hundreds more men were rescued from the sinking ship and evacuated to Ushuaia.
Ushuaia Sign
The Instaworthy Ushuaia Sign stands on the waterfront with stunning views.
Iglesia de la Merced
We walk back into town, via the brightly coloured Iglesia de la Merced, which boasts the title of most southerly Catholic church on the planet. It was built by convicts in the 1940s.
Dinner at Paso Garibaldi
We round the day off with dinner at a very nice restaurant; Paso Garibaldi. For £30 we receive a small but tasty bowl of crab stew plus two chips each and one bread roll between two (plus a bottle of Cape Horn – the world’s southernmost beer). The food is excellent, but as I leave, I can’t help thinking that it’s a good job there’s a packet of biscuits back at the apartment with my name on it!
- Trip taken: January 2019
- Updated: January 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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