Best Things to Do in Ushuaia, Argentina
Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city, also nicknamed the end of the world, entices travelers who want to get the real Patagonian experience. Read our travel guide on top things to do in Ushuaia, including the must-visit attractions and tips on how to get around, when to visit, or where to stay.
So, finally, after a month traveling the Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia, we reached the real end of our journey, Ushuaia.
The world's southernmost city, the city we did not have on our Patagonia itinerary only a couple of days before our arrival.
At first, we were not planning to visit the southern tip of Argentina simply because we thought it was too far and too expensive, but we are glad we reconsidered our plans.
When looking on the map, we found out that our original plan, traveling from hikers paradise Torres del Paine to Bariloche, would have required spending at least 30 hours on a bus.
Plus plenty of hours more to get to Buenos Aires subsequently.
And also, more importantly, we realized that after more than seven months on the road, we didn't have any desire to see another volcanoes and lakes which we had already seen on the Chilean side of the borders.
This thought turned our attention to Ushuaia, and when we found cheap flight tickets from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires, we didn't have to look any further.
Ushuaia is, for many travelers, a compulsory stop before their Antarctica Cruises, where they meet their travel companions, do last-minute shopping, and basically prepare for the life-changing experience.
But in our opinion, it does not matter if Ushuaia is on your itinerary only as a place from where you'll hop on a boat or if you plan your trip with exploring the area in mind.
In either way, we believe you'll be pleasantly surprised how beautiful Ushuaia's surroundings are and how many things to do Ushuaia offers.
The landscape is really one of its kind, and active travelers who enjoy the outdoors will feel here at home.
Although when we reached Ushuaia, we were pretty tired after hiking almost every day, the beautiful mountains we saw from our hostel's room made us lace our hiking shoes once more.
So here are our tips on the best things to do and top activities in Ushuaia.
What to Expect From Ushuaia
When we got the first glimpse of Tierra del Fuego Province, our first thought was something like who the hell would like to live here as it is cold, windy, and from the very first moment, you can tell that living here won't be easy.
But believe it or not, Ushuaia was first settled more than 10 000 years ago, and the indigenous people had been living in this inhospitable part of the world unnoticed (or at least not bothered) for a long time.
Until the 19th century, to be precise, when British missionaries arrived. Apart from their religion, they also brought many diseases, significantly reducing the native population.
Sometimes, it is hard to believe that those people could survive in such challenging conditions, had to deal with harsh weather, and had to hunt every day to get food only to be wiped out by epidemics because they never had a chance to build their immune system.
When traveling from Torres del Paine by bus, we soon noticed that the land became unnaturally flat.
Something we haven't experienced for a while as our Carretera Austral road trip and later the journey through Argentinian Patagonia was lined with mountains.
And places such as Perito Moreno Glacier and El Chalten, home to Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, were filled with an uncountable number of amazing mountainous views.
But the road to Ushuaia was all of a sudden completely different.
Luckily, mountains appeared a couple of kilometers before we reached Ushuaia, and we could breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, we love mountains.
So what can you expect from Ushuaia?
For sure, a very similar experience to other regions in Patagonia - views, cozy pubs, a bit of history, and for us a very important sense of safety and friendly locals.
Best Things to Do in Ushuaia
Our first impression of the city of Ushuaia was somewhat bland.
The wide-spread city, home to more than 50 000 people, is not attractive at first sight, and the omnipresent strong and cold wind is not very welcoming either.
But its mountainous surroundings and the fact that the city is overlooking Beagle Channel make Ushuaia a pleasant destination to spend two or three days.
When you made it that far south, here are the best things you can do in Ushuaia.
Take a Picture at the End of the World
Who wouldn't want to take a picture next to the sign saying you made it to the end of the world, right?
Although it might seem a bit cheesy, this is simply a thing you cannot miss when in Ushuaia.
For this reason, there is not only one sign in Ushuaia announcing the exceptionality of the place, but we saw at least three, all of them near the visitors center close to the waterfront.
We cannot deny that it is a great marketing trick, and we can completely understand why Argentine authorities fight so hard to keep this slogan as it surely attracts attention.
Yes, Ushuaia is the world's southernmost city. However, you can find small settlements even further south.
The one of at least notable size is Puerto Williams with 2000 inhabitants, which belongs to Chile, not Argentina, and also claims itself as the world's southernmost city to increase tourism.
Either way, Ushuaia still keeps its status as it is the biggest city far and wide.
By the way, the staff in the visitors center in Ushuaia is very helpful.
So if you need a piece of advice on things to do in the city and its surroundings or you only need to narrow down your itinerary, it is worth paying a visit there.
Hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park
Hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park was our favorite activity in Ushuaia.
Tierra del Fuego, alias Land of Fire, is split between Argentina and Chile. When hiking from Ushuaia on the Argentinian side, you can even trek to the place overlooking those two countries (and you don't need a passport here).
Although only a tiny portion of the park is accessible to visitors, Tierra del Fuego National Park offers several hiking trails.
After hiking one of the toughest but absolutely rewarding and easily accessible treks in the park, the Cerro Guanaco trail, we completely fell in love with this place.
When we left the easy trails leading around lakes, we soon appeared in the wild nature of Patagonia and could have enjoyed the tranquility and superb views.
Tierra del Fuego National Park might not have the leading magnets such as Mirador Las Torres in Torres Del Paine National Park, Hanging Glacier in Queulat National Park, or Marble Caves on General Carrera Lake, but it has the soul.
Even when you don't have your own car, getting to the park is not difficult as public buses leave Ushuaia's bus terminal (it looks more like a regular parking lot) every hour from 8 AM.
You cannot buy a ticket in advance, but we did not have a problem getting on the bus even during high season as most visitors travel by car or on a sightseeing tour, such as this one - Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour from Ushuaia.
The tour is excellent for those who want to get a sense of the park but don't want to do any demanding physical activity.
The bus does not come cheap; as of January 2019, the round trip cost 550 ARS per person, and the entrance fee to the national park cost 490 ARS per person.
The visitors center in Ushuaia will provide you with a map containing all the hiking trails so you can choose the right one for you, depending on your level of fitness.
Take a Train to the End of the World
If you are looking for how to make the visit to Ushuaia even more unique, why not take a train to the end of the world using the Southern Fuegian Railway, also known as the world's southernmost functioning railway.
When you think of it, destinations like Ushuaia are so remote that no wonder someone back in the 19th century came with an idea to build a prison here and get rid of undesirable individuals.
The railway was constructed in order to transport building material, but today when the prison is not there anymore, the railway has a new purpose.
To show tourists a bit of national heritage and the stunning nature of one of the most pristine places in the world.
Here, you can reserve a Tierra del Fuego National Park and The End of the World Train Tour.
Start Your Antarctica Trip From Ushuaia
For those lucky ones, who have the visit of Antarctica on their itinerary, arriving in Ushuaia is almost unavoidable as the majority of cruises start here.
Sailing to the southernmost continent was not on our program this time as this adventure was way above our travel budget.
In case you sign up for one of those fancy cruises, make sure you will arrive in Ushuaia at least one day before the departure date, as this is an experience you surely don't want to miss because of a delayed or postponed flight.
But even us, who travel on a budget and couldn't afford a trip to Antarctica, watching big cruise ships which were about to begin their journey to uninhabited, remote, wild, and ice-covered land, was something special.
And we could feel the atmosphere of excitement spread throughout the city.
While the Antarctica Cruises are expensive, you can opt for much more affordable Beagle Channel Boat Tour.
Walk the Coastal Walk
Ushuaia feels pretty safe, so you should take advantage of it and walk around the coast.
The coastal trail is paved, and when the weather is good, you can see the mountains in the background as well.
We often walked this path as our hostel was out of the city center (but close to the airport), and we always enjoyed it.
Start or Finish Your Patagonia Adventure in Ushuaia
The location of Ushuaia is perfect, and it raises the question of why not start or finish your Patagonian adventure here.
We started our Patagonia travels in Chaiten, Chile, visiting the amazing Pumalin National Park and hiking the Chaiten Volcano Trail.
And from there, we began the ultimate road trip along Carretera Austral, then crossed borders in Villa O'Higgins to Argentina, hiked in El Chalten, visited Perito Moreno Glacier.
And then we continued and crossed borders to Chile once again with only hiking in Torres del Paine in mind.
Then we crossed borders to Argentina to see what Ushuaia has to offer and flew to Buenos Aires to continue our South American travels.
You can follow our journey, or why not travel in the opposite direction, rent a car in Ushuaia and travel from south to north?
Make sure you have enough blank pages in your passport, as jumping between those countries requires to have room for all those stamps.
Watch the Sunset
The island Tierra del Fuego, alias Land of Fire, got the name in 1520 when Fernando Magallanes named it after fires he saw at night on islands.
Hadn't we read the story, we would have easily believed that the poetic name of the island came up when colonizers were watching those spectacular everyday sunsets over Tierra del Fuego.
Take your camera, don't forget your down jacket to stay warm and go out to catch the last sunrays of the day.
By the way, this article might help you decide when to visit Patagonia so you can plan your trip better.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
Wildlife Watching
Being a coastal city in a remote region has many advantages. One of them is wildlife watching.
Ushuaia is especially well-known for penguin watching.
One of the most popular day-trips Ushuaia Penguin Watching Tour will take you to Martillo Island, where you'll learn more about the island and see Magellanic.
Seeing Gentoo penguins is almost guaranteed here.
Skiing
We know that the majority of travelers choose to visit this destination in the summer, but if you are an avid skier, you might be quite interested in the option we are about to bring in.
If you happen to be in Ushuaia in the winter season, roughly between June and October, you definitely should not miss out on skiing.
Not only the local ski resort Cerro Castor offers perfect conditions, but the views are superb as well.
We know Ushuaia is probably not the most traditional ski destination, but it is definitely a notable tip.
How to Get to Ushuaia
Because of the remote location, the most common way to get to Ushuaia is by plane.
We bought flight tickets from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires only three days before the departure date for less than $200.
Several buses connect Ushuaia with the mainland; one of the most popular routes is Ushuaia - Puerto Natales, which also includes border crossing and a short ferry ride.
If you plan to stay in Ushuaia only for a day or two and look for cheap accommodation close to the airport.
From here, you can easily walk to the airport as there is a safe walkway - you will do something for your health plus save a bit of cash.
What to Pack
One thing is for sure. It's cold and windy in Ushuaia.
Bring warm layers, waterproof clothes, and sun protection. It does not matter whether you travel around Patagonia in the summer, which is the main and warmer season, or closer to winter.
You'll still need good equipment, especially when the majority of top things to do in Ushuaia take place outside.
We've selected some of must-have items for every season.
Rain Jacket | It rains a lot in Tierra del Fuego. Make sure your rain jacket is waterproof.
Down Jacket | Down jacket works for both winter and summer. It's lightweight and compact, so why not bring it with you?
Daypack | A small and comfortable daypack will make your shorter hikes much easier.
Hiking Boots | Hiking is a big thing in Tierra del Fuego National Park, so bring your trusty hiking boots.
Sunscreen | The sun can still be quite strong despite the cold temperatures in summer.
We've also created a useful post Patagonia packing list where you can find more detailed information on this topic.
Where to Stay in Ushuaia
Be prepared to pay a little bit more for accommodation in Ushuaia, simply because of the fact that you have the privilege to stay at the end of the world.
If you are a budget traveler, it is better to look for hostels on the outskirt, but it depends on how much time you have as it might take a while to reach the center on foot.
We've handpicked the best hotels in Ushuaia for every type of traveler.
Budget | Oshovia Hostel - Well-run hostel which offers both dormitories and private rooms, is newly renovated and has awesome wifi and breakfast.
Mid-range | Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel - Exquisite location, rooms with splendid views of the Beagle Channel, free private parking, and a rich buffet breakfast, Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel has everything you need from the accommodation.
Luxury | Arakur Ushuaia Resort and Spa - The most special hotel in Ushuaia has an impressive outside spa, well-appointed rooms. Although the hotel is a bit out of the city center, it is not a disadvantage as they run a free shuttle to Ushuaia.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
