Patagonia Highlights Self-Launched: Buenos Aires to Santiago in 12 Days
12 days · Patagonia (Argentina & Chile)
Wanderful Holidays LLC charges £2,360
No-markup version: ~£822 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Wanderful Holidays' 12-day Buenos Aires–El Calafate–Puerto Natales–Santiago route. You cover exactly the same headline experiences — a Buenos Aires neighbourhood walk, the Perito Moreno Glacier with a boat safari, a full Torres del Paine day trip and a Santiago city walk — but you book everything yourself: hostels and guesthouses instead of 4-star hotels, local buses and cheap domestic flights instead of private transfers, and GetYourGuide/local agency day tours instead of a package. Aimed at solo travellers who want Patagonia without a tour group and without the package markup. Argentina and Chile are expensive by Latin American standards, especially in Patagonia in high season (Nov–Mar), so budget accordingly and book the El Calafate–Puerto Natales bus and Torres del Paine tours well ahead.
Day-by-day
Land in Buenos Aires, settle into San Telmo or Palermo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fly into Ezeiza (EZE). Skip the expensive official taxi rank and pre-book a shared shuttle or use an Uber/Cabify into the city (roughly £12–18). Base yourself in San Telmo (cheap, characterful, close to the sights) or Palermo (better hostels, more food options). Get a SUBE card for buses and the Subte metro at any kiosk — top it up and rides cost pennies. Evening: walk to Plaza Dorado area for a cheap parrilla dinner or empanadas.
🚌Shared airport shuttle or rideshare from EZE to city centre, ~£15
🛏Hostel dorm or private room in San Telmo/Palermo (e.g. a well-rated hostel such as Milhouse or Art Factory Palermo) — £15–22
- →Arrive and check in
- →Pick up SUBE transit card
- →Evening stroll around San Telmo
- →Cheap parrilla or empanada dinner
Buenos Aires DIY walking day: Plaza de Mayo to La Boca to Recoleta
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Do the operator's guided city tour on foot for free. Start at Plaza de Mayo (Casa Rosada, Cabildo, Metropolitan Cathedral), walk down Avenida de Mayo past Café Tortoni to the Congreso, then continue into San Telmo for the Sunday-style antiques market streets and street art. Bus or walk to La Boca for Caminito's painted houses (go in daylight, stick to the main tourist streets). Afternoon: bus to Puerto Madero for the waterfront, then Recoleta Cemetery (free entry, open daily). Alternatively, a GetYourGuide half-day city tour costs about £20–25 if you want a guide.
🚌Subte/bus day pass, ~£2
🛏Same hostel in Buenos Aires
- →Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada
- →Avenida de Mayo walk
- →San Telmo streets
- →La Boca and Caminito
- →Puerto Madero
- →Recoleta Cemetery
Free day: Palermo parks, street food and optional tango
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The operator sells a tango-and-dinner night for US$119 — you can do better. Spend the day in Palermo: Bosques de Palermo rose garden, the Japanese Garden, and the MALBA or Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (both cheap, MALBA ~£5). Eat at a neighbourhood parrilla or the Palermo food trucks. For tango, either take a group beginner class in San Telmo (~£10) or buy a cheap ticket to a milonga (many are free/£5) instead of a tourist dinner show; budget tango shows via GetYourGuide start around £30.
🚌Bus/Subte, ~£2
🛏Same hostel in Buenos Aires
- →Palermo parks and rose garden
- →MALBA or Bellas Artes museum
- →Optional tango class or milonga
- →Palermo street food
Fly south to El Calafate
El Calafate, Argentina
Book a domestic flight Buenos Aires (AEP Jorge Newbery, closer and cheaper than EZE) to El Calafate (FTE) with Aerolíneas Argentinas or JetSMART — book 2–3 months out for ~£70–110 one way. Use the airport bus into town (~£3) rather than a taxi. El Calafate is a small, walkable town on Lago Argentino. Afternoon: wander the main street, book your glacier tour for tomorrow at a local agency or online, and check bus times to Puerto Natales. Grab dinner at a supermarket deli or a cheap pasta place — Patagonian prices bite.
🚌Flight AEP–FTE ~£90; airport bus ~£3
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Calafate (dorm or private) — £18–28
- →Domestic flight to El Calafate
- →Town orientation walk
- →Book Perito Moreno tour and onward bus
Perito Moreno Glacier with boat safari
El Calafate, Argentina
Book a full-day Perito Moreno excursion through GetYourGuide or a local agency in town (~£40–55 including park entry, which is now roughly ARS 45,000 / ~£30 — confirm whether entry is included). The bus runs the famous Curva de los Suspiros viewpoint, then you walk the boardwalk circuit for up-close glacier views. Add the Bajo de las Sombras boat safari (~£25) to see the south wall from the water. The optional mini-trekking on the ice costs about £120–150 extra and needs booking ahead. Pack lunch — the cafeteria is pricey.
🚌Included in day tour (coach pick-up)
🛏Same hostel in El Calafate
- →Curva de los Suspiros viewpoint
- →Perito Moreno boardwalks
- →Bajo de las Sombras boat safari
- →Optional glacier mini-trekking
El Calafate free day: Glaciarium, estancia or Lago Argentino
El Calafate, Argentina
Options that match the operator's optional extras but cheaper: the Glaciarium ice museum with shuttle (~£12), a half-day hike at Laguna Nimez nature reserve on the edge of town (cheap entry, flamingos and birdlife), or a shared excursion to a working estancia for lunch (~£50). Many travellers use this day for a day trip to El Chaltén for Fitz Roy hiking — doable but a long day, or stay the night if you have slack in the schedule. Book your Puerto Natales bus ticket today.
🚌Local shuttle/walking, ~£5
🛏Same hostel in El Calafate
- →Glaciarium museum
- →Laguna Nimez nature reserve
- →Optional estancia excursion
- →Book onward bus to Puerto Natales
Bus across the border: El Calafate to Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales, Chile
Take the daily cross-border coach (Marga Taqsa or Bus Sur) from El Calafate to Puerto Natales — about 5–6 hours including the Chilean border stop at Cerro Castillo, roughly £30–40. IMPORTANT: complete Chile's online customs/immigration declarations (PDI) the night before, not at the bus stop — a common pain point on the packaged version of this trip. Buses typically leave early morning; arrive mid-afternoon. Puerto Natales is a small, friendly base on the fjord — walk the waterfront to the Hand Monument and sort your Torres del Paine tour for tomorrow.
🚌Cross-border coach, ~£35
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Puerto Natales — £18–30
- →Cross-border bus to Chile
- →Complete PDI immigration forms in advance
- →Waterfront walk and Hand Monument
- →Book Torres del Paine tour
Full-day Torres del Paine National Park tour
Puerto Natales, Chile
Book a small-group full-day Torres del Paine tour locally or via GetYourGuide (~£45–65 plus park entry ~CLP 32,000 / ~£26). A typical route: Milodón Cave, El Castillo hill, Laguna Amarga with the Paine massif panorama, Nordenskjöld and Pehoé lakes, Salto Grande waterfall, the Cuernos peaks and Grey Lake with a short lenga forest walk toward Grey Glacier. If you're fitter, the alternative is the base-of-the-Towers day hike (long, ~19km, book a dedicated trekking tour ~£60). Bring layers, water and food — Patagonian weather changes hourly.
🚌Day tour minibus pick-up
🛏Same hostel in Puerto Natales
- →Milodón Cave
- →Laguna Amarga and Paine massif views
- →Nordenskjöld and Pehoé lakes
- →Salto Grande waterfall
- →Grey Lake and lenga forest walk
Puerto Natales free day: fjords, museum or a second hike
Puerto Natales, Chile
Use the free day well — the operator leaves this open too. Options: the Municipal History Museum (cheap), a half-day kayak or boat trip on the Ultima Esperanza fjord to see sea lions and the Balmaceda glacier (~£60–80), a Grey Lake navigation (~£70), or a short local hike up Cerro Dorotea for views over the town. Or simply rest, do laundry and prep for the travel day tomorrow. Book your bus to Punta Arenas tonight.
🚌Local bus/walking, ~£4
🛏Same hostel in Puerto Natales
- →History museum
- →Optional fjord kayak or boat trip
- →Cerro Dorotea viewpoint hike
- →Book bus to Punta Arenas
Bus to Punta Arenas, fly north to Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Take the early bus Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas (~3 hours, ~£10–14), then fly Punta Arenas (PUQ) to Santiago (SCL) with LATAM or Sky — book ahead for ~£80–130. If time allows in Punta Arenas, the penguin colony at Isla Magdalena or Seno Otway is worth it (operator charges US$123; local tours run about £45–60, seasonal Nov–Mar). Land in Santiago and take the Turbus/Centropuerto airport bus to Providencia or Bellavista (~£2) rather than a taxi.
🚌Bus to Punta Arenas ~£12; flight PUQ–SCL ~£100; airport bus ~£3
🛏Hostel in Bellavista, Lastarria or Providencia — £18–30
- →Bus to Punta Arenas
- →Optional penguin colony tour
- →Flight to Santiago
- →Airport bus into the city
Santiago DIY walking day
Santiago, Chile
Do the city tour yourself: start at Plaza de Armas and the Metropolitan Cathedral, walk to La Moneda Palace (free, changing of the guard some mornings), then Mercado Central for a seafood lunch (cheap set menus at the periphery stalls). Afternoon: climb Cerro San Cristóbal by funicular (~£2.50) for city views, or explore the Bellavista street art and La Chascona. The operator's listing mentions 'Santiago de Compostela Cathedral' — that's in Spain, so ignore it; the real Santiago sights are the ones above. GetYourGuide guided walks run ~£20 if you prefer a local guide.
🚌Metro/bus day, ~£3
🛏Same hostel in Santiago
- →Plaza de Armas and Cathedral
- →La Moneda Palace
- →Mercado Central lunch
- →Cerro San Cristóbal funicular
- →Bellavista street art
Departure from Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Depending on your flight time, squeeze in one last wander around Lastarria or a coffee at a local café, then take the Centropuerto/Turbus airport bus to Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) — about 40–50 minutes, ~£2. Leave plenty of buffer for international check-in. If you want extra nights, Santiago hostels are easy to book directly at ~£20–28 per night, far cheaper than the operator's US$68 add-on.
🚌Airport bus to SCL, ~£2
🛏—
- →Lastarria morning walk
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Wanderful Holidays LLC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Wanderful Holidays LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£822 | £2,360 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,538 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Wanderful Holidays LLC-style trips? Check them out here.~£822
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Patagonia Highlights Self-Launched: Buenos Aires to Santiago in 12 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £822 per person for 12 days in Patagonia (Argentina & Chile). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Wanderful Holidays LLC?+
Yes — Wanderful Holidays LLC charges around £2,360 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £822 — a saving of roughly £1,538 (65%) per person.
How long is the Patagonia (Argentina & Chile) trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Patagonia (Argentina & Chile).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Patagonia (Argentina & Chile), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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