7 Days in Patagonia [5 Unique Itineraries]

A trip to the legendary Patagonia region is a bucket list item for many of us. Only recently was I able to check that off my bucket list. With its prominent mountain ranges as a backdrop of the endless steppe, peppered with guanaco herds and clusters of rheas, Patagonia is an outdoor lover’s dream destination. In this post, you will get 5 unique itineraries for an incredible 7 days in Patagonia.

If you have a few more days to spend here, check out this 2-week itinerary I put together.

Itinerary 1 – Chile Patagonia Itinerary

This first itinerary is focussed on Chilean Patagonia. In 7 days, you should concentrate on Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, and Torres del Paine. I recommend renting a car so you can drive around. But, if that is outside your budget, you can still do this itinerary without a car.

This helpful post walks you through the pros and cons of renting a car in Patagonia, based on where you go, and your travel style. Give it a read!

Day	Things to do	Overnight stay in
Day 1	Fly into Punta Arenas, Plaza Armas Punta Arenas, Mirador De Los Soñadores, Muelle Prat	Punta Arenas
Day 2	Magellanic Penguin Tour, Museo Nao Victoria	Punta Arenas
Day 3	Drive/Bus to Puerto Natales, explore Puerto Natales town, walk along the waterfront, eat at Afrigonia	Puerto Natales
Day 4	Las Torres hike (The Three Towers) at Torres del Paine National Park	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 5	Glacier Grey Boat Tour	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 6	Frenchman Valley hike at Torres del Paine	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 7	Drive/Bus to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas to get back home	Home

Check out this comprehensive itinerary that tells you everything you need to know to plan an epic Chile Patagonia trip. It contains all the details such as how to get there, how to get around, and what to see. For the Chile Patagonia portion, check out Day 1 to Day 7 in the post.

Water view with backdrop of Torres del Paine; How I trained for Patagonia

Note: If you want to do the W trek, you can still do it on a 7-day trip to Patagonia. Simply rearrange the itinerary above to start your W trek on Day 2 and finish by Day 6. Head back to Puerto Natales on Day 6 or early morning on Day 7.

Itinerary 2 – Argentina Patagonia Itinerary

This itinerary is focussed on Argentina Patagonia. During these 7 days, you will see the main spots of interest in El Calafate and El Chalten. You can fly in and out of either El Calafate (preferred) or Ushuaia.

As with the earlier itinerary, I recommend renting a car so you can maximize your time. But, if that does not interest you, you can still do this Argentina Patagonia itinerary without a car.

Day	Things to do	Overnight stay in
Day 1	Fly in from El Calafate, drive/bus to El Chalten, explore El Chalten town	El Chaltén
Day 2	Mt. FitzRoy hike (Laguna de los Tres)	El Chaltén
Day 3	Lago del Desierto, Glacier Huemul, Chorrillo del Salto	El Chaltén
Day 4	Cerro Torre hike, Drive/bus to El Calafate in the evening	El Calafate
Day 5	Perito Moreno walkways, take a boat tour to see the glacier face	El Calafate
Day 6	Mini trekking or Big Ice tour on Perito Moreno, Ice Bar in the evening	El Calafate
Day 7	Shop for souvenirs, Fly back home in the evening	Home

This is a busy schedule for a week in Argentine Patagonia. Featuring two long hikes in El Chalten, and a half day of trekking on a glacier, this itinerary will appeal to the adventure traveler at heart. Feel free to replace the Cerro Torre hike with other activities such as horse riding or sightseeing in El Chalten. For more ideas, refer to this guide that covers El Chalten from Day 8 to Day 14.

Itinerary 3 – Chile and Argentina Patagonia Itinerary

Want to sample a bit of both Chile and Argentina in your 7-day Patagonia? Well, here is a great way to see a little bit of both countries and to develop a first taste of this incredible region in South America.

Unlike the two itineraries above, make sure you rent a car. This will help minimize time wasted in adhering to bus schedules. If in doubt, read this post on why you should rent a car, plus where to rent one for the best deals and service.

Day	Things to do	Overnight stay in
Day 1	Fly in from Punta Arenas, Drive to Puerto Natales	Puerto Natales
Day 2	Morning: Ferrier Viewpoint hike (you need a guide), Afternoon: Glacier Gray Boat Tour	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 3	Las Torres hike (The Three Towers) or Sightseeing around the Park: Salto Grande, Laguna Azul	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 4	Drive to El Calafate (international border crossing), Grab dinner at Pura Vida	El Calafate
Day 5	Perito Moreno Glacier walkways, Mini Trekking	El Calafate
Day 6	Day trip to El Chalten: Mt FitzRoy hike (Laguna de los Tres)	El Calafate
Day 7	Shopping at El Calafate, Fly out of El Calafate	Home

As you can see, this is a sample itinerary of the highlights of both Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia. While it may be tempting to go to both countries on a 7-day trip, I recommend you pick one only. That way, you have a better chance of summiting a 1000+ m peak and spending the other days doing less strenuous activities.

With that being said, I understand if you want to do this itinerary due to limited holidays and vacation time. If you choose to travel to both these countries, you will definitely want to come back at another time. I spent 2.5 weeks in Patagonia, and still intend to go back there sometime soon. Such is the beauty of that place 🙂

Itinerary 4 – Unique Destinations of Patagonia Itinerary

This itinerary is for travelers who crave unique destinations that are off the beaten path. So, you may want to pick this itinerary by itself or add these places to your itinerary to get a taste of exclusivity on your 7-day Patagonia itinerary.

This itinerary would work best to have a rental car.

Day	Things to do	Overnight stay in
Day 1	Fly into Punta Arenas, drive south along Ruta fin del Camino to the end of the road, visit San Isidro Lighthouse	Punta Arenas
Day 2	Ferrier Viewpoint hike, Puma tracking (you will need a guide for both these activities)	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 3	Las Torres hike* (The Three Towers), or Laguna Toro	Torres del Paine National Park area
Day 4	Drive to El Chalten (international border crossing), Sunset at Estancia La Quinta or Bahia Tunnel	Lago del Desierto, El Chaltén
Day 5	Lago del Desierto sightseeing, Glaciar HuemulFor an ultimate experience, stay at uber-exclusive Aguas Arriba Lodge	Lago del Desierto, El Chaltén
Day 6	Glaciar Sur hike or Estancia Nibepo Aike (you need to book both with a tour agency, read my 2-week post to learn how)	El Calafate
Day 7	Fly out of El Calafate	Home

*While this may not appear to be a unique destination, a hike to the base of the Three Towers in Patagonia needs to be on every itinerary for a first-time visitor in my humble opinion. It is a post-card-like view, and you will miss out immensely if you choose to skip it.

Sruti in Tres Torres: How I trained for Patagonia

Itinerary 5 – Patagonia Itinerary for Second or Third-Time Visitors

This 7-day Patagonia itinerary is for folks who have already been there once or twice and are looking for new experiences. Travelers opting for this itinerary want to go a bit further than Punta Arenas/El Calafate regions.

As it happens, this is the itinerary that we intend to do once we go back to Patagonia.

Day	Things to do	Overnight stay in
Day 1	Fly into Puerto Williams from Punta Arenas, Explore Puerto Williams City	Puerto Williams
Day 2	Hike to Dientes de Navarino, explore geological formations	Dientes de Navarino
Day 3	Summit Cerro Bandera (you can combine the day earlier and take a 2-day trip here), or Beagle Channel Kayak Tour	Puerto Williams
Day 4	Travel from Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas	Punta Arenas
Day 5	A full day of exploration at Tierra del Fuego	Tierra del Fuego
Day 6	See King Penguins in Pingüino Rey	Tierra del Fuego
Day 7	Do something bold, take a cruise to Antarctica from Ushuaia.	Ushuaia/ Home

Note: To go to Parque Nacional Cabo de Hornos, you must take a 12-hour ferry from Puerto Williams. Due to the long time it takes to reach this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, I have excluded it from this itinerary. However, you can use the last 3-4 days to explore this remote area of the planet, for an ultra-unique experience.

Are 7 days in Patagonia enough?

7 days in Patagonia is enough to see the main highlights of one of the two countries – Chile or Argentina. However, if you must go to both countries, you can still see the most important sights assuming you are fit for multi-day hikes.

Seven days in this region will give you a good taste of all that it has to offer. In fact, I am certain that you will want to go back there.