Notes:
Patagonia Flights tip: Try to book flights from the Chilean website as these are supposedly cheaper
Bus travel tips: Book at least the day before. Buses are cheaper when booked locally either on line or over the counter. Use BusBud https://www.busbud.com or Recorrido or Voy Hoy. Bus Sur is a great bus line.
Day 1-3: Fly into Santiago (or Buenos Aires and do in reverse) Enjoy this vibrant city while recovering from jet lag.
Day 4: Santiago to Puerto Natales. Transfer from Punta Arenas, to Puerto Natales with connecting bus at the airport. Punta Arenas didn’t look appealing.
Accommodation In Puerto Natales. For stylish and cosy accommodation http://www.booking.com/Share-9nst3B Otherwise we used Booking.com for our searches.
Day 5-6: Puerto Natales for down time and carbo load. The extra day could be better spent on the W Trek
W TREK: we booked through https://fantasticosur.com
Day 7: Puerto Natales to W Trek
Day 8: W Trek
Day 9: W Trek
Day 10: W Trek
Day 11: W Trek transfer Puerto Natales
Day. 12: Puerto Natales to El Calafate to El Chalten Long Full day of . but worth getting into El Chalten.
Puerto Natales to El Calafate: Buses leave early for El Calafate in Argentina, operated by Bus Sur, COOTRA.. The journey costs around $17,000 CLP ($27 USD) and can take anywhere between five and eight hours, depending on the queues at the border.
Bus El Calafate to El Chalten 3 hours. Book buses as per notes.
Day 13-14: El Chalten
Try to allow a few extra days as weather is very changeable and you need a clear day to climb FitzRoy. We would have spent more time here if we had it.
We did Mount Fitz Roy (Proper shoes and hiking poles are essential) and Condor lookout at sunrise. These two I wouldn’t miss but there are many walks to do. Check out https://elchalten.com/eng/actividades/caminatas.php
Accomodation: We stayed at Mirador del Bosque Aparts Av. Coirón 321, El Chalten, 9301, Argentina, a self catering Apartment on the hill. Every where you stay is central.
Day 15-16: El Calafate
We took the 1 pm bus to El Calafate 3 hours. There are later buses.
Los Glaciares N.P. Must visit the Perito Moreno Glacier. This immense jagged sheet of ice 5km wide 70 km long. It stretches as far as the eye can see. Rising out of Lago Argentino it reaches 50 metres. It is the fastest moving glacier on the planet and the eerie creaks add to the wondrousness of the experience. Every so often an office block sized chunk of ice collapses into the water below before slowly floating down the lake as a giant iceberg. You can take a bus or tour. We hired a taxi for 3000 pesos and had the freedom to do our own schedule visiting the Glacarium ice museum http://glaciarium.com/es/ on the way home. This is definitely the way to do it with 2 or more people.
Day 17-20: El Chalten – Buenos Aires then spend 3 full days to explore this city and its multitude of cultural offerings.
Day 21-23: Buenos Aires to Iguaçu Falls. We took the morning flight and spent the afternoon on the Brazil side and then had a full day on the Argentinian side. It’s worth doing both sides but if there is only enough time for one side DON’T MISS the Argentinian side. If time is short you could fly back to Buenos Aires for flights home.
Day 23-30 Iguazú to Salta and travel around this stunning a world heritage listed part of the world. We hired a car to give ourselves freedom and flexibility but tour companies prove day trips from Salta.
Day 30: Fly form Salta to next destination or home. Ours is Perú.