Patagonia is a wild region in the southern tip of South America with some of the best multi-day trekking routes on the continent. From the popular hikes in Torres del Paine National Park to off-the-beaten-track trails in the remote Patagonia National Parks. One can spend a couple of months hiking in the region. The scenery on the treks is incredible; massive glaciers, turquoise lagoons, snowy peaks, hidden valleys, and breathtaking lookout points. We put together a list of the 10 best multi-day hikes in Patagonia.
If you prefer staying in the comfort of a hotel room to camping in the wild there are plenty of amazing hikes in Patagonia that vary from easy routes suitable for hikers with children to more challenging trails for experienced trekkers.
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4 Fantastic multi-day hikes in Patagonia, Argentina side
Refugio Otto Meiling trek, Bariloche
Distance – 30 km/18,6 miles, return
Required time – 2 days
Difficulty level – medium
Starting/finishing point – Pampa Linda
Accessibility – by car or by bus, a 2-hour drive from Bariloche
Cost – camping ARS 5000/US$5, dorm bed – ARS 21 000/US$22.
Accommodation options – dorm beds (mattress on the floor) or camping with your gear.
The Otto Mering trek is one steep and long ascent to the Refugio Otto Mering (an overnight hut) and a subsequent steep descent on the next day. The total altitude gain is 1000m. Some parts of the trek are on rocky terrain but overall it’s not a technical route and doesn’t require a high level of fitness. The view from the Refugio over the area is stunning. The trail takes hikers through different landscapes; fields, rivers, the indigenous forest, and rocky mountains.
The Refugio is about 15 min. walk to get to the stunning Tronador Glacier. The glacier is quite impressive; it’s hanging from the top of the mountain with several waterfalls falling down a couple of hundred meters. You can visit the area and see the glacier with a day tour from Bariloche.
Places to stay in Bariloche
Bariloche is a charming town with many hotels, hostels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It’s a great place to start your Patagonia adventure.
Villa O’Higgins to El Chaltén hike
Distance – 34 km/21 miles
Required time – 2 days
Difficulty level – moderate, depending on how much luggage you carry with you and if you walk the whole way or take a second ferry
Starting point – Candelario Mancilla, Chile/Laguna de Desierto, Argentina
Finishing point – Laguna de Desierto, Argentina/Candelario Mancilla, Chile
Accessibility – by car/bus from El Chaltén, by ferry from Villa O’Higgins
Admission fee – free
Accommodation options – camping
The trek can be done either way from Argentina to Chile or another way around. The walk from Villa O’Higgins to El Chaltén is getting more and more popular every year. The combination of walking and a ferry is the only way to cross the border from Villa O’Higgins to El Chaltén. The whole traverse is a combination of one or two ferry rides, walking, and a bus or hitchhiking. It’s important to remember that you’ll walk with all your luggage so make sure it’s not too heavy.
The entire route starting from the ferry ride to the bus ride is stunning. In two days on the trek, you can see incredible turquoise lakes, indigenous Patagonian forests, snowy mountain peaks, and even some wildlife. The trek starts with a beautiful ferry ride across O’Higgins Lake from Villa O’Higgins to Candelario Mancilla. The last stretch of the trail is along the turquoise Laguna del Desierto. As an option instead of walking, you can cross it by ferry.
It’s important to keep in mind that the weather in this part of Patagonia is very unpredictable. You have to be prepared for rain, strong wind, and heil so make sure your camping gear is good enough.
Huemul Circuit, El Chaltén
Distance – 70 km/43 miles, circuit
Required time – 3-4 days
Difficulty level – difficult, some technical parts
Starting/finishing point – El Chaltén
Accessibility – on foot from El Chaltén
Admission fee – free
Accommodation options – camping
The Huemul Circuit boasts some of the most impressive scenery in this part of Patagonia: a massive glacier that is a part of the Southern Patagonia Glacier field; beautiful turquoise lakes; lookouts with stunning views over the area. This multi-day hike is an experience well worth of effort. The Huemul Circuit is a tough hike that we wouldn’t recommend attempting if you’re an inexperienced hiker as well and hiking it alone is not a great idea.
There are several challenging ascents and descents on the route over the passes with outstanding views. Some parts of the trail involve river crossings, walking on the edge of the cliff, bouldering, etc. For this route walking poles will come in very handy.
Registration at the ranger’s office is compulsory for this trek. It’s free and done for your safety. If you’re not back in the predicted time rangers can start looking for you. You can get a fine if caught hiking without a permit.
If this trek sounds too tough there are many other incredible and less demanding treks in El Chaltén e.g. the Laguna de Los Tres hike.
Places to stay in El Chaltén
El Chaltén is often called the adventure capital of Argentina. There are many great campsites in El Chalten with good facilities that are popular with hikers and rock climbers.
Sierra Valdivieso Circuit, Ushuaia
Distance – 48 km/30 miles, circuit
Required time – 4 days
Difficulty level – difficult
Starting/finishing point – Tierra Mayor Valley
Accessibility – by car
Admission fee – free
Accommodation options – camping
Just the idea of hiking somewhere at the end of the world is already quite exciting. The scenery on the Sierra Valdivieso Circuit is fantastic; snowy mountain peaks, forests, green valleys, and blue lakes. Add to this peace and tranquility that you can only experience in isolated places like this. Nature here is completely unspoiled; there are very few hikers venturing this way, and as a result, you can easily spot some wild animals e.g. foxes, beavers, and many birds.
The trek is quite challenging ascending over the mountain passes and descending back to the valleys. The route is not marked but usually, the direction is quite obvious it’s recommended to use GPS for navigation. There are no established campsites on this route – wild camping in a suitable place is the way to go. Just remember, don’t leave any rubbish behind and don’t make wildfires.
Places to stay in Ushuaia
6 Spectacular multi-day hikes in Patagonia, Chile side
Cerro Castillo Circuit, Carretera Austral
Distance – 53 km/33 miles
Required time – 4 days, can be completed in 3 days
Difficulty level – moderate, two steep ascents and descents.
Starting point – Las Horquetas/Villa Cerro Castillo
Finishing point – Las Horquetas/Villa Cerro Castillo
Accessibility – by car/bus from Coyhaique or Villa Cerro Castillo
Admission fee+camping in the park – CLP 30 000/US$35
Accommodation options – camping
The Cerro Castillo trek is one of our favorite multi-day hikes in Patagonia. The route goes through the Cerro Castillo National Park. The trek offers a great diversity of landscapes; hanging glaciers, the indigenous pine forest, snowy peaks, turquoise lakes, mountain rivers, green meadows, and rocky passes with snow even in summer. Some parts of the trail involve steep ascents or descents and are quite challenging but the views are 100% rewarding. The highlight of the trek is the Cerro Castillo Glacier, a big hanging glacier dropping down into a small turquoise lagoon. The circuit can be done either way starting at Villa Cerro Castillo or at Las Horquetas.
Sometimes the Cerro Castillo National Park is described as the second Torres del Paine. Some hikers prefer it over the famous national park mainly because Cerro Castillo is less commercial and far less crowded. The infrastructure in the park is good enough, the route is marked, and there are designated campsites with very basic facilities. We enjoyed the circuit but to be honest, the scenery on one of the longer routes in Torres del Paine is more impressive.
Places to stay in Coihaique
Coihaique is the nearest big town with many accommodation options, restaurants, gear rental places, and shops. You can stay in Villa Cerro Castillo but it’s a really small place with a couple of campsites, hotels, and a small shop or two.
Jeinemeni Áviles Valley trek, Patagonia National Park
Distance – 95 km/59 miles
Required time – 4-5 days
Difficulty level – difficult, very isolated area, several river crossing
Starting/finishing point – Jeinimeni Lake or Stone House campsite, can be walked either way
Accessibility – by car. If you don’t have your vehicle it’s better to arrange a shuttle that will drop you off and pick you up, with very few cars going that way.
Admission fee – free
Accommodation options – camping
The Áviles to Jeinmeni trek in the Patagonia National Park is for real adventurers. It’s probably one of the wildest multi-day hikes in Patagonia. Before attempting this route make sure you have the right gear and enough experience to wander in the wild alone. You have to carry camping gear and food enough for the duration of the trek. It’s important to pack the right gear for Patagonia.
The route starts or finishes (depending on which way you go) at the beautiful Jeinimeni Lake followed by the even more impressive Lago Verde – a turquoise lake surrounded by mountains and forest. For the following 4-5 days the scenery in the Patagonia National Park will continue to surprise you; an isolated and untouched area with ice-cold rivers that you’ll have to cross, beautiful valleys surrounded by high mountains, pampa, and forest – here you can see all the diversity of the Patagonian landscape.
O’Higgins Glacier trek, Carretera Austral
Distance – 82 km/51 miles, return
Required time – 4 days
Difficulty level – moderate/difficult, very isolated area
Starting/finishing point – Candelario Mancilla
Accessibility – by boat from Villa O’Higgins, on foot from Laguna del Desierto
Admission fee – pay for a return boat trip and camping on the island (private land) CLP 25 000/US$30.
Accommodation options – camping
Villa O’Higgins where you start the trek is a small village at the end of the Carretera Austral. Any hike you do around Villa O’Higgins is an off-the-grid adventure and the O’Higgins Glacier trek is not an exclusion. The trail takes you through the Patagonian forest to the beautiful O’Higgins Lake. There you have to take a boat to cross it, on the opposite side, there is an established campsite that belongs to a family that lives there. From the campsite, it’s a day walk (return) to the viewpoint from where you can see the massive O’Higgins glacier. You walk back the same way.
The scenery on the trek is truly spectacular: the O’Higgins and El Chico Glaciers, the turquoise O’Higgins Lake, several waterfalls, indigenous forest, and untouched nature. All these you can enjoy without crowds in total solitude.
Before coming to Patagonia we’d done several hikes in Peru but the O’Higgins Glacier trek was more remote than any routes we’ve done there. It’s compulsory to register at Chilean Carabineros for the hike and indicate a day you’re planning to return. This trek can be combined with the walk from Villa O’Higgins to El Chaltén.
Places to stay in Villa O’Higgins
Villa O’Higgins is a really small place with a shop, a couple of hotels one or two campsites, and a couple of restaurants.
The O Circuit in Torres del Paine
Distance – 120 km/74 miles, circuit
Required time – 6-8 days
Difficulty level – moderate with a couple of challenging ascents
Starting/finishing point – Hotel Las Torres
Accessibility – by car, by bus, on foot
Admission fee – US$50
Accommodation options – camping, refugios, hotels
The O circuit in Torres del Paine is probably one of the most famous hikes in the world. If you have time and like hiking, we recommend doing the O trek. The scenery along the route is truly spectacular: aquamarine lakes, crystal-clear rivers, a massive glacier, breathtaking lookouts, beautiful valleys, and diverse wildlife. Backpacking in Torres del Paine you get a chance of spotting guanacos, foxes, condors, armadillos, and in less explored parts of the park even a puma.
The route takes hikers through both off-the-beaten-path parts of the park and must-see tourist attractions. Some of the highlights of the trek are the Grey Glacier, John Garner Pass, Grey Lake, Pehoé Lake, Skottsberg Lake, Vally Francés, and Mirador Las Torres. For inexperienced hikers, it can be quite a tough walk, especially the part of conquering the John Garner pass, but the views from the top are more than rewarding. The trail is well-marked. There are campsites, hostels, and refugios on the trek.
The W trek in Torres del Paine
Distance – 100 km/62 miles
Required time – 4-5 days
Difficulty level – moderate
Starting point – Refugio Paine Grande
Finishing point – Hotel Las Torres
Accessibility – by boat from Pudeto
Admission fee – US$50
Accommodation options – camping, refugios, hotels
The W trek in Torres del Paine goes through the most popular part of the park. It gives hikers a chance to admire the highlights of the park such as Mirador Las Torres, Grey Glacier, Pehoé Lake, Vally Francés, Los Cuernos, Nordenskjold Lake, etc. This trek is an easier and shorter alternative to the O circuit. The scenery on this trek won’t stop surprising you every day a massive glacier, colorful lakes, green valleys, waterfalls and creeks, bizarrely shaped mountains, and indigenous forest.
The infrastructure of this part of the park is quite developed. The trail is marked very well, there are many campsites, hostels, and hotels with restaurants. Carrying camping gear and food is optional though staying at hotels and eating at restaurants inside the park is quite pricey. There are some tough parts on the route such as the ascent to the Mirador Las Torres, but overall, it’s not an enjoyable trek. I would recommend including it in your Patagonia itinerary.
You can do the W trek with a tour from Puerto Natales. The tour includes transportation, accommodation, and meals.
Places to stay in Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is the closest to Torres del Paine Park. It has good infrastructure, many hostels, hotels, gear rental shops, restaurants, supermarkets, etc. It’s an excellent place to stay before or after trekking.
Cabo Froward trek, Punta Arenas
Distance – 75 km/46,7 miles, return
Required time – 4-5 days
Difficulty level – very difficult, many river crossings, have to plan the route according to tides
Starting/finishing point – south of Punta Arenas, where the road ends
Accessibility – by car
Admission fee – free
Accommodation options – camping
The Cabo Froward trek is the ultimate adventure in Patagonia for those who survived weeks of challenging hiking and camping in the region. This multi-day hike in Patagonia is very challenging, mainly because of its isolation and several difficult river crossings. Sometimes you have to swim with your backpack so it’s important to plan the trek according to the tides. This trek can be done only between December and March – the warmest time of the year. Due to several river crossings, the trek might take longer than you plan it’s better to have food supplies for an extra day.
The scenery here is quite different from the rest of Chilean Patagonia. If you come here after trekking in Torres del Paine you’ll notice it; no more snowy mountain peaks, glaciers, or forests. The landscape is predominantly open areas of grass-covered plains with many rivers and lakes. The trek ends at Cruz de Los Mares – a metal cross that marks the southernmost point of the continent.
Accommodation in Punta Arenas
How to prepare for multi-day hikes in Patagonia?
Patagonian weather is unpredictable; it might be a lovely sunny day and in an hour it changes to stormy wind, hail, and rain. Hikers have to be prepared to experience several seasons in one day.
Due to difficult weather conditions, it’s highly recommended to have reliable gear for hiking and camping especially if you’re planning to do some of the long-distance treks in Patagonia.
If you’re going to hike one of the less-popular treks in the isolated area of Patagonia (especially if you’re hiking alone) always let somebody know where you’re heading and when you’re planning to return.
For some routes, it’s highly recommended to use GPS navigation.
If you’re an inexperienced hiker choose treks in one of the popular areas e.g. Torres del Paine, El Chalten, or Bariloche where there will be other hikers on the trail.
Having travel insurance is highly recommended for trekking in Patagonia.
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
