Travelling from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas

This Wildlife, Glaciers & Cape Horn Cruise is a wonderful way to explore the fjords, wildlife and glaciers of Tierra del Fuego, and to visit Cape Horn on your journey between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas.

If you’re keen on wildlife it’s a particularly great trip as you’ll witness some of Patagonia’s best (from Magellanic Penguins, to Cormorants, Elephant Seals and even Beavers), whilst also seeing some of it’s most beautiful Glaciers (Marinelli & Pia), and landing on the famous Cape Horn.

It lasts four days and gives you one of the most full and varied experiences of all the cruises on offer in the region.

There are no direct flights from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas. so you'll need to get the bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales (3hrs) and then from Puerto Natales to El Calafate (5hrs) and then fly from there to Ushuaia.

The journey from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas takes 11-12 hours by bus, including a ferry trip across the Magellan Straits at its narrowest point. It’s the simplest and cheapest option and actually much more enjoyable than it sounds!

The first part of the journey takes you through the Patagonian steppe and along the Magellan Straits, and then once you head towards the mountains around Ushuaia you suddenly enter a very different landscape.

There is a 30 hour ferry between Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams, which was designed for the local people of Puerto Williams. It is not a great tourist experience in our opinion, as you may not get to see that much, and you don’t stop off anywhere en route. You also have to get a taxi from Puerto Williams to Puerto Navarino on arrival, followed by a crossing over to Ushuaia.

This four day Cape Horn Adventure can start in Punta Arenas (flight to Puerto Williams), and end in Ushuaia (boat trip across the Beagle Channel), and there is also a shorter version if you have less time and/or a smaller budget. You’ll be staying in a lovely lodge, which is a great base from which to explore Chilean Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn.

Alternatively, you can fly from Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams, from where you’d need to organise a taxi to Puerto Navarino and a boat trip from there to Ushuaia. The flights from Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams depart at set times once a day from Monday to Saturday, but are very weather dependent so please be aware that they can often be cancelled.