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Ushuaia, known as the city at the end of the world, is located at the furthest southern tip of Argentina. It’s small and rugged — not a conventionally pretty city itself, but honestly, the rough nature surrounding the city is what gives Ushuaia its charm.
Mountains and glaciers sit as the backdrop to the city, while the Beagle Channel sits in the foreground. The mix of landscapes makes Ushuaia feel cinematic and a bit moody… beautiful in its own way.
While most people have never heard of this remote city, many use it as an adventure base to explore deeper parts of Patagonia and as a jumping off point for Antarctica expeditions.
I spent about 2.5 days total in Ushuaia around a larger Antarctica trip, and I wish I had more time to explore. In this article I’ll breakdown the best things to do in Ushuaia: a mix of things to do while wandering the city as well as things to do if you have more time to explore Ushuaia’s gorgeous surroundings.
Ushuaia at a glance
Best time to visit: Summer (December – March)
How long to stay: 3 – 4 full days to experience the major sites
Top experiences: Beagle Channel, a lagoon hike, and Tierra del Fuego National Park
Airport: USH
Must try food: King Crab
Is Ushuaia Worth Visiting?
If you’re considering Ushuaia for a cute ski or mountain town, it probably won’t hit the mark for you. But if you love nature, wildlife, and adventure travel, Ushuaia is definitely worth it.
For people visiting Patagonia, I think the appeal is that the geography of Ushuaia offers something different than visits to El Chalten or Calafate. Places like Tierra del Fuego National Park offer the coastal forest side of Patagonia. You’ll get subantarctic forests, bays, rivers, and bogs. The location also offers you the opportunity to see the unique wildlife of the coast — think cute waddling penguins, sea birds overhead, and sun bathing sea lions.
If you’re planning a trip to Antarctica, I’d recommend to treat Ushuaia as a proper stop in your itinerary versus a transit stop. There’s something about the moody atmosphere, forests, and bogs that bring a sense of calm and awe to the soul. At least it did for me.
Best Things to Do in Ushuaia
1. Sail the Beagle Channel
📍Location: Beagle Channel | 💰 from $93.00 USD +
The Beagle Channel is a strait at the southern tip of South America creating a natural border between Argentina and Chile. Running about 240 km in length, it provides homes to wildlife like sea birds and sea lions. It’s pretty popular for tourists to visit to get those dramatic coastal views and a front seat view to the local wildlife.
The channel also acts as a gateway for cruise ships to Antarctica, which is how I was able to experience seeing it. While cruising through the channel, we saw a variety of sea birds, dolphins, whales, and penguins in the distance.
Since my Antarctica ship would sail through the channel and I knew I was about to spend nearly two weeks surrounded by marine wildlife, I skipped the separate day tour. That said, if I were visiting Ushuaia without going to Antarctica, this would absolutely be one of the first tours I’d book as you’ll get the chance to get up close to the islands to see and hear the wildlife.
Which Beagle Channel tour should you choose?
2. Explore Ushuaia’s Mountain Trails and Lagoons
If hiking is high on your list, you don’t need to enter the national park to find some great trails around Ushuaia. There are several amazing hikes to the north and east of the city which you can access for free, no national park entrance ticket needed. These trails can be reached by taxi, uber, or rental car.
In this area, you’ll find the trails move up from the forests and bogs into open valleys and alpine lagoons, an honestly breathtaking experience. Here’s a few of the trails you can check out.
Emerald Lagoon
📍Location: Emerald Lagoon | 🗺️ Trail Map: AllTrails
I personally chose to hike to Emerald Lagoon (or Laguna Esmeralda) while in Ushuaia. The hike is rated as moderate in difficulty reaching about 5.6 miles in distance and around 859 ft in elevation gain. I found this trail quite easy to do — it’s relatively flat minus one hill within the forest and some elevation gain as you get closer to the lagoon.
The route itself takes you through forest and muddy wetlands before opening into a wide valley and reaching a blue-green lagoon surrounded by mountains. I loved the variety of the landscape, and it ended up being one of my favorite things I did in Ushuaia.
One thing I’d plan better next time is transportation. I took an Uber with some other travelers I met to the trailhead, but reception is spotty outside the city and getting a ride back isn’t always easy. There are some taxis at the trailhead, but you may need to wait for one depending on availability.
🥾 Need a guided tour?
You can hike to Laguna Esmerelda on your own, but if you prefer someone else to figure out the transportation, trail, and food logistics, there are guided tours available.
Five Brother’s Lagoon
📍Location: Laguna 5 Hermanos | 🗺️ Trail Map: AllTrails
If you want a similar route to Laguna Esmerelda, but prefer a bit more of a challenge, Laguna Cinco Hermanos is around the same distance but has considerably more elevation gain and a steeper approach to the lagoon (around 2831 ft).
Martial Glacier
📍Location: Martial Glacier | 🗺️ Trail Map: AllTrails
For a shorter option closer to town, check out Martial Glacier. The route is a total of 4 miles out and back, but the elevation gain is 1,666 ft so prepare for some steep sections. While you have a bit of a climb, the work is worth it as you’ll be rewarded with views of the Beagle Channel below. This trail is popular due to its location – it’s an easily accessible route for those staying in hotels on Martial Glacier above Ushuaia.
🥾 Want a Martial Glacier Tour?
You can hike Martial Glacier on your own, but if you’re less comfortable following trails or don’t want to deal with transportation, there are guided tours available to hike these areas.
3. Explore Tierra del Fuego National Park
📍Location: Tierra del Fuego National Park | 💰Entrance: $40,000 ARS
If you want the official Tierra del Fuego experience, checkout the national park. Tierra del Fuego National Park is the southernmost national park in Argentina, combining the coastline of the Beagle channel, rivers, mountains, and forest all in one. It’s a popular spot for easy hikes, scenic view points, and checking out Lapataia Bay.
Outside of hiking here, visitors can also go kayaking or canoeing with a tour, or take the “End of the World” train.
You can visit the park on your own, but you’ll need to purchase an entrance ticket to the park. As of 2026, the park entrance ticket is 40,000 ARS (about $26 USD) for international visitors, but make sure to check the official site for updates.
To get there you can either hire a taxi or Uber, or rent your own car.
🚘 Book a rental car in Ushuaia
If you prefer exploring on your own and more flexibility to see sites, I’d recommend getting a rental car at the airport or in town.
4. Try Ushuaia’s Famous King Crab
📍Location: La Casa de Los Mariscos | 💰Cost: 30,000–70,000 ARS
The King Crab, or centolla, is Ushuaia’s signature dish, so it’s worth it just to try. I ended up going to La Casa de Los Mariscos with several friends so we could try multiple seafood dishes.
King crab (and seafood in general) can be expensive, so if you have people to go with its nice to be able to share dishes. I got the tarantela fueguina, which was a mix of king crab, garlic shrimp, and mussels. I can confirm: it was delicious.
Just a note, this restaurant is super popular so it’s smart to get a reservation if you want to grab dinner. Otherwise, you’ll need to get to the restaurant before it opens to wait in line, as the restaurant is small.
5. Walk Along Ushuaia’s Waterfront
📍Location: Waterfront | 💰Cost: FREE
One of the easiest things to do in Ushuaia is simply walk along the waterfront.
The city itself is rugged in nature, but once you get down near the water, you start to understand what makes Ushuaia beautiful. You have boats in the harbor, mountains surrounding the city, and the Beagle Channel stretching out in front of you.
Here’s the route I’d recommend. Start near the 📍End of the World Sign, then walk along the waterfront toward Bahía Encerrada and 📍Paseo de las Rosas.
You’ll pass the port, a plaza, then several small historical buildings along the way, including 📍Casa Beban and 📍Museo Pensar Malvinas.
Some of the smaller city museums are free for entry. If you’re particularly interested in learning more about Ushuaia’s history and don’t speak Spanish, an English-speaking walking tour may be helpful.
6. Visit the Maritime Museum and Former Prison
📍Location: Museo Maritímo | 💰Cost: 44,000 ARS
If you get one of those moody rainy days in Ushuaia, a good indoor option is visiting the Maritime Museum and prison. In this museum you’ll learn about the prison, naval and military history, and see artifacts from expeditions through the Beagle Channel and Antarctica.
I personally did not visit this museum as my interests were focused on outdoor activities, though my friends who visited really enjoyed the museum, saying that it was great to get more historical context of Ushuaia. The museum has quite a lot to see, so plan to spend several hours here.
The museum also allows you a re-entry within the next 48 hours, so you can come back the next day if you’d like to see more. It’s a good option if you have a bad weather day in Ushuaia.
7. Browse the Artisanal Market
📍Location: Feria de Artesanos | 💰Cost: FREE
If you want souvenirs that feel a little more personal than what you’ll find in the regular downtown gift shops, I’d check out Ushuaia’s artisan market.
You’ll find stalls selling things like knitted hats, jewelry, ceramics, cups, artwork, and plenty of penguin-themed souvenirs.
A lot of it felt more handmade and unique than the mass-produced items lining Avenida San Martín, so this is where I’d shop if you’re looking for something nicer to bring home.
The vendors were friendly, and while some accept cards, I’d bring some cash. In Argentina, you can sometimes get a better price if you pay in cash.
There are usually food trucks nearby too, so it’s an easy stop to combine with walking around the waterfront.
8. Wander Avenida San Martín and Downtown Ushuaia
📍Location: Avenida San Martín | 💰Cost: FREE
Ushuaia city center is small and super easy to explore by foot. The main street, Avenida San Martín, is lined with restaurants, cafés, chocolate shops, souvenir shops, and outdoor gear shops to set you up on your Antarctica or Patagonia adventure.
If I’m honest, the city itself isn’t somewhere I’d spend an entire day wandering, but it’s nice to visit before or after a bigger tour. The center is touristy and more functional, but you’ll still find some cute street art, the “End of the World” sign, sea food restaurants, and even the Patagonia Brewery.
How many days do you need in Ushuaia?
I’d recommend at least 2–3 full days in Ushuaia, or 4 days if you want more flexibility for hiking and unpredictable weather.
With two full days, you could choose between a Beagle Channel tour, Tierra del Fuego National Park, and one of the hikes around Ushuaia. Three days gives you enough time to do all three without packing too much into one day.
I had about 2.5 days around my Antarctica trip, but cruise check-in, embarkation, and arrival logistics cut into that time more than I expected. If you’re visiting before an Antarctica cruise, I’d avoid counting those partial days as full sightseeing days.
When is the best time to visit Ushuaia?
If your focus is getting into nature and seeing wildlife, I’d recommend going during Argentina’s summer (December through March). These days will have better weather with long hours of sunlight, good hiking conditions, and a better chance to see wildlife on the Beagle Channel (the penguins start migrating north in March, some whales migrate south).
Something to take note of is that even if it is the summer season, due to Ushuaia’s geography and climate, it will still get some amount of rain. I went in early February; I had one sunny day where the rest of the time was a bit cloudy and misty.
If your focus is skiing, winter is a good option but you’ll get shorter days.
How do you get around Ushuaia?
You can get around the city center and waterfront easily by foot, but if you’d like to visit any of the main attractions like Tierra del Fuego National Park or the surrounding hikes, you’ll need some sort of transportation.
Taxi / Uber. Good for getting to trailheads and the national park if you don’t want to drive yourself. Something to note is you may have to wait a bit for taxis on return trips depending on availability, and cell phone service can be spotty at trails to order an Uber.
Rental car. Renting a car is the best option for a flexible schedule and can help you get to the national park and the lagoon hikes around the city.
Organized tour. Best for stress-free transportation to the national park, Beagle Channel, and some of the hikes around Ushuaia.
Where should you stay in Ushuaia?
If you’re using Ushuaia as a jumping off point for Antarctica or want easy access to shops, restaurants, and the pier, staying in Ushuaia’s city center is probably the right choice. Here, you can go on tours then come back and settle in.
If you’re looking for more of a peaceful nature getaway, I’d recommend staying in the hillside Martial Glacier area. There are a few great spa/resorts like the Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort and Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel.
Some of the hotels offer shuttles to the city center, though if they do not you’ll need to find transportation into town.
Hotels in Ushuaia: My Quick Picks
FAQ-s About Ushuaia
Planning a trip to Ushuaia?
🛌 Book a hotel: Booking.com, and Expedia
👓 Book local tours: Viator, and GetYourGuide
🚙 Rent a car: Discover Cars
📱 Setup data before you land: Airalo
🏥 Travel insurance: IMG for comprehensive trip protection; World Nomads for activity-focused travel
I’m Marie, a slowmad and adventurer who left settled life in the U.S. to explore the world more deeply.
I’ve spent about five months in Argentina across two stays, mostly based in Buenos Aires while traveling more adventurously around the country.
I share the experiences worth going out of your way for, what I learned from doing them firsthand, and the practical details that make those trips easier to plan.
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