Searching for a guide on how to get to Patagonia, Puerto Natales and the stunning Torres del Paine national park from Santiago or elsewhere in Chile? You've found it!
In this post, we've outlined the three main transport routes, with an overview of the key costs and considerations.
Note that whilst we usually try and recommend overland whenever possible in Latin America (and worldwide, generally), due to the size and geography of Chile, flying is usually your best option - especially now low cost airlines have entered the marketplace.
The exception to this is if you’d like the experience travelling by sea via the Patagonian fjords. This is the option we took and it was incredible!
Completely updated January 2023
a word of warning for budget travellers
Travelling to, from and within Patagonia is neither cheap nor convenient.
In fact, for the budget conscious amongst you, you need to be fully aware that hiking the 'W' or visiting elsewhere in the region, such as the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina, is going to cost more than your initial expectations; transport costs form a significant part of this.
We thought long and hard about whether we could afford to go to Patagonia on our two-year trip around Latin America. For the first 18 months, we decided against it because of the associated costs. It was only when we reached Chile, and after much research, that we decided it was worth going over our budget, by quite a significant margin, to experience the region.
the transport hubs of patagonia
Click on the markers in the interactive map below to familiarise yourself with the locations of the Chilean towns, landmarks and airports we will be mentioning in this post.
The most important place is Puerto Natales, a town in the south of Chile which is the gateway to Torres del Paine and where you will spend at least a couple of nights.
What is the best way to get to Patagonia?
We’re going to be somewhat unhelpful here, and say that the best way to reach Patagonia from elsewhere in Chile is depends upon not one, but several key factors:
Your absolute maximum budget
How much time you have (and how much you value your time you have - are you time rich and money poor, or money rich and time poor?)
How far in advance you’re planning and booking your Patagonian adventure
Whether you can still ‘rough it’ or need a certain level of comfort
Whether you’re travelling with a carry-on bag or a huge suitcase
How to Get to Patagonia From Elsewhere in Chile
Fly into patagonia
Flying into the heart of Patagonia makes a lot of sense. It will save you several days of travel in comparison to the other options and, if you are lucky with your booking, won't cost the earth. In fact, from November to October, flying costs significantly less than the ferry.
There are several airlines which service Chilean Patagonia, including:
Jet Smart. This is the most budget friendly but the extras (like luggage) will increase the coasts quite a bit.
Sky Airline. At a similar price-point to Jet Smart, but they have more regular departures.
LATAM. The country’s flag carrying airline, LATAM has the largest number of flights from Santiago to Patagonia, including the only flight from Santiago to Puerto Natales. They are however the most expensive airline, even after factoring in that luggage etc is included in the upfront fee.
Aerovías DAP. These small planes operate on a much more limited schedule, with far fewer destinations covered. Most of you won’t fly with them.
You have a few different options to make the journey to Puerto Natales:
Fly From Santiago to Puerto Natales
The new Puerto Natales airport is the closest to Torres del Paine.
Travel Time | This is a 3 hour flight
Frequency | During the peak summer season (November to March) there are daily flights to Puerto Natales. Outside of this period however frequency decreases significantly, and LATAM doesn’t fly at all.
Cost | Flight prices fall somewhere between $49,000 CLP ($60 USD) and $180,000 CLP ($220 USD) one way depending upon when you book. Note that prices may be higher if booking within a week or so of travel.
How to Book | We recommend checking and comparing all options on Skyscanner, and then booking directly with the airline company.
Onward Travel | A taxi from the airport into Puerto Natales should cost no more than $7,000 ($8.50 USD), but there are sometimes shuttle vehicles located at arrivals that charge per person (more economical if travelling by yourself). As far as we are aware, there is no local bus into town - but if you discover otherwise, please let us know in the comments.
Fly From Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales
If you have plans to visit some spots south of Santiago, such as Pucón, then it may be better to fly from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales.
Travel Time | This is a 3.5 hour flight
Frequency | Sky Airlines fly throughout the year, with daily flights during the summer months and twice weekly off-season. Jet Smart operates flights on this route a couple of times a week in the peak season.
Cost | Flight prices fall somewhere between $24,000 CLP ($30 USD) and $90,000 CLP ($110 USD) one way depending upon when you book. This route seems to offer the best value last minute fares.
How to Book | We recommend checking and comparing all options on Skyscanner, and then booking directly with the airline company.
Onward Travel | Sea above for onward travel advice
Fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas
Prior to the new airport opening in Puerto Natales, flying into Punta Arenas (and then taking an onward connecting bus) was the most convenient option for accessing southern Chile. Given that there are far more flights between Santiago and Punta Arenas, this still may be the best option for you.
Travel Time | This is a 3.5 hour flight
Frequency | During the summer months there are several flights daily
Cost | Flight prices fall somewhere between $30,000 CLP ($37 USD) and $80,000 CLP ($98 USD) one way depending upon when you book.
How to Book | We recommend checking and comparing all options on Skyscanner, and then booking directly with the airline company.
Onward Travel | From the airport the easiest option is to hop on the direct bus to Puerto Natales (travelling with Bus Sur). This service runs several times a day, takes three hours and 15 minutes and costs $10,000 CLP ($12 USD).
Please be aware that you are unable to buy tickets for this journey on the bus or in the airport therefore you will need to buy them online, in advance. You can do so via the Recorrido website.
Alternatively, you can take a transfer service or a taxi from Punta Arenas airport to the city centre.
Fly from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas
Whilst this is less practical than flying into Puerto Natales from Puerto Montt, if you have plans to visit some spots in northern Patagonia, this is an option to consider.
Travel Time | This is a 2 hour flight
Frequency | During the summer months there are several flights daily.
Cost | Sky Airline and LAN are two of the main providers of flights on this route, with Sky Airline offering by far the cheaper rate. Flight prices fall somewhere between $24,000 CLP ($30 USD) and $180,000 CLP ($220 USD) one way depending upon when you book. Do note that this route is particularly expensive in February, even if booked a few months out.
How to Book | We recommend checking and comparing all options on Skyscanner, and then booking directly with the airline company.
Onward Travel | See above for onward travel advice.
Sail to Patagonia
Sailing for four days and three nights through the Patagonian Fjords sounds like one hell of an experience. And, as this is the option we took, we can happily attest that it was certainly a memorable voyage.
Run exclusively by Navimag, their cargo ships double up as ferries which bring hundreds of tourists south every week.
So what can you expect? Passengers can pick from one bed in a 3 person shared-dormitory to a range of private cabins. You are provided with three, surprisingly good, meals a day (cold breakfast, hot lunch and dinner), excellent hot showers, onboard talks and even yoga classes! There is no internet, so most of your time is going to be spent out on deck admiring the views which, although quite repetitive, are beautiful in some stretches. If you're lucky, wildlife spottings are possible; we saw a couple of dolphins and a seal, whilst whale sightings have been recorded.
Importantly, after an incident with some drunk truck drivers attempting a barbecue in their room, there is a strict zero-tolerance policy on alcohol. There are at least two dedicated English-speaking staff on board to assist passengers.
The ferry exceeded our expectations in terms of comfort and service. The overall 'travel' experience however, although very good, fell a little short of our high expectations.
Do note that since we travelled this route, Navimag have upgraded to the ‘Esperanza’ boat, which appears much more comfortable than the option we took.
Departure Points | Ferries depart from Puerto Montt on Tuesday evenings at 6pm. Passengers must check-in at the Navimag offices and then return later when a shuttle bus will bring them to the port, around twenty minutes away.
Although the ferry's route and itinerary varies depending on weather, season and conditions, all will terminate on Monday mornings in the town of Puerto Natales, which is the gateway to Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego.
To return north, the ferry departs Puerto Natales at 6 am on Saturday mornings.
Frequency | This is a weekly service that only runs during the high season (October to March). Note that occasionally the departure switches to a Tuesday. You can find a full timetable on the Navimag website.
Travel Time | Four day / three nights. Now, because one can view the ferry journey as an experience in and of itself, those three nights are less likely to be viewed as too much of a negative, unlike the above bus journey. However, if you are on a very tight time schedule in Chile, taking this option will mean you miss out on spending time in other parts of the country.
Cost | The price varies quite significantly depending your choice of cabin. For example, a bed in a 3 person dorm $590 USD whereas if you wold like a private suite, you’ll pay as much as $2650 as a single traveller. You can find a full breakdown of the cabin options here.
It's worth nothing that, if the boat is not full, you may be given a free upgrade on your room once you're on board.
Whichever season you travel in, this cost includes all your food on the journey but does not include a $10 USD port tax.
Taking the ferry to reach Patagonia is definitely not the cheapest option, with a premium being charged for the 'Patagonian Fjords' experience. We felt the prices in low season (at least for the cheapest room) were just about right whilst those in high season are over-priced, for what you receive. We would absolutely encourage against paying extra for a window or en-suite (unless of course you would really like them) in low or high season.
How to Book | Bookings and further information can be found on Navimag's website. If you are planning on travelling in high season, it is worth booking well in advance.
take the bus to patagonia
Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas By Bus
The issue with taking the bus to southern Patagonia is that one, it’s a bloody big distance, and two, the main road on the Chilean side doesn’t actually stretch all the way to Puerto Natales - instead you start in Puerto Montt and have to traverse either side of the Chile-Argentina border, before finishing in Punta Arenas.
Not a problem in and of itself, except that it makes the journey down south a very, very long one.
A 32 hour one to be precise.
It used to be that for budget backpackers this route made sense, but the introduction of low-cost airlines - with flights often cheaper than what you’d pay to travel by bus - it is becoming increasingly less popular. We honestly wouldn’t really recommend it these days.
Perhaps the only exception to this is if you make the decision to travel to Patagonia super last minute and all available plane tickets are significantly more than that you’d pay to travel by bus.
Departure Points | This direct bus leaves from Puerto Montt. If you are starting the journey towards Patagonia from Santiago, we'd recommend you split it up with a few days in Pucón, a nice little lakeside tourist town with a range of adventure activities on offer and some excellent D.I.Y. hiking.
Travel Time | If you're travelling to South America on short-term trip, you need to factor in that the bus will take at least two days out of your travel itinerary. Indeed, if you are trying to do this trip all in one go from Santiago (you are truly a masochist), total travel time would end up being at least 45 hours, not including waiting for connections.
Is that how you want to be spending your vacation?
Frequency | Only a couple of companies operate the route - Cruz del Sur is the most frequent - with limited departures on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Update January 2023 - we’re not entirely sure this route is still operational as we are unable to find or book it online. If you know definitively, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Cost | At around $45,000 CP ($55) per person from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas, it is an absolute bargain for the thousands of kilometres covered.
However, the cost of additional connecting buses, food and a possible overnight stay in Puerto Montt need to be factored into your plans. Also, bear in mind that this is not a luxury long-bus service, with only 'semi-cama' beds being offered.
A low cost airline booked in advance will likely cost the same or less than this 32 hour bus journey.
How to Book | Recorrido is a good place to start to check departure information for several companies running the route, whilst Cruz del Sur's website also lists the departure and booking information for their Puerto Montt-Punta Arenas bus.
Onward Travel | Once you arrive in Punta Arenas, you will have no trouble finding a bus to take you the three hours up the road to Puerto Natales.
Buses to Northern Patagonia
We’re not going to cover this in huge detail, but if you’re wanting to reach northern Patagonia, bus travel is a very good option.
Simply get yourself to Puerto Montt, from which there are frequent departures to Chiatén, and onwards to Coyhaique and Puyuhuapi.
You can find some options for buses or private transport on Bookaway.
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We always welcome your feedback to keep these posts relevant for future travellers. If prices change significantly or you have alternative transport suggestions, let us know in the comments. Also, if you take the bus, tell us about the experience.
