A Guide to Argentine Patagonia: Fitz Roy, Glaciers & the Cape Horn Crossing

See tango in Buenos Aires

Catch a show or go to a milonga in San Telmo or Recoleta. The city eats and goes out late, so don't be surprised if things don't get started until well after 10 p.m.

Walk Recoleta & Palermo

Start at the Recoleta Cemetery, then spend a few hours in Palermo, which has the city's best concentration of cafés, restaurants, and shops.

Hike to Laguna de los Tres from El Chaltén

The main trek out of El Chaltén is about 12 to 15 miles round trip, with a steep final climb to a lagoon directly below Mount Fitz Roy. Start early! The morning light on the peak is best, and the weather can change quickly.

Hike to Laguna Torre

A flatter, easier walk to a glacial lagoon facing Cerro Torre. Good as a second day or if you want something less demanding.

Take the shorter El Chaltén walks

Mirador de los Cóndores, Chorrillo del Salto, and Loma del Pliegue Tumbado are solid half-day options. El Chaltén is a small, laid-back trekking village built entirely around getting people into the mountains, so trailheads start right from town.

See Perito Moreno Glacier

From the boardwalks, you get the full head-on view of the ice wall and a good chance of seeing it calve. The sun warms the ice as the day goes on, so your odds of hearing and seeing a calving are better later.

Cruise the fjords

This is the part of the trip you can't do any other way: zodiac landings at glaciers like Pía and Garibaldi, the passage through Glacier Alley, and a Cape Horn landing if the weather allows. It's one of those experiences that will live in your memory forever.

Explore around Ushuaia

The southernmost city in the world sits where the mountains meet the Beagle Channel. This is king crab country, with many local eateries serving up sweet crab meat. Ushuaia is a great place to wind down for a night or two before flying back north.

Don Julio (Palermo, Buenos Aires)

The city's most celebrated parrilla, and worth the weeks-ahead reservation for the dry-aged beef and the wall of empty wine bottles signed by past diners. The benchmark Argentine steak experience.

Elena (Recoleta, Buenos Aires)

Inside the Four Seasons, this is a polished take on the parrilla with an excellent charcuterie program and dry-aging room.

Osaka (Palermo, Buenos Aires)

The go-to for nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cooking when you want a break from beef; the tiraditos and ceviches are outstanding.

El Querandí (San Telmo)

Located in a restored 1920s mansion, the restaurant serves up a traditional Argentinian menu along with a spectacular tango show.

La Cervecería Chaltén (El Chaltén)

A cozy spot for craft beer and hearty Patagonian comfort food like locro and empanadas after a long day on the trail.

Maffía (El Chaltén)

Fresh handmade pasta in a warm, casual room.

Kaupé (Ushuaia)

One of the best tables in Ushuaia, Kaupé serves refined Patagonian seafood in an intimate dining room overlooking the bay. We had the most amazing New Year's Eve dinner here, and it's the meal I think of first when I look back on the trip.