How to get to Ushuaia, routes and means of transport

Ushuaia is an island that can be reached by air, land or sea. It will all depend on your needs, tastes and expectations of travel for this destination of the Patagonia Argentina with the available time being an important factor to consider. Of course! By air is the most direct way to arrive, with direct two-hour flights from Buenos Aires city. 

Indisputably, the most common thing is the plane. However, traveling by land or sea can translate into an unforgettable experience, having the opportunity to tour Southern Patagonia or sail the Atlantic. Remember that every trip is a new discovery. Let’s see how to get to Ushuaia, routes and means of transport:

HOW TO GET TO USHUAIA BY PLANE?

Different airlines connect Ushuaia with the rest of the country, being the most used means to enter this island in Tierra del Fuego province the Falkland Islands International Airport, opened in 1998. If you are in Buenos Aires city, there are direct flights of 3 hrs and 30 min with four frequencies per day (although it could change according to the season).

From Cordoba and Trelew you work 1 frequency per day only in summer. In the meantime, from Calafate, you can have up to 3 flight options during summer, then it goes down to 2 in autumn and in winter time it’s only 1. The alternatives are from:

•         Bahía Blanca: Austral Airlines.
•         Buenos Aires (Airport and Ezeiza): Aerolíneas Argentinas and LATAM.
•         Cordoba: Aerolíneas Argentinas and LATAM
•         El Calafate: Aerolineas Argentinas and LATAM.
•         Punta Arenas: DAP.
•         Trelew: Aerolíneas Argentinas.

To give you a more accurate reference, check out these alternatives:

•         Every day of the year, a permanent route connects Buenos Aires with Ushuaia and Rio Grande. Flights are nonstop and last less than four hours.
•         Weekly you can find direct flights from the city of Córdoba to Ushuaia and occasionally there are flights from Bariloche and Punta Arenas (Chile).
•         Not all flights from Buenos Aires are direct. At least one flight has a stopover in some city, it can be Trelew or Calafate. But, they don’t change planes, it’s just a technical scale.
•         There are flights combined with Trelew, Río Gallegos or El Calafate. There are also tourist packages in which this destination is combined with El Calafate, “La Tierra de los Glaciares”. Talk with our travel experts to learn about the options.

Although at Rio Grande is Governor Trejo Noel Airport, most visitors arrive at Ushuaia Airport, equipped with telescopic sleeves, waiting rooms, confectionery, restaurant bars, shops, bank services and lounge. Customs and Migration Services, SENASA, are provided within the building.

The two air terminals of the province are located at such a strategic point in the city that, if the weather allows you, you can walk downtown. The proximity is favorable considering that there is no bus service on site, just a few taxis or transfers that include travel packages. 

In that sense, we invite you to coordinate with our advisors. With moebiusviajes.com you will not waste time waiting for a taxi and, additionally, the same guide who will look for you at the airport will coordinate the days and times of the activities that are stipulated in the packages. Everything will be easier!

TRAVEL TO USHUAIA BY LAND?

The only way to entry to Ushuaia by land is by National Route 3, which begins in the capital of Argentina and runs –parallel to the Atlantic Coast– throughout all provinces of Buenos Aires and Patagonia. It ends on the banks of the Beagle Canal, facing Lapataia Bay in Tierra del Fuego National Park, for a total of 3065 km.

What you must be clear about is that to get ashore, you will have to leave the nation because you must have all the documentation that is required for a trip to neighboring countries. Do not forget the authorization of both parents (legalized) in case of non-emancipated minors and the impossibility of crossing borders with live or perishable merchandise.

See, to go south, towards the Province of Santa Cruz, it’s necessary to enter to Chile, crossing the Strait of Magellan –by ferry– to the north coast of Tierra del Fuego, on the side of the neighboring country. The re-entry to Argentina is done by the San Sebastian border crossing.

For the terrestrial alternative, there are two main access routes:

•         From the north (Rio Gallegos-province of Santa Cruz)

It involves a 68 km route that leads to the Austral Integration Border Crossing where you must meet the requirements of departure to Argentina and entry to Chile to take the National Routes No. 255 and No. 257 that will allow you to reach the ferry, in Punta Delgada.

The crossing through the Strait of Magellan contemplates an approximate route of thirty minutes. The ferry sails every 30′ to 45′ (in summer time), from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. However, such frequency could change by low or bad weather, even suspending.

This crossing is the most used all year round. That’s where buses, trucks and vehicles pass. The first 30 km that you must travel in the Chilean territory are paved, just to the town of Cerro Sombrero. From there, you will find your way to the Argentine area.

•         From the west (Punta Arenas-Puerto Porvenir)

In that case, the crossing of the Strait of Magellan is two hours and thirty minutes in duration and the schedules vary by day. For example: for the one-way on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 9:00 am, Sundays at 9:30 am. For the return on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 02:00 pm, Friday at 03:30 pm and Sunday at 05:00 pm (these times apply for the summer season).

Then, to finish arriving at the San Sebastian Border Pass, you must take the Y-71 route that splices with the Y-79 and finally with the 257. For this tour you should only keep in mind that it’s done by gravel, which usually delays the trip. The good thing is that you can enjoy the picturesque landscape that gives us the great Useless Bay.

If you don’t have your own car, calm down. To reach Ushuaia by land there are buses from other cities in the Patagonian region. The Ushuaia bus terminal is located at the intersection of Fadul and Maipú streets, there come transportation services from Rio Grande, Tolhuin, Río Gallegos, El Calafate and Punta Arenas.

Companies such as Taqsa and Tecni Austral operate every day between Ushuaia, Rio Grande, El Calafate and Río Gallegos. There are also Montiel and Leader who include the service for Tolhuin, which is another city of Fueguina. In case you require travel from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas or vice versa, there are three companies: Bus Sur, Bus Barris and Tecni Austral, which work with different frequencies depending on the day of the week.

HOW TO GET TO USHUAIA BY SEA?

Access to Ushuaia by sea is through vessels that come from various ports, not only from Argentina but also from the world. This Patagonian city serves as a stopover to trips to Antarctica or the Kyrgyz canals, also as a means of transporting goods.

Basing on this, you have several options! The most sought after are cruise ships, given the safety and comfort of the boats. There are several possibilities, consult with our advisors for more accurate information. You will surely find a cruise that has everything you are looking for as a traveler!

You can also consider expeditions or individual experiences. In fact, sailing lovers usually organize their own expedition to the southern end. The important thing to keep in mind are the border posts in San Sebastian and Monte Aymond and the ferry of Primera Angostura of the Strait of Magellan-Bahía Azul-Punta Delgada.

For the crossing of the Strait of Magellan, through the Austral Integration Pass, there are departures from Punta Delgada on the Continent, every hour and a half (from 8:30 am), with capacity for 70 light vehicles. The crossing demands 30 minutes until you reach the island in Bahía Azul.

The sea adventure is fascinating. Arriving by sea is magical, after the opportunity to see the most spectacular panoramas of Ushuaia Bay. The Martial Mountains with their wooded skirts and summits that hold some eternal snows, the silhouettes that form the sharp peaks of the Olivia and Five Brothers mountains, the fascinating sound of the swell and the striking colors of the roofs of a city characterized by its warm and friendly people.

There are three docks:

1.   Commercial Pier of the Port of Ushuaia: its infrastructure and significant maritime movement make it the most important in the Province and the Beagle Canal. It is used for passenger arrival and descent, also for commercial loading and unloading operations. It’s located in the Northwest sector of the Bay, southeast sense.
2. AFASYN Pier: facing west, it offers mooring service for sailboats, provision of drinking water, electric current of 220v and 380v and also showers with hot water.
3. Ushuaia Yacht Club Pier: it is the most basic, only offers mooring service for sailboats.

Since you have a clearer idea of how to get to Ushuaia, routes and means of transport, you can study the one that best suits your needs and allows you to meet the expectations of travel. Don’t forget that you can contact our specialists for advice. It will be a pleasure to guide you and offer you alternatives in which, besides transportation, you can include accommodation, food and excursions. Put together a comfortable travel plan at a good price, it is more than possible!

Plane, boat or bus? I chose how to travel to Ushuaia and lived a dream holiday at the End of the World.