How to Spend 2 Days in Ushuaia, Argentina

Planning 2 days in Ushuaia and wondering how to make the most of your time at the End of the World? We’ve got you covered with an easy-to-follow itinerary that highlights the best things to do, see, and eat in Argentina’s southernmost city.

Known as the City at the End of the World, Ushuaia is far more than a remote outpost – it’s a vibrant port town filled with adventure. From exploring Tierra del Fuego National Park to cruising the Beagle Channel, there’s no shortage of ways to fill your days here.

And let’s be honest – once we heard the words penguin tour in Ushuaia, there was no turning back!

Short on Time? Here are the key takeaways:

• Best Way to Spend 2 Days in Ushuaia: Explore Tierra del Fuego National Park, ride the End of the World Train, and take a Beagle Channel cruise to spot penguins and sea lions.
• Don’t Miss: The Walk with Penguins tour on Martillo Island with PiraTour – it’s the only operator that lets you walk alongside the penguins.
• Where to Stay: Book a hotel downtown near the harbor for easy access to restaurants and tours.
• Getting Around: Ushuaia is small and walkable, but you’ll need a taxi or tour transfer to reach the national park.
• Budget Tip: Most hotels include breakfast, and local bakeries are perfect for grabbing a quick bite before a full day of exploring.

This post was originally published in April 2019, and was updated in October 2025.

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Getting to Ushuaia

Ushuaia does have an “international” airport, the world’s southernmost international airport for that matter. From the United States, we flew into Buenos Aires and caught a connecting flight to Ushuaia.

This isn’t your typical international airport though as it is very small, but does regularly service flights to and from El Calafate, Buenos Aires, and Santiago, Chile.

There was really no “Customs” to speak of here other than putting our bags through a scanner, which didn’t really seem to be manned by anyone.  Bags in hand, we headed out to see the city!  

Airport to town 

The airport is about 10 minutes to get to downtown (about 6 kilometers / 3.7 miles). While it’s proximity to town would lead you to believe there might be a public transportation option, there isn’t one.

You have just a few options:

• Taxi
• Hotel Shuttle
• Rent a car

There were plenty of taxis (remis) right outside of baggage claim to take you into the city if you don’t have an arranged ride.  The cost is around ARS $300 ($5-6 USD).

If you don’t want to hassle of trying to find out a taxi, you can arrange a pickup through Viator here. It’s only $5 USD per person.

Most big hotels will have airport shuttles to get you to your booked lodging. Check their website or call them to check.

While you can absolutely rent a car, the city is easy to navigate on foot. If you are looking to save some cash, we suggest skipping this for your 3 days in Ushuaia.

We also got very lucky as our extremely gracious Airbnb host, Maria, actually picked us up at the airport and drove us to our condo. If you look for an Airbnb, maybe ask them what they’d recommend and might offer to pick you up too!

Where to Stay in Ushuaia 

If you’re planning 2 days in Ushuaia, staying in the right area can make exploring the city much easier. Ushuaia isn’t a large town – it’s only about a 15 to 20 minute walk from one end to the other – so you really can’t go wrong as long as you’re near the main roads and close to the harbor or pier.

Being centrally located means you can walk to most attractions, restaurants, and departure points for boat tours without needing a car.

Since it’s such a popular tourist hub, there’s a wide range of accommodations available – from cozy hostels and boutique hotels to Airbnbs with Beagle Channel views. If you only have a couple of days, we recommend staying in the downtown area (marked in red on the map above). It’s super walkable, close to everything, and perfect for travelers who want to make the most of their time.

Best Hotels in Ushuaia

We almost always use Booking.com when we travel. They have a wide selection of hotels in Ushuaia for every budget, an easy-to-use interface, and a great no-money-down policy.

When we go back, these three hotels are at the top of our list for location, comfort, and amenities:

1. Lennox Hotel

Located on one of the main streets downtown, Lennox Hotel is a slightly upscale option offering elegant rooms with minibars, cable TV, and free Wi-Fi. Parking and breakfast are included, and there’s also an onsite restaurant for convenience.

>> Click here to check current prices or to book your stay at Lennox Hotel

2. Hotel Albatros

Just steps from the port, Hotel Albatros is a comfortable, mid-range choice. It features stylish rooms, free Wi-Fi, a restaurant, and a spa with massage and sauna services – perfect for relaxing after a busy day of sightseeing.

>> Click here to check current prices or to book your stay at Hotel Albatros

3. Hotel Mustapic

If you’re looking for something budget-friendly, Hotel Mustapic is a simple but cozy option. Rooms are basic yet clean, breakfast is included, and the views from the property are unbeatable for the price.

>> Click here to check current prices or to book your stay at Hotel Mustapic

Prefer to browse on your own? Check out all the hotels in Ushuaia and compare prices on Booking.com to find the perfect stay for your trip.

AirBnBs

The yellow star on the map above is where we stayed here, with the aforementioned host (nicest host ever). 

*Disclaimer: while this spot is just three blocks up from the main road, it’s up a pretty steep hill! We opted to view this as a plus to get our legs ready for Patagonia hiking!

Also, being up a steep hill meant we had a fantastic view of the bay from the living room / kitchen window!  

Getting Around Ushuaia

If you’re spending 2 days in Ushuaia, Argentina, getting around is refreshingly simple. The city is compact – you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 to 20 minutes. For most activities, your own two feet will do the trick.

That said, to reach the airport or Tierra del Fuego National Park, you’ll need some form of transportation. You can’t flag down taxis on the street, but finding one isn’t hard. Several taxi stands are scattered around town, and drivers typically wait for passengers at popular spots.

The most convenient taxi stand is near the tourist pier, which serves as the main hub for many of the top things to do in Ushuaia.

Fun Fact: How Ushuaia Got Its Name 

Naturally, Ushuaia got its name from the language of the group of people indigenous to the area, The Yaghan (also known as Yámana).   The word Ushuaia comes from the Yaghan language and means “deep bay” or “bay to background”, which makes sense given the surroundings of the city.   Well done, Yaghan! Well done.

One Day in Ushuaia

Whether you only have one day or are planning 2 days in Ushuaia, these are the experiences you absolutely can’t miss. As we mentioned earlier, we crammed a lot into our short visit, but you can easily adjust this itinerary if you’re staying longer.

If you have two full days, start your morning with your hotel’s free breakfast or stop by a local bakery for something quick – the pastries here are worth it.

To kick off your Ushuaia itinerary, we highly recommend starting with a Beagle Channel Cruise. It’s the perfect way to get oriented with the area and see some of Ushuaia’s most famous sights from the water, including sea lions, lighthouses, and even penguins, depending on the season.

Beagle Channel Cruise

• Tour: about 2.5-3 hours
• Prices:
  • Catamaran: Adults start at $70 USD
  • Yacht: Adults start around $60 USD
    • NOT included: Port fee (expect to pay an addition $2-$4 USD)

If you have a good weather day, we highly suggest hopping on a boat to see the area from the water.

We sailed on the Beagle Channel via Catamaran where we got to see the beautiful city of Ushuaia situated at the foothills of the Andes.

In addition to the gorgeous surroundings, we saw all sorts of wildlife, including thousands of Magellanic Cormorants (black and white seabirds), hundreds of sea lions, and even a few humpback whale sightings!

We sailed by the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, an iconic lighthouse about 5 nautical miles east of Ushuaia and still operating today! We actually got to get off the boat for a bit at this island and walk up to its highest point to take in our surroundings.  That’s where we snapped these pretty awe-inspiring photos (see above)!

The tour we did started at 9:30AM and lasted about 3 hours, so it was the perfect morning activity to mark off our list of things to do in Ushuaia before the city really got going!

Check out these popular Beagle Channel tour options:

• Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel – This is the one we did and HIGHLY recommend it! It’s a little bit pricier, but the big boat gave us lots of views.
• Navigation in the Beagle Channel – This is a slightly more affordable option on a smaller boat. Same experience we had per their description.
• Beagle Channel Sailing Tour with Penguins – If you only have one day and want to combine the Beagle Channel cruise with penguins, this would be your best option. Please make sure you read the details as you do NOT get to walk on the island with the penguins like we did on Day 2.

See all Beagle Channel tours here on Viator.

Lunch on Day 1

Mercado del Jardin

Along Avenida San Martín, and right down the road from the Hard Rock Café, Mercado del Jardin offers a wide variety of food and beverage options in a very relaxed environment.  

The wide variety includes a bakery, a coffee shop, a diner, a candy shop, a pizza place, a creperie, a salumeria, a sushi truck, and a burgers & beers joint.  We’ll give you one guess which one we chose!

Clearly, Pepo’s Burger – Beer didn’t try to get cute with its name.  What you see is what you get!

They had many different styles of burgers and various toppings for each too, and they were actually pretty good!  

The six beers on tap were from a couple of different breweries local to Argentina, so naturally, we imbibed a couple of pints to wash down our burgers and fries!  

There were even some non-food shops in the market, including a technology store, an art/paintings shop, and a library.  

If you’re in need of respite from the elements outside, or just need to kill some time, this mercado is a great option to do just that! There were a lot of options here for food. Had we stayed longer than 2 days in Ushuaia, we would definitely have been back to try some other spots

Piratour – Walk with Penguins

• Tour: Departs at 2:30 pm from our Tourist Pier office
• Duration: About 6.5 hours (returns around 9 PM)
• Price:
  • Adults: $400 USD adults + $16 USD entrance fee to Harberton ranch

If you’re planning 2 days in Ushuaia, this is hands down one of the most unforgettable things you can do. We booked the Walk with Penguins tour through PiraTour, the only company officially authorized to let visitors set foot on Martillo Island and walk among the penguins.

You can read about our entire penguin experience here.

Before we even made it to the island, the drive itself was an experience. We followed the iconic Route 3, the only road connecting Ushuaia to the rest of Argentina by land, and stopped at the Acatashún Museum to see skeletons of marine animals we’d spotted earlier during our Beagle Channel Cruise.

Once you reach Martillo Island, you’ll have the rare chance to walk alongside a colony of Magellanic and Gentoo penguins. It’s an up-close wildlife experience unlike anything else – and easily one of our favorite moments from our time in Ushuaia.

It’s not the cheapest activity in town, but it’s absolutely worth every penny. If you book directly through PiraTour, it’s $118 per person.

You can also book this tour through Viator which gives you free cancellation up to 24 hours before. While this option is a bit more money, if you need the flexibility of cancelling for any reason, you might want to book through them instead: Check out current prices or book here on Viator.

More Ushuaia Penguin Tours to Consider

If you loved the idea of walking with penguins, there are a few other incredible wildlife tours worth checking out on Viator.

You can browse all Ushuaia wildlife and nature tours on Viator to find the perfect match for your adventure style.

Dinner on Day 1 in Ushuaia

Quinquela

Quinquela has a diverse menu but also has pizza, which is an easy option after a long day.

We found one of my freaking favorites, a white pizza with spinach, and took it home to eat in the comfort of our living room in the airbnb while overlooking the city.  

They are open from 9AM to 2AM everyday, so you’re sure to be able to satisfy your cravings at almost any time of day! Pretty cool shipping-container-as-its-walls vibe inside the restaurant too!

Day 2 in Ushuaia

Tante Sara Café & Bar Ushuaia

At the suggestion of our Airbnb host, we ate breakfast at Tante Sara.  

I enjoy an omelets and Chris had the continental breakfast and both were very good options to get us going for the day!  

The continental breakfast was such a great deal too….a glass of orange juice, two eggs, a couple pieces of ham, a couple pieces of cheese, two croissants, a basket of toast, and a coffee, all for only about $10 USD.  

The End of the World Train / Tierra del Fuego 

• Train ride: Roundtrip about 2 hours
• Getting there: About a 15-minute taxi ride from downtown Ushuaia
• Price: (depending on ticket class)
  • Adults (ages 13+) $33-$65 USD 
  • Minors (ages 4-12) $16-$33 USD

If you’re planning 2 days in Ushuaia, one of the most iconic experiences is riding El Tren del Fin del Mundo – the End of the World Train.

Back in the early 1900s, Ushuaia served as Argentina’s penal colony, a remote outpost where re-offenders and serious criminals were sent to live out their sentences. Prisoners were put to work building the settlement using timber from the surrounding forests and even constructed a small railroad to transport the materials.

Fast forward to today, and that same railroad has been reimagined as a scenic journey through Tierra del Fuego National Park.

What to Expect on the Train Ride

The 7-kilometer route takes you from the main station past La Macarena Waterfall, into the national park, and through the Cementerio de Árboles (Tree Cemetery) – a stark reminder of the prisoners’ logging work.

During the roughly hour-long ride, a pre-recorded narration shares the fascinating history of the Convict Train and the role it played in shaping Ushuaia.

The journey ends at Estación del Parque (National Park Station), where you can join a guided hike or explore the park on your own. If you’re tight on time, you can hop back on the return train like we did.

Our Experience

We would have loved to explore more of the park, but with rain in the forecast and a bottle of wine calling our name, we made the most of the cozy return trip instead.

Sure, this is one of the more touristy things to do in Ushuaia – and not the cheapest – but it’s absolutely worth it for the history, scenery, and bragging rights of riding the world’s southernmost railway.

Check out the official website for the latest fares and departure times. If you plan to combine the train ride with hiking in the park, be sure to plan ahead so you don’t miss the last afternoon train.

And yes, you can easily grab a bottle of wine for the ride – Ushuaia might be at the end of the world, but Argentina’s love for wine definitely made the trip with us.

Book a Tour for the End of the World Train and Tierra del Fuego

If you want to get the most out of your day exploring Tierra del Fuego National Park, consider booking a guided experience through Viator. It’s an easy way to take the stress out of planning transportation and tickets, especially if you’re only spending 2 days in Ushuaia.

Many tours include hotel pickup, the End of the World Train ride, and a guided walk through the park’s stunning scenery. It’s a great option if you want to learn more about the area’s history and wildlife without worrying about logistics.

A few popular options to look for include:

You can browse all Tierra del Fuego and End of the World Train tours on Viator to find one that fits your schedule and travel style.

Exploring Downtown Ushuaia 

Now that you’ve explored Ushuaia by boat, walked with Penguins and took a great train ride, you can start to explore this charming downtown area.

There are really only two main roads that you need to worry about – Avenida Maipú and Avenida San Martín – which run parallel to each other as one-way streets.  This makes wandering around without getting lost a lot easier!

Avenida Maipú runs along the water, which leads out to the Beagle Channel, and is where you’ll find the tourist pier to check-in for many of your day-excursions.  

One block further up the hill, Avenida San Martín is where most of the action happens with just about everything you could need available here.  Just about all of your things to do in Ushuaia will center around or launch from these two roads.  Get to know them.

There are restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, convenience stores, and even outdoor-gear shops for those last-minute cold weather necessities for your trip. We spent a few hours meandering around and finding some great souvenirs to take with us.

The Birra

The Birra is a great spot to enjoy a local craft brew in a bottle, on draft, or even grab a growler to go.  

They had a pretty decent selection of beers too lining the shelves and in the refrigerators! Of course, we had the honey beer made by Antares, a Buenos Aires brewery, and an IPA made by Ushuaian-brewer Beagle Brewery.  

Head upstairs for more seating and if you can, grab the seats by the window so you can look out over the bay.  

Although we didn’t order anything, they do serve up hamburgers and fries from the back of the store. Make sure you check their hours because they do take a “siesta” from 3PM until 7PM.  

The Dublin

Because of our unexpected late arrival into Ushuaia, which is a whole other story, we didn’t have the chance to visit one of the most well-known bars in town, The Dublin, but all of our research mentioned that this place should definitely be on your list of things to do in Ushuaia.  

Plus, it has got to be the world’s southernmost Irish pub!

Having not been, we don’t want to comment too much, but we suspect you’d find your typical pub food here, and of course, beer!  

Ushuaia is an absolutely charming town surrounded by snow-capped mountains and sparkling blue water. We could have easily spent more than 2 days in Ushuaia, soaking up the views of Chile across the Beagle Channel, spotting wildlife, and dreaming about the cruises that head toward Antarctica.

We actually missed our connecting flight from the U.S., which cost us a half-day here – and we were genuinely bummed. There’s still so much left on our list of things to do in Ushuaia, which only means one thing: a return trip is definitely in order.

If you’re planning a trip through southern Argentina, don’t short-change yourself on time in this incredible place. Whether you’re here for penguins, glaciers, or wine by the water, Ushuaia truly earns its title as The City at the End of the World.

If you’re planning a longer adventure through Patagonia or beyond, check out all our other Argentina guides here or browse the most popular ones below:

• Things to Do in El Calafate – Gateway to Patagonia in Argentina
• Hiking Guide for Cerro Torre (Laguna Torre) from El Chaltén, Argentina
• What to Pack for Patagonia Hiking – A Day Hiking Pack Guide
• The Complete Guide to El Chaltén, Argentina – Patagonia Basecamp
• Complete Hiking Guide for Monte Fitz Roy Trek from El Chaltén, Argentina

From Ushuaia, we hopped a flight to El Calafate to hike on a glacier before continuing our journey through Patagonia – and we can’t wait to go back.