Explore Argentina's southernmost national park on a half day tour from Ushuaia, with hotel pickup and bilingual guides included. Options range from a classic park excursion to tours featuring the End of the World Train or a hearty lunch with drinks.
Free Cancellation 5-hour small-group tour from Ushuaia hotels with stops at Lago Roca and Lapataia Bay; park entry not included.
5-hour tour with a ride on the End of the World Train, Lapataia Bay, and park viewpoints, with hotel pickup.
Free Cancellation Six-hour small-group park tour skipping the train, with stops at Ensenada Bay, Lago Roca and Lapataia Bay, lunch and drinks included.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Tierra del Fuego National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
A half-day tour puts you inside Argentina's only shoreline national park within 30 minutes of leaving Ushuaia — 68,909 hectares of subantarctic lenga and guindo forest where the southern Andes drop into the Beagle Channel. Most tours run 5 hours and hit the same trio: Ensenada Zaratiegui, Lago Acigami/Roca, and Bahía Lapataia, where a sign marks the end of National Route 3, the southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. You'll walk short forest trails, see Yámana shell middens that are thousands of years old, and get back to town by early afternoon with time for a Beagle Channel boat trip.
Stand at the famous sign marking the end of Route 3, the southernmost point of the Pan-American Highway network. Boardwalks circle the bay past cormorant islets and grass-covered Yámana shell middens — mounds of mussel and limpet shells left by canoe people who lived here for millennia. Tours typically give you around 15 minutes here, enough for photos and a short walk.
A tiny wooden building at the water's edge on Ensenada Zaratiegui, the southernmost post office in the Americas. Send a postcard franked with special 'End of the World' stamps and get the famous (unofficial) passport stamp as a souvenir. It's also the trailhead for the Senda Costera coastal hike.
The rebuilt steam railway follows the last 7 km of the Ushuaia prison colony's logging line through the Pipo Valley, stopping at the Cascada La Macarena waterfall and the Tree Cemetery — a hillside of stumps cut by prisoners. The roughly one-hour ride includes an audio guide in 10 languages. Book the combined park-plus-train tour and you'll ride tourist class; the train alone costs AR$70,000 if bought separately.
The park's largest lake sits right on the Chilean frontier, framed by mountains. Tours stop at the shoreline, where you can start the easy 7 km round-trip walk to Hito XXIV, the border marker — though a half-day tour only allows a taste of this. Organized inflatable-canoe excursions paddle the lake in season.
Short signposted trails thread through lenga and guindo beech forest past peat bogs and beaver dams. Paseo de la Isla (900 m) follows the Lapataia and Ovando rivers, Laguna Negra (950 m) leads to a dark peat-bog lagoon. Watch for foxes, rabbits, and condors — the park bans drones, so keep your camera in hand-level mode.
The park protects about 6 km of coastline along the Beagle Channel, and you'll feel the wind off it everywhere. Cormorants fish near the islets at Lapataia, and oystercatchers work the pebble beaches. Water temperatures sit around 4–8°C even in summer — beaches are for picnics, not swimming.
Three tour formats cover the park from Ushuaia — plain guided minibus, park plus the End of the World Train, and a small-group version with lunch — and the differences matter more than the price gap suggests. Here's what to sort out before you pay.
The standard half-day tour (5 hours, about US$77) covers Ensenada Zaratiegui, Lago Acigami/Roca and Bahía Lapataia by minibus with short walks. The train version (5 hours, US$129) swaps some of that time for the 7 km steam railway ride but leaves only about 105 minutes of park stops. A 6-hour small-group tour with lunch (US$120) skips the train and spends longer at each stop.
Book the train-combined tours at least a few days ahead in high season (December–February) — the 9:30, 12:00 and 15:00 departures sell out, and May–August departures depend entirely on availability. Plain minibus tours are easier to get last-minute. Penguin and Beagle Channel boat tours, if you're pairing them, sell out in summer too.
The park entrance fee is charged separately on all three tours. Official APN rates from 1 June 2026: AR$40,000 general, AR$18,000 Argentine residents, AR$12,000 students. Buy online at ventaweb.apn.gob.ar or pay at the gate, and bring your passport to claim any discounted category. Argentine pensioners with DNI and visitors with a disability certificate enter free.
The standard tour and the train tour both work for cruise passengers, with 7:30 AM pickup and 1:30 PM return — neither picks up at the airport. The 6-hour lunch tour explicitly refuses cruise passengers because the pickup time can't be confirmed the night before. If your ship docks later than early morning, the standard tour is your option.
The plain tour and the lunch tour refund in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The train tour is final sale — no refund for any cancellation. If your travel plans are loose, that's a real reason to pick one of the other two.
The standard 5-hour tour is wheelchair accessible, allows strollers and prams, and accepts service animals. The Bahía Lapataia boardwalks are wheelchair-friendly, and the shuttle-style itinerary means most stops need only short, mostly flat walks of a few hundred meters. The lunch tour requires moderate fitness; the train tour just requires sitting.
The train replicates the prison railway but is openly touristy — many visitors ride it once and feel 7 km of slow track was enough. If you'd rather hike, ride the regular shuttle (AR$20,000–25,000 return from Fadul & Maipú) into the park and walk the 8 km Senda Costera one way, then catch the shuttle back from Lapataia.
All three tours run with English and Spanish guides. Each operator contacts passengers the day before departure — by phone or WhatsApp — to confirm the exact pickup time, so give an accurate hotel or apartment address when booking and be in the lobby 10 minutes early.
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| Half-Day Park Tour | Half-Day with End of the World Train | Half-Day with Lunch and Drinks | Independent Shuttle + Hike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 5 hours | 5 hours | 6 hours | Half or full day |
| Price from | US$77 | US$129 | US$120 | About AR$20,000–25,000 return |
| Includes | Hotel/apartment pickup, English & Spanish guide, all fitness levels, wheelchair accessible | Tourist-class train ticket (AR$70,000 value), air-conditioned vehicle, guide | Hotel pickup and drop-off, professional guide, lunch, alcoholic drinks, bottled water | Hop-on-hop-off shuttle from Fadul & Maipú, seven park stops, entrance paid separately |
| Park time | About 4 hours across Ensenada Zaratiegui, Lago Acigami and Bahía Lapataia | About 105 minutes of park stops plus 15 minutes at Lapataia Bay | The longest of the three, skipping the train queue for more time at each stop | As long as you want — hike the 8 km Senda Costera one way, ride back |
| Best for | First-timers and cruise passengers wanting the classic stops without extras | Travelers set on the prison railway ride — final sale, no refunds | Small-group travelers and food lovers — not available for cruise passengers | Hikers and budget travelers who don't need a guide |
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The park is open daily, year-round, with seasonal entry and exit hours:
The Alakush Visitor Centre (restaurant, gift shop, restrooms) opens roughly 10:00–17:30 — outside these hours there are almost no services inside the park, so carry snacks and water.
The End of the World Train station opens 8:30–17:15, with departures at 9:30, 12:00 and 15:00 from 1 September to 30 April. From May to August, departures depend on availability, so pre-book.
Most half-day tours run mornings, roughly 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM, which comfortably fits inside any season's opening hours.
The park entrance is about 12 km west of Ushuaia along National Route 3. Four ways to get there:
Private transfers from hotels or the airport run around AR$40,000 per transfer through authorized operators.
December to February is the best window: daytime highs of 13–14°C, up to 17 hours of daylight, and every trail and access road open. Penguin season on the Beagle Channel runs October to March if you're pairing tours.
October–November and March give you similar conditions with fewer crowds and lower prices. Sport fishing season runs 1 November to 1 May.
May to September is the hard season. July highs average 2°C with lows near -4°C, June gets 1–3 sun hours a day, and winds average 31 km/h. Cerro Guanaco, Pampa Alta, Senda Costera and Cascada Río Pipo trails, plus the Ensenada Zaratiegui and Río Pipo access roads, are officially closed for winter.
Whenever you go, the wind doesn't take a season off — conditions can swing from sun to sleet in an hour even in January.
Wheelchair access is partial but workable. The Bahía Lapataia boardwalks and the start of the Senda de la Baliza are wheelchair accessible, and the hop-on-hop-off shuttle reaches seven stops including Alakush and Lago Acigami, so the main overlooks can be reached without hiking. The standard 5-hour tour is listed as wheelchair accessible with stroller and service-animal access.
Most forest and coastal trails are dirt paths with roots and uneven ground. For older visitors, the shuttle itinerary keeps walking to short, mostly flat stretches of 800 m to 1.5 km, with restrooms, seating and a restaurant at Alakush.
Families: the park lists five family-friendly trails — Paseo de la Isla (900 m), Laguna Negra (950 m), Mirador Lapataia (950 m) — plus easy beaches. Keep children away from the water's edge: 4–8°C water, no lifeguards, no services.
Alakush Visitor Centre is the park's service hub, open roughly 10:00–17:30, with a restaurant, gift shop, restrooms and information desks. Plan lunch or a warm-up stop here — outside these hours the park has very little.
The Correo del Fin del Mundo post office at Ensenada Zaratiegui sells postcards with special 'End of the World' stamps and gives passport stamps (unofficially, but everyone does it).
Camping is free in designated areas such as Isla Entre Ríos and Laguna Verde, under leave-no-trace rules — pack out all trash, and no collecting park wood for fires (charcoal or commercial firewood only).
Parking is free at every sight along Route 3. There is no fuel station or ATM inside the park; carry cash for the shuttle and any small purchases.
Entrance ticket required for every visitor — buy at ventaweb.apn.gob.ar or the gate. No permit needed for day visits; sport fishing needs a permit via [email protected] (season 1 November to 1 May).
Confirm current conditions on the official site or call +54 2901 577931 before setting out.
No. All three half-day tours charge the Tierra del Fuego National Park entrance fee separately. Official rates from 1 June 2026 are AR$40,000 for general visitors, AR$18,000 for Argentine residents and AR$12,000 for students — buy online at ventaweb.apn.gob.ar or pay at the gate, and bring your passport to claim a discount category.
Yes, on the standard 5-hour tour and the train version — both offer cruise pickup at 7:30 AM with return at 1:30 PM, and neither picks up at the airport. The 6-hour lunch tour cannot take cruise passengers because the operator confirms the exact pickup time by phone the night before, which doesn't work with ship schedules.
Only on the 'Half-Day with Train' version (US$129), which includes a tourist-class ticket worth AR$70,000 on its own. The ride covers 7 km of the old prisoners' railway in about an hour, stopping at Cascada La Macarena and the Tree Cemetery. The plain tour (US$77) and the lunch tour (US$120) skip the train entirely and spend the time at park stops instead.
Roughly four hours on the standard tour, spread across Ensenada Zaratiegui, Lago Acigami/Roca and Bahía Lapataia with short walks at each. The train version compresses park stops to about 105 minutes plus 15 minutes at Lapataia Bay, since the train ride takes up an hour. The 6-hour lunch tour gives the most time at each stop.
It depends on your tolerance for touristy attractions. The train is a rebuilt steam line with a 10-language audio guide and genuine history behind it — it follows the Ushuaia prison colony's logging route — but it moves slowly and the views are similar to what you see from the road. Many visitors ride it one way and consider once enough; if you'd rather hike, put the money toward the 8 km Senda Costera instead.
On a guided half-day, expect short walks like Paseo de la Isla (900 m), Laguna Negra (950 m) or the Bahía Lapataia boardwalks — not the longer trails. If you want the 8 km Senda Costera (3–4 hours one way) or the Cerro Guanaco climb (8 km round trip to 975 m), go independently on the shuttle and give it a full day.
No — penguins breed on Beagle Channel islands like Martillo Island, outside the park, between October and late March. Inside the park you can see cormorants on the islets at Bahía Lapataia, plus foxes, guanacos, rabbits, beavers and condors on land. Book a separate boat or penguin tour from Ushuaia if that's on your list; they sell out in summer.
Layers, always. Base layer, fleece, insulated jacket, beanie and a wind/rain shell — even in January, weather can swing from sun to sleet within an hour and winds average around 31 km/h. Waterproof hiking boots are recommended for muddy, root-covered trail sections. All tours run in any weather.
The standard tour and the lunch tour give a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The train-combined tour is final sale — no refund for any cancellation — so only book that one once your dates are locked.
The standard 5-hour tour is the most flexible option: wheelchair accessible, stroller-friendly, with service animals allowed and infant seats available. Walking is limited to short, mostly flat stretches of a few hundred meters. The lunch tour requires moderate fitness and isn't recommended for children 3 and under; the train tour works for anyone who can sit for an hour.
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A 5-hour excursion run by a boutique agency, with pickup from all hotels and apartments in Ushuaia — just tell them where you're staying when you book. Guides work in English and Spanish, and the operator contacts every passenger the day before departure to confirm details. Roughly four hours are spent inside the park. The two named stops are Lago Roca (also called Lake Acigami, a lake shared with Chile) for about 20 minutes, and Lapataia Bay, also 20 minutes, where the Pan-American route from Alaska ends after more than 15,000 km. The route also passes the End of the World train station for anyone holding separate tickets — the train ride is optional, not included, and may not be available; the operator sells a different tour that includes it. Park admission is mandatory and not included in the tour price. Cruise passengers can take this excursion, with pickup at 07:30 and return at 13:30 (no airport pickup). Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund. At the end of the tour the operator hands out a small gift — they don't say what, so it's a surprise.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
This 5-hour tour pairs a ride on the End of the World Train (tourist class, 7 km along the old prisoners' railway route) with stops inside the national park, including 15 minutes at Lapataia Bay, where the sign marks the end of the Pan-American route. You get about 105 minutes in the park itself, with stops at viewpoints chosen for photos of the lakes and mountains. Guides work in English and Spanish. The train segment takes around an hour. Air-conditioned vehicle transport is included; the park entrance fee is not, and it's subject to price changes. Pickup is confirmed by WhatsApp the day before, with your exact time. Cruise passengers are covered too — pickup at 7:30 AM, back at 1:30 PM (no airport pickup). Note the cancellation policy: all sales are final, no refunds.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English, Spanish
This is a six-hour, small-group tour that skips the End of the World Train entirely, trading the train queue for more time at the park's scenic stops. Pickup starts around 8:00 AM from your hotel or from the operator's office at Roca 136 — the exact time is confirmed the night before. Be in the lobby 10 minutes early; drivers wait only 5 minutes past schedule, and there's no pickup from the seaport or airport. Inside the park, the guide (English or Spanish) sets an itinerary covering the main panoramic points: Ensenada Bay, Lago Roca and Lapataia Bay, where the road literally ends at the southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. The small group size means the pace flexes — more time at the stops that matter, less time herding on and off a big bus. Lunch, bottled water and alcoholic drinks are included, along with hotel drop-off. The national park entrance fee is not — pay it separately at the gate. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish