Getting to and Around Patagonia

Patagonia may seem like a faraway land, hard to reach, but getting around Patagonia is simpler than the map suggests once you know how the flights connect. Trips start in Buenos Aires for the Argentine side or Santiago for the Chilean side. From there, domestic flights reach Bariloche, El Calafate and Ushuaia in Argentina, and Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas in Chile.

For the airport-by-airport overview, read the full guide to getting to Patagonia.

Flying In: Buenos Aires or Santiago

In Buenos Aires, long-haul flights land at Ezeiza (EZE) and many flights south leave from Aeroparque (AEP), the city airport, though some leave from Ezeiza itself.

From the United States and Canada

Santiago (SCL) has non-stop flights from Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Atlanta, plus seasonal ones from Houston and Dallas. Buenos Aires has them from Miami, Atlanta, Houston and New York, and seasonally from Dallas.

Canadian travelers can fly non-stop from Toronto or Montreal to Santiago in about 11 hours; with the connection south, expect 15 to 20 hours in all. Argentina and Chile’s far south stay on UTC−3 all year, so Toronto and New York are only one or two hours behind, and jet lag stays mild. Los Angeles is four or five hours behind.

From the United Kingdom and Europe

For guests traveling from the United Kingdom, Patagonia isn’t as big a trek as you may believe. London Heathrow flies non-stop to Santiago as of October 2026; a daily Buenos Aires non-stop is planned from March 28, 2027. Otherwise you connect in Spain, Brazil or even New York; Madrid flies non-stop to both capitals. The time difference is three hours in the British winter and four in summer.

From Australia and New Zealand

Travelers coming from New Zealand or Australia fly non-stop to Santiago from Auckland, Sydney or Melbourne. Coming across the Pacific, you cross the international date line on the way over and again on the way back.

Getting Around Patagonia: The Flight Network

These are typical non-stop times as of October 2026, and some routes run only in season.

Argentine Patagonia

Chilean Patagonia

From January to March 2027, runway works limit Puerto Natales to Friday through Sunday in January and weekends in February and March, according to Chile’s Ministry of Public Works. Plan on Punta Arenas for those months.

Crossing Between Chile and Argentina

Most crossings happen on the ground or the water.

• Puerto Natales to El Calafate by road: about five hours by bus.
• Bariloche to Puerto Varas across the lakes: the Andean Crossing, by boat and bus over Nahuel Huapi, Frías and Todos los Santos lakes, all year. Our Bariloche and Carretera Austral tour crosses this way, then flies Puerto Montt to Balmaceda.
• Ushuaia to Punta Arenas by ship or road: four nights through the Fuegian fjords to Cape Horn, September to April, on our Australis cruise, or about 12 hours by road across Tierra del Fuego.
• Santiago to El Calafate or Bariloche: seasonal flights, roughly December to February or March.

Every crossing is an international border; see our Patagonia visa requirements.

How We Route a Patagonia Trip

Our suggested Patagonia itineraries share one habit: they avoid flying back to the capital between regions.

Down the spine. The Very Best of Argentina flies Buenos Aires to Bariloche, then El Calafate, then Ushuaia. Every flight goes further south, and you finish at the bottom of the continent.

In by Trelew. The Classic Argentina Patagonia Tour lands at Trelew for Península Valdés, flies south to Ushuaia, then north to El Calafate, where the trip ends.

Both sides of the border. Patagonia of Chile & Argentina flies to Bariloche, crosses the lakes into Chile, flies Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas, takes the road from Puerto Natales back into Argentina at El Calafate, then flies to Ushuaia and back to Buenos Aires. Four flights, two border crossings.

Think international. Our co-founder Juergen Keller puts it this way: “How about going from Santiago de Chile down to Patagonia on the Chilean side, cross into Argentina to El Calafate and Perito Moreno and then work your way up North.” His full case is in our guide to planning an Argentina itinerary. Our Chilean & Argentine Patagonia Combo does just that: in at Punta Arenas, by road to El Calafate, then a flight north to Buenos Aires.

Leave slack. Juergen’s advice for all of South America: “Some routes are flown only 3 times a week and easily canceled due to bad weather… Leave slack in your trip!” Bariloche to El Calafate is one of those routes. A spare day before a cruise protects the rest of the trip, and a connection from Ezeiza to Aeroparque deserves plenty of time.

How Flights Fit Your Trip

Our suggested itineraries are priced without flights, and international and domestic flights are quoted separately if you ask. A Destination Consultant will custom design your Patagonia itinerary around the flights that actually operate, or you can start from our Patagonia tours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the flight to Patagonia?

No airport in Patagonia has non-stop flights from the United States, so count on two flights. From Miami it is about 9 hours 15 minutes to Buenos Aires plus 3 hours 20 minutes to El Calafate; from New York, about 10 hours 45 minutes to Santiago plus 3 hours 25 minutes to Punta Arenas.

Which airlines fly within Patagonia?

In Argentina, Aerolíneas Argentinas flies the links between Patagonian airports. In Chile, LATAM and Sky Airline fly to Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Puerto Montt and Balmaceda. You may still read about LAN and TAM: they combined in 2012 and have flown as LATAM since 2016. LATAM’s Argentine airline stopped flying in 2020, so LATAM no longer flies within Argentina.

Do you have to fly back through Buenos Aires between Bariloche, El Calafate and Ushuaia?

Not as of October 2026. Bariloche to El Calafate and El Calafate to Ushuaia are both non-stop. Bariloche to Ushuaia is not, so connect in El Calafate, a good stop anyway for the Perito Moreno Glacier, or in Buenos Aires.

Can you fly between Chilean and Argentine Patagonia?

Rarely. As of October 2026, no scheduled flights link Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales with El Calafate or Ushuaia, so you cross by road, lake or ship, or take a seasonal summer flight from Santiago.

Season shapes which flights run, so read the best time to visit Patagonia and Patagonia weather next. For the rest of each country, see getting to and around Argentina and Chile.