We left our Airbnb around 2:00 AM and took Bus 8 to Ezeiza International Airport. As it turns out, we took the regular bus instead of the express one. The driver likely tried to explain this when we boarded, but we weren’t able to understand him. While the bus eventually reached the airport, the trip took over 1.5 hours instead of the 1 hour we had anticipated based on our arrival. Fortunately, we arrived by 4:00 AM, in plenty of time for our 5:00 AM flight to Ushuaia.
This was the longest domestic flight in Argentina, providing a welcome chance to catch up on some sleep. There was a beverage service accompanied by a small snack.
Approaching Ushuaia, we enjoyed superb views of the Andes as we descended toward the airport. The airport itself was quite small and featured a unique architectural design.
We took a taxi from the airport to the port area, where our boat tour was scheduled to depart. Luckily we had cash, so payment wasn’t an issue. The taxi ride offered a beautiful view of the city and the surrounding mountains. We had booked our reservation via Viator, which paired us with Patagonia Adventure Explorer.
After showing our voucher, they provided boarding cards and asked us to return shortly before departure. We took the opportunity to snap some photos at the famous “End of the World” sign. Interestingly, they had installed a pre-aligned stand where you can place your phone to take a selfie. I recently saw something similar in Luxembourg and was impressed by the simple innovation. We walked around looking for breakfast or coffee, but since nothing was open yet, we headed back to join the boat tour.
The tour guide was very informative, explaining the history of the Beagle Channel and the local wildlife. Our first stop was the lighthouse (Faro Les Éclaireurs). We saw a colony of sea lions and various bird species nesting on the island. It was quite cold out on the open water!
Afterward, we began heading back toward Ushuaia and were served tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. It was a bit of a challenge to pour hot drinks from flasks with the constant motion of the boat!
Our next stop was Bridges Island. We walked a small trail from the shore to see the regional flora. The trail ended at the highest point on the island, offering panoramic views of Ushuaia and the mountains on one side, and the Chilean islands and mountains across the water on the other.
We returned to the boat and made our way back to Ushuaia. As we approached the harbor, the views of the city nestled against the mountains were fantastic.
Following the tour, we grabbed a quick lunch from a food truck. The sandwiches were so massive we couldn’t finish them, so we packed the rest for later.
We also stopped by the tourism office, which provided helpful information, free WiFi, bathrooms, and a water bottle refill station.
In the afternoon, we took a double-decker bus tour. It was an excellent way to see parts of the city that would have been difficult to reach on foot. The tour included several stops for photos and to take in the vistas.
Afterward, we walked along the shore to see the Saint Christopher ship and various monuments, eventually reaching the Ushuaia sign.
Unable to find a taxi near the sign, we walked halfway back to the harbor before finally hailing one. We reached the airport with time to spare and visited the W Lounge before our flight.
After takeoff, we saw the city lights and mountains one last time before it turned dark. We used the flight to rest, enjoying another beverage and snack service.
A Note on Logistics: When we booked last December, our original flight was scheduled to depart USH at 10:30 PM, arriving at AEP at 2:00 AM, with a 3-hour connection to IGR at 5:00 AM. However, over the months, the schedule changed significantly. Our flight now departed at 7:55 PM and landed at EZE (instead of AEP) at 11:25 PM. This would have required us to shuttle between airports ourselves.
I contacted gotogate.com, and they successfully rebooked us on a direct flight from EZE to IGR at 7:35 AM. While this saved us from switching airports, it meant arriving at Iguazu Falls two hours later and enduring a 7-hour layover at EZE. Since it wasn’t enough time to return to our Airbnb for meaningful rest, we tried to book the capsule hotel at EZE, but it was fully booked. We spent the night waiting at the airport for our morning flight.
✈️ Aerolineas Argentinas 1872
⛴️ Patagonia Adventure Explorer
🍽️ Sandwich Food Truck
🚍 City Bus - Line 8
🚌 Ushuaia City Tour
🍽️ W Lounge
✈️ Aerolineas Argentinas 1883
🛏️ Apartment in the City Center
🛏️ Domestic Departures EZE Airport