Quick Facts
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Duration
12 hours
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Rating
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Experience
wildlife, hiking, adventure
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Best Price
USD $ 73.34
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Maximum comfort or class
Good
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Departures
1 Departure Daily
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Recommended by
118 travelers
Price may fluctuate due to seasonal demand and other market-driven and regulatory events.
All about the bus from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia
It’s undeniably alluring although it sounds a bit apocalyptic: to see the end of the world! But practically speaking, how do you get there? In this article, we’ll talk about the bus from Rio Gallego to Ushuaia, both Argentinian towns, but impossible to get between them without going through Chile!
Ushuaia is sought out by backpackers and travelers from all over the world who want to get to this southernmost town in South America, as well as the area around it known as Tierra del Fuego (tr: “the land of fire”). Imagine yourself as one of the many outlaws who took refuge in this daunting landscape that police found it too much of an effort to make a pursuit, including the legendary Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. More likely, you have a more benign plan to simply see the gorgeous mountains, channels, volcanoes, and islands that make this place unforgettable. What’s better, you can do it all by bus!
What kind of bus can I expect to ride from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia?
Buses in Patagonia in general tend to be smaller tourist vans seating around eighteen people, but not so for this particular route. The bus from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia is actually a full-size modern bus with over forty cushioned semi-recline seats and tinted windows to protect you from the more intense ultraviolet rays. The indoor air is conditioned to regulate temperature. There will be either a video movie playing or local music over the radio, as well as a minibar and toilet to keep you comfortable as you make your journey south.
Travelers frequently comment on the good attention of the service personnel and care for their luggage, and the entire route (RN3) is paved, so you won’t experience a bumpy ride. Bus drivers stop on occasion to let passengers out to stretch their legs, admire views, get snacks, or use public hygiene facilities.
How long is the bus ride from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia?
Depending on the weather or road maintenance work, you can expect a journey between 10 and 12 hours to Ushuaia. During the first half of this trip, you will be seeing lots of tundra, ocean, and wide open spaces, which then fade into more mountainous valleys and fjords as you get closer to Ushuaia. The island of Tierra del Fuego, which is equally shared between Argentina and Chile, is dominated by the energy industry, but also by commercial and recreational fishing, so expect to see evidence of both along the way.
Shortly after leaving Rio Gallegos (60 km), you will enter Chile at Monte Aymond, which is where hiking enthusiasts get off to explore the caves and trails in Pali-Aike national park, especially to experience the wildlife and bats!
Even though your destination is not in Chile, you still need to go through migration procedures when the bus enters Chile at the Paso de Integración Austral. Then you will travel another 100 kilometers until the road ends at a ferry dock at the famed Strait of Magellan. This small strait is what separates mainland Argentina from the island of Tierra del Fuego, and the bus will board the ferry to the other side at Punta Espora. The bus will then exit Chile again and enter Argentina at San Sebastian, so you will need to go through immigration procedures again there, but it is a simple formality, as they understand you weren’t in Chile except for transit.
Ushuaia is 293 kilometers from San Sebastian.
What are the requirements to exit and enter Argentina on this route from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia?
In order to leave Argentina, you will need to present your passport that shows the entry stamp of when you entered the country. If for some reason you don’t have this, they will process for you an exit permit, but it is far easier to make sure your passport is in good standing with the clean and legible entry stamp.
What is the cost of traveling by bus from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia?
The current price for a one-way trip is $73 USD per person, but this price fluctuates based on season and demand, so the sooner you can book, the better. All seats are in the same class, which is to say there is no first-class cabin on this trip. Also bear in mind the Argentinean peso is pretty unstable, so it’s best to track the ups and downs based on a more consistent currency like Euros or US dollars. Reservations through AndesTransit exclusively use USD to make it easy.
What are the bus schedules from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia?
So here’s the pinch. There is only one single carrier and departure per day, which is at 8:00 a.m., and that is only available during the temperate months when the roads aren’t frozen over (April-September). So you need to plan carefully and make sure you arrive at the station in time; otherwise, you might find yourself waiting a few days until a free spot becomes available on the next bus.
The upside is the bus arrives in Ushuaia the same day as it departs Rio Gallegos, so you don’t have to figure out sleeping a night on the bus or calculate an extra calendar day in your travel plan just for the bus travel. Just click Reserve Now above to reserve online in advance.
