Located in the far south of the American continent and known as the city of the End of the World, discover the top five things to do in Ushuaia.
Located at the southern tip of Argentine Patagonia, the city is surrounded by mountains, glaciers, Patagonian forest and the Beagle Channel.
Seeing the prison, the train and the End of the World postal unit, as well as strolling along the Beagle Channel in search of penguins, are just some of the attractions.
There are many more activities to do in Ushuaia, in this article we summarize the five must-do’s you can’t miss on a visit to Ushuaia.
You can click on each activity for more information and to see the excursions available.
🔎 Check here our Ushuaia travel guide.
Table of Contents
1) Sail in the Beagle Channel to the lighthouse Les Éclaireurs
One of the essential experiences to do in Ushuaia is to sail through the mythical Beagle Channel, to reach the famous lighthouse Les Éclaireurs. It also visits the Isla de los Lobos to see the colony of sea lions and the Isla de los Pájaros where cormorants.
There are different navigation routes offered by the agencies. The shortest route is about 3 hours long, and the longest can reach 7 hours, with a visit to the first estancia called Harberton.
2) Visit Tierra del Fuego National Park
Located about 11 km from the city center, Tierra del Fuego National Park is one of the things to do in Ushuaia. Visiting the national park can be done on your own or through an excursion with an agency.
As you walk through the park you will find breathtaking scenery, ranging from emerald water lakes, high snow-capped mountains, glaciers and friendly beavers. In the summer season you can stay at one of its campsites and trek along the trails to enjoy the scenery.
🔎 Tierra del Fuego National Park
3) Ushuaia Maritime and Presidio Museum
The famous and old End of the World Prison is one of the must-see places in Ushuaia. It is a building surrounded by a lot of history, which functioned as a prison until 1947, but still maintains its structure with a central hall and five pavilions. Nowadays, the Marine Art Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Antarctic Museum and the Presidio Museum operate in this place.
The Presidio Museum, perhaps the best known of the four mentioned, keeps the history of famous criminals who inhabited the prison as the Petiso Orejudo or Mateo Banks, as well as the life of the prisoners inside and the punishments they received. As for the rest of the museums, one finds objects from ancient expeditions, works of art and even Antarctic naval models that are marvelous.
4) Visit everything that has to do with the “End of the World”.
In the city of the End of the World, there are many places to visit referred to this topic, which makes it one of the essential things to do in Ushuaia:
- Tren del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Train): an old steam train from the beginning of the 20th century that operates for tourism purposes.
- End of the World sign: there are several signs, the one for the end of route 3 in the National Park and some in the city.
- Museum of the End of the World: to know more about the history of this city and its inhabitants.
- Postal Unit of the End of the World: it is located on a dock in the Lapataia Bay in the National Park.
- Lighthouse of the End of the World: touristically it is the lighthouse Les Eclaireurs (although the original is in the Staten Island).
5) Martial Glacier
The particularity of the Martial Glacier that makes its visit one of the things to do in Ushuaia is that it’s only a few kilometers away from the city center and the ascent doesn’t require so much physical effort.
During summer season there are trails enabled to reach the base of the glacier and enjoy the beautiful views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the winter season, the place is transformed into a ski resort.
What else is there to do and see in Ushuaia?
If you are going to be in Ushuaia for more than 3 days, you can add other activities to the five essential ones. For this, read our articles on Ushuaia in 4 days and Ushuaia in 5 days, with detailed itinerary day by day, recommendations where to eat and tips based on our experience.
Where to stay in Ushuaia
If you are looking for accommodation in the city of the End of the World, we recommend you to read our article about the best hotels in Ushuaia, with recommendations for all budgets.
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