Two weeks of glaciers and granite on both sides of the border: Perito Moreno, Fitz Roy from El Chaltén, then Torres del Paine in Chile, all the way to the Strait of Magellan. You drive long straight roads across the steppe, with ripio gravel, a wind that tears car doors open and very few petrol pumps.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | El Calafate | Start |
| Days 3 to 5 | El Chaltén | 213 km · 3h55 |
| Day 6 | El Calafate (return) | 213 km · 3h55 |
| Day 7 | Cerro Castillo | 213 km · 4h |
| Days 8 to 10 | Torres del Paine (Lake Pehoé) | 77 km · 1h55 |
| Day 11 | Puerto Natales | 97 km · 2h20 |
| Days 12 to 13 | Punta Arenas | 247 km · 3h05 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
From October to April, the Torres del Paine entrances open from 07:00 to 21:00 and boats run to Magdalena Island; November to January are the windiest months. In winter there are only 8 hours of daylight, studded tyres are required in the park and a guide is compulsory on the W.
🚗 213 km · 3h55 of driving from El Calafate
RP11, RN40 then RP23 along Lake Viedma, paved all the way; no petrol pumps on the way.
🚗 213 km · 3h55 of driving from El Chaltén
Same road in reverse, paved; fill up in El Chaltén (YPF) before leaving.
🚗 213 km · 4h of driving from El Calafate
Paved RN40, then the RP7 on ripio gravel (79 km) to the Río Don Guillermo border post, open from 08:00 to 20:00 on the Argentine side.
🚗 77 km · 1h55 of driving from Cerro Castillo
Paved Ruta 9 north, then the Y-150, partly on ripio gravel, past Lake Sarmiento; guanacos are a common sight.
🚗 97 km · 2h20 of driving from Torres del Paine
The Y-290, the Lake Porteño road, partly on ripio gravel, then Ruta 9; no petrol pumps before Puerto Natales.
🚗 247 km · 3h05 of driving from Puerto Natales
Paved Ruta 9 south, across the steppe; fill up in Puerto Natales.
In 8 days, skip El Chaltén: 2 nights in El Calafate for Perito Moreno, Cerro Castillo, 2 nights in Torres del Paine, Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas. You keep the border crossing and the drop-off in Chile.
| Small car (March, Mobi), El Calafate | from ≈ €37 a day |
|---|---|
| Compact SUV (Tracker, Duster) | ≈ €87 to €101 a day |
| Average in January-February | ≈ €93 to €96 a day |
| Average in July (cheapest month) | ≈ €38 a day |
| Vehicle | SUV with high ground clearance: the RP7 and the park roads are ripio gravel; Hertz reserves ripio for 4x4s. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | El Calafate Airport; Europcar Argentina accepts a drop-off in Punta Arenas, with a surcharge and prior authorisation. |
| Border | A permit to take the car into Chile must be added to the booking: Hertz asks for 72 working hours, it is charged and non-refundable. |
| Deposit | At Hertz, it goes up for a border crossing, sometimes more than doubling. |
| Insurance | Europcar: the CDW does not apply off paved roads; windows and tyres are never covered. |
| Age and card | Age 23 and one year's licence at Europcar, 21 at Hertz; physical credit card. |
⚠️ Leaving the car in Chile is expensive: Hertz charges US$3,000 within 200 km of the border, US$5,000 beyond that.
Chile: national licence accepted for tourists (art. 5). Argentina: International Driving Permit recommended.
In both countries you drive on the right and overtake on the left.
Argentina: 130 on motorways (Law 24.449). Chile: 50 in towns, 120 on dual carriageways (art. 145).
Argentina: Law 27.714. Chile: above 0.3 g/l counts as driving under the influence; above 0.8, as drunk driving.
Argentine opening hours as of 24 September 2026; Dorotea, towards Puerto Natales, until 21:30.
Fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, seeds: strict restrictions and heavy fines on entry into Chile.
A bus overturned in Torres del Paine in 2016. Hold the door firmly when getting out.
Gravel roads towards the border and in the park: slow down, keep your distance, check your rental contract.
Compulsory in daytime on Argentine national roads, whatever the light (art. 47).
Required, along with your licence, the registration document (cédula) and proof of insurance (art. 40): check at pick-up.
The French Foreign Ministry advises against it in Argentina; in Chile, it reports frequent punctures and thefts of hire cars.
≈ €1.26 a litre in Argentina, ≈ €1.31 in Chile (national averages as of 21 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,060 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €90 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
No petrol pumps between El Calafate and Puerto Natales via Cerro Castillo, nor in the park: fill up in El Calafate, a jerrycan is advisable.
| RP11, RN40, RP23, RP7 (Argentina) | No tolls recorded on OpenStreetMap |
|---|---|
| Ruta 9, Y-150, Y-290 (Chile) | No tolls recorded on OpenStreetMap |
| Los Glaciares (Perito Moreno, El Chaltén) | ARS 50,000 a day (≈ €29), half price on the 2nd day |
| Torres del Paine | CLP 32,400 for a day, CLP 48,500 for several days (≈ €30 and €45) |
| Cueva del Milodón | CLP 12,000 (≈ €11) |
| Paso Río Don Guillermo | 08:00 to 20:00 on the Argentine side; access on ripio gravel |
|---|---|
| Paso Laurita-Casas Viejas (Natales) | Closed on the Chilean side, roadworks on the CH 253 |
| Torres del Paine entrances | 07:00-21:00 from October to April, 08:00-18:30 in winter |
| Base of the Towers and the W circuit | Guide compulsory from 27 April to 15 September 2026 |
| Magdalena Island | Boats from October to mid-April; closed in winter |
| Perito Moreno walkways | Area closed to the public at night, after 20:00 |
Two weeks: our itinerary has 13 nights from El Calafate to Punta Arenas, a little over 1,000 km from stage to stage, or about 1,400 with Perito Moreno, Lago del Desierto and the Torres del Paine roads. In 8 days, skip El Chaltén.
Car hire: €38 a day in July, €96 in January on average (Discover Cars), so €530 to €1,350 over 14 days, excluding the border permit and the drop-off in Chile. About €90 of petrol at September 2026 prices for 1,050 km from stage to stage. Entry fees: ARS 50,000 (≈ €29) a day in Los Glaciares, CLP 48,500 (≈ €45) in Torres del Paine.
Yes, with the rental company's written permit: no Hertz vehicle leaves Argentina without it. It is added to the booking 72 working hours in advance, it is charged and non-refundable, and the deposit goes up. At the border, Chile bans fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese.
Europcar Argentina accepts it for a car picked up in El Calafate, with a surcharge and prior authorisation. At Hertz, leaving the car in Chile costs US$3,000 within 200 km of the border, US$5,000 beyond that. Otherwise, allow two days to drive back to El Calafate via Puerto Natales and the Dorotea border post.
No: the route is paved, except for the 79 km of the RP7 towards the border, the Y-150 in the park and part of the Y-290. An SUV with high ground clearance is enough, but Hertz bans ordinary cars from tracks that could damage them and Europcar does not insure them there.
Take it seriously: gusts reach 150 km/h in Torres del Paine, where a bus overturned in February 2016, and November to January are the windiest months. Slow down on the ripio and hold on to the door: Hertz charges for damage caused by careless opening.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/patagonia · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
