thepinkginpassportUshuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina, claims itself as the southernmost city in the world. As the capital of Tierra del Fuego national park this city serves as the gateway to both Argentinian Patagonia and expeditions to Antarctica.
Where to stay?
There are a number of nice hotels in the area but if you’re on a budget, Antarctica Hostel is one of the loveliest hostels I’ve stayed in. Heated floors, basic but comfy bunk beds, clean shared bathrooms and large kitchen area. It was cosy, friendly and a great way to meet like minded travellers without having to join in bar crawls that are pushed by party hostels. Also the Wifi was great and could check in from 1pm.
What to eat and drink
Patagonia Brewery- fantastic views when the weather was clear and free popcorn while you’re trying some local ales, pales and lagers.
Vagon Cafe- amazing coffee, pastries and fun decorations fit for explorers pre or post expedition to Antarctica. Also good WiFi to contact friends and family after 10 days off grid.
Ramos Generales- excellent food and drink at reasonable prices, the decor gears you up for your adventure to the 7th continent (if that’s where you’re heading next). Try to visit before or after peak lunch hour as it does get busy.
Hard Rock Cafe- yes you can visit this chain at every major city, but going to a Hard Rock Cafe at the end of the world is a little less basic, right?
Things to do
Hiking- There are numerous day hikes to do from Ushuaia. I chose the hike to Vinciguerra glacier which was a grade 3 (difficult) hike which is why I chose to pay to go on a tour with a guide. While this wasn’t the hardest hike I’ve personally done, weather was on my side and I could see that if the weather had turned I would not have wanted to do this solo. If you’re on a budget and want to hike but not solo, many people at the hostel would arrange to go on hikes together by sharing a taxi. They did say that it could be tricky getting taxis back to town due to lack of phone signal.
Send a postcard- send a postcard home from the end of the world
Ushuaia Prison Tour- I didn’t do this myself, but many travellers visit the old prison from when Ushuaia was a penal colony. Having learnt about penal colonies in Tasmania earlier in the year I think I would have enjoyed this if I had more time.
End of the world sign- you can’t travel all the way to the end of the world and not take a photo at the End of the World sign!
Other tips
Having a mixture of cash and using card on Uber was helpful when I visited in November 2025. With Argentinian pesos becoming a volatile currency, cash can be hard to get hold of so more vendors were accepting card payments.
