Patagonia On A Budget: The Ultimate Tips For Cheap Travel [2022]

With its trademark dramatic mountainous landscapes, national parks that make hikers drool and a wealth of undiscovered corners that remain tantalizingly wild, it should come as no surprise that Patagonia is one of South America’s most popular travel destinations.

Unfortunately, the cost of a trip to Patagonia can be enough to halt many visitors in their tracks.

But it doesn’t have to be this way: there are plenty of tips and tricks for travel and backpacking in Patagonia that will help you slim down your budget.

Click to navigate this article:

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• Why is Patagonia expensive?
• The cost of a trip to Patagonia
  • Argentina’s economy: what travelers need to know (2025)
  • How much does it cost to go to Patagonia for one person?
  • How much does it cost to go to Patagonia for two people?
• How to travel to Patagonia on a budget
• How to get to Patagonia cheaply
  • Cheap flights to Patagonia
• Best way to travel around Patagonia cheaply
  • Hitchhiking
  • Cycling
  • Hire a rental car
  • Buy your own car
• Budget Patagonia accommodation
  • Camping in Patagonia
  • Hostales and Residenciales
  • Hostels in Patagonia
  • Cabañas
• Budget dining in Patagonia
  • Self-catering
  • Affordable restaurants
• Hiking in Torres del Paine on a budget
  • Camping in Torres del Paine
• General budget travel tips for Patagonia
  • Bring US dollars with you
  • Book in advance where possible
  • Avoid unnecessary tours

Why is Patagonia expensive?

The question on most travelers’ lips: why is Patagonia so damn expensive?

It’s one I’ve asked myself a few times on my three trips there. Unfortunately, the region’s remote location is to blame for elevated prices, particularly when it comes to food costs.

High accommodation prices in Patagonia are a result of increasing tourism there – and this is something that is only set to get worse.

Add into the mix Argentina’s struggling economy (the reason for why most prices are either in Chilean pesos or US dollars in this guide: these are both far more stable currencies) and high costs for withdrawing cash in the region and there you have it: Patagonia is expensive.

The cost of a trip to Patagonia

However, the cost of traveling to Patagonia varies significantly and it’s hard to define an average trip cost.

A cheapest daily budget for Patagonia can come in at around $50 USD per day. This includes staying in cheap, dorm-style accommodation, self-catering and taking public transport.

Argentina’s economy: what travelers need to know (2025)

Inflation and prices

In 2024, the Argentine economy was a huge mess, with inflation averaging 117% and prices for food and other basics on par with those in Paris and other international cities. However, inflation has now reduced to 31.4% – a promising change, but long gone are the days of Argentina as a cheap travel destination.

Paying by card (MEP vs blue dollar)

Because of inflation, using Argentine pesos can be a nightmare – and mean you lose a lot of money. The blue dollar (an unofficial exchange rate that gives you a better conversion than the official rate) is around, but if you want to avoid carrying lots of cash, you can now pay using your credit card and get an exchange rate similar to the blue dollar rate. You must choose to pay in Argentine pesos (not USD!) to secure this rate.

Both Mastercard and Visa give you what is called the MEP rate, which is almost as good as the blue dollar rate. Mastercard will charge you the official rate but refund you the money a few days later; Visa will charge you the MEP rate from the beginning.

Using cash and USD

If you do want to have some Argentine pesos for paying in cash (which you will need for a handful of small shops and restaurants, although most should accept USD in lieu of pesos anyway), you can bring USD (unmarked and untorn hundred-dollar bills).

When I visited in May 2024, I paid in cash at my hotel and got some Argentine pesos back at a decent rate. I only needed them for one bakery and a cafe in El Chalten; everywhere else accepted my credit card or (in the case of some small hotels) USD.

Alternatively, you can exchange USD at “cuevas” (unofficial exchange houses). These will be able to give you the blue dollar rate, and any hotel owner will be able to tell you where your nearest one is. Souvenir shops in most parts of the country will be able to give you pesos in exchange for dollar bills – although they might not give you the best rate.

Western Union

The final option is using Western Union. How this works is that you send cash to yourself using the Western Union app and then withdraw it in Argentine pesos from one of their branches in Argentina. Bear in mind, those in El Calafate and Ushuaia can run dry of notes, so it can be easiest to do this in Buenos Aires, and queues can get very long – hours long.

If you’re only in Argentina for a short time, I highly recommend bringing USD with you; find out which of your hotels you can pay using credit card and bring USD for the others. Patagonia is very safe. The main petty-crime risks for travelers are in larger cities such as Buenos Aires and Santiago.

What to avoid

Avoid cash machines. Currently, the maximum withdrawal is the equivalent of $15 USD in Argentine pesos, and it will cost you $10 USD in fees.

Last updated: December 2025

It is also possible to visit Patagonia on an even smaller budget if you plan to hitchhike, camp and self-cater.

You’ll need to budget in a bit more money for any tours you plan to take and other trips such as to Torres del Paine National Park.

Longer bus trips, particularly in Argentina, cost a lot too: you can expect to pay around $5.5 USD per hour (i.e. $88 USD for the 16-hour journey from Ushuaia to El Calafate) in Argentina and around $3 USD per hour (i.e. $9,000 CLP ($10 USD) for the 3-hour journey from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales) in Chile.

National park entrance fees vary, too: the entrance fee for Torres del Paine National Park is $32,400 CLP ($35 USD) for foreigners in the 2025/26 season, while the northern section of Los Glaciares in Argentina costs nothing.

Keep Reading: The 15 Best Hikes in Patagonia that You Can Do Without a Guide

Visiting the Perito Moreno glacier in the south of the national park now costs around $31 USD.

How much does it cost to go to Patagonia for one person?

Here’s a breakdown of an average Patagonia trip cost per day for one person, staying in dorm rooms and eating one hostel breakfast, one meal at a budget restaurant, and one meal self-catered:

Destination	Accommodation (daily)	Food (daily)	Costs
Argentine Patagonia	$25 USD (dorm)	$20 USD	$45/day; $315/week; $1,350/month
Chilean Patagonia	$22 USD (dorm)	$15 USD	$37/day; $259/week; $1,110/month

Camping can reduce this cost further (expect to pay around $10 USD pp); however, camp sites are limited in many towns. If you plan to camp in Patagonia, rather than staying in dorms, you can cut this down to $750-900 USD plus flights and tours per month.

However, this cost doesn’t include significant additional costs, including transportation, national park entrance fees, and tours.

The following gives you an idea of total costs for a two-week trip to Patagonia, including the cost of visiting the main sights:

Average cost of traveling in Patagonia for one person

Day	Destination	Activity	Tour	Transportation	Food	Accommodation	Total
1	Santiago	Day to relax / sightsee	—	$10	$20	$40	$70
2	Puerto Natales	Fly Santiago to Puerto Natales	—	$177	$15	$22	$214
3	Torres del Paine	The W	$219	—	$10	—	$229
4	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$10	—	$10
5	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$10	—	$10
6	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$10	—	$10
7	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$10	$22	$32
8	El Calafate	Bus to El Calafate	—	$30	$15	$20	$65
9	El Calafate	Visit Perito Moreno Glacier	—	$35	$20	$20	$75
10	El Chaltén	Bus to El Chaltén	$62	$35	$20	$30	$147
11	El Chaltén	Hiking in Los Glaciares National Park	—	—	$20	$30	$50
12	El Chaltén	Hiking in Los Glaciares National Park	—	—	$20	$30	$50
13	Puerto Natales	Bus to El Calafate and onwards	—	$65	$15	$22	$102
14	Santiago	Fly Puerto Natales to Santiago	—	$177	$15	—	$192
—	—	—	—	—	—	Total	$1,256

For Torres del Paine, the “tour” reflects the price of hiking independently, including accommodation, transport, and national park entry ticket. Both flights include checked luggage.

I’ve suggested starting in Santiago as internal flights in Chile are typically cheaper than those in Argentina and significantly more reliable.

How much does it cost to go to Patagonia for two people?

If you’re traveling as a couple and want to stay in double bedrooms with a private bathroom, but still plan to self-cater and take public transport, you can expect to pay a little more:

Average cost of traveling in Patagonia for two people
Day	Destination	Activity	Tour	Transportation	Food	Accommodation	Total
1	Santiago	Day to relax / sightsee	—	$20	$40	$46	$106
2	Puerto Natales	Fly Santiago to Puerto Natales	—	$354	$15	$60	$429
3	Torres del Paine	The W	$219	—	$15	—	$234
4	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$15	—	$15
5	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$15	—	$15
6	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$15	—	$15
7	Torres del Paine	The W	—	—	$15	—	$15
8	El Calafate	Bus to El Calafate	—	$60	$30	$67	$157
9	El Calafate	Visit Perito Moreno Glacier	—	$70	$40	$67	$177
10	El Chalten	Bus to El Chalten	$124	$70	$40	$100	$334
11	El Chalten	Hiking in Los Glaciares National Park	—	—	$40	$100	$140
12	El Chalten	Hiking in Los Glaciares National Park	—	—	$40	$100	$140
13	Puerto Natales	Bus to El Calafate and onwards	—	$130	$30	$60	$220
14	Santiago	Fly Puerto Natales to Santiago	—	$354	$30	—	$384
—	—	—	—	—	—	Total	$2,381

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How to travel to Patagonia on a budget

Traveling to Patagonia cheaply is possible, but takes some advance planning and organization to ensure you get the best flight deals, cheap accommodation, and can make the most of the tax discounts available for paying in dollars in Chile.

I’ve split the following sections into the different ways of traveling to Patagonia on a budget.

How to get to Patagonia cheaply

The cheapest way to get to Patagonia is by airplane, although this does vary depending on the country you plan on starting in.

Generally, flights are cheapest in Chile, with a growing number of budget airlines offering excellent deals.

In Argentina, you can expect to pay at least double what you would pay to fly into Chilean Patagonia.

Flying across borders is only possible on Mondays and Fridays between Santiago and El Calafate, when there is a flight operated by Sky Airline.

Cheap flights to Patagonia

Cost: $$

Your initial travel into Patagonia can result in your wallet already wincing from the expense.

However, it doesn’t have to be like this, as there are several tricks for getting budget flights in Patagonia.

Firstly, budget airline carriers are paving the way for inexpensive flights. I tend to compare prices on Skyscanner and then book directly with the airlines themselves. These include:

• Sky Airline: Chile’s second-cheapest airline, they have more regular departures than Jetsmart (Chile’s lowest cost airline) but are much more reliable, if slightly more expensive. You can choose fares with hold luggage included, for a fee. Flights from Santiago to Puerto Natales cost from $157,000 CLP ($171 USD) incuding checked luggage.
• Jet Smart: While they’re not very reliable in Chile, they’re one of Argentina’s better options. They offer flights between Buenos Aires and Bariloche, El Calafate, and Ushuaia, but their site won’t let me check prices.
• LATAM Airlines: Traditionally the more expensive option, you can still snap up good internal flights when travelling between Santiago and Puerto Natales – and they’re also the most reliable, too. One-way flights cost from $190 USD.
• Fly Bondi: Avoid! It’s been plagued by delays, cancellations, and even major accidents.

Secondly, plan in advance. As is often the case with flights, finding that sweet spot when prices are lowest is the best way to grab a budget flight. A mobile app that I’ve been increasingly using to achieve just this is Hopper.

I once used it to get me $210,000 CLP ($326 USD) return flights to Easter Island (find out more about my tips for getting cheap flights to Easter Island and other essential information).

What it does is follow historic flight price data for dates that you wish to fly (you can enter lots if you’re not entirely sure of your exact date yet) and tracks prices.

When it thinks that you’re unlikely to get a better deal, it’ll send you a notification and tell you to buy.

It’s really simple, but I’ve found it to be a failproof and effective in finding me budget flights to Patagonia.

Best way to travel around Patagonia cheaply

Once you’re in Patagonia, traveling around cheaply can be difficult, particularly as a lack of competition on some routes means that bus prices can be sky-high.

However, there are some tricks for reducing your Patagonia transport costs.

Keep Reading: How to Get to Patagonia: A Complete Travelers’ Guide

Hitchhiking

Cost: $

Traveling a dedo along the Carretera Austral has become the stuff of budget backpacker legend of late.

Backpacking Patagonia on a budget lends itself to hitchhiking. More and more travellers have realised that this method of getting around Patagonia not only allows you to save a ton of money on transportation costs, but it’s also a tried and tested way of meeting local people.

After all, Patagonians on both sides of the border are known for their friendliness and welcoming nature.

Patagonia is as safe as it gets as a region but obviously, hitchhiking always has its own risks. I’ve done it a number of times in groups and alone.

If you traveling in a group of more than two people, it can get problematic to find a lift big enough to accommodate you.

You’ll also notice that competition for rides, particularly along the Carretera Austral between December and March, can be fierce – so you might find yourself waiting for hours for a lift.

Cycling

Cost: $

I’ll admit this isn’t something I’ve personally tried, but cycling is one of the most popular ways of seeing Patagonia among the more athletically inclined.

Keep Reading: Everything You Need to Know Before Driving in Patagonia

I can’t count how many cyclists I’ve met who are peddling from Ushuaia north or Puerto Montt south and enjoying the fierce independence this way of travel grants you – and the fact that it’s considerably cheaper than most other forms of transport.

You’ll obviously need excellent equipment (buy at home: cycling gear is expensive in Chile and Argentina) and a strong constitution.

The going is beyond tough, but I’ve heard that the rewards are completely worth it.

Hire a rental car

Cost: $$$

Car rental in Patagonia is only economically viable for those on a budget if you’re traveling in a group of two people or more.

Car hire is cheapest in Puerto Montt (from $33,000 CLP ($36 USD) per day), although you’ll want to check that the insurance covers driving on the gravel roads of the Carretera Austral, as not all do.

Further south, Punta Arenas (from $48,500 CLP ($53 USD) per day) is cheaper for car rental than Puerto Natales (from $54,000 CLP ($60 USD) per day). Car hire is generally far cheaper in Chile than in Argentina.

Bear in mind that if you plan on crossing into Argentina, you’ll need to ask the rental company to organise the correct legal documents before you pick up the vehicle; typically this can take two to three weeks, so request them well in advance. Find out more about car rental in Patagonia.

Fuel is expensive once you get to remote parts of Patagonia; I noticed prices of almost $1,400 CLP ($1.5 USD) per litre along the Carretera Austral, for example.

Keep Reading: A Complete Guide to Visiting the Carretera Austral

All in all, car rental between a group of you often works out as cheaper than getting buses and allows you to go beyond the beaten trail and visit parts of Patagonia that few others explore.

If you plan to hire a rental car in Patagonia, I recommend you go through booking service Rentalcars.com, who find you the cheapest deal from the local companies available and also provides insurance details in English – something very difficult to get if you go directly through a company.

Buy your own car

Cost: $$$$+

A very popular way of getting around Patagonia is with your own car. This is partly due to the fact that rules for foreigners buying vehicles in Chile are far more relaxed than in other parts of the country.

You can expect to spend anything over $4,000 USD plus petrol costs (from 1,350 CLP ($1.47 USD)/997ARS ($0.69 USD) per litre) but, at the end of using the vehicle, it’s easy enough to sell it on to another set of tourists and reclaim the majority of your initial outlay.

You will need a Chilean RUT, a reasonable grasp of Spanish and a local person on the ground in Chile who can help you out.

You’ll also need a reasonable amount of time at the beginning and the end of your trip to organise the buying, insurance, and final selling processes.

I’ve never done this myself, so for more information, I recommend you check out this guide to the process of hiring a car that was updated in 2020.

Budget Patagonia accommodation

Accommodation in Patagonia can take a big slice of your budget and can be significantly more expensive than other parts of Chile and Argentina.

However, there are certain ways that you can keep costs down.

It’s also worth noting that, in Argentina, it’s possible to get a 10% discount if you pay for your accommodation using USD in cash; this is rarely advertised, so ask when making your reservation.

In Chile, foreign travelers should be exempt from paying the 19% IVA (tax) on accommodation that local tourists must pay. In practice, small accommodations rarely have the necessary paperwork to legally offer you the discount, so it’s something you’ll typically only find at mid-range hotels and above. You must pay in a foreign currency on a credit card (or USD in cash); paying with Chilean pesos or using a debit card means you’re no longer exempt from the tax. Yes, it’s ridiculously complicated!

Camping in Patagonia

Cost: $

Camping is very popular among young people in Argentina and Chile, meaning there are a growing number of campsites throughout Patagonia.

You’ll find most include showers (most often hot, but not always), toilets, running water, and barbecue areas. Prices vary but start from upwards of $12,000 CLP ($12 USD). Be sure to bring cash, as few places accept cards.

Most national parks in Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia also have campgrounds for similar prices.

Wild camping is another possibility, particularly in Chile. Your problem with camping in Argentina is that on the pampas (the exposed grasslands), there’s very little cover for your tent, and it’s not hard for the wind to blow it over at night.

You’ll want a sturdy tent and one that doubles up as a lightweight option for multi-day hiking trips. I recommend the Big Agnes Copper Spur (read my honest review of the Big Agnes).

Hostales and Residenciales

Cost: $

Two of the most common types of lodgings in Patagonia are hostales and residenciales. Don’t get confused: hostal isn’t the same as what we would call a hostel.

Instead, it’s a set of private bedrooms within a building, sometimes with access to a shared kitchen (but not always) and other communal areas. Breakfast is generally included.

Need more inspiration?

You’ll find even more detailed itineraries, off-the-beaten-path gems, hiking routes and accommodation, restaurant and tour recommendations to suit your travel style in my brand-new guidebook, Moon Chile.

Learn More

A residencial is similar, but normally within the house of the owner.

Both are good budget options as you can expect to find a single bedroom for from $25,000 CLP ($27 USD) and a double from $55,000 CLP ($60 USD) and prices can drop outside of summer.

What I love about staying in these types of accommodation is the proximity it brings you to local people who are literally welcoming you into their homes.

Keep Reading: The Complete Patagonia Travel Packing List

Although they’re increasingly appearing on websites such as Booking.com, you’ll often find these by looking at accommodation marked on Google Maps and contacting the owners directly by telephone.

Again, be sure to bring cash with you to pay, as few places accept cards.

Hostels in Patagonia

Cost: $$

Hostels in Patagonia are those aimed at an international crowd and fit the normal description of a hostel, e.g. dormitory-style accommodation with a kitchen available for guest use.

Hostel prices have increased significantly over the past decade. Whereas once you could find hostels costing from $4,500 CLP ($5 USD), nowadays, the cheapest start at $18,000 CLP ($20 USD) per person and cost more in Argentina. You’ll generally only find this style of accommodation in the cities; outside of these, hostales are far more common, where you’ll often find a private, single room for the price of a dorm bed.

These types of accommodation generally appear on both Booking.com and Hostelworld.com.

If traveling between December and the start of March, these are the types of accommodations that are normally booked out by other international travellers, so you’ll want to make reservations in advance.

Cabañas

Cost: $$

Another option for those on a budget in Patagonia is renting a cabaña. These are normally basic wooden two- or three-bedroom cabins, generally with bathrooms, living rooms and equipped kitchens.

You find these a lot in Chilean Patagonia, and they make for a very cheap place to stay when you’re in a group, although you can often get a deal if you’re a couple traveling outside of December-March.

Expect to pay $60,000 CLP ($66 USD) upwards for a four-person cabin.

As with hostales and residenciales above, more and more cabañas are appearing on booking sites, but you can often get cheaper deals and find more options by using Google Maps and booking directly with the owners.

Bring cash, as it’s unlikely they’ll have a card machine.

Budget dining in Patagonia

One of your biggest expenses in Patagonia will be food. This is largely because it all has to be shipped in from further north in Chile and Argentina, and, as a result, prices can be pushed up by up to 30% of what you’d pay in northern cities.

Self-catering

Cost: $

Obviously, the cheapest way of eating in Patagonia is by self-catering. Your biggest problem will come with hotels or other accommodation types that don’t have cooking facilities – something that you shouldn’t take for granted and should check before booking.

Secondly, be aware that supermarkets aren’t common outside of the main cities.

You’ll find large, well-stocked shops in Ushuaia, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, El Calafate, Coyhaique, and Bariloche, but outside of these urban areas, shops are poorly stocked and prices are elevated, so you’ll want to buy food in big cities in anticipation of this.

Supermarkets in cities normally take debit and credit cards and open daily until 9pm or 10pm, with shortened hours on Sundays.

Remember that you can’t cross into Argentina with fresh fruit, vegetables or animal products, so avoid doing a big shop in Argentina and trying to bring it across the border.

Affordable restaurants

Restaurants can be expensive, and it’s not unusual to spend over $23,000 CLP ($25 USD) for a main and a drink in a medium-priced restaurant in cities across Patagonia.

However, many typical restaurants offer either fixed price lunch menus (admittedly, these are hard to find) or cheaper dishes; in Chile, these include churrascos (steak sandwiches), completos (hot dogs), and other light bites. In Argentina, it’s easy to get the national delicacy – empanadas – for a cheap and filling lunch from many grocery stores and bakeries.

Given that the region is famed for its lamb, make sure you do – at least once – treat yourself to a typical Patagonian asado or parrilla.

It’s worth noting that, in Argentina, it’s possible to get a 10% discount if you pay for your meal using USD in cash; this is rarely advertised, so ask when requesting the bill.

Hiking in Torres del Paine on a budget

The ever-popular W hike in Torres del Paine National Park costs more than ever and can make a serious dent in your Patagonia budget.

Camping in Torres del Paine

The easiest way to visit Torres del Paine National Park on a budget is by camping.

In the park, campgrounds range from $12,000 CLP ($12 USD) to $42,000 CLP ($46 USD) per person, while dorm-style accommodation costs from $96,000 CLP ($105 USD) to $190,000 CLP ($207 USD) per person, depending on the location.

Keep Reading: The Complete Guide to Making Camping and Hotel Reservations in Torres del Paine

Camping in Torres del Paine costs significantly less than staying in dorm accommodation and, even if you factor in the price of hiring camping equipment in Puerto Natales (the town closest to the national park), you should only be adding an extra $19,000 CLP ($21 USD) to your accommodation costs per day.

If you plan on hiking in Torres del Paine, the least you can expect to spend is $200,000 CLP ($219 USD): find out how to hike the W Trek without a tour and on a budget.

Don’t forget to take cash (Chilean pesos) with you to pay the Torres del Paine entrance fee, which is set at $32,400 CLP ($35 USD) for foreigners in the 2025/26 season (based on a three-day entry).

You’ll also need Chilean pesos for the ferry from Puedeto de Paine Grande Ranger Station, which costs $27,000 CLP ($30 USD) one-way.

General budget travel tips for Patagonia

Aside from the above tips, there are a couple of other ways that you can keep costs down in Patagonia:

Bring US dollars with you

Argentina’s unstable economy means that withdrawing cash from ATMs and using Argentine pesos is the worst thing you can do for your budget. Yes, the “blue dollar” (where you can exchange US dollars for up to 40% higher on the black market in Argentina than the official rate) still exists, but in practice, the best way is to pay using your credit card and get an exchange rate similar to the blue dollar rate. You must choose to pay in Argentine pesos (not USD!) to secure this rate.

Both Mastercard and Visa give you what is called the MEP rate, which is almost as good as the blue dollar rate. Mastercard will charge you the official rate but refund you the money a few days later; Visa will charge you the MEP rate from the beginning.

Money in Argentina: Understanding cash, credit card, and the blue dollar

If you do want to have some Argentine pesos for paying in cash (which you will need for a handful of small shops and restaurants, although most should accept USD in lieu of pesos anyway), you can bring USD (unmarked and untorn hundred-dollar bills). When I visited in May 2024, I paid in cash at my hotel and got some Argentine pesos back at a decent rate. I only needed them for one bakery and a cafe in El Chalten; everywhere else accepted my credit card or (in the case of some small hotels) USD.

Alternatively, you can exchange USD at “cuevas” (unofficial exchange houses). These will be able to give you the blue dollar rate, and any hotel owner will be able to tell you where your nearest one is. Souvenir shops in most parts of the country will be able to give you pesos in exchange for dollar bills – although they might not give you the best rate.

The final option is using Western Union. How this works is that you send cash to yourself using the Western Union app and then withdraw it in Argentine pesos from one of their branches in Argentina. Bear in mind, those in El Calafate and Ushuaia can run dry of notes, so it can be easiest to do this in Buenos Aires, and queues can get very long – hours long. If you’re only in Argentina for a short time, I highly recommend bringing USD with you; find out which of your hotels you can pay using credit card and bring USD for the others. Patagonia is very safe; the places where you run the risk of being mugged are in Santiago and Buenos Aires.

Avoid cash machines. Currently, the maximum withdrawal is the equivalent of $15 USD in Argentine pesos, and it will cost you $10 USD in fees.

Patagonia is very safe, so you don’t need to worry about carrying cash.

Book in advance where possible

This isn’t really a tip for lowering prices, but one that will avoid you facing huge price hikes. As the popularity of the region has grown, demand for accommodation has increased dramatically, and there’s now not enough supply to meet it.

As a result, if you book accommodation early in places like Puerto Natales, El Chaltén, and Torres del Paine, you’ll have a choice of budget accommodation.

If you leave it until the last minute, you may well find that it’s all sold out and the only option is something more expensive.

That said, there are generally hostales and residenciales that aren’t on any booking sites that you might be able to hunt down, but if you’re on a shorter vacation or trip, save yourself the stress and book in advance.

Keep Reading: Three-Week and One-Month Patagonia Travel Itineraries (Plus Free Ebook Download)

We recommend these hotels in Puerto Natales, which cater to different budgets and travel styles.

Avoid unnecessary tours

A final way of avoiding spending over the odds traveling in Patagonia is by avoiding booking unnecessary tours.

For Torres del Paine National Park, and the majority of Patagonia’s best hiking trails, for example, you don’t need a tour. As I’ve explained, it’s easy to hike the W without a tour.

Yes, you do need to make reservations for accommodation in the park months in advance, but you don’t need someone to show you around the park’s well-worn paths.

For the vast majority of national parks in Patagonia, you’d better off bringing your own equipment if you plan on doing lots of hiking: see my recommended Patagonia packing list here.

If not, there are places you can rent gear for short periods of time in both Puerto Natales and El Chaltén.