Patagonia with kids: 6 cool destinations in a row!

Visiting Patagonia with kids is well worth it if you are taking a scenic tour of Argentina with the family. Especially for families who love nature, Patagonia is highly recommended. You have several beautiful destinations here where you can do all kinds of things with kids. You have beautiful lakes, glaciers and mountains in Patagonia, and it is also possible to spot various animals such as seals, whales and penguins. In this blog, we list the best destinations to visit in Patagonia with kids.

Table of contents

Best travel time Patagonia with kids

The best travel time to visit Patagonia with kids is from December through April. It is then summer in Argentina and thus the most pleasant temperature in southern Argentina. By the way, you still don’t have to expect 30 degrees in this part of Argentina then. The temperature will still only be a few degrees above 0.

In the months of December and January, most Argentines have vacations themselves, and that is also when it is high season in this area. Consequently, accommodation prices are a lot higher than the rest of the year. Therefore, if you want to have good weather and that it is also not high season, the months of February and March are also very suitable to visit Patagonia with the family.

Transportation in and to Patagonia

To get to Patagonia (Puerto Madryn) from Buenos Aires by bus or car will take some time. To Puerto Madryn takes about 15 hours by car if you drive directly to this destination from Buenos Aires. In Argentina, luxury buses run between destinations in Patagonia, so this is definitely an option. However, with kids it can be very nice if you have your own transportation.

You can easily rent a car at the Buenos Aires airport and explore Patagonia that way. You can rent a car at the airport through Sunny Cars, which we always find to be a very nice rental company when abroad. They operate on an all inclusive principle, with most insurance and often the deductible included in the price.

Therefore, we never have to take out additional insurance on the spot and always travel relaxed with Sunny Cars’ cars. For more information on renting a car in Buenos Aires, take a look here.

Destinations Patagonia

#1 Puerto Madryn

If you are traveling to Patagonia from Buenos Aires, one of the first destinations you will encounter will be Puerto Madryn. We also visited this destination and you can do all kinds of things right here. You have beaches at Puerto Madryn that you can visit and also have several playgrounds for kids at the beach.

But the main reason you visit Puerto Madryn is because of the Peninsula Valdes. You can spot different animals on this island, but the biggest animal you can spot here is the whale. The best time to spot the whales here is in the months of September, October and November, but the animals are regularly spotted in the other months as well.

Another fun trip from Puerto Madryn with kids is to Punta Tombo. Here have the world’s largest mainland penguin colonies that you can visit. We thought it was a very cool outing to be here among so many penguins.

If you want to stay overnight with kids in Puerto Madryn, these family-friendly accommodations are good options:

Budget accommodation: La Tosca Hostel

Middle class accommodation: Los Tulipanes Apart de Mar

Luxury accommodation: Yene hue

For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Puerto Madryn, take a look here.

#2 Ushuaia

Visiting the southernmost city in the world Ushuaia is also definitely fun with kids. Ushuaia is the starting point to visit the nationala park Tierra del Fuego. Here you can go for a nice walk with kids and, of course, it is fun to send a postcard to the home front from this southernmost point.

Another fun outing to do in Ushuaia with the family is to Laguna Esmeralda. This beautiful blue lake is beautifully situated among the snow-capped mountains, and you can take a wonderful hike to this lake with kids. You can also visit a glacier in Ushuaia (Glacial Martial).

If you want to relax in Ushuaia, you can also visit a spa with kids at this destination in Patagonia. As you can see, you can spend a few days in Ushuaia just fine. If you want to know more about this destination, read the blog Ushuaia with kids.

If you want to stay overnight in Ushuaia with kids, you can go to the following accommodations:

Budget hotel: Departamentos Ahnen

Mid-range hotel: Del Bosque Apart Hotel

Luxury hotel: Hotel Albatros

For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Ushuaia, take a look here.

#3 El Calafate

El Calafate is a destination in Patagonia that you definitely shouldn’t skip even with kids. In fact, it is the destination that gives access to the Glaciares National Park, where you can see Patagonia’s most beautiful glaciers with kids. Surely the most famous glacier in this area is the Perito Moreno Glacier.

This glacier does represent one of the highlights in Patagonia. You can view the huge glacier here at the viewing platform, and it is very impressive when pieces of ice from the glacier end up in the water. After all, this makes a huge noise. You can also take beautiful photos with the family here with the glacier in the background. You can also take a boat trip to this glacier for an even closer look.

Near the village of El Calafate is also the lake Lago Argentino and on this lake you can take a boat trip to see the beautiful surroundings of El Calafate from the water. Another lake within walking distance of the village is Lake Nimez, where you can spot the flamingo in the water. You can also go hiking around this lake with the family.

If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation in El Calafate, these are good options.

Budget accommodation: Matices Hostel Terminal

Mid-range accommodation: America Del Sur Calafate Hostel

Luxury Accommodation: Linda Vista Apart Hotel

For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in El Calafate, take a look here.

#4 El Chalten

If you are a family fond of mountains and hiking in the mountains, then a visit to El Chalten cannot be missed during your tour of Patagonia with kids. After all, you have beautiful lakes, glaciers and also mountains lying in this area. The most famous mountain of this area is Mount Fitz Roy. You can walk to this mountain in 2 days, but that might be too hard with young kids.

Still, it is quite possible to go hiking in this area. There are several hikes that are very suitable for families with kids. For example, hikes suitable for kids are the Laguna Capri Trek, the Chorillo del Salto Trek and the Mirador Cóndores Trek. Also, in addition to hiking in the mountains with kids, you can also visit a glacier here. Indeed, the Huemul Glacier is nearby.

The town of El Chalten is located on Lake Lago Viedma and you can also book a boat trip with the family on this lake. Other children’s activities you can do here in the area are horseback riding, rafting and mountain biking. With these last 2 children’s activities, the minimum age for kids is 12 years though.

If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation in El Chalten, these are good options.

Budget accommodation: Hostería Vertical Lodge

Middle class accommodation: Andino Aparts – El Chaltén

Luxury Accommodation: Pitihué Aparts

For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in El Chalten, take a look here.

#5 Bariloche

Visiting Bariloche with kids is definitely recommended. Bariloche is known for its many lakes that you can visit here, and if you visit the city of Bariloche, you really feel as if you have entered some kind of ski village. By the way, it is also possible to go skiing with kids in the area of Bariloche in winter in this area.

In Bariloche, there is plenty to do with the family. The city is located on the beautiful Lake Nahuel Huapi, and on this lake you can book several boat trips. You can then take fun boat trips with kids to different destinations, and at the destination you can often go hiking. You have a beautiful view of the mountains in this area on this lake.

You also have fun children’s activities you can do In Bariloche. For example, it is possible to go tobogganing with kids at Cerro Viejo. You can also visit several other lakes with an organized tour and it is also possible to explore the area by bike. In fact, there are bicycles for rent in several places.

In addition, Bariloche is known for its chocolate and you have lots of different stores that sell chocolate. If you want more information about what you can do in this city in Patagonia with kids, read the blog Bariloche with kids.

If you are looking for family-friendly accommodation in Bariloche, these accommodations are good options.

Budget accommodation: Posada del Ñireco

Mid-range accommodation: Belgrano Decks

Luxury accommodation: Huinid Bustillo Hotel & Spa

For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Bariloche, take a look here.

#6 Torres del Paine

The previous 5 destinations on this list were all in Argentina, but there is one more destination worth visiting as well, which is in Chile. We also visited the Torres del Paine park during our tour of Patagonia, and it is easy to cross the border between Chile and Argentina. Indeed, we have done this several times during our tour.

You can do multi-day hikes through the park here, but with young kids this is probably too strenuous. Yet even in this beautiful park you have several hikes that are great for families with kids. Thus, you already have walks that last only 15 minutes, but also walks of several hours.

At the Torres del Paine park visitor center, they can give good information on this about which hikes in the park are suitable for kids. You also have several vantage points in the park with picnic tables, where you can enjoy the scenery and also grab a bite to eat.

You visit this park from the town of Puerto Natales, where there are several supermarkets, where you can get food and drinks. By the way, keep in mind that the weather here can turn very quickly (which is the case in several destinations in this list). Therefore, make sure you are well prepared in terms of clothing if you are going to visit this national park.