5 of the best road trips in Argentina

01.06.2024 - 21:05 / lonelyplanet.com

Argentina’s distinctive reputation looms large in imaginations oceans away from its borders. There’s so much to take in, and such immense distances to travel to do so. 

And as flights whoosh past the wonderful bits and bus travel doesn’t serve many sights beyond the highways, the best option is to see the nation with your own wheels: where you can pull up and branch off where and when you want. 

These road trips encompass a huge array of landscapes and cultural icons: suave cities and mesmeric deserts, Andean peaks, pampas, Che Guevara sights and wine country delights. 

Drive prepared – in a vehicle stocked with ample drink, food and fuel – as distances between settlements can be big, and prepare yourself for an epic journey. Here’s our guide to the best road trips in Argentina. 

Best long-distance road trip
Christ the Redeemer Tunnel–Ushuaia; 4353km (2704 miles); allow 2–4 weeks 

Commencing the final Argentine swathe of its cross-continental journey in dramatic style at the Christ the Redeemer tunnel – linking Chile and Argentina via a lofty Andean pass – the Pan-American Highway is the planet’s most epic road trip, bar none.

This mighty matrix of roads kicks off in Northern Alaska, snaking down some 30,000km (18,640 miles) through the Americas to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.

The highway’s southernmost section through Argentina first runs through Mendoza province, the heart of the country’s fabled wine industry, before trundling east on Ruta 7 to capital Buenos Aires.

The highway swivels southwest on Ruta 3, brushing the Pampas and Atlantic coast, then arrows through sparsely populated Patagonia, passing Puerto Madryn (stop here for whale-watching) to the far south. 

Here, cut into Chile and take a ferry across the Strait of Magellan into Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of mainland South America. It’s then a straightforward romp to Ushuaia and, as myriad signs hereabouts proclaim, "El Fin del Mundo" (The End of the World). You needn’t put the brakes on here, either: Ushuaia is the prime jump-off point for Antarctica excursions.

Planning tip: The far south’s bitter winters mean a spring or summer trip is best (September to February). Ensure your car rental agreement and insurance lets you enter Chile (you may have to pay an extra fee for this).

Ready to plan your trip to Argentina? Here are the things you should know 

Best route for revolutionaries and history lovers
Buenos Aires–Bariloche; 2438km (1514 miles); allow 1–2 weeks

Ernesto "Che" Guevara is better known for helping bring about the Cuban Revolution, but he spent a good 25 years of his 39 years in Argentina, his country of birth. 

The Camino del Che (Che Trail), visiting the places most associated with his early life, actually begins far northeast