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So, when is the best time to visit Patagonia? My name is Audrey and I have spent a lot of time in Patagonia and in this video I'll be doing a month-by-month breakdown of what to expect weather-wise. So, Patagonia looks incredible on video, but timing your trip wrong can completely ruin the experience. We're talking insane winds, closed trails, overpriced everything, or you could get the perfect hiking conditions. So, since my husband and I have spent a lot of time in Patagonia over several seasons, we're going to break it down month by month what to expect and how to pick the best time for your trip. Of course, the best time depends on what you want to do, your budget, and your tolerance for the
weather. So, it's important to keep in mind that you have Southern Hemisphere seasons, so that means it's going to be the opposite of North America and Europe. The weather is going to be unpredictable all year-round, that's a given, even in summer. And we're talking about a huge region, so we're going to focus on the mountainous region along the Andes because the Atlantic coast is something completely different and month by month you can see different wildlife, different bird life, so that's a separate video, separate topic. So, for this video we're going to focus on the Lake District where you'll find Bariloche, the land of glaciers where you'll find El Calafate, and the end of
the world where you have the city of Ushuaia. Keep in mind you can have sun, wind, rain all in one day. So, instead of perfect weather, we're going to be talking about the best tradeoffs. Okay, so let's begin with summer. I love summer in Patagonia, it's a great time to visit. Let's talk about the pros and cons starting with the month of December. So, December, the beginning of summer, this is one of the best months for travel overall because you get really nice weather, long daylight hours, everything is going to be open, it's great for hiking, and it's not going to be too busy. So, the crowds will be starting, but it won't be as bad as it can be in January and February.
Now, let's talk about the cons. The rates can be higher in December, especially if you want to book during Christmas and New Years. Next, January. This month is peak travel in Patagonia. It is when Argentines go on holiday. Everybody goes on vacation, so it is going to be busy. The pros are that you get the best weather window and it's ideal hiking conditions. The cons are that it's the most crowded month, it's the most expensive month, and yes, the wind can be brutal, and we're talking about winds that you can physically lean into and the winds are going to hold you up, and the winds get crazier the
further south you travel, so that's something to keep in mind. There is no perfect season. So, if you want to travel in January, you will need to book everything in advance. I'm talking about accommodations and tours especially so that you don't miss out on anything because things really do get booked up. And my suggestion would be maybe trying to visit smaller towns or lesser-known towns. Everybody's going to be flooding to Bariloche, for example, but you may want to consider a place like Trevelin, El Bolsón, Esquel. They're not quite as famous, so that's one way to avoid the crowds. Next up, February. This is my favorite summer month to travel because it's slightly less chaotic than January.
Most Argentines seem to like going on holidays in January, so slightly lesser crowds. The pros are that you still get great weather. The cons, it's still going to be a little bit busy and a little bit expensive. So, late February is a very solid option if you want summer conditions without the peak chaos. Next, let's move on to autumn, fall. It is one of my favorite times of year to travel to Patagonia to see the autumn foliage, the fall colors. So, I would highly recommend visiting this time of year if you can. Let's start with the month of March. So, the good thing about traveling in March is that kids go back to school, Argentines go back to work, and you get fewer crowds,
stable weather, and of course, those early fall colors are starting to pop later in the month. The cons, there aren't too many. You're starting to get shorter days, but overall, I would say this is a top-tier month. Next, moving on to April. April is going to be epic because that's when you get the peak fall foliage colors. So, if you want to see crazy crimson mountains, pumpkin, ochre, burgundy, like all those warm earthy shades, this is the month to do so. So, one of my favorite memories traveling in April was when we visited Bariloche and we went to Laguna Verde, the Green Lagoon, via Refugio Neumeyer, and the landscapes there were just unbelievable. It was crazy seeing a
green lagoon against the backdrop of like red leaves, so it was very picturesque. And that time of year we also visited Esquel, and again, the mountains were just like red and purple and orange. It was so beautiful. So, if you're a photographer and you want to get the colors, April is your month. The cons, obviously the weather is cooling very quickly, so you'll want to layer up. Some services do start shutting down in April, especially further down in Patagonia, like if you're really down south around El Calafate, El Chaltén. A lot of estancias close for the season, they close for the entire winter, and same for certain hotels and certain restaurants. So, you're going to have a little less variety, but you can still
make it work. Then we have the month of May. Technically still autumn, but it's going to start to feel a lot like winter. So, again, you'll want to bundle up, you'll want to pack accordingly, bring layers. The pros are that it is very quiet and it is very cheap, and that continues on into winter. Next, we're going to talk about winter, June through September. In the month of June, you are entering winter and it's going to be very quiet. I would say June is actually the quietest month to travel in Patagonia. You're not going to find any crowds. As I've mentioned, a lot of things are going to be closed, but then you also have some pros, some unique activities, like for example, in Ushuaia
they have their winter solstice, they have a whole celebration around the shortest day of the year, and it's actually not a one-day celebration, it is a 10-day celebration, and they ski down the ski hill with lanterns and like they just put on a lot of events, you know, they make the most of the cold, dark season. So, you can still have fun if you choose to visit in winter. July is when kids get their two-week school break, their winter break, so families will be going on holiday, and Bariloche is very popular because of the ski resort. People love to go skiing here. So, if you visit in July, it could potentially be a little busy. However, if you decide to wait until August,
it'll be a lot quieter because the kids will be back in school. You're still going to have snow, you can still go skiing and do all of that. Now, winter in Patagonia is not ideal for trekking. A lot of the national parks will shut down their trails just because they become inaccessible. Like you're going to get lost. You're not going to be able to find the trails because of the amount of snow. So, some tour operators will run snowshoeing tours, but like you need to go with a guide. It's not like you can just set off into a national park on your own, you need to go with somebody who knows the area, who's an expert, and who can guide you. So, this is the same from, you know,
Bariloche all the way down to Ushuaia. A lot of the trails are going to shut down and you can snowshoe, so consider that. That's something unusual to do in Argentina. Next, let's talk about spring in Patagonia. September marks the arrival of spring, though depending on where in Patagonia you are, it may still feel a lot like winter and you may still have a lot of snow and you may still be able to go skiing even though it is springtime. Next, we have October, one of the least talked about months, but a really nice time to visit. October will be the middle of spring. However, the pros, you're going to have very few tourists, still low prices, and it's going to be very quiet on the trails.
Um, the cons are that the weather is still a little bit unstable and some trails and services may not be open yet. So, if the snow hasn't melted, certain trails are not going to be open, and same with certain services like estancias, hotels, restaurants, tour operators. Now, let's talk about November. I feel like November is a hidden gem. This is kind of like a sleeper month that not very many people visit and I don't know why because it's a good time to visit. This is when you'll start having longer days, the landscapes are waking up, so lots of greens, flowers in bloom. Most things are already open by November. And now, the cons are that it can be a bit windy, it can be a bit unpredictable, but overall, I would say it is a good month
to travel. So then, how do you choose? When should you visit Patagonia? I'm going to give you some quick facts. So, if your priority is the best weather, I would say January, February. If you want fewer crowds, I would either do March in early autumn or November in the springtime. For lower prices, October, April can work. For photography, April if you want to get those autumn colors. And then for hiking, I would say anytime from December to April. You've got a really nice window there. So, things to keep in mind. Patagonia is never going to be perfect. Wind is always going to be a factor and you can get amazing weather or terrible weather any month of the year. That's really out of your
control. It's just up to the weather, up to the climate. It'll do what it wants to do. So, the summer is easier for logistics, but it will be crowded. Then the shoulder season can provide a better balance. And winter, well, winter is a niche experience. If you like winter weather, if you've got your winter thermals and you want to enjoy the snow, then by all means do winter. That's actually the only season that I have not yet traveled in Patagonia. I've done spring, summer, and autumn, but I tend to avoid winter because I get enough of it in Canada. So, there you have it. The big conclusion is that there is no single best time. It really depends what you want to do, what you want out of
your time in Patagonia. But hopefully this information will help you choose. Now you have a month-by-month picture of what to expect. So, if you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up. We invite you to subscribe to our channel and if you have any more questions about travel in Patagonia, feel free to pop those in the comments below because we're on a roll with our Patagonia series and we're happy to share all the advice we can. Thanks again for watching and see you next time. Ta-ta.
