Bahía Encerrada Ushuaia Argentina — Bahía Encerrada is the best place for birdwatching in Ushuaia and only a 15 minute walk from the tourist office.

Ushuaia can be an expensive place, so what to do if you want to give the budget a break for the day? Here’s the top 20 free things to do in Ushuaia!

Most of these options are right in town, within walking distance of the tourist office. Some are far enough from the center that you may want a taxi. If you like walking, you won’t need to spring for a cab. I didn’t use a taxi for any of these.

Tourist office Ushuaia Argentina — Visit the tourism office

This should be your first stop. It’s open every day 9am-8pm and the employees can answer all your questions about tours, other things you can do, museums, and any other questions you may have. It’s also a warm place to wait out a rain shower or use the bathroom.

2. Get your passport stamped at the tourist office (Copy)

There are stamps for Ushuaia and Antarctica (Copy)

3. Visit the Pobladores Monument

Designed in the shape of a traditional Selk’nam shelter, this monument next to the tourist office honors the first inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego: the Selk’nam and the Yámanas. It also honors the first “pioneers” and names fourteen nationalities, including Croatians, Lebanese and English.

Heather Jasper at Ushuaia sign — 4. Get your photo taken at the Ushuaia Fin del Mundo sign

On the malecón, across the street from the tourist office, is the Ushuaia “Fin del Mundo” (End of the World) sign.

5. Walk the malecón by the harbor to see the cruise ships. (Copy)

The malecón also had great views of the mountains that surround Ushuaia. (Copy)

Sunken ship Ushuaia Argentina — 6. Visit the Sunken Ship

Walk west along the malecón and you’ll come to a partially sunken ship that’s one of the most popular photo spots in town. The mountains behind are the Darwin Range, in Chile.

7. Walk past the sunken ship along the malecón to get a picture of the Ushuaia sign with the pointy Mt. Olivia and multi-peaked Five Brothers Mountain in the background.

8. Go Bird Watching at Bahía Encerrada

Next to the Ushuaia sign is Bahía Encerrada, which means closed bay. It’s a shallow bay that’s a haven for many species of ducks, marine birds, gulls and birds of prey. Scroll through the photos above to see a sign with the most common birds seen at the bay.

9. Walk along Costa Susana

On the west side of town is a piece of private land called Costa Susana. Public access is allowed along the coast and leads to Tierra del Fuego National Park. There is an entrance fee for the national park, but the trail along Costa Susana is free. You’ll have a great view across the Beagle Channel to the mountains in Chile. It’s also a great place to spot marine birds and collect shells. The trees along the coast all lean east as the prevailing (very strong) winds come from the west.

The view from the top of the Martial Glacier trail. (Copy)

The trail from town is clearly marked with yellow signs and yellow paint on trees. (Copy)

Every time the trail crosses the road there are more maps like this. (Copy)

The trail through the woods also has signs. (Copy)

The trail through the woods follows a beautiful stream. (Copy)

The trail ends at the ski resort base. (Copy)

The ski resort base has a lodge and a tea house. Both serve food and hot drinks. (Copy)

From the ski resort base, you follow a wide ski run up towards the glacier. (Copy)

The ski run ends here and a narrow trail leads up to the glacier. (Copy)

The trail is clearly marked and easy to follow in the beginning. (Copy)

The higher up you go, the fewer signs you'll see marking the trail. (Copy)

If there is fresh snow, the top part of the trail is difficult to find. (Copy)

This is the view from the top. (Copy)

You can see Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel and Chile far below. (Copy)

The trail dead ends at this cliff, which you could climb with the proper gear. (Copy)

On the hiking trail, you don't actually get up to the glacier. (Copy)

10. Hike up to Martial Glacier

There are two parts to this hike. If you want the whole hike, start in town and hike up through a forest, following a stream to the ski resort base. From there, you follow a ski run and then a more narrow trail up to the base of the glacier. Each part of the trail takes about an hour. If you want to skip the first part, you can take a taxi up to the ski resort base and walk from there. One the way down, I recommend stopping at the Refugio de Montaña or the Casa de Té for a hot drink and something to eat. You can also bring your own picnic to eat at the tables next to the refugio or along the trail.

Cerro Alarkén with Arakur Hotel on the edge of the bluff. (Copy)

Cerro Alarkén trail map (Copy)

11. Hike the trails at Cerro Alarkén

Cerro Alarkén is next to Arakur Hotel and Resort. The trails are free, though if you don’t have a car you may have to pay for a taxi to get up to the hotel. The hotel has a shuttle for guests, but the drivers don’t pay much attention to who is a guest of the hotel. The shuttle picks up in front of Ramos Generales on Avenida Maipú. The shuttle departs Av. Maipú at 8:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, and 6:30 to 11:30 every hour at half past.

12. Visit the thematic exhibits behind La Última Bita gift shop on Avenida San Martín.

The gift shop is full of every Ushuaia and Antarctica souvenir you can think of. Browse a bit, then head for the back of the shop and go outside to the backyard. There are several exhibits that show Ushuaia’s history as a penal colony, as well as diorama of penguins and ice so you can take photos as if you were in Antarctica. There is a history museum upstairs from the gift shop called “Galería Temática - Historia Fueguina” which is not free, but the exhibits behind the shop are.

Historic train outside Presidio museum in Ushuaia Argentina — 13. Visit the Presidio Museum

The old prison from when Ushuaia was a penal colony has an entry fee, but outside you can still see the prison and historic trains and boats that are on the property. All the outdoor exhibits have explanatory plaques and signs.

14. Visit the outdoor exhibits at Museo del Fin del Mundo

Another museum with free outdoor exhibits is the Museo del Fin del Mundo (Museum of the End of the World). One side has murals and a historic dugout canoe. The other side has whale skulls, historic photos of Indigenous Yámana and Selk’nam people along with a representation of what their homes looked like. The gates to the outdoor exhibits are locked at 7pm when the museum closes. This is only a block from the tourist office, on Avenida Maipú.

15. Visit the Artisans’ Walk

Next to the tourist office is the Feria de Artisanía, which they translated as Artisans’ Walk. It’s a long, narrow building filled with people making jewelry, stained glass, hand knit sweaters and hats, and just about any handmade art you can think of. Not all of them sell art covered with penguins, but that’s always what catches my eye.

16. Look for murals around town

17. Watch for ships in the harbor

18. Watch folk dancing on Av. San Martín

There is a lot to see along Avenida San Martín, from folk dancing and handmade souvenirs to window shopping .

19. See the cityscape from Casa de la Mujer

The Casa de la Mujer is a government office, but the outside is covered with playgrounds for kids on both sides and a mini-park with a great view of the city from the top. The metal portrait on top is named after Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s second woman president.

20. Visit Plaza Islas Malvinas

This plaza is next to the Ushuaia sign and Bahía Encerrada. It’s a bit of a walk from the center, but if you’re visiting Bahía Encerrada you should stop by here at the same time. You will see references to Islas Malvinas (the Falkland Islands) everywhere in town. Even Ushuaia’s airport is named after the Malvinas. This is one of several monuments to the Argentine soldiers killed in the battle with England, which Argentina lost. You’ll also see lots of signs proclaiming that the Falklands rightfully belong to Argentina and that they will be Argentine some day.

Bonus: Historic Walking Tour

Scan the QR code for a self-guided walking tour around Ushuaia’s most important sites - including several that didn’t make this list!

Extra Bonus: Puerto Almanza and Tolhuin

These are two small towns near Ushuaia, and free to visit if you have a car. Puerto Almanza is a tiny fishing village east of Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel, across from Puerto Williams, Chile. Tolhuin is a small town north of Ushuaia on the eastern edge of Lake Fagnano, also called Lake Kami. Tolhuin has a famous bakery named La Unión, where about half the town works.