Argentina - suggestions for first time trip to Ushuaia/Tierra Del Fuego

We will be heading to Ushuaia/Tierra Del Fuego for the first time at the end of March. Planning on spending 5-6 days in the area. We do fly into USH but are willing to travel around Tierra Del Fuego area. Anyone been there and have suggestions of things to do and see. Not interested in wine (we have kind had our fill the last few weeks! LOL). We like a diverse group of things and were hoping to do/see alot in the area for the week.

Hi globe.trotter. I've been down to Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego several times. A day's boat trip on the Beagle Channel is one option. Hiking and canoeing in Tierra del Fuego National Park is another if the weather is kind and you are looking for an active day.

I would highly recommend the Lakes Off-Road tour run by a company called South Road (link here (http://www.southroad.com.ar/ingles/lugares_ushuaia_6.php). They run various other tours too.

The "Train at the end of the world" is a waste of time IMHO. It's a short train ride taking you to the National Park - you'll see much of the same scenery in a jeep on the way to a day's hiking tour in the National Park.

Don't bother with an organised city tour. Ushuaia is small and you can easily spend half a day wandering around the place on your own. A walk along the coast is also very pleasant - there is a monument to the fallen soldiers of the Malvinas war there.

5-6 days is quite a long time to stay in Ushuaia - you can pretty much cover everything in 3 days max. Are you planning on visiting other parts of Argentina too? There are far more hiking options and more dramatic scenery around El Calafate and El Chalten if that's more your thing

Yes we are going other places also... pretty much have that planned out already. ushuaia part of the trip is going to be as long as we are in other areas. We just like 5 days to really get an area then move on. I'm sure we will do much more traveling in Argentina besides this trip so we aren't trying to packing in a ton of locations. More like doing the one area completely then something new next time.
Have you done any tours to the penguin island place (can't think of the name right now)?

No, I've not been to Isla Martillo and Estancia Harberton. You can incorporate a visit here on your boat tour. I personally think one boat trip is enough - there are various tours on offer but there will be a lot of repetition ie all tours cover Les Eclaireurs lighthouse and the wildlife on the islands closest to the port of Ushuaia

Any recommendations on boat tours?

Heading there for 6 days at the end of March...would love to hear recommendations of things to do/see. Also we are staying at the Bella Vista Inn....anyone been there?
We like a little of everything...when we go somewhere we really want to feel like we "did" the area...hence the long amount of time in a city most say 2-3 days max.

The people at the Estancia Haberton are the ONLY company acutally allowed ON the Island with the pingiuns - we have just done it!! and it was great. Especially when all the others are only allowed to drive by and have to take their photos with their tele lenses while we were right infront of them. Book ahead of time since they only allow 80 people onto the island on any day.

When down in Tierra del Fuego, I would suggest you enjoy some of the high end restaurants there.... some key ingredients are the local king crab and the lamb... but in general seafood and shellfish are very good.

The only company doing the Estancia Haberton / Isla Martillo trip is www.piratour.com.ar, and it is wonderful (cost IIRC was $82 pp). Just returned from a trip & cruise to Chile & Argentina, and the Ushuaia tour was one of the highlights -- just 10 of us and thousands of penguins! (By end of March there will not be that many penguins left to see.)

If you've time, cross to P. Williams and take the ferry through the Beagle Channel to P.Arenas. Fantastic scenery.