Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour: Is it Worth it?

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Visiting Ushuaia and wondering if the Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour is worth it? We’ll help you decide!

The Ushuaia Double Decker bus tour is a 1 hour and 10-minute city sightseeing bus tour across the southernmost city in the world.

The loop runs 15 kilometres in length and during the journey, you get to see a variety of sights and attractions that are on the less touristy side.

This tour is a good way to get a lay of the land, but it’s not the only way to see the city.

So in this article, we’re going to do a deep dive into this Ushuaia bus tour, look at the bus route, the attractions it goes past, the places where you get to disembark, see how the tour varies from summer to winter, and consider alternatives.

We’re going to share everything you need to know so you can decide whether this bus tour is right for you.

#1 Pick

Ushuaia City Tour Aboard a Double Decker Bus

⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 10 minutes

The Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour is a 1-hour sightseeing tour aboard a blue vintage bus. It provides a brief introduction to the southernmost city in the world and takes passengers to various attractions beyond the tourist trail.

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What is the Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour?

Before we dive in, let’s be very clear about what this bus tour is not.

The Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour is NOT a hop-on hop-off bus tour where you can get off at your chosen attraction, spend some time exploring, and then wait for the next bus to come by a few minutes later to pick you up.

This bus tour is a city sightseeing tour where you drive around the city and see a lot of places in passing.

During the tour, you get to listen to a narrated audio guide which offers commentary on Ushuaia’s history and the attractions you’re seeing along the way.

You only disembark at two points throughout the tour for brief photo ops.

Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour

All aboard the Ushuaia City Tour Bus

The Ushuaia city bus tour departs from Civic Plaza Ushuaia on the corner of Avenida Maipú and Comodoro Augusto Laserre Sur. This is right downtown just one block north of the port, so it’s super easy to find.

Look for the old-fashioned London-style double-decker bus painted bright blue, and then get ready to be transported back through time once you step aboard.

During this bus tour, you’ll get to learn about Ushuaia’s history and hear fun anecdotes, with a bit of tango music in between.

The entire trip is narrated by an audio guide. You’ll get a set of headphones and be able to choose from 8 different languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Russian and Chinese.

Inside the Ushuaia double decker bus tour

Attractions on Ushuaia Double Decker Tour

So what will you see during the tour?

Well, as I mentioned earlier, most of the attractions you will visit (or mainly drive by since this tour is just over an hour!), are not super touristy.

Here’s the official bus route so you know what to expect:

Old Government House: Originally constructed in 1893, the building underwent a transformation after a devastating fire in 1920, resulting in its current design. The Old Government House is now also an annex of the End of the World Museum.
First School: The first school in Ushuaia was established in 1890, called Escuela Nº 1 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento.
First Church: In 1898, Ushuaia’s first church was built, a catholic church called La Iglesia Parroquial de Ushuaia, which is now a National Historic Monument.
Otero House: This is the historic home of Lucinda Otero, a renowned writer who depicted life in Ushuaia through her poetry.
Malvinas Monument: This is a war memorial with a wall of remembrance that contains the names of the 649 Argentine servicemen who were killed in the war for Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) in 1982.
First Graveyard: Ushuaia’s first cemetery takes up half a block just north of Plaza San Martin and it’s where many of the early settlers are buried.
CADIC: This stands for Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas or Austral Center for Scientific Research. It’s the southernmost interdisciplinary research centre, not counting the bases in Antarctica.
University: Tierra del Fuego National University or Universidad Nacional de Tierra Del Fuego is the university at the end of the world. It offers multiple careers in environmental science, political science, economy and education.
Monte Gallinero: This area is home to a battery with Bofors M45 DP 105mm cannons.
Monte Vigia: Another historic hill near Monte Gallinero.
Pipo River: This is where the Pipo River crosses through the city of Ushuaia.
New Neighbourhood: As the name suggests, these are the new neighbourhoods under development where you’ll see a lot of new constructions.
Prisoners’ Path: This is a historic hiking trail in the city’s west end where you can still see the remains of the train track sleepers that took the prisoners from the prison to the forest.
Devil’s Lagoon: This is a small green lagoon that’s part of a nature reserve. It’s named so because back in the day animals used to disappear during the winter months (unfortunately falling through the ice!) and local lore was that the devil was taking these animals.
Buena Esperanza: Not super exciting but this is the local water treatment plant.
Italian Neighbourhood: A historic neighbourhood where a lot of Italian families initially lived.
Hospital: Another exciting attraction, I know, but you’ll get to go by the local hospital.
Saint Christopher: Formerly known as the HMS Justice where she served as a rescue tug in the Royal Navy, the Saint Christopher is a vessel that was later chartered for salvage operations in the Beagle Channel. After suffering engine trouble and rudder damage, she was beached and abandoned in the harbour, where she’s now a tourist attraction.
End of the World Museum: This museum focuses on local history and natural history, and has exhibits dedicated to sailing, whaling and seabirds.
Navy Harbour: With some luck you might get to see part of the naval fleet docked in the port.
Fournier Monument: Monument to remember the ARA Fournier, a minesweeper of the Argentine Navy that was in service from 1940 until her sinking in 1949.

Panoramic views of Ushuaia as seen from the Aeroclub during the bus tour

Harbour views of Ushuaia on the city sightseeing bus tour

After reading this list, you probably have a better understanding of what I meant by less touristy attractions in Ushuaia. I mean, schools, hospitals, local neighbourhoods and the local water treatment plant probably aren’t on your list of places you plan to visit in the southernmost city, but it gives you an overview of the city from a more local angle.

You also go past the Old Government House, the Malvinas Monument, the Saint Christopher beached on the city shores, so there are some spots geared more towards tourists.

There are two stops along this tour where you actually get off the bus. The first one is the Devil’s Lagoon where you can snap some photos and enjoy the greenery.

The next stop is in front of Aeroclub Ushuaia. This isn’t even listed as an official stop on the itinerary, but it offers great panoramic views of Ushuaia. So if you’re looking for those postcard shots of the city, this is where you get them.

Devil's Lagoon is one of the stops on the Ushuaia double decker bus tour

Visiting the Devil's Lagoon on the Ushuaia city bus tour

Pros of Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour

✅ Provides a great overview of the city

✅ Takes you to places you wouldn’t be able to reach on foot

✅ Goes beyond the main tourist sights

Cons of Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour

❌ Not a hop-on-hop-off bus (there isn’t such a tour in Ushuaia!)

❌ Limited time at each scheduled stop

❌ Short 1 hour and 10-minute tour of the city

Who is the Ushuaia Bus Tour for?

👍 Travellers who want an overview of the whole city

👍 Travellers who have limited time in Ushuaia

👍 Travellers who want to enjoy a short condensed city tour

My Experience on the Ushuaia Bus Tour

Let me say, I had very few expectations from this bus tour because I kind of booked it on a whim.

I figured it would be a good tour to do early on in my trip to Ushuaia so I could get a lay of the land and perhaps revisit some places if something caught my eye during this brief bus tour.

This sightseeing bus allowed me to see places in Ushuaia I otherwise never would have made it to, not only because they were too far for a tourist to get around on foot, but also because we visited less touristy places that weren’t exactly on my travel radar.

With so many of Ushuaia’s main attractions concentrated along the port or in the historic centre, it was nice to see where the locals live and what the city outskirts look like.

I also enjoyed the audio guide since it provided context to what we were seeing. Otherwise, the attractions wouldn’t have made a lot of sense since we were only seeing them in passing.

As for my initial idea of retracing my steps to places of interest, I have to say, nothing I saw during the bus tour really warranted a longer visit.

We had enough time at the two scenic stops of the trip, the Devil’s Lagoon and the Ushuaia Aeroclub, that I didn’t feel the need to go back anywhere with more time.

There’s so much to see and do in Ushuaia – go on a Beagle Channel cruise, ride the Train at the End of the World, visit the Ushuaia Prison Museum – that I’m glad I only spent an hour touring the city and therefore had plenty of time to enjoy other activities.

Review of the double decker bus tour in Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Schedule

HIGH SEASON (October to May)

Travel aboard the double decker bus
Departure times are 10:30, 12:30, 15:30 and 17:30
1 hour and 10-minute tour

LOW SEASON (July to September)

Travel aboard a 4×4 Bondi (you need a vehicle that can handle the snow!)
Departure times are 12:00 and 15:00.
1 hour and 20-minute tour
Hot chocolate included

Alternatives to the Ushuaia Bus Tour

If the Ushuaia Double Decker bus tour doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you may be interested in checking out the Ushuaia City Train.

This train is NOT the End of the World Train, but rather a city sightseeing train that does a similar loop through Ushuaia.

The Ushuaia City Train is a 1-hour journey (slightly shorter than the bus by just 10 minutes) and it covers 13 kilometres (2 kilometres less than the bus).

You also get 2 photo stops along the way, though at different locations.

You can check out the Ushuaia City Train Tour here.

Is the Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Tour worth it?

I would say it depends on the type of traveller you are and what you want out of your trip.

If you enjoy visiting quirky spots and you want an off-the-beaten-path look at Ushuaia, then this bus tour delivers.

You’ll get to see the city beyond the historic centre, you’ll drive through local neighbourhoods, and you’ll get to learn about the city’s history via the audio guide.

On the other hand, if you’re pressed for time and you have a long list of activities in Ushuaia that you really want to get through, then you should probably focus on those.

Perhaps your time would be better spent hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park, cruising the Beagle Channel, enjoying a helicopter flight over Ushuaia, or so many other things!

I’m glad I did the tour because I got a good overview of the city and I feel like I know Ushuaia beyond its tourist sights, however, I don’t think it’s a must. But ultimately, the choice is yours!

How to buy your Ushuaia Double Decker Bus Ticket

You can book your ticket through Viator.
In-person at the bus stop right before departure.
By phone at +54 9 2901 582400
On the Ushuaia City Tour website (Spanish only).