End of the World Train: Ushuaia Guide and Park + Train Tours (2026)

The short answer

The End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo) is worth riding for most first-time Ushuaia visitors, if you plan it as a scenic, historic way into Tierra del Fuego National Park rather than as a ride on its own. From 1 October 2026 a Tourist-class ticket costs ARS 80,000 (about US$52) on the railway’s official fares table, and you also need the separate ARS 40,000 park ticket to board, so the train alone is a short, pricey 7 km ride. Ride it one way as part of a park tour: train in, then a minibus to Lapataia Bay, Lake Acigami and Ensenada Zaratiegui. That suits families, older travellers and cruise passengers best. Hikers on a budget can skip it and spend the money on the Senda Costera instead.

There are two ways to combine the park and the train on a tour: add the train as an option on a park tour, which cost $100 to $124 for one adult on the GetYourGuide tours we compared (8 October 2026), or book a tour with the ticket already in the price, from $129 on Viator. Our pick is the Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour, Train Optional (our breakdown →), rated 4.8 from 450 reviews, with its “With train included” option at $124. On every tour, the national park entry is paid separately.

Last checked: October 2026. Train fares, park fees and timetables in Argentina change often, sometimes several times a year. Confirm on the official site (trendelfindelmundo.com.ar) and the national parks site before you go. USD figures in this guide use the Banco Nación official selling rate of about ARS 1,545 per US$1 on 30 September 2026, so treat them as rough guides only.

End of the World Train: quick facts

What is the End of the World Train?

It’s a heritage steam railway that recreates the last stretch of Ushuaia’s early-20th-century prison railway. It runs 7 km up the Pipo River valley from a station outside Ushuaia into Tierra del Fuego National Park, following the route of the “Tren de los Presos”, the train that once carried convicts from Ushuaia’s prison out to cut timber. Today it carries visitors through peat bogs, lenga forest and a “cemetery” of tree stumps. It’s short, slow and undeniably touristy. Ride it as your way into the national park, not as a there-and-back loop, and it makes a memorable hour at the bottom of the world.

The carriages are small, heated and have big windows. Each passenger gets a headset with narration about the prison, the prisoners’ daily work and the landscape. At the main station, staff dressed as striped-uniform convicts pose for photos. It’s a bit of theatre, and children love it.

Is it really the southernmost railway in the world?

Yes, as far as working railways go. Guinness World Records lists it as the “most southerly operating railway”, and the operator markets it as “the southernmost train in the world”. Two nuances:

• It’s a tourist line, not public transport. It doesn’t connect to any other railway and doesn’t run into Ushuaia itself.
• Other “southernmost” rail claims usually refer to closed lines. The Río Turbio coal railway in Santa Cruz province is one example, and it’s no longer in operation.

So “the southernmost railway in the world” is a fair claim, but it’s a 7 km heritage line, not a long-distance route.

History: from convicts’ train to tourist train

The railway was built to supply Ushuaia’s prison with timber and stone. It closed in the early 1950s and was revived as a tourist attraction in 1994.

• 1884: Argentina sets up a permanent naval presence at Ushuaia, and the first prisoners arrive at the new penal colony.
• 1902: The cornerstone of the new Presidio Nacional is laid. The building now houses the Maritime and Prison Museum in town.
• c. 1909–1910: A Decauville-type narrow-gauge line is built and upgraded to carry firewood, construction timber and stone from the forests west of town. It became known as the Tren de los Presos (Prisoners’ Train). Guinness World Records says the line was “originally built in around 1902 to serve a prison” and upgraded from an oxen-hauled trackway to a 60 cm gauge steam railway in 1910; other sources cite 1909.
• By 1913: The network covers about 25 km, with branches up the slopes of Monte Susana and along the Pipo valley to the Cañadón del Toro, which is now inside the national park.
• 1947: The prison closes. The train keeps hauling sawmill output for a few more years.
• 1949: An earthquake damages and blocks much of the line, and it closes for good in 1952.
• 1994: A private initiative led by Enrique “Quique” Díaz rebuilds part of the route as a 500 mm gauge heritage railway, and the Tren del Fin del Mundo is born.
• 2017: New, locally based owners take over the company.

As you ride, watch for the Cementerio de Árboles (Tree Cemetery): a stretch of valley floor covered in stumps under 50 cm high, left behind by decades of convict logging. It’s the most striking reminder of the line’s origins.

Which locomotives pull the train?

Three steam locomotives do most of the work, all built for the line in 1994 or later:

Diesel locomotives (including Tierra del Fuego and Rodrigo) back them up. You can’t choose which engine pulls your train.

The route, and what you will see

The route runs Estación del Fin del Mundo → Puente Quemado → Estación La Macarena → national park boundary → Tree Cemetery → Estación Parque Nacional.

1. Estación del Fin del Mundo (main station). This is where you check in. It has a café (confitería), a gift shop, historic photos and a window onto the locomotive workshops. The station sits about 1 km outside the park boundary.
2. Cañadón del Toro and Puente Quemado. The train crosses the meltwater-fed Río Pipo on the “Burnt Bridge”. You can see remains of the old wooden bridge beneath the new track.
3. Estación La Macarena (20-minute stop). This is where the prisoners’ locomotive once took on water. You can get off, walk up to a viewpoint over the Pipo valley, Cerro Guanaco, Cerro La Portada and Monte Susana, and see the La Macarena waterfall. Several sources also mention a reconstructed Yámana (Yaghan) shelter here.
4. National park boundary and Tree Cemetery. You pass peat bogs (turbales), stump fields and lenga and ñire beech forest along the river.
5. Estación Parque Nacional (10–15 minutes). The locomotive is moved to the other end of the train for the return. Tour passengers meet their minibus here, and independent travellers either ride back or get off to explore.

Duration: the official figure is about 1 h 45 min for the round trip. The return is direct with no Macarena stop, which is why tours quote about 1 h outbound and about 45 min back. Ushuaia’s tourism secretariat quotes 1 h 50 min.

Which side of the train should you sit on?

We couldn’t verify a “best side”, and in practice you won’t get to choose. Seats aren’t numbered; staff seat passengers by group in order of arrival. The Pipo river winds back and forth across the valley, so both sides get views. If views matter most, arrive early for check-in and ask politely for window seats, and avoid spots next to the door vestibules.

Timetable: when does the train run?

The train runs every day of the year with three departure time bands. Your ticket is for a band, not a specific train.

The official FAQ lists 12:30 for the winter midday band, while the fares page lists 12:15. Check your booking confirmation.

How the bands work in practice:

• Within each band, up to four trains may leave at 15-minute intervals, and you’re assigned to one of them at check-in. The booking widget has also shown a 13:15 slot, so extra departures do get added.
• Check-in is mandatory 45 minutes before departure. That’s when you get your physical ticket. If you haven’t checked in by 10 minutes before departure, your reservation can be cancelled and your seats given to the waitlist.
• Departures are cancelled only in extreme weather when it isn’t safe to run. Your park ticket is a separate purchase, and the train company says it handles park-fee issues independently.
• On a tour, the operator books the departure and sets your pickup time to match.

Timetables are set by the operator and change by season. Check trendelfindelmundo.com.ar before you plan your day.

Tickets: classes and prices

There are two classes you can book online, Tourist and Premium. VIP and Charter services are arranged directly with the operator. Older guides mention a “Primera” (first) class, but it no longer appears on the official fares page.

For a full breakdown of fares, fare history, discounts and how to save, see our guide to End of the World Train tickets and prices.

Ticket classes compared

Premium also includes a photo with the costumed “convict” actors and a visit to the railway workshops when operations allow.

Discounts (Tourist Class only):

• Argentine retirees (jubilados): ARS 52,000 (Oct 2026–Mar 2027).
• Visitors with a disability: 50% off for ages 13 and up. Children under 12 with a disability ride free, and so do Argentine retirees with a disability. You’ll need a CUD or equivalent document, and companions pay the full fare.
• Tierra del Fuego residents: 50% off for ages 7 and up; free for 6 and under. Request this through the operator’s benefits form, not the standard checkout.
• There’s no separate foreigner fare. The official table lists the same price for “Nacional / Internacional”. Older guides that quote separate tourist fares for foreigners are out of date.

Is Premium worth it? For a special occasion, or for travellers who would value a warm meal and priority boarding in winter. For most people, though, ARS 250,000 is a lot for a slightly more comfortable hour on the same route. Our pick is Tourist Class; spend the difference on a good centolla lunch in town. On the End of the World Train & National Park, Tourist or Premium tour, the difference was $178 against $390 for an 8 October 2026 departure.

The national park entrance fee (separate and mandatory)

You must have a valid Tierra del Fuego National Park ticket to board the train, because the line runs into the park. No train fare includes it, and you need it even if you never leave the carriage.

• Buy online at ventaweb.apn.gob.ar by card, ideally at least a day ahead. Choose the “Portal de acceso a través de Ruta Nacional 3 (Ushuaia)” ticket. Some operators say you can also pay at the train station, but you can’t count on that.
• The second day is 50% off within 72 hours, but only for tickets bought online. The APN tariffs page says that for Tierra del Fuego “el descuento aplica únicamente para los tickets adquiridos a través de la venta web”. The APN lists a 3-day Flexipass at ARS 80,000.
• Bring cash pesos anyway. The train station has no ATM, and cash is the most reliable fallback at the park gate.

Park fees are set by Argentina’s Administración de Parques Nacionales. Resolución 132/2026 set the current rates from 1 June 2026, keeping the foreigner fee at ARS 40,000 while raising the Argentine resident fee from ARS 12,000 to ARS 18,000. Check argentina.gob.ar/parquesnacionales before your trip, and see our park tickets page for the rules.

Apart from the all-inclusive option of the Small-Group National Park Tour (our breakdown →), no tour on this site includes the park ticket either.

What does a visit cost? (October 2026 example, foreign adult)

How to book the End of the World Train

Book on the official website (trendelfindelmundo.com.ar), several days ahead in summer and during Argentine holidays.

• Online: choose your date, time band, class and currency (ARS or USD). The site accepts Visa, Mastercard and Amex, plus Mercado Pago, PayPal and PIX (online only).
• Box office: at the main station, subject to availability on the day. It accepts cash in ARS, USD, EUR and BRL, as well as cards.
• Travel agencies in Ushuaia sell tickets too, often bundled with a park tour. On GetYourGuide, the End of the World Train Tickets, Turista Class listing sells the ticket on its own, from $50.
• There’s no ticket office in town. Customer service runs by email and WhatsApp, 8:30–17:00 daily.
• Cancellations: you can cancel up to 24 hours before for a refund minus a 5% fee. Inside 24 hours, nothing is refunded. Date changes must be requested at least 24 hours ahead, and you pay any difference if you move into a pricier season.

How far ahead should you book? The operator and tour companies all recommend booking in advance, especially in high season. Tripadvisor’s ticket listing says the train is “booked 28 days in advance on average”, and tour sellers report combo-tour seats selling out weeks ahead between November and March. December to February, when most cruise ships call, is the busiest stretch. In winter (the July school holidays) and on Argentine long weekends, book at least a few days out. In shoulder season you can often buy on the day, but you risk ending up in the 15:00 band.

On tours, the train seat is usually subject to availability. On the Tourist or Premium tour, if the ticket cannot be confirmed you are offered a full refund or a lower class with a partial refund, and the small-group operator recommends its all-inclusive option for anyone set on the train.

Getting to the station from Ushuaia

The station is 8 km west of the centre on Ruta 3, about 15 minutes by car. The train ticket doesn’t include transport, and you can’t sensibly walk there.

Our getting there page compares every way from Ushuaia into the park. Coming from elsewhere in Argentina? Read getting to Tierra del Fuego from Buenos Aires.

One-way, round trip or combo tour?

The best-value option for most people is a combo tour that includes the train one way into the park, then a minibus to the park’s highlights. Every standard ticket includes the return leg, but the return is the same scenery in reverse.

The train and the park are two separate things. The main station stands outside the park, 1 km before the gate, and you can board only there. Every ticket is technically a round trip, and “one-way” on a tour simply means you do not ride back.

What does a typical train and national park combo include?

A guide picks you up at your hotel, drops you at the train station, and meets you again at Estación Parque Nacional for a drive through the park. The usual stops are:

• Ensenada Zaratiegui, with the “End of the World” post office (Correo del Fin del Mundo), which is often closed, so treat it as a photo stop. It’s also where the Senda Costera starts.
• Bahía Lapataia, the end of Ruta Nacional 3, with the famous sign marking the southern end of the Pan-American road system and its distance to Alaska.
• Lake Acigami (Lago Roca), a glacial lake on the Chilean border.
• Laguna Verde, the Río Lapataia boardwalks and the Alakush visitor centre, depending on the tour.

Train optional or train included?

On most GetYourGuide park tours the headline “from” price is the version without the train. The train is a second option on the same listing, and you decide when you book. That suits you if you are still weighing the ride. The train or no train page covers what it adds and what it costs you in park time.

The National Park & End of the World Train Tour (our breakdown →) works the same way. It is the most-reviewed GetYourGuide listing on this site, rated 4.5 from more than 1,200 reviews. Its with-train option also cost $124 on 8 October, and guests who skip the train walk the Senda del Turbal peat-bog trail instead of waiting. It ends in the city center, not at your hotel.

If you already know you want the train, a tour with the ticket in the base price saves a decision. The Tierra del Fuego National Park and Fin del Mundo Train (INCLUDED) on Viator costs from $145 and is rated 4.8 from 245 reviews on Viator. It comes from the same operator as our pick. The Half-Day Tierra del Fuego National Park with Train includes a Tourist-class ticket from $129 and is rated 4.9 from 71 reviews. Note that it is non-refundable once booked.

On GetYourGuide, the End of the World Train & National Park, Tourist or Premium (our breakdown →) is the tour that sells a Premium seat. It is rated lower, at 3.9 from 114 reviews, and needs two days’ notice to cancel. Viator also lists a lower-priced train tour, National Park and Train Trip Guided Tour, from $98, but its rating is lower at 4.1 from 453 reviews.

Prices compared

Option prices for one adult on 8 October 2026 on GetYourGuide, and Viator “from” prices, checked September 2026:

Only the all-inclusive option of the small-group tour covers the park entry as well as the train.

How the day works when the train is included

Tours drive you to the main station on Route 3, where riders check in 45 minutes before departure. The line runs 7 km up the Río Pipo valley into the park, with the 20-minute stop at La Macarena, where you can photograph the locomotive and walk to the small waterfall. On a tour you ride only one way, so your time on board is shorter than the full round trip; the listings give about an hour. At Estación Parque Nacional your van is waiting, and the tour continues by road to Ensenada Zaratiegui, Lake Acigami and Lapataia Bay. The carriages are heated, and there are no toilets on board, only at the stations.

Is the End of the World Train worth it?

Yes for most first-time visitors, as long as you treat it as the scenic first act of a national park day. On its own it’s a 7 km ride costing about US$85 per person once you add the park fee and taxis, and plenty of travellers say it isn’t worth that.

On the Tripadvisor listing for the ticket, it holds a 3.8/5 rating from 661 reviews (checked October 2026), which is lukewarm for a bucket-list attraction. Reviewers praise the history, the organisation and the friendly staff. The complaints are consistent: narrow seats with six people to a compartment, the slow pace, crowds when cruise groups arrive, and the price.

Who should ride it: families with children, rail enthusiasts, older travellers, anyone with limited mobility, and cruise passengers with half a day. It also suits winter visitors who want snowy forest without trekking.

Who should skip it: fit hikers on a budget, people who dislike crowds or staged tourist experiences, and anyone with only a few hours who’d get more from a Beagle Channel boat trip.

Alternatives if you skip it:

• Senda Costera (Coastal Trail): about 8 km one way from Ensenada Zaratiegui towards Lapataia and Alakush, through beech forest along the Beagle Channel. It’s the park’s signature hike, open November to April.
• Senda Pampa Alta, which starts near the Río Pipo and train station area, or the steep Cerro Guanaco climb if you want big views.
• Shuttle bus to the park from Av. Maipú & Fadul, then hike between stops.
• The Maritime and Prison Museum in town, for the convict history without the train.
• A Beagle Channel boat trip to see sea lions, cormorants and Les Éclaireurs lighthouse. Our park or Beagle Channel page weighs the two.

When is the best time to ride?

For the best scenery and the most options, go from November to March. For the most atmospheric ride, go in July or August, when there’s snow. For the quietest carriages, take the earliest train on a day with no big cruise ships in port.

Time of day: the morning band suits a park combo, since tours use the morning train. The 15:00 band works if you spent the morning on the Beagle Channel. If you plan to get off and hike, take the 9:30 or 12:00 train so you have time before the last return.

What to wear: layers, a waterproof jacket, a hat and gloves, even in summer, because Ushuaia’s weather can change several times a day. The carriages are heated, but you’ll be outside at La Macarena and at the stations. Wear proper shoes if you’re continuing on the park trails. See our winter page and best time to visit guide for the park in each season.

Accessibility and facilities

The End of the World Train is one of the most accessible ways to see Tierra del Fuego National Park. Plan ahead, though:

• Wheelchairs: there are adapted carriages for people with reduced mobility, and stations have access ramps. Email info@trendelfindelmundo.com.ar in advance with your booking number and the help you need.
• Toilets: there are none on board. Use the main station before boarding. Estación Parque Nacional has chemical toilets only.
• Main station facilities: café or snack bar, gift shop (souvenirs are cheaper in town), historic photo displays, views into the workshops, free Wi-Fi (reported by travellers) and free parking. There’s no ATM and no luggage storage.
• On board: no space for strollers or big bags. Snacks and mate are allowed, and mate is the only hot drink permitted.
• Pets: only certified assistance animals, with paperwork sent in advance to both the train operator and the park.
• Time needed: allow about 3 hours for a DIY round trip (45-minute check-in + 1 h 45 min ride + transfers). A combo tour takes about 5–5.5 hours.

Travelling with children? Our park with kids page covers what works for families.

The train for cruise passengers

It’s doable on a port day, but timing is the main risk. Most combo tours run about 5–5.5 hours. One Viator reviewer described a tour that ran from 8:15 to about 1:45 and left it “very tight” to get back to the ship.

• Pick the earliest train band and a tour that offers pickup at the port gate. Some independent operators specifically exclude cruise passengers from their hotel-pickup tours and run separate shore excursions.
• Ship excursions (e.g. “Southernmost Railway & Ensenada Bay”-style tours) cost more but guarantee the ship waits for you.
• Check whether your tour includes the train ticket and the park fee. Many don’t include one or both.
• Expect crowds on multi-ship days. If several ships are in port, book well in advance.

Our shore excursions page compares the park tours timed around ship calls.

Practical tips and common mistakes

• Buy your park ticket before you go, online at ventaweb.apn.gob.ar. No park ticket means no boarding.
• Carry cash pesos. There’s no ATM at the station.
• Arrive 45 minutes early. Check-in isn’t optional, and seats are released 10 minutes before departure.
• Keep your paper ticket if you get off at Estación Parque Nacional. You need it to board the return train.
• Add infants to your booking. Children 0–3 ride free but still need a ticket.
• Test your headset before departure, and ask for another if the English channel crackles.
• Don’t assume the train goes to town. It starts 8 km outside Ushuaia and ends inside the park.
• Don’t assume your tour includes the train. Many park tours list it as optional or extra.
• Don’t choose the wrong fare category. There are no refunds for picking retiree, resident or disability fares by mistake.
• Don’t buy souvenirs at the station if you’re on a budget. Town shops are cheaper.

One mix-up to avoid: the Panoramic City Train Tour is a road train around Ushuaia town, not the End of the World Train.

For the park day as a whole, see the best tours and half-day tours pages, and check our tickets and prices guide before you book. Our sister site, the End of the World Train in Ushuaia, also covers the railway. When you have picked your option, check availability.