Emerald Lagoon trek from Ushuaia: small group with local guide

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/26

Duration6h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · PT +1

PickupAt your hotel

Two hours in, the forest opens onto water the color of glacial melt.

This is a small-group trek from Ushuaia to Emerald Lagoon in Tierra del Fuego, led by a professional local guide who shares knowledge of the region's ecosystems. The route covers six hours total—two hours of trekking each way through Fuegian forests, peat bogs and mountain valleys, with the return on the same trail. Hotel pickup and drop-off, a homemade box lunch, snacks, coffee and tea are included; the operator uses reusable materials and no single-use plastics. Moderate fitness is required, and the tour operates in all weather conditions.

Step-by-step itinerary

Trekking to Emerald Lagoon

Hotel pick up
Two hours trekking to Emerald Lagoon
Return on same trail
Hotel drop off

The Experience

What makes this trek different is the guide. Rather than following a marked path with a group of twenty, you're walking with a professional who knows the Fuegian landscape—the peat bogs that hold water like sponges, the streams that cut through valleys, the forest that grows only as tall as the wind allows. The guide shares how these ecosystems work and why they matter, so the walk becomes more than distance covered. Hotel pickup means you don't arrange transport to the trailhead; the guide handles the logistics, and you arrive ready to start.

The trek itself is two hours up to Emerald Lagoon, then two hours back down the same trail. The name comes from the color—glacial silt suspended in the water turns it a shade between blue and green depending on the light and angle. You reach it, spend time at the water's edge, and then descend. The pace is steady and the terrain is moderate; this is not a scramble or a technical climb. Arpón Trekking, the operator, keeps groups small, which means you're not waiting for others to catch up or stepping aside for a line of trekkers coming down.

Lunch is a homemade box meal eaten at the lagoon or on the trail, surrounded by the landscape instead of at a lodge. Snacks, coffee and tea come along too. The operator uses reusable containers and avoids single-use plastics, so the meal doesn't leave a trace. The company participates in the Ushuaia Eco Pledge and shares environmental information throughout the day—not as a lecture, but as context for what you're walking through. The tour operates in all weather, so bring layers and waterproof clothing or trekking boots if you have them; the guide will advise on what works best for the conditions on the day.

What’s included

Professional local guide in your choice of English, Spanish or Portuguese.
hotel pickup and drop-off in Ushuaia.
homemade box lunch with snacks.
coffee and tea.
all trekking to Emerald Lagoon and back.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Arpon Trekking

Is this one for you?Small groups—under a dozen people—suit travelers who want to walk at a steady pace without managing a crowd, and who value a guide who knows the landscape deeply enough to explain what you're moving through. This trek works for anyone with moderate fitness who can handle six hours of walking and wants the lagoon without the logistics of getting there alone.