You’ve been wondering, “Can you ride horses and Patagonia?” The answer is absolutely yes, and it might be one of the best adventures you ever do.
I travelled to Patagonia for over three weeks and the 4 days I spent horseback riding were my number one highlight. They might even be the best days I’ve had in all of my travels.
I rode through the remote wilderness in Los Glaciares near El Calafate, surrounded by mountains and glacier lakes. I experienced sheep herding on horseback with a real Argentinian cowboy. I even learned to master a horse in the serene landscape around Puerto Natales.
Whether you’re an experienced rider or you’ve never been on a horse before, horseback riding in Patagonia needs to be on your itinerary.
In this guide, you’ll find the best places for horseback riding in Patagonia, the best tour operators available, multi-day horse riding options, and my completely honest (and unsponsored) review of my experiences.
Reasons to Try Horse Riding in Patagonia
1. Connect to Patagonian History and Culture
Both Argentina and Chilean Patagonia have over 150 years of working-ranch legacy. It is deeply ingrained in their national identity, with the quote “a man without a horse is a man without legs” often getting thrown around.
The working ranches rely on gauchos, Argentina’s cowboys, and baqueanos, Chile’s cowboys, to take care of everything on horseback. With their expertly trained herding dogs, of course.
Taking a horse riding tour in Patagonia allows you to learn about this important side of the region by immersing yourself right in it. Most of the tours, especially those run by estancias, are run by real gauchos and baqueanos who spend the rest of their day taking care of the ranch.
Gaucho culture is fascinating and I loved learning about it on my riding adventures.
2. A Unique Way to Experience the Natural Landscape
You’ll likely spend most of your time hiking and driving/bussing through Patagonia, so taking a horse riding tour adds a completely different perspective. You’ll be able to cover more terrain than you would on foot.
3. Learn to Steer and Connect with the Horse
Nowhere else in the world have I experienced a horse riding tour that actually taught me so much about mastering the skill.
We actually learned how to saddle, steer, and guide the horse. And the horses listened! There’s something refreshing about learning a new skill in a new place.
4. Some Include Round-Trip Trip Transport to Remote Wilderness Locations
A huge plus to horse riding in Patagonia is the access it gives you to a remote place you couldn’t get to on your own. The ride I did with Nibepo Aike Estancia required us to drive for an hour down a remote, bumpy, yet incredibly scenic road, to then embark on our multi-hour ride from there.
Not every single tour includes transport (but most do), so make sure you check before booking!
5. Preserve an Endangered Skillset
Tourism rides finance horse care and training that keep local breeds and rural jobs alive.
Every peso you spend helps estancias maintain traditional stock-handling rather than switching to mechanized quads.
Is There Horse Riding in Patagonia for Beginners?
Absolutely. In fact, I was a complete beginner when I did my first horse riding tour in Patagonia.
The only experience I had in the past was from several years before, when I did a trail ride that required me to just sit and enjoy the view. There were others on my Patagonia tour that had never even been on a horse’s back before.
The tour operators and gauchos (Cowboys in Argentina) are incredibly on top of things and make you feel safe. They teach you how to steer your horse and are so skilled that they can maneuver themselves by horseback to help you whenever you need. If it’s your first time, just let them know!
On the other hand, if you have horseback riding experience, it is still worth joining a tour for the scenery and experience. You’ll likely never ride through such a beautiful landscape again.
Best Places to Ride Horses in Patagonia
1. El Calafate
El Calafate is the best place to ride horses in Argentina and one of the best in all of Patagonia. There are several estancias in El Calafate, which are traditional working ranches with real cowboys. Most of them offer horse riding adventures and farm visits to experience cowboy life in the Patagonia steppe.
I did several horseback experiences at Nibepo Aike estancia, just an hour outside of El Calafate. They varied from shorter one-hour tours, to longer 3 hour excursions. I even spent an exhilarating evening trotting alongside farm dogs to herd the sheep into their paddocks for the night.
El Calafate all around is one of the top places to visit in Patagonia because of the sheer variety of activities. In addition to estancias and horses, El Calafate is home to Perito Moreno Glacier and you can actually trek on it! I did the mini-trekking excursion and walked on 18,000 year old ice, drank directly from glacier streams, and
2. Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is a coastal town in Chile, used as the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. On my rest day before embarking on the four day W trek with G Adventures, I found a tour that offered horseback riding in Puerto Natales.
Not only was it amazing to ride in a completely different landscape, but I also learned even more about how to steer and guide my horse. The local who guided me was incredibly passionate about her horses, so we learned to connect with them on a deeper level, brush, and saddle them.
I left Puerto Natales, adding “own a horse” to my bucket list.
3. El Chalten
El Chalten, in Argentina, has some of the best hiking in Patagonia because of its jagged Mount Fitz Roy mountains, bright blue glacial lakes, and hanging glaciers. Horseback riding is less common here, but still available, and a unique spot for it.
The horse riding tours in El Chalten start from Estancia Bonanza and ride through the famous Rio de las Vueltas valley. This valley can only be accessed through longer full-day or multi-day hikes, so getting there by horseback is a unique opportunity.
🛏️ If you are planning to head to El Chalten, check out the best places to stay with mountain views, relaxation amenities, and full kitchen setups.
4. Ushuaia
Ushuaia is the southernmost city in South America, on Argentina’s side of Patagonia. You have to take a short flight to get there from either Buenos Aires or El Calafate.
The area is known for Tierra del Fuego National Park and the Beagle Channel. There are glaciers, windswept gravel mountain trails, and truly rugged back country.
There aren’t a ton of horse riding options in Ushuaia, but there are some! Horse riding excursions here take you deep into untouched wilderness and remote settlements.
5. Bariloche
Bariloche is one of Patagonia’s top places to visit in the lake district of northern Argentinian Patagonia. The national parks near Bariloche, like Nahuel Huapi National Park, have snow-capped mountains interspersed between shimmering blue lakes and dense forests.
There is one horse riding tour that allows you to get further into the lake-filled landscape.
The Best Horse Riding Tours
My Top 3 Picks:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nibepo Aike Horse Riding in El Calafate
✅ Traditional, family-owned ranch
✅ Learn to ride with an Argentinian cowboy (Gaucho)
✅ INSANE views in the remote Patagonia Steppe
Horse Ride With a Passionate Local
✅ Learn to tack, brush, and saddle the horse
✅ “Catch” your own horse and learn to steer
✅ Time with Lynn, a local passionate about her home and horses
Horse Riding From Estancia Bonanza
✅ Views of the famous Mount Fitz Roy
✅ Rio de las Vueltas Valley
✅ Lamb BBQ add-on
1. Rugged Horse Riding from Nibepo Aike Near El Calafate
⭐️ RATING: 4/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: 1 or 3 hour rides, lamb BBQ, authentic traditional ranch with gauchos and farm dogs | ✅ Book it!
Nibepo Aike is a traditional working ranch, known as an Estancia, about 1 hour from El Calafate. The ranch is fully functional with cattle, sheep, gauchos, and a full team of farm dogs.
I stayed at Nibepo Aike for 3 nights and rode multiple times per day, either to new parts of the beautiful Los Glaciares landscape or for an exhilarating ride herding the sheep in for the night.
If you don’t want to stay at an Estancia, they also offer day horse riding tours from El Calafate. They have half days with a 1 hour ride or full day tours with a 3 hour ride and a short hike. They include hotel pick up and drop off, a lamb BBQ for lunch, and gauchos as your guide.
The head gaucho, Juan, went out of his way to make sure we all felt comfortable on the horses. My mother was nervous, so he kept riding back to check on her. He was incredibly personable, answering all my in-depth questions and taking us to see specific sights that he loves.
If you want an authentic farm experience to go with your horse riding tour, book with Nibepo Aike! To book their overnight farm-stays you have to message them through their website.
“Loved everything that was part of our trip – breathtaking views, farm life all around us, horse ride, sheep shearing shown to us, and a wonderful dinner offered! we told our friends and highly recommended them this activity in El Calafate. We might even return ourselves, on the next trip.” – Irina V. (Read more reviews)
2. Estancia Cristina’s Premium Horse Riding Inclusions Near El Calafate
⭐️ RATING: 10/10 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: Remote luxury estancia with 4 – 6 hour riding excursions to canyons, glaciers, and valleys | ✅ Book it!
If you are interested in combining your horse riding experience with an Estancia stay in El Calafate, I’d take a look at Estancia Cristina. I wrote a complete breakdown of the best Estancias near El Calafate and Estancia Cristina provides the most adventure-packed and luxurious stay with daily horse-riding excursions through remote Patagonia.
To get to Estancia Cristina, you have to take a scenic boat ride across Lago Argentina so it is truly in the middle of the wilderness.
They have several horse riding excursions ranging from 4 – 6 hours. They take you through different sections of Patagonia, like riding along the Río de Los Perros to a canyon with a glacier melt waterfall. Or riding through the untouched Río Caterina’s valley, passing glaciers, Cerro Norte mountain, and lagoons.
All was absolutely perfect. The landscape from the boat was amazing. The estancia is located in a pristine location in nature’s kingdom. You are nearly alone in the middle of nowhere. It is an incredible experience. The room is gorgeous. The staff incredible and the food delicious. The excursions are unbelievable, especially the full day canyon walk and the full day horse ride.” Michael from Belgium (Read more reviews)
3. Small Group Horse Riding in a Nature Reserve Near El Calafate
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: 4 hour ride to see canyons and condors, steak-sandwich picnic, wine | ✅ Book it!
The third option for horse riding in El Calafate requires the least amount of travel to get there. The tours from Estancia 25 take you through the de Mayo Nature Reserve. It is a 4 hour loop through red-rock canyons with the chance to spot condors!
The groups are small, which is another pro for this tour, maxed out at 6 riders. They provide a trailside steak-sandwich picnic lunch, wine, cheesecake, and water. The guides actually cook the lunch over an open fire.
The experience was unlike any other horse riding experience I have had before. The trail was beautiful. The horses were sure footed and sturdy and well taken care of. They knew the trail well and very easy to ride, even for inexperienced riders. Diego, our guide was very knowledgeable about Argentina. He made us yummy steak sandwiches. The cheese cake offered for dessert was spectacular. I highly recommend this tour.” Pranita N. (Read more reviews)
4. Riding From Estancia Bonanza Near El Chalten
⭐️ RATING: 4.6/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: 2 hour ride, Rio de las Vueltas Valley, snacks, lamb BBQ or rafting add-on | ✅ Book it!
There is only one horse riding tour out of El Chalten from Estancia Bonanza. The ride lasts 2 hours, journeying through the Rio de las Vueltas valley. The valley has a glacial river weaving between mountains on either side.
The tour includes transport from El Chalten and snacks. They also have an optional add-on for a lamb BBQ lunch after the tour or even rafting for the same day!
If you’re spending lots of time in El Chalten and want to rest your hiking legs, horse back riding could be a really unique alternative activity.
“Absolutely beautiful views of the ranch and mountains. It was longer than it says on here which was wonderful. Snack was delicious.” Kelcie (Read more reviews)
5. Full Day Ride to Mountain Summit Near Puerto Natales
⭐️ RATING: 4.9/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: 3 hour ride, picnic lunch on the mountain, catch and brush your own horse | ✅ Book it!
There is a great tour option for horse riding in Puerto Natales. It is a full-day and takes you deeper into the mountains around town. The most unique part of this one is that you get to catch, brush, and tack your own horse. The meeting spot is at Hotel 3 Pasos in town.
The tour is run by a woman named Lynn who lives on a farm with her horses just outside of town. She recommends intermediate experience, although my experience riding at the Estancia a couple times was enough to handle this tour.
We walked out into the field to catch our own horse, bring it into the barn, brush, and saddle them up. There were only 3 of us on this tour and it felt incredibly personal. Lynn ‘s dogs ran alongside us, chasing cows in the field and coming back to check in.
We stopped at scenic spots for pictures and Lynn guided us through how to trot on the horses for some portions. This tour truly felt like I was learning to become a horse back rider. After we returned, we shared “Mate” around the table in the barn, which is a traditional tea-like beverage that is drank religiously by Argentinians and Chileans.
You’ll ride through forests, river crossings, and to a mountain summit. At the top of the mountain, you get to have a picnic lunch and spot condors. Some of my favourite memories in Patagonia are sitting on the mountain top watching the majestic birds soar overhead with mountains in the background.
Wow! Horse Connection Patagonia has been the best activity I’ve done in Patagonia and the BEST horse riding experience I’ve ever done around the world! Lynn was so attentive and you can see she really cares for the horses. She teaches you how to connect with your horse which is something I’ve never experienced before and the ride was beautiful! Would highly recommend to anyone considering a horse experience in Puerto Natales as mine was life-changing 😊” – Leticia from Australia (Read more reviews)
6. Horse Riding From Remote Settlement Near Ushuaia
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: 1 hour ride, remote town across mountain passes, picnic lunch | ✅ Book it!
This horse riding tour takes you through Ushuaia’s remote backcountry from the remote settlement of Laguna Escondido. You get picked up from your hotel, driven across the Garibaldi Pass in the Andes mountains before arriving at a farm in the small town. The horse ride progresses from there, lasting about 1 hour and exploring lakes, valleys and mountains.
You also get to enjoy a lovely picnic before returning back to Ushuaia. It is small-group with max 10 people and includes hotel transfers and snacks.
The ride was scenic, the ride was exhilarating , the horses were good and well trained. Best of all the lead riders and guide juancho was highly experienced and attentive. The food was good. The ranch looks historic. You must do this ride Randi S. (Read more reviews)
🤩 Check Prices and Availability!
7. Ride Through the Lake District Near Bariloche
⭐️ RATING: #/5 Stars | ⏳ FEATURE: 2 hour ride, panoramic viewpoint, breakfast or lunch | ✅ Book it!
The lake district in Patagonia is extraordinary and this two hour horseback riding excursion brings you through the best parts of its landscape. You’ll get to manuever your horse through ancient forests with white-peaked mountains emerging at viewpoints and occasional stream crossings.
The trail leads to a viewpoint where you’ll get to see a panorama of the scattered lakes and take the ultimate photos!
The tour has breakfast or lunch included, depending on your time slot, and covers all the transportation logistics!
🤩 Check Prices and Availability!
Are There Horse Riding Multi-Day Tours?
Yes, there are several options for multi-day horse riding holidays in Patagonia. When I make my way back to Patagonia one day, I 100% intend to try this.
There are options that are like longer treks by horseback covering a lot of distance, or you can choose to stay overnight at an Estancia and ride horses each day.
The Best Multi-Day Horseback Trek in Patagonia
2-Day Private Horseback Riding Tour through Patagonia
With 2 days of horseback riding, you right out in the Patagonia steppe, spend the night, and then ride back following a different route the next day. You start at Estancia 25 de Mayo where you get to learn the technical skills you need. The ride lasts 4 hours through the Cañadón del Arroyo Calafate, passing valleys, streams, and mountains.
The second day takes you deeper into the remote wilderness, where you can spot guanacos and wild horses. You’ll reach viewpoints where you can see the Cordón Baguales and the Argentino Lake.
My Review of Horse Riding in El Calafate and Puerto Natales:
What I loved:
I went from barely riding horses in my life to adding “own a horse” to my future to-do list. In El Calafate, I loved riding through the remote Patagonian steppe, looking out over the mountains and lago Argentino in Los Glaciares National Park.
Riding horses on a real traditional ranch that had been operating for over a century by the same family gave me the deepest connection to Argentinian culture out of any other activity I did. Watching the cowboys herding the cattle with their working dogs was one of the most impressive sights I’ve ever seen.
In Puerto Natales, the views were “less” impressive, although still amazing, but I loved learning about the nuances of the Chilean cowboys compared to those only 3 hours across the border. I got to spend time with a local on her own farm with her own horses that she clearly loves and cares for so much. I got to learn wayyy more about horse riding and the connection people can make with them than ever before. By the end of my ride in Puerto Natales, I was expertly guiding my horseback away from trying to eat bushes and even trotting my way beside the owner’s dogs to get back to the farm. We even spent time sharing “mate” which is a drink that is deeply ingrained in Argentinian and Chilean culture.
If you were to decide whether horse riding experiences in Patagonia are worth it for by this review alone, I’d say 127% you NEED to do it.
What I didn’t love:
There weren’t many things I didn’t love, but I’d say the cold hands were one. Patagonia’s weather is really windy and can get chilly even in their summer. I was there in November, which is their late spring, and my hands froze on some of my rides. Make sure to bring gloves!
Another potential con for some people is that you don’t get as deep a connection to the traditional cowboys on the day trip versions in Argentina. I spent 3 nights at one of El Calafate’s Estancias, so I got a way deeper sense of it. I really recommend adding them to your itinerary if you can.
🤩 Check Prices and Availability!
FAQ’s:
1. Do I need previous riding experience?
No! Most estancias and tours welcome complete beginners. Guides start with a quick lesson on mounting, steering, and stopping, then match you with a calm, sure‑footed horse.
2. What should I wear and pack for a day ride?
– Long pants or leggings that stretch (jeans can chafe when wet)
– Closed‑toe shoes or hiking boots
– Layers!
– Lightweight gloves (wind + reins = cold fingers)
3. Are there age or weight restrictions?
Not all the estancias and tour operators have clear age limits or restrictions noted, so definitely reach out to ask. However, Estancia Cristina for example, has a note that their age limit is kids between 6 – 12 can ride but with an adult. 12 and up can ride their own horse. And then a weight limit of up to 95 kg / 210 lbs. Nibepo Aike took a young kid on the horse with the guide and they had some larger horses that individuals who were over 210 lbs were able to ride.
🤩 Check Prices and Availability!
Curious about the Estancias I mentioned?
You’ve heard me talk a lot about the traditional ranches, known as “Estancias” in this post so far. I stayed at one in El Calafate for 3 nights and it was the best part of my entire three week Patagonia trip.
You can read more about what to expect of Estancias and the best ones in El Calafate here!
👉 Read Next: The 6 Best Estancias in El Calafate for the traditional ranch experience!
Read More about Planning Your Trip to Patagonia:
- The Best Time to Hike in Patagonia: Month by Month
- The Best Horse Riding in Patagonia: Guide and Review
- My Honest Review of Mini Trekking Perito Moreno Glacier
- Where to Stay in El Chalten – Budget to Luxury Hotels
- The 6 Best Estancias in El Calafate: With Reviews
Plan Your Trip - My Favourite Resources
📱 Stay Connected Without Expensive Roaming Fees
I never travel without an e-Sim now. You pay a fraction of roaming fees, and simply download the e-Sim to your phone instead of switching SIM cards. The service I always use is Airola.
🏠 Book Your Accommodation
I always use Booking.com to find and book the best hotels at the cheapest rate. For cheap and social options, I love using Hostelworld - they also have private rooms.
🏄♀️ Book Your Tours and Excursions
I book adventure tours anywhere in the world through Manawa. My second favourite is Viator - it has the largest selection of tours with local operators and offers flexible cancellation.
Need Help Planning Your Next Adventure?
Join my newsletter to get access to your FREE exclusive trip planner + more awesome adventure travel content by me!
No spam and you can unsubscribe anytime!
