Explore the stops

End of the World Train route: from the main station through the Pipo valley

The short version

The End of the World Train runs from its main station west of Ushuaia up the Pipo valley, stops at the La Macarena waterfall, and ends at a station inside Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Route facts

  • 7 km, about 1 hour 45 minutes return1
  • La Macarena stop of about 20 minutes3
  • Main station 8 km from the centre2

Discover 20 stops

The railway, the park and the island

Select a route, then press a pin or stop to read its note and open Google Maps.

Map of the End of the World Train line west of Ushuaia: the main station, La Macarena station and waterfall, the Río Pipo campsite and waterfall, and the National Park station

  1. Main station on Route 3 at km 3065, about 8 km from the centre; the only place to board.

    Google Maps

  2. The halfway stop: about 20 minutes off the train, with a gazebo over the Pipo valley.

    Google Maps

  3. The waterfall where the prisoners' locomotive once took on water.

    Google Maps

  4. Free camping area in the Pipo valley and start of the waterfall trail; the tracks run close by.

    Google Maps

  5. Waterfall trail of 30 minutes and 931 m, open November to April.

    Google Maps

  6. End of the line inside the national park; the train waits 10 to 15 minutes before heading back.

    Google Maps

© OpenStreetMap contributors · map data

The End of the World Train route runs 7 km from a station on Route 3, past a waterfall stop in the Pipo valley, to a platform inside Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Editorial team, endoftheworldtrain.com · Updated November 11, 2026 · Takes 8 min

Basics

  • Length7 km; the return ride takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.1
  • StartMain station on Route 3, km 3065, 8 km from the centre.2
  • Halfway stopLa Macarena, about 20 minutes off the train.3
  • EndInside Tierra del Fuego National Park.4
  • BoardingOnly at the main station.5

Where the line begins

The End of the World Train route starts well outside town. The operator places its main station on National Route 3 at km 3065, about 8 km from central Ushuaia.2 Its FAQ adds that the station sits outside the protected area, 1 km before the entrance to Tierra del Fuego National Park, although the ride itself does enter the park.6 So the first thing to plan is the drive or transfer out along the coast road heading west.

That station is the only place to board. The operator is clear that boarding happens at the main station alone, never at the park station.5 Passengers have to present themselves 45 minutes before departure for a compulsory check-in, which is why tour vans arrive early and leave time for the waiting room.7 If you are traveling on your own, add that margin to the drive from town and you will not be rushed on the platform.

The waiting time is part of the visit. The city tourism office describes the End of the World Station as a place to see the maintenance workshops and old photographs, browse the gift shop or have a drink at the café before your train.8 Do your errands first: the station has no ATM and the carriages have no toilets, so use the station facilities before you climb in.9,10 Bring pesos or a card from town for the café and the shop.

Station guide

The stations side by side

StationWhereStopWhat to do
End of the WorldRoute 3, km 3065StartWorkshops, old photos, café
La MacarenaPipo valleyAbout 20 minutesWaterfall, gazebo, locomotive photos
National ParkInside the park10 to 15 minutesToilets, trails, tour pickups

From the operator's route page and FAQ and the city tourism office.2,8,3,19,20,21

Forest, peat bog and the Burnt Bridge

Leaving the platform, the narrow-gauge train heads up the valley of the Pipo river. The city's tourism office lists what you pass: lenga and ñire beech forest, peatlands, the Pipo itself and the Burnt Bridge, where a pause gives the first wide view of the valley.11 The forest here is the same subantarctic woodland that covers the park, with tall lenga on the drier ground and stunted ñire on the edges of the bogs.

This first stretch follows ground the convicts worked a century ago. The Maritime Museum records that from 1908 the prisoners' railway spread into the Pipo valley and on to the Cañadón del Toro, which is now inside the park.15 The operator calls today's ride a recreation of the last kilometres of that old line.16 Keep an eye on the slopes as you roll: this was timber country long before it was scenery.

The national park's printed leaflet says the train enters the protected area about halfway along its roughly 7 km circuit.12 There is no grand gate on the line, so the moment is easy to miss. The change is legal rather than visual: from here on, park rules apply, which is why the operator reminds every passenger that the park entry fee is compulsory for the ride and not included in the train ticket.17

Distances

How far the line's key points are

  • Station to park gate1
  • Train route7
  • Town to station8
  • Town to park12

Distances from the train operator and the national park service.6,1,2,18

La Macarena, the waterfall stop

The one intermediate stop is La Macarena. The operator says the train halts there for about 20 minutes, long enough to take photos beside the locomotive, walk to the Macarena waterfall and take in the view toward Cerro Guanaco, Monte Susana and the river below.3,24,25 Everybody climbs back aboard at the end of the stop and the train carries on toward the park. Have your camera ready before the doors open.

The stop has a history of its own. The operator's FAQ explains that the waterfall is where the prisoners' locomotive used to take on water.26 Recent works at La Macarena built a viewpoint with a gazebo looking over the Pipo valley, plus a locomotive with hoppers and a flag mast as a small open-air walk through railway history.19,27 It is the best place on the route to see the scale of the valley you are crossing.

La Macarena also became easier for everyone. The operator opened a section called Paseo del Valle there as an accessible option for passengers with reduced mobility.28 Adapted coaches are available on the train itself when you say so at booking.29 If you travel with someone who uses a wheelchair, mention it when you book and ask staff on the day which part of the stop suits them best.

Pick your way

How should you ride the route?

Choose by how much of the park you want after the train.

  • If I only want the train

    Round trip from the main station

    Every stop is included and you finish where you started.1

  • If I want time on the trails after the ride

    One way, then the 16:00 train

    Possible in spring and summer if seats are free.22

  • If I want the bays and lakes too

    A guided park and train tour

    The most reviewed tour rides the train, then visits Ensenada, Lapataia and Lago Roca.

  • If I am visiting in winter

    Stay aboard for the round trip

    Spots around the last stop shut when the weather turns.23

The stations

Stops on the line

Boarding point

End of the World

Main station

  • From town8 km
  • Arrive45 minutes early
  • InsideWorkshops and café
Check dates

Waterfall

La Macarena

Intermediate stop

  • StopAbout 20 minutes
  • ViewsMonte Susana, Cerro Guanaco
  • NewGazebo viewpoint
Check dates

Inside the park

National Park

Final station

  • Stop10 to 15 minutes
  • FacilitiesPublic toilets
  • Summer16:00 return train
Check dates

Into the national park

After La Macarena the line runs deeper into the Pipo valley and inside the national park. The park service describes the Río Pipo valley as a free camping area and the start of the gentle waterfall trail, and notes that along that path you can see the train's tracks and, with luck, the train passing.30 For walkers it is a good way to watch the steam from outside rather than from the carriage window.

The waterfall trail from the Pipo campsite is short: 30 minutes and 931 m, open from November to April.31 The valley also has one practical quirk. The park leaflet says there is no mobile signal or internet in the park, except around the Cañadón del Toro and the Pipo valley.52 That puts the far end of the line among the rare corners of the park where a phone may pick up a signal, handy if you need to call your driver.

This is where the line meets the park roads. Regular shuttles from the city centre make 7 stops inside the park, and one of them is the railway station.53 The park service also says the terminal station is the entry point for travelers on park excursions booked with a travel company.54 In other words, tour vans and shuttles wait near the park platform, ready to carry you on to the lakes and bays.

Stop by stop

The ride from platform to park

  1. Check-in

    Main station

    Arrive 45 minutes before departure.7

  2. First stretch

    Forest and bog

    Lenga, ñire, peatland and the Pipo River.11

  3. La Macarena

    Waterfall stop

    About 20 minutes off the train.3

  4. Halfway

    Into the park

    The line enters the protected area.12

  5. Park station

    Turnaround

    10 to 15 minutes while the engine is coupled.13

  6. Return

    Back to the start

    Or stay in the park on a one-way ticket.14

National Park station, the end of the line

The line runs out at National Park station, well within the protected area.4 On a round trip the train stops there for 10 to 15 minutes while the crew couples the locomotive for the run back to the main station.13 The platform has public toilets.21 It is a short stop, so step down, stretch and take your photos close to the train, then listen for the whistle and the crew calling passengers back aboard.

The station itself is new. The operator announced that building work on the National Park station got under way in 2023.55 The plan promised safe, roofed spaces and a new toilet block, a real comfort in a place where wind, rain and snow can arrive in the same afternoon, and where a tour group may wait a while for its van.56 Its photographs show the locomotives Camila and Zubieta standing at this platform.57,58

From here you have choices. With a one-way ticket you can stay in the park and explore it on your own.14 From spring through summer there is also a 16:00 train back from this platform, space permitting, which lets you walk first and ride home after.22 Come winter, the advice flips: the operator asks riders to remain on board for the return, as the park closes the area around the station when conditions turn.23 Guided park tours can meet you here instead and drive you on.

Video

Riding the train at the end of the world in Ushuaia

NickGoesFar on YouTube · The video stays unloaded until you press play.

The little train crosses a forest of high and low deciduous beech trees known as lenga and ñire, peatlands, the Pipo River, the Burnt Bridge where it will be able to stop and get to the first panoramic viewpoint
Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia11

On board

Ride checklist

Before you board3

  • Be at the main station 45 minutes early7
  • Bring cash from town: no ATMs at the station9
  • Buy the park entry: it is compulsory17

On the train3

  • Use the toilets before boarding: none on board10
  • Travel light: no space for luggage or prams51
  • Ask for an adapted coach when you book29

Seats, sides and what you hear

There is no reserved seat to fight over. Seating is unassigned, the operator says: you board in arrival order and the crew places families side by side.59 Both sides of the carriage look onto forest and river at different points, so the window you get matters less than being on time for check-in and keeping your group together in the queue. Leave big bags at the hotel, because the trains have no room for luggage or prams.51

The commentary is recorded. Recorded commentary plays in 10 languages, according to the operator.60 The city's tourism page lists Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Chinese among them.61 The narration follows the route through the old convict story, the forest and the valley, so it pays to keep the headphones on for the first stretch, before La Macarena, and to save your photos for the stops, when the train stands still and the windows are no longer in the way.

A few small rules keep the carriages pleasant. Of hot drinks, only mate may come aboard.62 The route itself is train-only: there is no road along the line, so you cannot drive alongside it.63 The forest is calm, the speed slow, and the views open and close as the valley twists. Treat the ride as a slow history lesson through the woods rather than a scenic express, and you will enjoy it far more than if you expect mountain drama around every bend.

Distances and times along the route

On the operator's figures the track measures 7 km, and riding it out and back takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.1 City tourism quotes 1h50min instead.64 Within that time, the La Macarena stop takes about 20 minutes and the turnaround at the park station 10 to 15 minutes.3,20 So the actual rolling time is short, and the stops are a big share of the experience. If you are prone to restlessness, that rhythm of short runs and stops suits children and photographers well.

Guided tours ride a single direction. The tour this site recommends lists a panoramic train ride of 1 hour inside a 4.5-hour day, with 45 minutes by van each way. The most reviewed park and train tour also lists a 1-hour panoramic ride, then continues to Ensenada Zaratiegui, Lapataia Bay and Lago Roca in a 5-hour day. Either way, the train is the opening act and the park is the second half, so ask your operator which direction you ride and where the van meets you.

Measured from town, the station sits 8 km out and the park entrance 12 km from Ushuaia.2,18 The main station lies 1 km before that entrance.6 Driving on into the park, Route 3 continues until it ends at Lapataia Bay.39 The End of the World Train route map on this page shows those points together, so you can see how the rails and the road run side by side up the valley before the road swings south toward the sea and the end of the highway. Each pin opens in Google Maps for directions.

FAQ

Quick questions get quick answers.

Where does the End of the World Train go?
From the main station into the national park.

It runs from the main station to a platform within the national park.4

How long is the route?
7 km.

7 km, says the operator, ridden out and back in roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.1

Where is the main station?
Route 3, km 3065.

About 8 km from central Ushuaia.2

Does the train stop on the way?
Yes, at La Macarena.

The stop lasts about 20 minutes, with a waterfall walk.3

Can I board at the park station?
No.

Boarding is only at the main station.5

Is there a later train back from the park?
In spring and summer, if seats are free.

A 16:00 departure runs from the park in the warm season when seats allow.22

Is the park fee included in the ticket?
No.

You pay the park's own entry on top; the operator says it is required.17

Sources

  1. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  2. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  3. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  4. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  5. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  6. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  7. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  8. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tren del Fin del Mundo ↩
  9. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  10. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  11. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tren del Fin del Mundo ↩
  12. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Información para visitantes 2024 (PDF leaflet) ↩
  13. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  14. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  15. Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia · Prisoners Train ↩
  16. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Tren del Fin del Mundo ↩
  17. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  18. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Panorámica, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego ↩
  19. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Obras en Estación La Macarena ↩
  20. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  21. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  22. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  23. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  24. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  25. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  26. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  27. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Obras en Estación La Macarena ↩
  28. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Inauguración Paseo Del Valle ↩
  29. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  30. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Actividades, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego ↩
  31. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Actividades, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego ↩
  32. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · City of Ushuaia
  33. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · City of Ushuaia
  34. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Maritime Museum and Former Prison
  35. Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia · Opening hours and tickets
  36. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Actividades, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
  37. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tierra del Fuego National Park
  38. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Walking in the Park
  39. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Actividades, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego ↩
  40. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tierra del Fuego National Park
  41. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Información para visitantes 2024 (PDF leaflet)
  42. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Actividades, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
  43. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Actividades, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
  44. Chile Travel (Servicio Nacional de Turismo) · Puerto Williams
  45. Chile Travel (Servicio Nacional de Turismo) · Puerto Williams
  46. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Horarios y cómo llegar, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
  47. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · How to get here?
  48. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · How to get here?
  49. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · How to get here?
  50. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · How to get here?
  51. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  52. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Información para visitantes 2024 (PDF leaflet) ↩
  53. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Horarios y cómo llegar, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego ↩
  54. Administración de Parques Nacionales · Horarios y cómo llegar, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego ↩
  55. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Construcción de la Estación Parque Nacional ↩
  56. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Construcción de la Estación Parque Nacional ↩
  57. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  58. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Recorrido ↩
  59. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  60. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Tren del Fin del Mundo ↩
  61. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tren del Fin del Mundo ↩
  62. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  63. Tren del Fin del Mundo (operator) · Preguntas frecuentes ↩
  64. Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de Ushuaia · Tren del Fin del Mundo ↩

Related guides

More for the train and the park

GuideEnd of the World Train ticket pricesGuideWhich train and national park tourGuideTrain tickets on your own or a guided tourGuideIs the End of the World Train worth it

Before you go

Hold your seat on the old line.

Reserve the train and park morning now and pay nearer the day; cancel free up to 24 hours before the start.

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