Although the Perito Moreno glacier is its most famous attraction, there are plenty of places to visit in El Calafate in 4 days. Glaciers, ranches, hiking and more.
We have prepared this itinerary based on our experience traveling through Patagonia Argentina, visiting El Calafate and all its attractions.
Although the city located on the shores of Lake Argentino in itself does not have great attractions, its proximity to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field makes it possible to visit several glaciers some of them by boat, and get to know the mythical Perito Moreno Glacier and even walk over it.
The magic of the Patagonian nature is present in this place, mixing the great ice masses with the lakes, Patagonian forests and mountains.
🔎 We tell you the information you need to plan your trip in our guide to travel to El Calafate: how to get there, best time to visit and the essentials.
Table of Contents
It is necessary to rent a car to visit Calafate.
The reality is that it is not essential to rent a car in El Calafate, since most excursions have the option of hiring a car to pick you up at your hotel. In addition, many of them are done exclusively by boat or through places that you cannot reach by car due to the difficulty of the road.
The advantage of renting a car in El Calafate is the convenience of transferring you from the airport to the hotel both on arrival and departure, going to the ports where the boat excursions depart or visiting the walkways of the Perito Moreno Glacier without the need for an excursion.
You can also visit El Chaltén on your own by car, without the need of an excursion or taking a bus.
We decided not to rent a car in El Calafate, and we stayed longer in El Chaltén to do many of the treks.
How many days are needed to visit El Calafate
Our suggestion is to visit El Calafate in at least 3 days to see the must-see places. But if you have time, the ideal is to do it in at least 4 days, since the visit to a Patagonian estancia or El Chaltén is really worthwhile.
For those who make a few days itinerary in Patagonia Argentina, we recommend that you dedicate at least one day to the Perito Moreno glacier and another day to do the all glacier boat excursion.
Itinerary through El Calafate in 4 days, day-by-day details
– Day 1: Hike along the Perito Moreno glacier plus footbridges.
– Day 2: Full glacier excursion (navigation through Los Glaciares National Park).
– Day 3: Patagonian ranch and short trekking route.
– Day 4: Visit El Chaltén.
Day 1: Perito Moreno glacier hike and walkways
El Calafate is synonymous with the Perito Moreno glacier and there are many experiences around this emblematic site to visit in Patagonia Argentina.
A must to do in El Calafate in 4 days is the adventure of walking on the roof of the glacier.
Although it requires some physical effort, people up to 65 years of age can do it as long as they do not have a history of cardiovascular problems or severe asthma. Not suitable for pregnant women.
The excursion has everything: it begins with a brief navigation on the lake with a view of the high walls of the south face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Then we arrive at a shelter on the shores of the lake, where a short walk takes us to the edge of the glacier, at which point we put on the crampons provided by the company and the most important part of the adventure begins.
Walking on top of the ice mass is indescribable. The adrenaline is terrible. There are several stops and along the way you will observe crevasses, sinkholes and the roar of the ice. It is really to be enjoyed even if it is an expensive excursion!
Finally, crossing a Patagonian forest on foot, you reach the port to embark again towards the port of origin.
At the end of the excursion, we recommend you to go to the wooden walkways of the Perito Moreno Glacier (the yellow one is essential), to see the imposing ice front from the side. This way, you save yourself from returning to the Perito Moreno Glacier for another day, doing the glacier walk, the footbridges and the navigation on single excursion.
If you visit El Calafate outside the glacier hiking season, we recommend that you take the boat ride that approaches the glacier wall and the wooden walkways on this day. In fact, you will have more time to walk on the five walkways, each identified by a different color.
The first day you will end up exhausted, so we recommend you to relax at the hotel and if it has a restaurant, eat there. If you are staying in the center, a good option is Isabel, meat dishes, fish, chicken cooked on a plow disk, a real delicacy.
Day 2 navigation in the glaciers national park
The next day is another must-do excursion in El Calafate. The all-glacier excursion is so called because the boat trip passes near the Upsala, Spegazzini, Heim, Peineta and Seco glaciers. Yes, you will see five glaciers in one excursion.
Sailing along the arms of Lake Argentino between high mountains, you will see imposing glaciers such as the Spegazzini, the Spegazzini, the highest in the area with its ice walls of more than 120 meters high, and the Upsala, which is ice floes over the lake that you will observe during the navigation.
According to the weather conditions of the day, the ship approaches the glaciers at a shorter distance. Besides sailing and contemplating this wonder of nature, in the same excursion there is a short hiking route to do in the vicinity of the Spegazzini glacier, up to the refuge of the same name.
There are several types of excursions to see the glaciers of the national park:
- Basic: includes only navigation on the glaciers.
- Basic plus food: in addition to the navigation it includes gourmet food on board the ship.
- VIP with food: a real experience, because in addition to the sailing it includes a gourmet lunch in the exclusive Captain’s Club Heim lounge with views, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on the ship.
Please note that the total duration of the excursion is 10 hours, so you will have to reserve the whole day to do this tour.
In the evening, you can try the authentic Patagonian lamb on the spit at La Tablita. We asked about the best place to try it at the hotel and they recommended this restaurant. A great success.
Day 3: Patagonian ranch and the steppe
The Patagonian estancias are large estates that cover a large area of land around them and were or are dedicated mainly to raising livestock, mostly sheep. Some of them are only open today for tourist purposes.
Their main characteristic is that they are located in the following locations inhospitable and sparsely populated places in Patagonia. Its owners or people working on the ranch have to endure the low temperatures and windy weather for most of the year.
Two of the most renowned estancias are the Huyliche estancia and the 25 de Mayo estancia. These estancias allow you to go on a 4WD tour to see the characteristic fauna of the place such as guanacos, the great Patagonian steppe and in the distance the high mountains of the Andes. You can even eat something typical in the estancia’s restaurants.
There are several excursions that we recommend to visit the Patagonian estancias. In all cases, typical food is included in the estancia:
- 4×4 safari in the 25 de Mayo ranch
- 4×4 tour through the so-called balconies of El Calafate plus a visit to the Huyliche ranch.
- Sample of sheep herding and esquilo at the 25 de Mayo ranch.
Before or after visiting the Patagonian estancia, we recommend a low-difficulty walk from downtown El Calafate to the shore of Lake Argentino, more precisely to the Laguna Nimez reserve.
The walk to the entrance of the reserve is about 20 minutes from downtown. Then you have approximately two hours to walk the trail, observe flamingos and swans, and finish the tour on a beach on the shores of the lake.
If you don’t take the dinner excursion at the 25 de Mayo ranch, we recommend you to visit the Ice bar, an experience to have a drink in a room at 10 degrees below zero. Even the bar where drinks are served is made of ice!
Day 4: excursion to el chaltén from el calafate
The last day consider visiting El Chaltén, a small and charming town located at the foot of the Andes Mountains and named as the national capital of trekking, due to the presence of many trails through hills and lakes.
Its main attraction is the Mount Fitz Roy although to see it up close you will need at least two days in El Chaltén two days in El Chaltén and a trekking of medium physical effort. This hill is characterized by its pointed peak that stands out among the rest of the mountains and is located at the foot of the Los Tres lagoon.
There are also other essential trekking routes to do in El Chaltén such as the Desierto Lagoon or the Torre Hill. Glaciers, turquoise water mirrors and mountains are the predominant landscape that summarizes this place.
On a day trip to El Chaltén you will see Fitz Roy both from the road before arriving and from a lookout point. You can also do some simple trekking routes such as the Chorrillo del Salto waterfall.
The visit to El Chaltén from El Calafate can be done by car or by a day trip.
Finally, we recommend an ideal place to taste handmade chocolates in El Calafate. On the main avenue you will find Dulce Lugar, a small shop with excellent chocolates, alfajores, jams and liquors. Great for testing or as a gift.
Where to stay in El Calafate
The best area to stay in El Calafate is downtown. It is not a big city, but there are plenty of hotels and cabins in the surroundings and on the shore of Lake Argentino.
El Calafate is an expensive city to stay and make excursions, but the presence of hostels and hostels allow you to stay for an average budget.
If you want to see lodging options in El Calafate, we suggest 10 hotels where to stay in El Calafate.
What to bring to El Calafate
Whether you travel in winter or summer, you should always bring a coat. The best time to travel to El Calafate is from November to March when temperatures are pleasant during the day but drop considerably at night. In addition, the wind is considerable at any time of the year.
This factor makes it possible to wear light clothing during the day, but then it is necessary to dress warmly. It is essential to bring a raincoat for boat excursions, trekking boots for hiking, a winter hat and thermal clothing. The good thing is that the hotels have good heating, which helps to dry wet clothes quickly.
Because of the reflection of the sun on the ice mass, sunscreen and sunglasses are also indispensable.
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