Complete information based on our experience about visit El Calafate and El Chaltén: how many days to spend, when to go and things to do.
Two must-sees in Patagonia Argentina are the cities of El Calafate and El Chaltén. In reality, what is really worthwhile is the environment where they are located, surrounded by mountains, lakes and glaciers.
Many tourists combine a brief tour of both cities, and then continue their tour of Patagonia Argentina through Ushuaia. But in reality, according to our experience visiting both places, we recommend dedicating due time to each one.
El Chaltén has plenty of trekking to do, of which at least three are really worth not missing. In El Calafate the Perito Moreno glacier is a must, but there are other equally interesting activities.
In summary, so that you don’t miss the essential things to do in El Calafate and El Chaltén, we have written this article about how many days to spend and a detailed itinerary.
🔎 Check out our guide to travel to El Calafate with information on when to go and what to see.
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Distance between El Calafate and El Chaltén
From El Calafate to El Chaltén is about 210 kilometers away, which translates into a three and a half hour trip. This must be taken into account since you will lose at least half a day in the round trip between one city and the other.
The road from El Calafate to El Chaltén is in good condition, fully paved and in some stretches it borders Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma. Before reaching El Chaltén, you can already see from the road the imposing silhouette of Fitz Roy.
How to get to El Chaltén from El Calafate? There are minibuses that leave from the bus terminal and pick up passengers at the airport of El Calafate, so you can go both from the city and from the airport directly, without passing through the city. In the summer season, there is a high daily frequency both to El Chaltén and from El Chaltén to El Calafate.
The other option is to hire the transfer between El Calafate and El Chalten.which can be shared or private. The advantage is that you are picked up directly at the hotel for your convenience.
What is the best time to visit El Calafate and El Chaltén?
Undoubtedly, the summer months in the southern hemisphere are the best time to visit El Calafate and El Chaltén. The months from November to March are the best months for trekking.
Although due to their geographic location, the weather in both places is usually windy, pleasant during the day and cold at night.
In addition to clothing and footwear suitable for trekking, we recommend that you pack a suitcase with enough warm clothing including thermal clothing, waterproof jacket, hat, scarf, sunglasses and sunscreen for the reflection of the snow.
In the hotels the heating is very good so you can relax in light clothes after trekking and hiking.
How many days are needed for El Calafate and El Chaltén?
Based on our experience, we recommend you to dedicate at least six days to visit the main attractions of El Calafate and El Chaltén. As a minimum, you should spend about two days in El Calafate and about three days in El Chalten to do the main trekking of the Tres Lagoon at the foot of Fitz Roy, and some more like Torre Hill and Desierto Lake. These six days also include round trip travel time from El Calafate to El Chaltén (most travelers arrive in El Calafate by plane).
Are there more places to see in these two places? Of course there are, in El Calafate you can go on a safari through the Patagonian steppe overlooking the mountains and visit a Patagonian ranch. For this you must add two more days to the itinerary for El Calafate.
In El Chaltén the list of trekking to do also includes Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (about 7 hours total hiking) and several viewpoints such as Cóndores, Águila and Chorrillo del Salto.
In summary, six days is the minimum to explore the main attractions of El Calafate and El Chaltén, but if you want to delve into other sites in both places you should dedicate eight to ten days.
El Calafate and El Chalten in six days, detailed itinerary
Based on the number of days we consider as a minimum to visit El Chaltén and El Calafate, we suggest the following six-day itinerary.
Day 1: Visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, the most famous ice wall in Patagonia Argentina. I recommend you to do the walk along the glacier, then go to the wooden walkways and contemplate the glacier from one of the sides. If you don’t want to hike the Perito Moreno Glacier, the option is to make the boat trip on Lake Argentino to see the to see the glacier walls up close.
Day 2: Navigation through Los Glaciares Park. It is practically a full day excursion where you will sail by catamaran on one of the arms of Lake Argentino to see glaciers such as Spegazzini and Upsala. I recommend you to book the excursion with lunch on the catamaran. VIP excursion which includes unlimited drinks and food in the exclusive Captain’s Club Heim lounge with a view.
Day 3: Transfer from El Calafate to El Chaltén in the morning (four hours in total). This same day you can take advantage of the afternoon to trek a total of seven kilometers to the viewpoints Cóndores and Águila. From these viewpoints you will contemplate icons of El Chaltén such as Lago Viedma, Cerro Pirámide, Vueltas River and Bahía Túnel.
Day 4: trekking to Los Tres lagoon. It takes about eight hours in total to reach this turquoise water lagoon at the foot of Fitz Roy. The most used trail is the one that passes through the Mirador Rio de las Vueltas, the Capri Lagoon and the Poincenot Base Camp. From there it is a steep climb to the Los Tres lagoon. At the viewpoint of the lagoon you have the closest image of the pointed Fitz Roy mountain. Since the climb is tough, take the time at the viewpoint to contemplate the surroundings, we spent about two hours there before returning to El Chalten.
Day 5: trekking to Laguna Torre, easier in terms of physical effort than the trekking to Laguna los Tres, although in total it will also take about eight hours. The trail includes 10 kilometres through the middle of the Patagonian forest, viewpoints and the D’Agostini camp to reach the Torre lagoon with the Maestri viewpoint, to contemplate the second highest mountain in El Chaltén, only surpassed by the Fitz Roy. If you wish, you can take the excursion to the Torre lagoon with a guide.
Day 6: Desert Lake Excursion. This water mirror is surrounded by glaciers and high mountains, and you can even contemplate one of the faces of Fitz Roy. One of the main attractions of this excursion is to sail across the lake to see the Huemul and Crestón glaciers and take a short hike around the Vespignani glacier. Back from the excursion, it’s time to return to El Calafate.
Where to stay in El Calafate and El Chalten
We have made an article of the best hotels in El Calafate that we recommend based on our experience visiting the city twice. There are options for all budgets.
In El Chaltén, we recommend one of the following accommodations.
- If you are looking for a hostel in El Chalten or budget accommodation, we recommend Rancho Grande. It also has a good restaurant where you can eat at affordable prices.
- If you are looking for a hotel with a heated pool to relax after your excursions, we recommend Posada Kalenshen, a place with excellent service.
- For the most demanding and comfort-seeking guests, the ideal accommodation for us is Destino Sur Hotel & Mountain Spa, a luxury hotel in El Chalten with alpine style, mountain views, heated pool and spa.
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