Are you planning to tour the natural beauties in full? We’ve prepared El Calafate in 5 days itinerary for you to visit the city’s attractions.
Surrounded by towering ice masses and called the Land of Glaciers, El Calafate is one of the best destinations to visit in Patagonia Argentina.
Although its main jewel is the Perito Moreno glacier, there are other glaciers to visit in its surroundings such as the Spegazzini, Upsala, Onelli and Seco, which you can visit on a boat trip on Lake Argentino.
In addition, we recommend a trip to one of the Patagonian estancias, which are set in idyllic landscapes overlooking lakes and mountains.
In short, there are many places to visit in El Calafate. Based on our visits to this Patagonian area, we have designed this itinerary to tour El Calafate in 5 days.
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Weather in El Calafate
Due to its location in the extreme south of Argentina, El Calafate has a climate with mild summer temperatures during the day (December to March), although temperatures drop sharply at night.
November to March is the best time to visit El Calafate, when you can do all the activities in nature, although you should always bring a warm coat due to the cold wind and activities in an area surrounded by glaciers and high mountains.
During the rest of the year you can visit the Perito Moreno glacier and walk along the walkways, but keep in mind that hiking and most other excursions are not available from May to October.
In addition, during the winter, the duration of sunlight is significantly reduced.
Is it worth spending 5 days in El Calafate?
If you have the time, for us it is an absolute yes. Many tourists visit El Calafate in 3 days, visiting the Perito Moreno glacier, sailing through Los Glaciares National Park and spending an extra day in El Chaltén or visiting an estancia.
The area around El Calafate has many attractions besides the glaciers. Trekking around the lakes, a full day in a Patagonian estancia, or even dedicating two days to El Chaltén to do the Fitz Roy trekking, visit viewpoints or make the excursion to the Desierto Lagoon.
Itinerary El Calafate in 5 days, day by day details
– Day 1: Visit the Perito Moreno glacier (walk on top plus footbridges)
– Day 2: Sailing in Los Glaciares National Park
– Day 3: Visit El Chalten
– Day 4: Option 2nd day in El Chaltén or excursion to Torres del Paine in Chile
– Day 5: Patagonian ranch and Nimez lagoon reserve.
Day 1: Visit the Perito Moreno Glacier
The great protagonist of El Calafate is undoubtedly the Perito Moreno glacier. Its high wall of ice is really imposing and cannot be described with words, it is necessary to live it.
To visit the Perito Moreno glacier there are several options. The most common is to walk along the wooden walkways and contemplate the front of the Perito Moreno glacier from the viewpoint at the top.
To this, add sailing on Lake Argentino, to see the glacier wall up close and listen to the thunder of the great masses of ice falling on the lake.
If you are on a budget, as this is an expensive activity, the other alternative we recommend is to do the Perito Moreno glacier trek, an adventure you will not forget. This trekking is suitable for people up to 65 years of age.
Walking on top of the ice mass is indescribable. The adrenalin is terrible. There are several stops and along the way you will see crevasses, sinkholes and the roar of the ice.
If you do the walk on top of the Perito Moreno glacier, the same excursion ends at the wooden walkways of the glacier, so in one day you would visit the whole area of the Perito Moreno glacier.
📷 On the official website of Los Glaciares National Park you can find the opening hours and the entrance fee to Los Glaciares National Park where the Perito Moreno is located. There are day passes, 3-day passes (you pay the value of 2 days and save one day) and 7-day passes (you pay the value of 3.5 days and save 3.5 days). Multi-day passes must be used within 6 months of purchase, consecutively or alternately and within the same protected area.
For lunch on the first day, we recommend the Isabel restaurant, where the main feature is dishes cooked on a plough disc. There are meat, chicken and fish options.
Day 2: Sailing through Los Glaciares National Park
On the second day you have to complete your visit to the glacier area, and the best option is to take a boat trip through Los Glaciares National Park.
During the trip you will see glaciers hanging from the mountains, such as the Upsala, Spegazzini, Heim, Peineta and Seco, and you will sail through a channel of icebergs that break off from these glaciers. El Calafate is called the Land of Glaciers for a reason.
The navigation also includes getting off the boat to take a short hiking route and contemplate the magic of nature from a viewpoint.
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.
After the full day excursion, we recommend you to dine on an authentic Patagonian dish at one of the best steakhouses in Patagonia Argentina. It’s time to try the Patagonian lamb at La Tablita restaurant.
Day 3: Visit El Chaltén from El Calafate
Welcome to the national trekking capital, the charming town of El Chaltén, located at the foot of the Andes Mountains.
As its “nickname” indicates, it is the place to go hiking in the mountains, especially the trail to Laguna Los Tres, the closest point to the imposing Cerro Fitz Roy, an imposing rock formation that culminates in the shape of a needle with the lagoon at its feet.
If you’re only going to El Chalten for the day from El Calafate, you probably won’t have time to do the whole route to Laguna los Tres, but a good alternative is to take this day trip to visit viewpoints and the Chorrillo del Salto waterfall.
If you choose to stay in El Chalten for at least two days, then we recommend the trek to Laguna los Tres, the next day in El Chalten is detailed in day 4 option 2nd day in El Chalten.
Finally, if you are spending the night in El Chaltén, we recommend you to have dinner at the Ahonikenk restaurant. Try their lentil, chorizo and bacon stew or the lamb ravioli.
📷 Book your transfer from El Calafate to El Chalten from here and don’t worry about anything.
Day 4: Option 2nd day in El Chaltén or excursion to Torres del Paine
Although there are many treks to do in El Chaltén, on the second day we recommend the excursion to Lago del Desierto, Huemul glacier and Vespignani.
This excursion includes navigation on the lake to contemplate the Huemul glacier and later the arrival to a spectacular viewpoint to appreciate the Vespignani glacier, and if the weather allows it, to contemplate the Fitz Roy mountain again.
The Patagonian landscapes you will enjoy will surely leave you open-mouthed.
If you only choose to visit El Chalten on the third day only, then on the penultimate day of El Calafate in 5 days, we recommend crossing the border into Chile and visiting Torres del Paine Park.
The park itself requires many days to get to know it fully, especially if you choose to trek Torres del Paine. A day trip from El Calafate will take in the views of the Paine Massif with its three jagged towers, emerald lagoons and lookout points that you’ll take away as a timeless postcard.
If you are not planning to visit Chile at the moment, El Calafate is an excellent opportunity to take a day trip to Torres del Paine and see this natural beauty.
In either case, we recommend you have dinner at the hotel where you are staying, as these are all-day excursions and you will probably be tired by the end of the day.
Day 5: Visit some Patagonian Estancias plus the Nimez Lagoon Reserve
On the last day, get away from the glaciers and visit one of the Patagonian ranches located a few kilometres away from the city.
In these large estancias, mostly dedicated to sheep farming, the living conditions of the people who lived and worked there were extreme, enduring intense cold during the winter.
Nowadays, they continue with sheep breeding, although they are also used for tourist purposes, offering meals, trekking and showing the inside of each one of the buildings.
There are several excursions that we recommend to visit the Patagonian estancias, mainly three of the most renowned ones, the 25 de Mayo, Cristina and the Huyliche Estancia. In many cases they include typical food or can be hired as an extra option:
- 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.
- Estancia Cristina plus boat trip on the Upsala Glacier.
Some tours of the estancias are half-day and some are full-day tours. If you choose a half-day tour, you can opt for a two-hour walk along the shore of Lake Argentino, in the Nimez Lagoon Reserve, where you will see flamingos and swans.
On the last day we recommend you to experience the Ice bar. A bar whose theme is ice, the protagonist of El Calafate. Here you can experience the experience of having a drink in a room at -10 degrees, where the bar is made of ice.
Afterwards, you can continue to enjoy a meal or a drink in the adjoining room, which is already at a warm temperature.
Where to stay in El Calafate
We have written an article with our recommendations about the best hotels to stay in El Calafate, don’t miss it!
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