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Highlights of Los Glaciares

Trek the two main hiking trails in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina – Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre – with a warm and comfortable hotel to return to each evening. You'll discover the amazing Perito Moreno Glacier and surrounding fjords on a boat trip, with an option to try ice-hiking and kayaking.

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Highlights of Los Glaciares

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Trip type

Private

Trip length

5 Days

From

$1,320

Location

Los Glaciares

Highlights of Los Glaciares - 5 - $1,320

Trip Summary and Itinerary Map

Day 1: Transfer from El Calafate Airport to El Calafate

Day 2: Trip to Perito Moreno Glacier; El Chaltén

Day 3: Trek to Laguna de Los Tres; El Chaltén 

Day 4: Trek to Laguna Torre; El Chaltén

Day 5: Transfer from El Chaltén to El Calafate Airport

Start from El Calafate and end at El Calafate

Landmarks visited on Highlights of Los Glaciares

Operator's Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer from El Calafate Airport to El Calafate

After a transfer from El Calafate Airport to El Calafate, you'll be free to explore the town for the afternoon. The bustling centre is host to various restaurants, bars and shops, and a warm friendliness imbues the atmosphere.

Hostal Schilling is a friendly B&B with simple rooms, located two blocks from the main avenue.

Transfer duration: 25mins

Accommodation: Hostal Schilling or similar, El Calafate


Day 2: Trip to Perito Moreno Glacier; El Chaltén

You simply can't visit this part of the world without visiting the captivating Perito Moreno Glacier. The day will begin with a 1hr journey to Puerto Bandera that follows a beautiful route around the edge of Lake Argentino. There will be time for photo stops along the way and you may even spot condors and eagles.

From Puerto Bandera a boat will take you along Canal de Los Tempanos toward the northern face of the glacier. However, before you reach the glacier the lake branches off and you will enter Seno Mayo, following it to Bahia Toro where black sand meets glacial blue waters. You will hop out here and take a short walk through beautiful coihue rainforest, typical of the Patagonian Andean region.

Finally, you'll arrive at an impressive waterfall and fascinating rock formations. Your guide will tell you all about the fauna and flora, glacial formations and history of Perito Moreno.

Once back on the boat, you'll make a second stop for another forest walk before embarking once more for an hour's boat ride right up to the northern face of Perito Moreno. Here you can watch its spectacular display of calving ice and the formation of deep blue icebergs.

After disembarking at the bottom of the visitor walkways opposite the glacier, you'll have the opportunity to explore the walkways which offer brilliant views of the glacier from a different perspective.

Return to El Calafate to collect your luggage before taking a private transfer in the evening to El Chaltén.

You can add on the following excursions at an additional cost (please enquire for the latest rates). These excursions take a full day and are alternative options to the boat trip detailed above:

Ice hike on the glacier – Learn more of the behaviour of the glacier and its natural environment; you will be mesmerised by countless blue lagoons, deep cracks, and huge sinkholes. There are two ice hiking options which give you different amounts of time on the ice: the shorter 'Minitrekking' (1hr 40mins on the ice; age limit 10-65 years) and the 'Big Ice' which is aimed at more adventurous visitors (3hrs 30mins on the ice, age limit 18-50).

Kayak – See a different perspective of the glacier by paddling through the icy waters to get a closer look at the northern face (1.5hrs paddling time; minimum age of 14 years)

Transfer duration: 1hr to Puerto Bandera; 1.5hrs back to El Calafate; 3.5hrs to El Chaltén

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Accommodation: Patagonia Hostel or similar, El Chaltén


Day 3: Trek to Laguna de Los Tres; El Chaltén

This trek begins with a transfer to the trailhead at El Pilar, located 17km to the north of El Chaltén. The journey itself is enjoyable for the lovely views of the valley, the Río de Las Vueltas, as well as the impressive Cordon de Los Condores. After about 20mins you'll start to see Mount Fitz Roy from a different angle.

You'll then set out on the trek, navigating through a dense forest of lengas that provide protection from the winds coming off the Continental Icefield. From the start, you'll be able to see various glaciers; Marconi, Electrico, Cagliero and in the distance, towards Lago del Desierto, Glacier Vespignani. The trail is easy as it's quite flat and the climbs are gentle.

After arriving at the first viewpoint, Glacier Piedras Blancas, walk on into a clearing where you can admire the peaks of 'S', Saint Exupery, Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Mermoz and Guillaumet, in all their splendour. From here, continue on for a few more minutes until you arrive at Poincenot campground, located in the beautiful lenga forest inhabited by countless varieties of birds which will accompany you with their song until the Río Blanco campground is reached. This is the base camp for the most adventurous climbers who will attempt to conquer these granite masses.

After the campground, you'll climb for about an hour (400m) until you arrive at Laguna de Los Tres. On arriving at the highest point on the path, majestic views of Fitz Roy, and the Glacier de Los Tres will reward you. There will be time to soak up the view before circling Laguna de Los Tres and heading to the viewpoint of the Laguna Sucia and its glacier. Again, the stunning views are unforgettable.

After resting for a picnic lunch, you'll start the descent and walk back to El Chaltén. En route, you will pass varied landscapes, crystal clear streams and Laguna Capri – a favourite spot for photographers. After visiting this lagoon, drop down into the valley where El Chaltén is located.

Transfer duration: 30mins

Length of hike: 8-9hrs, 20km

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Accommodation: Patagonia Hostel or similar, El Chaltén


Day 4: Trek to Laguna Torre; El Chaltén

From El Chaltén, head off on the Laguna Torre footpath and after a short climb you'll enter a small ñire wood. From here, the path starts to gain height and straighten up alongside the River Fitz Roy until it arrives at a viewpoint of the river canyon and the Margarita waterfall. The panorama presents the valley of the River Fitz Roy and its meandering course with the backdrop of the unique Mt Solo, the Adela range and the impressive Mt Torre.

After about an hour of walking, you'll arrive at the Mount Torre viewpoint. Make the most of the magnificent views of Mount Torre, the Adela range and glaciers while having a short break.

You'll then walk onwards for around 2hrs through grand lenga forests, crossing old glacial moraines and wet plains formed by the previous courses of the river until you arrive at Laguna Torre. On this section there is always the possibility of spotting a wide range of birds, including the Magellanic woodpecker. At Laguna Torre, it is usual to see huge icebergs that have calved from the face of Glacier Torre.

Laguna Torre is also the source of the River Fitz Roy. This river may be crossed by using the Tyrolean rope; used by the climbers to access Glacier Torre and to get to the base of the mountain they aim to climb. Walk to the Agostini camp, where climbers from all over the world stay – it's a lovely route with a chance to see the abundance of wildflowers endemic to Patagonia, if visiting in the spring.

After a rest and lunch at Laguna Torre, you'll commence the trek back to El Chaltén for another evening at Patagonia Hostel.

Length of hike: 7–8hrs, 18km roundtrip

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Accommodation: Patagonia Hostel or similar, El Chaltén


Day 5: Transfer from El Chaltén to El Calafate Airport

After a final breakfast at the hostel, take your shared transfer from El Chaltén to El Calafate Airport, ready for your onward flight.

Transfer duration: 3hrs

Meals: Breakfast

Customer review background image

What our customers think of Highlights of Los Glaciares

Highlights of Los Glaciares trips scored 4.5/5 from 60 reviews

Overall our trip was wonderful, with only a few snags. The highlights of Argentinian Patagonia were the Perito Moreno Glacier and the Estancia Christina in El Calafate, and the Fitzroy hike in El Calafate. The Perito Moreno Glacier is breathtaking, and easily accessible from the raised walkway in the park. We also did the boat tour, which offers history and closer view of the glacier. Beware though, once you see it, other glaciers in Patagonia will seem less impressive. Estancia Christina was fantastic, but only because we opted for the fossil hike. Others on the excursion had lots of waiting around and did not seems as impressed. Not so great- The scheduling from El Calafate to EL Chalten- we would have preferred a later transfer. With the sun setting so late, you can easily hike until 7 PM...therefore there was no reason to leave so early for Chalten. Chalten was beautiful. Liked the wild dogs and friendly locals. The Fitzroy hike was spectacular....we were on the trail early so it wasn't too crowded but I imagine during peak season it was be a little unpleasant as it is narrow and you need to step aside to let people pass. Our best meal in Chalten was at La Tapera, wish it had been recommended. Avoid La Senyera, worst meal of our entire trip. Australis Cruise- This was a mistake. After having days filled with hiking and enjoying the riches of nature, being confined to a boat was very frustrating. The boat itself was nice, the rooms clean and comfortable but the excursions were short and underwhelming and most of the time on the boat was spent waiting....waiting for a short presentation, waiting for lunch, waiting to get off the boat, waiting to get on the boat etc....The penguins were the highlight of the cruise but, we found out you can take a day trip from Puntas Arenas to visit them. That would have been nice to have known. Highlight of the entire trip was Torres del Paine. The Explora hotel is beautiful and the hiking on the W was the best we experienced. The spa, the guides, the surroundings were all unbelievable. If I could redo the trip I would nix the cruise and spend an extra 3 nights at Explora.

Travelled: March 2021

Richard & Susan -

I cannot think of one particular moment that stands out. The most memorable are all my wow! moments when first seeing a particular mountain or glacier.

Travelled: February 2023

Leanne -

I cannot pick just one. When you finally reach the base of the Fitz Roy in Chalten and the Towers in Torres Del Paine one is struck with overwhelming emotion. Though cliche, no photo could possible display such beauty. There is a sense of real accomplishment. The time spent traveling the Strait of Magellan to Francisco Coloane III Island gives one time to reflect on just how remote your time spent seeing wildlife will be. Then there they are--the Whales. So amazing.

Travelled: February 2020

Connie -

3rd morning at Explora Torres del Paine. Magical sunrise casting a fire red/orange/pink glow against the towers.

Travelled: November 2022

Scott -

360 degree views near the Frances mirador and hearing glaciers calving Walking on Grey Glacier and seeing all its tongues from the Grey Navigation boat. Fabulous views and hikes at El Chalten.

Travelled: January 2023

Mei-Mei -

There are too many to choose just one! One of my favorite days was day 1, when we first got to see Fitz Roy on the way to Lago del Desierto. This say was when our group kayaked at Lago del Desierto, hiked up to the Huemel Glacier and into the forest surrounding Desierto. No one realized at the start of the day that we would be able to all the activities - we thought we needed to choose between kayaking or seeing Huemel. Thankfully we were mistaken! Both activities were so incredible, and the forest on the way up to Huemel and surrounding Desierto is something else - nothing like our group was used to seeing in the Rocky Mountains. Because we had a big group, we split up into 10s between the three activities and would see each other at the exchange times, enjoy a beer from the little snack shack and our very good bagged lunches. We ended the day at the lodge to have some tea or wine and plan the next day with our incredible guides from Walk Patagonia - Nico and Sebastian. This first day was just an incredible way to start the trip and be introduced to this beautiful region all together. Wish I could go back and relive it!

Travelled: January 2023

Mariel -

Horseriding

Travelled: January 2023

Joyce Ka Ching -

Tierra Patagonia

Travelled: January 2020

Peter -

The circuit trek in Torre del Paine was by far the highlight. The remoteness and the untouched nature were amazing. Both of our guides on the hikes were amazing! The simple and quiet beauty is what we will remember forever.

Travelled: March 2021

Erin -

Exceptional. Highlight was our stay at EcoCamp; between the brilliant guides (all our guides were young exceptional women which made it extra special), the people we met there, the hikes/activities, the overall experience was top notch. The FANTASTIC guides; Marcela, Angie, Francesca, Claire and our server Ingrid are women I will talk about and remember for a long long time. I find it incredible and inspiring that young people in their 20s are so dedicated to this type of work. They work long hours and consistently had a smile on their face and each had so much knowledge to share. In another life, I want to be them!

Travelled: March 2021

Seda Sejud -

Sorry, it can’t be just one - Horse riding at the ranch, driving tour of TDP, the walks, the view!

Travelled: December 2019

K Ahmad -

The hikes to Towers and Fitz Roy. The vastness of the steppe and the beauty of the mountains and glaciers. The guides at Torres Del Paine were outstanding. The restaurants in El Chalten were excellent.

Travelled: April 2023

David -

-3 towers was amazing & we loved hiking through John Gardner’s pass. - we had 2 others in our group that loved wildlife so we ended up learning and seeing a lot of wildlife. Everyone we met on the hike was great. Super friendly, helpful and upbeat. - our guides were incredibly knowledgeable and always knew exactly the right time to bring out the warm tea! Great treat on a cold rainy hike.

Travelled: March 2021

Chrystina -

There are many memorable moments for our family on this trip, but being together for Christmas in Patagonia was the #1 for my husband and I. There were 7 of us traveling for Christmas which was not a small undertaking. Swoop made this trip perfect. Every transport was exactly on time and the guides were amazing. Rosero with Walking Patagonia( organized by swoop) is one the most knowledgeable and kindest person I have ever met. She was always concerned that we were comfortable on the hikes, had the proper food and were hydrated. We hiked with her for 4 days and loved her. Swoop did a fabulous job selecting the hotels and hiking locations. We really got a great feel for Patagonia. My kids said this was a trip of a lifetime. Thanks to Swoop it went very smoothly!!!

Travelled: January 2023

Suzanne -

The best part of the trip was the Perito Moreno glacier, words cannot describe how impressive and monumental it is. I also loved hiking in El Chalten.

Travelled: January 2020

Kathryn -

Phenomenal

Travelled: March 2021

Ruth -

Probably the highlight for me were two days spend on Cerro Guido and all day on horse in waste pampa. Nobody around just me and my guide and hundreds of sheeps. Nice landscape in Torres especially Lago de Grey and Azul. People in refugio and Eco camp very friendly.

Travelled: March 2021

Vaclava -

Being in Argentina for the World Cup and getting to celebrate with them in a bar looking out out a glacier

Travelled: December 2022

Brad -

The top of Laguna de Los Tres!

Travelled: January 2022

Alexander -

Flying into Buenos Aires the day of the World Cup Soccer Parade set the tone for an amazing holiday. It just kept getting better from there - from a delicious meal at the Argentine Experience to everything Patagonia loved everything El Chalten had to offer (hikes, food, local flair, and our guide Gilda was phenomenal!)

Travelled: January 2023

Kristine -

Review:

Prices, Departures and Inclusions

Basic hotel

2 people: USD $1,320 per person

1 person: USD $1,990 per person

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Mid-range hotel

2 people: USD $1,415 per person

1 person: USD $2,180 per person

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High-end hotel

2 people: USD $1,595 per person

1 person: USD $2,540 per person

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Please get in touch for information on departures.

Additional Notes

Accommodation options – See our guide to hotels in El Chaltén.

Optional activities – Ice-hiking on Perito Moreno Glacier costs USD $220 per person for the 'Minitrekking' option and USD $560 per person for the 'Big Ice' option. Kayaking at the glacier costs USD $210 per person. All activities must be booked in advance.

El Chaltén hikes – These hikes will be small group guided excursions.

Includes

  • Meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 picnic lunches
  • Accommodation: 1 night in hotel in El Calafate; 3 nights in hotel in El Chaltén
  • Boat trip to Perito Moreno 
  • Two guided group day hikes
  • Private transfer from El Calafate–El Chaltén
  • All excursions included in itinerary
  • Transfer from/to El Calafate Airport/bus station
  • All private transport included in itinerary
  • English and Spanish speaking guide
  • National park entrance fee

Excludes

  • Meals not indicated in itinerary
  • Any extra/optional excursions
  • Personal equipment (see our recommended kit list)
  • Bus terminal tax (around USD $2 in El Chaltén and USD $2 in El Calafate)
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Gratuities/tips
  • International and domestic/in-country flights
  • Any visa, passport and vaccination expenses

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