El Chalten Tours: The Trekking Capital

You’ll be transferred from the El Calafate airport or bus station to your comfortable El Chalten hotel. Enjoy the evening at your own leisure, strolling the streets lined with restaurants and bars, all within view of the indomitable Monte Fitz Roy.

After a delicious breakfast in your comfortable El Chalten hotel you will venture out to visit the Los Glaciares National Park. Certified mountain guides will lead you on a full day excursion to show you Viedma Glacier, the largest glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, as well as Lago Viedma and other regional landmarks. Your guide will point out some of the varied flora and fauna and give you time to appreciate the many breathtaking views this southern Patagonia paradise has to offer. After your incredible adventure, you will return to rest at your comfortable hotel.

After breakfast, you have the opportunity to take an additional tour, or you can be transferred to the airport or bus station for your journey home or to the next destination on your Argentina vacation. If you decide to spend additional time in this trekkers’ paradise, Viedma Glacier, Laguna de los Tres, and other glacier treks offer a wide range of activities for adventure-seekers to customize a perfect Argentina vacation.

*Prices listed are seasonal; please consult an Argentina Travel Advisor for further details

PLEASE NOTE:
As of 1 January 2010, an entrance fee (Reciprocity Fee) is chargeable for citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia visiting Argentina. For further details, please read this article on the Latin America For Less Travel Blog.

• Hotels based on US. Standards.
• All tours stated in the itinerary.
• 2 nights in El Chalten hotels.
• All transfers and entrance fees.
• Bus ticket Calafate-Chalten-Calafate.
• All breakfasts.
• Box lunch during treks.
• English speaking tour guides.

Hotels are Open October- April

This full day trek to Pliegue Tumbado is a terrific way to traverse lesser-known trails through the Patagonian steppe, Lenga forests, and verdant marshes, and to seek out unique vantage points of the glaciers and mountains. In the morning, you will be picked up in El Chalten and transferred to the trailhead. After an hour of hiking, you will reach the first look out of the majestic Monte Fitz Roy, as well as Cerro Torre and Torre Huemul. You’ll have the chance to see Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre again, from several other vantage points. From there, you will press of over the Pampa de las Carretas, and then, climbing past the tree line, you’ll find yourself in a deserted landscape rich in fossil deposits and fascinating rock formations. Here the views from the Pliegue Tumbado peak of 5085 feet are stunning. In the afternoon you’ll return to El Chalten by the same trail.

This moderately challenging full day hike takes you past Laguna Torre all the way to Torre Glacier. Early in the morning, you will be picked up in El Chalten and transferred to the trailhead. The start of the trail is easy, where you cross moraines and the Tirolesa River. From there on, you’ll be hooked to harness and ropes, and led by a certified mountain guide every step of the way on this rugged, beautiful Patagonian terrain. Have lunch at the base of the glacier before your ascension up. To climb the glacier, you’ll gear up in crampons. Here the trek gets exciting, as you’ll cross crevasses, and can climb an ice wall with pick axes. Even if you aren’t an experienced climber, the guides will teach you! After the climb, you will return down the same trail and head back to El Chalten.

This easy to moderate full day hike is one of the most popular routes as it affords great views of Monte Fitz Roy. Begin in the morning by being transferred from your hotel to the trailhead. Taking the Lodge El Pilar route to the Rio Blanco valley, you will catch sight of the Piedras Blancas Glacier. Continue on another hour and a half to the Rio Blanco campsite, and then to Laguna de los Tres. This high elevation lake boasts great views of Monte Fitz Roy, as well as Laguna Sucia and Lago Viedma. Here you can rest and eat your lunch (not included) before beginning your descent. You’ll take a trail past Laguna Capri on your way back to El Chatlen.

This fairly easy day hike takes the Lodge El Pilar trekking route to Laguna Torre. Begin in the morning by being transferred from your hotel to the trailhead. After an hour of hiking you will reach a lookout point of Cerro Torre and the Adela range. From here you walk another two hours until you reach the Laguna Torre. There you can rest and enjoy lunch (not included), before returning to El Chalten is along the same trail.

This easy half day hike is perfect for those who do not have a full day available for trekking. Begin in the morning by being transferred from your hotel to the trailhead. You will take the same trail as to Laguna de los Tres. After an hour and a half of trekking, you will be rewarded with terrific views of Monte Fitz Roy. A short distance off the main trail lies a campsite, and just beyond, the pristine Launga Capri, enveloped in woods.

This fairly easy half day hike takes the Lago del Desierto trekking route to Piedra del Fraile and the north face of Monte Fitz Roy. Begin in the morning by being transferred from your hotel to the trailhead at the bridge over the Elecrico River. The trail runs along the river for a short while before heading through a Lenga forest. After a one hour walk, you will arrive at the Piedra del Fraile, a rocky plain with a campsite. You will also be able to see Pollone Glacier and Fitz Roy. 

This full day Lago Viedma boat cruise and Viedma Glacier trek allows thrill seekers to get the most out of the beauty and adventure that the El Chalten region offers. Early in the morning, you will need to find transportation from El Chalten to Tunnel Bay. From there, a tour group will take you on an hour-long boat cruise of Lago Viedma. When you reach the glacier trailhead from the lakeshore, your guide will brief you on safety measures and equipment handling before you gear up with crampons. Then you will embark on your guided hike to the ice caverns and other thrilling glacier obstacles. When you return to the lake near mid-day, you will rest and have lunch (not included) in Bahia Los Tempanos, then head out on a 45 minute walk to the campsite of Peninsula Ventisquero to wait for the boat cruise to take you to Tunnel Bay.

This full day Paso del Cuadrado trek is one of the most physically demanding of the El Chalten regional treks. You follow the Piedra del Fraile route, then continue on past the campsite for an hour long walk to the granite spire of Aguja Guillaumet. It's also possible to see Glacier Marconi, Gorra Blanca, and later, Glacier del Cuadrado. You gain new incredible vistas with nearly every step, all the while passing a marvelous reddish landscape. At 5000 feet, Paso del Cuadrado is just above, and once at the pass, you can soak in the incredible, snow-capped Monte Fitz Roy and Glacier Pollone. Before returning down the trail, you will want to spend plenty of time marveling at Monte Fitz Roy, the smoking mountain, in its wondrous Patagonia setting.