Summary
- Day 1 : Arrive Buenos Aires
- Day 2 : Fly El Calafate, onward to Chalten
- Day 3 : Patagonia Trekking
- Day 4 : Patagonia Trekking
- Day 5 : Torre Glacier
- Day 6 : Pliegue Tumbado. Return to El Calafate
- Day 7 : Perito Moreno Glacier
- Day 8 : Buenos Aires/ Return Home
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Fitz Roy
- Perito Moreno Glacier
- Chalten
- El Calafate
- Buenos Aires
- Torre Glacier
HikingIncludes guided hiking excursions. Hikes may vary from easy and optional three hour hikes to more difficult multi-day treks.
ActiveOur most active trips for travelers who are fit and looking for vigorous adventures. Tours include multisport activities and multi-day treks.
CampingDeluxe camping or accommodations in mountain lodges.
Details
Day 1 Arrive Buenos Aires 
Arrive to Argentina today on the flight of your choice and transfer independently to your comfortable hotel. Buenos Aires, the country's largest city, is famous for its colorful neighborhoods and amazing architecture. Spend your free time exploring the city, or simply relax after your long international flight. Overnight.
Day 2 Fly El Calafate, onward to Chalten
(B)
A morning flight takes you to the lively town of El Calafate to begin our Argentina travels. Upon arrival, you'll begin the four hour drive across the rugged landscape toward Chalten. Along the way, a Patagonia guide will introduce you to the region's history, ecology and magnificent geography. This evening, meet your trekking guide for a briefing of the next day's trek.
Day 3 Patagonia Trekking 
(B,L,D) Your four day trekking adventure begins today as we hike through subantarctic forest and passing the small glacier lake named Piedras Blancas that is situated below and filled by waters from a glacier that bears the same name. Your route runs parallel with the Rio Blanco before you begin the toughest part of your trek - a fifty minute climb that zigzags up a 45º slope. Your efforts are more than rewarded when you arrive at the eerily still glacial Laguna de Los Tres with one of Patagonia's best panoramic vistas (and quite possibly in the world)! Enjoy lunch and feast on the views of the colossus of granite, ice, and sky. As you near your campsite on Lake Capri, Mount Fitz Roy looms ahead in the distance. 7 hours of hiking covering 11 miles (18 km)
Day 4 Patagonia Trekking
(B,L,D)
After breakfast near Lake Capri, we start our trek to Camp Torre and pass two lagoons appropriately named Madre and Hija (Mother and Daughter). We'll be passing through a living natural history lesson on glaciation and learn about the history that created this stunning landscape. We'll keep our eyes out for Andean condors, Magellenic woodpeckers and other Patagonian wildlife along our way. This segment lasts six hours to get to the camp. There is an optional extra hike from Lago Torre to Mirador Maestri for an extra two hour hike to the old base camp for climbers who explored the Torre Massif in the early 1970's. 7 hours of hiking covering 9 miles (14 km) if completing the full hike.
Day 5 Torre Glacier
(B,L)
After an early breakfast, we prepare for the most active day of our trip, and we make our approach towards the Torre Glacier after crossing the Fitz Roy River by rope harness. We then put on crampons, and after some instruction, we begin to trek across the Torre Glacier (this is designed for people who have never tried ice hiking with crampons). We'll have our lunch with us so we can enjoy the ethereal experience of picnicking on the glacier, with the 10,259 feet granite pinnacle of Cerro Torre towering above us and the jagged Adela mountain chain rising beyond. After our glacial adventure, we'll hike through dense southern beech forests as we descend toward the valley of the De las Vueltas River and El Chalten, being rewarded with the most stunning views on either side of these great mountain ranges before returning to El Chalten. 9 hours hiking (2 hours on the glacier) covering 15 miles (24 km)
Day 6 Pliegue Tumbado. Return to El Calafate
(B,L) For our last views of the Fitz Roy, hike from El Chalten to Pliegue Tumbado range with great vantage points of the area we have hiked over the past days with Lake Capri, Torre Glacier, and Mount Fitz Roy as well as of Mount Huemul and Lago Viedma to the south. Return to El Chalten for the late afternoon bus to El Calafate. 8 hours of hiking covering 13 miles (21 km)
Day 7 Perito Moreno Glacier
(B,L)
Today you drive into Parque Nacional Los Glaciares for views of the stunning Perito Moreno Glacier. This huge advancing glacier is more than 3 miles wide at its front and over 20 stories high - a highlight of your Patagonia travels! You'll take a boat across Lago Argentino and pass the massive front wall of blue ice, all the while watching for icebergs. After landing on a small beach you'll start hiking through the beech forest to the icepack of the glacier and have the opportunity to walk on the glacier with crampons. You'll eat your lunch sitting on the lateral moraine of the glacier, where you can absorb the magnificence of the glacier's anatomy and listen to its thunderous concerto of groaning and cracking ice dropping into the lake below. Overnight in El Calafate.
Day 8 Buenos Aires/ Return Home
(B)Catch your flight to Buenos Aires and connecting flights homeward, or with more time, cross into Chile to visit Torres del Paine or head north to Iguazú Falls to continue your Argentina travel adventures.
Accommodations:
3 nights comfortable hotels, 2 nights mountain lodge, 2 nights camping
Single Supplement:
$485
Meals Included:
All meals as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); most of our hotels offer free continental breakfast.
Transportation:
local flights, buses, boat, your own feet!
Notes:
Flights Buenos Aires-El Calafate-Buenos Aires not included. Please add US$540/person (flight cost subject to change).
Group & Staff:
Min 2, Max 12; Patagonian guide and crew throughout.
Personal Budgeting:
Allow US$85 for meals not included, US$18 International airport departure tax, US$7 local airport taxes, US$60 for optional excursions, $17 Entrance Fee to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Pre & Post Tour Accommodations:
Share US$80, Single US$160
Is it for Me?
An active Argentina tour itinerary of massive glaciers, jagged mountains, glacier lakes, and wonderful wildlife. Hiking each day is moderate to challenging depending on the day, and travelers should be fit.
Arrival / Departure Transfers:
1 person US$50 each
2 or more people US$25 /person
Set Departures
Custom dates available. Contact a trip planner for details.
2009 Oct 26, Nov 9, Nov 23, Dec 7, Dec 21, Dec 28
2010 Jan 11, Jan 18, Feb 1, Feb 8, Feb 15, Mar 1, Mar 22, Oct 25, Nov 22, Dec 6, Dec 20, Dec 27,
2011 Jan 10, Jan 24, Feb 7, Feb 21, Mar 7, Mar 21, Apr 4,
Hotels
- Buenos Aires
- El Chalten
- El Calafate
- Camping
