Fly to El Calafate from Buenos Aires to begin your Argentina adventure. Spend two days hiking through one of the most gorgeous sites on Earth, Laguna de Los Tres, which offers breathtaking views in all directions. Then travel south to Argentina's Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, a mountainous region with lakes and glaciers. Your tour comes to an end with a hike up the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier.
Highlights
Hike in the majestic Patagonian landscape with views of Mount Fitz Roy
Search for Patagonian wildlife, such as the rare Andean condors
Trek along the turquoise waters of glacial lakes through verdant valleys
Explore Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in South America
Requires high-intensity physical efforts that push the limits of one's fitness. May include tours with multiple days in a row of strenuous physical activity or single requiring more than 7 hours of activity. Recommended for travelers maintaining a demanding fitness level.
Upon arrival, check into your hotel and embark on an afternoon cultural and architectural tour of Buenos Aires. Walk through historic streets, visit the city's famous landmarks, and wander through the area called the "Paris of South America" before choosing one of the many restaurants for a delectable dinner.
A morning flight takes you to the lively town of El Calafate to begin your Argentina travels. Upon arrival, begin the four-hour drive across the rugged landscape toward Chalten. Along the way, enjoy the magnificent geography of the region as you drive through the mountains, passing stunning lakes and winding rivers. This evening, settle in to your comfortable room in your hotel in Chalten.
Awake early this morning to begin a full-day hike to Laguna de los Tres. The first 10 km gradually ascend through open and forested areas, with stunning views of Mt. Fitz Roy as you proceed. Your route crosses 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, where one of Patagonia's (and, quite possibly, the world's) best panoramic vistas stretches out before you! Enjoy lunch and feast on the views of the colossus of granite, ice, and sky, before heading back down to El Chalten for a free evening and a good night's sleep. 8 hrs hiking covering 13 miles (21 km).
Today is another full day of hiking up to Laguna Torre. Ascend from the De las Vueltas River Valley through dense southern beech forests, and enjoy views of the jagged Mount Torre-Adela range in the distance. Continue climbing gradually until you reach Laguna Torre, where you are rewarded by a stunning vista: majestic Mount Torre, flanked by the Adela mountains, high peaks, and glaciers spilling blue-white towards the lagoon. Eat lunch by the shores of the lagoon before hiking back to El Chalten for the evening. 6 hrs hiking covering 11 miles (17 km).
Today transfer back to El Calafate. This can be an early transfer, arriving back in El Calafate with time to explore El Calafate further. You may explore the local museum, El Glaciarium, which offers great exhibits and insight into the environmental impacts involved with the formation and depletion of glaciers. Or this can be a late transfer, allowing for more time to hike again in El Chalten. There are various options, including waterfalls, smaller viewpoints, or the grand views from Pliegue Tumbado.
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. 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 start hiking through the beech forest to the icepack of the glacier and have the opportunity to walk on the glacier with crampons. (This Glacier trek has a minimum age of 10 and a maximum age of 65. Alternate excursions are available for those under 10 or over 65 years of age.) 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.
Contact us if you are interested in the Big Ice Adventure, a more active excursion that spends more time on the ice. Click here for more details.
Day 7: Return Home
1 Breakfast
Catch your flight to Buenos Aires and connecting flights homeward, or with more time, take a trek on the Perito Moreno Glacier, cross into Chile to visit Torres del Paine, or head north to Iguazú Falls to continue your Argentina travel adventures.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).
Karen Snider
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
1 day ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.