Patagonia from Buenos Aires: Southern Patagonia

10 Tours in Patagonia for the winter and beyond: El Calafate, Perito Moreno, El Chaltén, Torres del Paine

Perito Moreno Tour

Day 1: Excursion ‘Perito Moreno Glacier’. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

Leaving from El Calafate in the morning, you will register 80 km until you reach the Perito Moreno Glacier gangways with a guide, within the Los Glaciares National Park.
Starting the tour we will have views of the Argentino Lake with its Bahía Redonda Bay, located on the right of the route. In the first 40 km, the Patagonian steppe landscape predominates, and then, in the National Park area, it goes to an arboreal vegetation of the Notofagus family (Lengas, Notofagus, Coihues, Guindos and Ñires).

Before reaching the Park, a stop is made with the first panoramic views of the southern wall of the Glacier. At the access, the ticket is paid and 40 km will be registered up to the parking lot, where the route that leads to the gangways begin. The tour is on your own until the meeting time.

The Main Balcony is at 146m, from where you have an impressive view of the north and south walls of the Glacier.
For lunch the tourist has a restaurant and a Snack Bar.
The excursion to the Moreno Glacier with a guide allows you to optionally combine this excursion with a one hour of navigation along the northern edge of southern Moreno or a Nautical Safari. Departure at 9:00 a.m. with return at approximately 5:15 p.m.

To bring to the excursion, we advise to wear a coat and comfortable shoes.
Keep in mind that you can NOT carry out the mini-trekking with this excursion.
What to bring? Sunglasses, sun filter, comfortable and warm clothing, waterproof jacket, gloves and comfortable shoes.

• Difficulty: None, suitable for all ages
• Duration: 4 hours – Two departures AM & PM

 

• Included:
• Transfer from your hotel

• Not included:
• Entrance to the National Park
• Optional:
  1 hour navigation

Price: USD99.- (+ Ticket to National park ARS40,000.-)

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Optional Nautical tour:

Navigation in front of the ice wall of the Moreno Glacier

The excursion consists of a navigation through Lake Rico or the Lago Argentino ‘s iceberg channel visiting the ice wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier .
This excursion lasts approximately 1 hour and offers the possibility of observing the walls of the Perito Moreno glacier and its continuous landslides on the waters of Lake Rico from a totally different perspective. You will be able to observe icebergs that have detached from the walls.

Departures are daily, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., (approximately) with trips departing hour, specifically depending on the time of year.
Once in front of the wall, the ship makes a stop for a few minutes to let you observe the landscape in more detail. Interesting for photographs and filming.
Boarding is done in the “Bajo las Sombras” or “Puerto Moreno” harbour, as appropriate.

The excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier can be complemented with a 1-hour navigation through the Brazo Rico or Lake Argentino ‘s Channel of the Icebergs, being able to observe the detachments of the ice wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Frequency: Daily
Duration : 1 hour
Minors Differently-abled people, free of charge
Retirees, Pensioners and under age from 4 to 15 years inclusive, reduced rate for the minor on the date of the excursion). Children from 0 to 3 years old or differently-abled person (with certificate): free of charge

Included :

• Navigation of the Brazo Rico
• Hike to the glacier
• Visit to the gangway sector
• Transfers from the hotel
• Lunch box

Not included:
Ticket to Los Glaciares National Park

Important note: In case there are minors on the excursion, after the purchase you must send an image of the document to prove the age, in the case of Retirees the card that proves it.

Price: USD99.- (+ Ticket to National Park ARS40,000.-

Day 2: El Chaltén Full Day Excursion. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

El Chaltén with Mirador de los Cóndores and Chorrillo del Salto with lunch

Full day excursion in which you will visit El Chaltén starting from El Calafate. It includes stops and quiet walks at viewpoints, lunch in a restaurant and free time to explore the typical mountain town, always accompanied by a guide. You will visit the Viedma Glacier Viewpoint, the National Parks Interpretation Center, the Los Cóndores Viewpoint, the Chorrillo del Salto and the city center. It is an activity to get to know El Chaltén in a relaxed way without physical demands .

Included:

• Transfer from El Calafate
• English-Spanish Guide
• Lunch

Not included:

Drinks

 

Price: USD79.-

 

 

Day 3: Todo Glaciares. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

From the Port of Punta Bandera, 47 km from El Calafate, we start sailing through the North branch of Lake Argentino. We cross the Boca del Diablo towards the Upsala Channel to navigate among the large icebergs that break off the front of the Upsala Glacier.
Then we enter the Spegazzini Channel and moments later we will have the first view of the Seco Glacier. We continue sailing to the front of the Spegazzini Glacier where we will also contemplate the southern Heim and Peineta glaciers.

We prepare to disembark at the Spegazzini Base and begin the visit to the area walking through the forest path. This 300-meter path has unparalleled views of the Bahía de Los Glaciares, along its route we can enjoy thematic stations and viewpoints. You will also be able to walk the mountain path entering the Patagonian Andean forest with unique views of the glaciers.

ALL GLACIERS

With pick up transfers 07.10 a.m
Set sail: 8.30 a.m.
Arrival at Canal Upsala: 10:15 a.m.
Tempano – Panoramic view 10:15-10:30 a.m.
Navigation to Spegazzini: 10:30-11:10 a.m.
Spegazzini Glacier Front: 11:10-11:30 a.m.
Landing at Base: 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Return navigation: 1:15 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Arrival port: 3:45 p.m.

Frequency: Daily // Does not operate on Dec 25th / Does not operate on Jan 01st

Pick up from 07.10 am
Boarding: 08.30 am
Departure: 09.00 am
Arrival at port: 04:00 pm approx
Arrival at hotels: 7:30 p.m. approx.

Spegazzini Base

This iconic landing point has two registered trails for registered visitors to Bahía de los Glaciares. The Forest path registers 300 meters from the landing point to the Spegazzini shelter. On the walk we will be posting at different stations (Glaciology-History-Flora and Fauna) and we will have access to viewpoints.

The trail is accessible and does not represent much complexity that is carried out on firm ground. Once in the shelter, visitors will be able to enjoy the gastronomy, the store and an incredible panoramic view from its rooms and from the outside (Deck and Terrace).

From here, the seven-hundred-meter mountain path starts. This route is a medium-difficulty trek through a wooded path, with natural viewpoints, full of incredible views that ends at the landing point.

Spegazzini shelter

The Spegazzinni shelter has the main hall located in the direction of the lake front and its large window offers us an incomparable panoramic view of the Spegazzinni Glacier. It is a very bright and spacious room with 280 square meters of floor space.

Its maximum sales capacity is at 300 and during cocktails it is 400. The room can be shaped according to the configuration of the required plant. From here we have access to the Main Deck of 120 square meters. The Captains Club lounge has privileged views of the Spegazzinni Glacier and the Heim Glacier. Its warm decoration is presented as a friendly space to share and relax. This room is 80 square meters and connects to the 75 square meter terrace.

Visitors can choose to bring their own lunch box or buy in the shelter market, which has a varied offer available for those who want to enjoy without carrying food from El Calafate.

Hiking : Before starting the walk, find out about the different trails and their difficulty, take breaks to rest.Consider the times of each route and avoid leaving the trails or taking shortcuts. Remember that the guides are at your service to provide you with information and accompany you on your visit. Do not eat any type of wild fruit or plant. Do not break the branches of the trees. All garbage must be removed from the visiting area, keep the garbage until you return to the city.

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Included:

• Perito Moreno Glacier excursion with guide (without tiket)
• Full day excursion El Chalten with guide, trekking Mirador de los Condores and lunch.
• Excursion Todo Glaciares with transfers to the port
• Transfer in/out

Not included:

• Flight tickets
• Accommodation
• Tikets to the national park

Price: USD229.-

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY WILL BE ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE FREQUENCY OF THE EXCURSIONS

Additional Excursions:

Torres del Paine. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

Torres del Paine National Park is located in the southernmost part of Chile serving as one of the 11 protected areas in the region of Patagonia, Magallanes and the Chilean part of Antarctica. Four of the protected areas are national parks with Torres del Paine encompassing an area of 700.43 square miles (1,814.1 km2) by itself.

The Paine mountain range is the heart of the park featuring the series of three spectacular granite peaks lined up in a row creating the picturesque Torres del Paine. The three summits are known individually as Torre d’Agostini, Torre Central, and Torre Monzino reaching heights of over 8,200 feet (2,500 m).

The surrounding valley landscape is amplified with lakes and glaciers. Gray, Pehoe, Nordenskjold and Sarmiento are the most prominent lakes with Gray, Pingo and Tyndall as the most important glaciers. The Paine River is the main river that runs through the national park.

• Duration: 15 hours
• Pick up 7 am

• Very important information:
  – Cancellation with 95% refund – with 10 days notice prior to the excursion.
  -Notice less than 10 days, no refund.
  – Rescheduling is subject to operator availability

• What to bring
  – Current ID or passport
  – Entrance to the National Park
  – Appropriate clothing for outdoor and trekking

• Included:
  – Round trip transportation from your hotel in El Calafate
  – Bilingual guide
  – Lunch box

• Not included:
  – Entrance to Torres del Paine National Park. Must be purchased in advance

• Restrictions: Due to the long duration and distances to be covered on gravel roads, this excursion is not recommended for babies, pregnant women, people with risk diseases, neck or spine problems, heart conditions or reduced motor skills.

Price: USD179.-

Laguna de los Tres (Lagoon of the three). Patagonia from Buenos Aires

Laguna de los Tres is probably the most famous and popular viewpoint for Mount Fitz Roy. “Los Tres” refers to the three peaks that can be seen from the lagoon coast: Fitz Roy (3,405m), Poincenot (3,002m) and Saint-Exupéry (2,558m), but the view is magnificent 360 degrees around.

This is a very popular destination, for good reason, so don’t expect a lonely place if you’re there between November and February. The path is well traveled and relatively easy with some steeper sections towards the top. You will travel 20 kilometers in 8 hours, through self-guided circuits.

• Duration: full day

• The maximum age limit is 50 years. High difficulty activity. Approximately 8/9 hours of 20 km of mountain trekking with 800 meters of altimetry.
• Not recommended for pregnant women or overweight people.

• Included:
  Transfer from your hotel
  Trekking sticks

• Not included:
  trekking clothing

Price: USD149.-

Laguna Capri (Capri lagoon). Patagonia from Buenos Aires

The Capri lagoon is undoubtedly one of the main hiking destinations in the interior of the Los Glaciares National Park. Together with other trails such as the one that leads to Los Tres lagoon, “Vuelta al Fitz Roy”, Torre lagoon , Las Águilas, etc. have made this corner of Patagonia world famous for hiking and El Chaltén is known in Argentina as the national capital of trekking .

To the above, we must add that the spectacular nature and difficulty of the mountains in the sector–mainly highlighting the mount Fitz Roy and the Torre mountaine – also attract many mountaineers year after year who dream of the beautiful lines of granite and ice that lead to these Patagonian peaks.

The center of all mountain activity in this sector is El Chaltén, a small Argentine town founded in 1986 for reasons of sovereignty and which today has become a place that welcomes mountaineers, hikers and travelers from all over the world. From this town begins the walk to the Capri lagoon.

The Laguna Capri trail stands out for having beautiful views of the mountain Fitz Roy and its satellite needles. During the summer season, this trail is visited daily by numerous hikers, either as the main objective of the excursion, or as it is an obligatory step when heading towards the famous Los Tres lagoon.

Included:

• Transfer from your hotel
• Trekking sticks

Not included:

• trekking clothing
• Guide, since the trail is self-guided

Optional:

• Vianda (Veggie or Ham and Cheese)

Price: USD149.-

 

Mount Torre. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

Its impressive beauty, its capricious shape as a result of glacial carving and the incredible history of its conquests make Mount Torre compete with the Fitz Roy, its northeastern neighbor, in celebrity and world renown.

It is located on the eastern border of the Southern Ice Field, in an area subject to dispute between Chile and Argentina and whose resolution has been frozen by a 1998 agreement between the two states. The fastest access is through El Chaltén, a small Argentine town founded in 1986 for reasons of sovereignty and which today has become a place that welcomes mountaineers, hikers and travelers from all over the world.

At 3,102m, Cerro Torre is a granite needle crowned by an impressive top mushroom that is generated not so much by falling snow as by the freezing of humidity brought by the violent Pacific winds and trapped in the walls of this mountain.

The western face of the mountain is covered by an almost constant crust of ice, product of the condensation of humidity coming from the west. The north face is perhaps the most dangerous because of the constant fall of material. The south is the most technical and difficult, with overhanging sectors.

The complex level of difficulty present on all its flanks, added to the great climatic instability, means that this mountain is reserved to be attempted only by the most experienced and talented mountaineers.

Located just over the eastern edge of the Southern Ice Field, it is located between the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park of Chile and Los Glaciares National Park of Argentina, within the group of peaks in the El Chalten area. It has the second height of this entire group after the Fitz Roy. Together with the Mount Egger and Mount Standhardt, it forms its own mountain range to the southwest of the fitz roy which is particularly hit by bad weather from the Pacific, so it is covered most of the time. This ridge extends south into the glaciated ridge Adela .

• Included:
  Transfer from your hotel
  Trekking sticks
• Not included:
  trekking clothing
  Guide, since the trail is self-guided

• Optional:
  Lunch Box (Veggie or Ham and Cheese)

Price: USD149.-

Huemul Glacier. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

A few meters from Lago del Desierto, the trail to the Huemul glacier is one of the most attractive to visit in El Chaltén. With a unique forest, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places for trekking.

The name of the small huemul deer has baptized one of the most beautiful glaciers in the region. The road to reach it forces the walker to carry out a different trekking, whose prize is at the end of the road.

This path seems easy, since at the beginning the terrain is flat enough for the walker to progress quickly and steadily without difficulty, and manage to cover a large number of meters without expending so much energy. But in a matter of minutes the landscape changes completely and the path takes a different direction; it gets darker at times, gets more locked up at others, and starts to slope up as we go. I mean, we will start going up.

The forest, gray at times, dry green at others and brown towards the ground, acquires a different physiognomy from that of most of the luminous paths that can be traveled on El Chalten and its surroundings.

The most complete excursion to get to know El Chaltén and Lago del Desierto:

• Visit to the historic Parador “La Leona”
• Visit to the tourist village El Chalten
• Visit to the “Lago del Desierto”
• Trekking to the Huemul Glacier

Included:

• Transfer from El Calafate
• lunch box
• Trekking sticks

Not included:

• Huemul Reserve tikets

Itinerary:

From the lobby of your hotel in El Calafate, we begin at 07:00 a.m. the tour of the legendary Route 40, enjoying the view of the Patagonian fauna along its length, until arriving at the shelter Lake Argentino Viewpoint.

Continuing, we arrive at the Historic shelter “Rio La Leona”, where we will enjoy, the mysticisms that surrounds it for 20 minutes.

Confectionery and Bathrooms.

Continuing the tour, we will find fabulous panoramic views of the Lake and the Viedma Glacier.

The landscape surprises us until 10 am, when we enter the National Capital of trekking, and the magical views of the Andes, framing the tourist village.

Free time for photographs and amazement.

We then continue along route 41, which will take us to the final destination, surrounded by the Andean Forest.
Magallanico and the incomprehensible Rio de las Vueltas.

Panoramic views of Chorrillo del Salto, Salto del Anillo and the majestic Cascada Argentina, which we approach after a few adventurous steps.

Finally we will arrive at the great Lago del Desierto, where we will start the trekking towards the Huemul Glacier.

This walk has a medium difficulty, with a duration of just over an hour (round trip).

Entering the Lengas forest, we gradually begin an ascent up to the great view of the hanging glacier, without leaving aside, the impressive panoramic views of the De las Vueltas river valley and the Mount Fitz Roy, place where we relax for lunch.

Upon descending, we visit a part of the Lago del Desierto trail and we will make contact with absolute pristineness.

Return to El Calafate at 7:30 p.m. approx.

Price: USD159.-

Mount Frías. Patagonia from Buenos Aires

The Mount Frías is located near the city of El Calafate, on the way to the Perito Moreno Glacier and it is not part of the Andes Mountains, you will appreciate spectacular panoramic views of the Torres del Paine, Cerro Fitz Roy, Cordón de los Cristales, Brazo Rico, Brazo Norte and main body of Lake Argentino, Boca del Diablo, Magallanes Peninsula and Avellaneda Peninsula.

This Mountain is an opportunity to watch native flora and fauna and 360 degrees of unforgettable images.

Choose your favorite activity to do in Cerro Frías:

Duration: 5hs

Included:

• Transfers from your Hotel
• Lunch

Not included:

• Drinks

Restrictions:

• Consult restrictions for each of the activities

Not interested in Patagonia from Buenos Aires? Check our other proposals!

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