9-Day Best of Patagonia tour El Calafate El Chalten and Puerto Natales

9-Day Best of Patagonia tour El Calafate El Chalten and Puerto Natales

See the best of South America’s spectacular Patagonia region on this 9-day tour from El Calafate. With a combination of guided activities and free time, this tour allows you to easily make the most of your time in Patagonia. Discover some of Patagonia’s most beautiful features, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Perito Moreno Glacier and Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, with a guide. Then use your free time to explore Patagonian towns or go on an adventure like hiking to Mt Fitz Roy.

Itinerary

Day 1: El Calafate

Stop At: El Calafate Airport, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Upon arrival at El Calafate Airport, you’ll be transported to your hotel (shared service). After check-in, you have the rest of the day free to explore local shops and restaurants around town, or venture outside El Calafate to surrounding areas like Laguna Nimez, where you’ll see a beautiful sunset (the front desk personnel at your hotel can give you information on transportation, hiking and more).


Duration: 40 minutes

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 2: El Calafate - Full-Day Perito Moreno Glacier with Boat Tour Included

Stop At: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Avenida Del Libertador 1302, El Calafate Z9405AHY Argentina
After an early breakfast, head out for a full-day guided excursion to Los Glaciares National Park, where you’ll see Perito Moreno Glacier
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

Stop At: Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park Argentina
Admire beautiful views of this UNESCO World Heritage Site on a boat cruise, which allows you to see the glacier up-close. Then take a walk on nearby trails with your guide to viewing platforms which showcase the 19-mile-long (30 km) Perito Moreno Glacier from different angles. Stop for lunch at the park before continuing your exploration (lunch is not included). After your visit to the national park, you’ll be driven back to your hotel in Calafate, where you’ll have free time to eat dinner and relax.

**OPTIONAL: If you would prefer to upgrade your tour to include the Mini-Trekking or Big Ice excursions, both of which allow you to hike the glacier, please write it down in the special requirements box (while booking) and we’ll quote it for you.

Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 3: El Calafate

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Today is a free day. Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading out to spend the day as you wish and explore El Calafate on your own.
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 4: El Calafate / El Chalten

Stop At: Road to El Chalten, El Chalten Argentina
In the morning, your transfer will pick you up at your hotel to take you on a 3-hour journey to El Chaltén (shared service). After a scenic drive surrounded by the Patagonian steppe you will reach El Chalten and have the rest of the day free to get familiar with the town or go for a short hike from your hotel.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Chalten

Day 5: El Chalten: Self Guided hiking

Stop At: San Martín, El Chalten, Santa Cruz, Argentina
After breakfast, head out to one of the many nearby trails for an optional self-guided hike. You can get all the necessary hiking information at your hotel or at the Tourist Information Center located right next to the bus station. There are full-day hiking options to Cerro Torre and Mt Fitz Roy, located on the border of Argentina and Chile, as well as shorter, 2- to 3-hour hiking trails near the mountain. Don't forget to pack lunch if you decide to take one of the full-day hikes! Also, if you don’t feel like hiking, you can take an optional boat tour down Lago del desierto (Desert Lake) to discover more of Chalten’s natural beauty.
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Chalten

Day 6: El Chalten / El Calafate

Stop At: San Martín, El Chalten, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Enjoy an early breakfast and spend your last few hours in El Chalten at your leisure. This is the perfect day to go for a morning hike and buy some souvenirs before departing to El Calafate.
Duration: 7 hours

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
In the afternoon, your transfer will pick you up at your hotel in Chalten to take you back to El Calafate where you’ll have the evening free to do as you wish.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in El Calafate

Day 7: El Calafate / Puerto Natales

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Today, you’ll leave Argentina behind and head to Puerto Natales in Chile. After breakfast at your hotel, make your way to Calafate bus station for your public bus ride to Chile. Please make sure to keep your passport handy!
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, Chile
Upon arrival in Puerto Natales, you’ll make your way to your hotel (transport not provided). Taxis cost roughly $7 USD. After checking into your hotel in Puerto Natales, you’ll have the rest of the day free to explore this Chilean coastal town on your own.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Puerto Natales

Day 8: Puerto Natales - Full-Day Torres del Paine

Stop At: Torres Del Paine National Park, Torres del Paine National Park Chile
After breakfast, you’ll go on a full-day guided excursion to Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most beautiful parks in Patagonia. On the way to Torres del Paine, you’ll visit Milodon Cave, a natural monument composed of three caverns (entrance fee is not included). After reaching Torres del Paine, you will visit the most scenic panoramas of the park that are accessible by vehicle. Covering 447,260 acres (181,000 hectares), this national park is full of stunning natural beauty. Some highlights of this tour are: Grey Lake, Pehoe Lake, Salto Grande waterfall, Nordenskjöld Lake, Amarga Lagoon, etc. On the way, your guide will point out local wildlife like wild guanacos, caramel-colored animals in the llama family, which can be found roaming the nearby plains. After admiring the breathtaking views you can call it a day as your transport takes you back to your hotel in Puerto Natales. The evening is yours to do as you wish.

**OPTIONAL: If you would prefer to change this tour to a full-day hiking tour please write it down in the special requirements box (while booking) and we’ll quote it for you.

Duration: 11 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel of your chosen category in Puerto Natales

Day 9: Puerto Natales / El Calafate

Stop At: Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, Chile
After breakfast, make your way to Puerto Natales bus station (transportation not provided). It is highly recommended that you reach the bus station at least 30 minutes before your departure time.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina
Upon arrival to Calafate, you’ll take a taxi to our local operator’s office, from where a transfer will take you to El Calafate airport (shared service).

IMPORTANT: Please make sure that your flight out of El Calafate departs at 4:30 p.m. or later, since your bus from Puerto Natales will arrive in El Calafate at 2 p.m.

NOTES: Our itinerary is pretty flexible so if you need to add extra nights at any of the mentioned destinations we can quote them for you. Also, we can quote extra tours or replace any of the included tours for a different one of your preference at an extra cost. Just make sure to let us know in advance using the special requirements box while booking.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.