Things to do in El Chaltén: hikes, trail map and full hiking guide

The best time to visit El Chaltén is between October and April, which is spring and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. During these months the weather is more pleasant, with milder temperatures (though it can get windy), and most of the trails are open.

• October and November (spring): Flowers start to fill the landscape and the days get longer, but there may still be some snow on the higher trails, and some lakes may be frozen. It's ideal if you want to avoid the summer crowds.
• December to February (summer): This is high season, with the longest days (up to 17 hours of daylight) and generally more stable weather.
• March and April (fall): A magical time, with fewer tourists and a landscape tinted in reds and oranges. The weather is cool, but you can still enjoy the trails.

Buses leave from downtown El Calafate every day, at several times. They make a single stop, at El Calafate airport, to pick up passengers, and a ticket costs ARS 35,000. Here's a table with the schedule: the times in green are the buses that stop at the airport.

Another option is a private transfer, which you can book in advance here.

You can also rent a car at El Calafate airport, which gives you much more freedom to move around. You can look for options and book your car at El Calafate airport here.

There are also guided tours that leave from El Calafate and come back the same day. They're a good option if you don't have much time but still want to get a look at El Chaltén. If we had to choose a day trip from El Calafate to El Chaltén, it would definitely be one of these two:

• From El Calafate: hiking tour to Laguna de los Tres: This tour includes the hike to the famous Laguna de los Tres, at the foot of Fitz Roy.
• From El Calafate: full-day tour and short excursion in El Chaltén: This tour gives you more panoramic views of Fitz Roy without going as far as Laguna de los Tres.

This is a hard one to answer, since it depends on the weather, how much you want to walk and your budget. We went for 5 days, which let us do the 5 trails we think are the most beautiful. We got lucky with the weather, but we recommend staying a few more days so you can rest, do more trails and have days to relax in case the weather doesn't cooperate.

The trails in El Chaltén are self-guided, meaning they're well marked so you can walk them on your own. There are also agencies where you can hire a guide to go with you.

Los Glaciares National Park entrance fee

Until recently, hiking in El Chaltén was 100% free, but now you have to pay the National Park entrance fee. You can buy a ticket for the day or a 3-day or 7-day pass. Tickets are sold online on the National Park website. The multi-day pass is personal and non-transferable, and has to be used within 6 months of purchase, on consecutive or separate days, within a single protected area. Another option is to buy a 1-day ticket and get a 50% discount on day 2 (the days don't need to be consecutive: it's valid for up to 72 hours after your 1st entry).

• General admission: ARS 45,000
• General multi-day pass: 3 days ARS 90,000 and 7 days ARS 157,500
• Admission for residents of Argentina: ARS 15,000
• Multi-day pass for residents of Argentina: 3 days ARS 30,000 and 7 days ARS 52,500
• Local residents, retirees, pensioners and children under 5: free

The access points, where the fee is charged (cash isn't accepted) and tickets are checked, are:

• Portal Los Cóndores: Home to the park's Visitor Center and the starting point of the Los Cóndores, Las Águilas, Loma del Pliegue Tumbado and Laguna Toro trails.
• Portal Base Fitz Roy: At the end of Avenida San Martín, in the Puesto Amarillo area, where the Torre, Laguna de los Tres and Chorrillo del Salto trails start.
• Portal Río Eléctrico: Just before the bridge over the Río Eléctrico.

Below we go through the hikes you can do in El Chaltén, with their difficulty and length. On the long trails we always recommend bringing food (sandwiches, empanadas, etc.) and a snack or some fruit. Most of the routes have streams along the way where you can fill your water bottle.

Here's the map with the trails, distances, times and difficulty levels.

1. Hike to Laguna de los Tres

This is the most famous and most beautiful trail in El Chaltén, since it ends at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy. We went to see the sunrise, and it was a one-of-a-kind experience.

Distance: about 20 km (12.4 miles)

Time: 8-9 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

You can start this hike from two different points:

• Trail via Laguna de Capri: It starts in town, at a parking lot at the end of Avenida San Martín. Along the way you can see the Río de las Vueltas viewpoint and Laguna de Capri, which has the Laguna de Capri campsite (at the 4 km mark, or 2.5 miles).
• Trail from Hostería del Pilar: This inn is 17 km from El Chaltén, and you can get there by taxi or on the tour bus that goes to Lago del Desierto. This route is less difficult at the start. The first 40 minutes of the trail cross private property, and then you enter Los Glaciares National Park. As the trail gains altitude, Fitz Roy and the Piedras Blancas hanging glacier start to come into view.

The two trails meet at Campamento Poincenot (8 km, or 5 miles), and from there the final 2 km (1.2 miles) lead to Laguna de los Tres. The last kilometer (0.6 miles) of the trail is the hardest, since it's all uphill on a rather worn-out stone path. This part usually takes 1-2 hours. Once you're at Laguna de los Tres, if you follow its shore to the left and then climb a small ridge, you'll reach a viewpoint overlooking Laguna Sucia and its hanging glaciers.

It's a good idea to start walking early, since the hike takes 8 to 9 hours from either starting point.

If you'd rather do it on a tour, here's a full-day hike to Laguna de los Tres.

Which trail should you choose?

It depends on the person. Some people go out and back via Laguna de Capri and take the detour to the Piedras Blancas Glacier viewpoint (4 km, or 2.5 miles, round trip), others do one trail one day and the other the next. And others, like us, go up one trail and come back down the other.

On the map both trails are marked in orange, and you can see how they meet at Campamento Poincenot. We started from Hostería del Pilar, slept at Campamento Poincenot, watched the sunrise at Laguna de los Tres and came back via Laguna de Capri. We highly recommend doing exactly that.

Camping at Campamento Poincenot:

It's a free campsite and you don't need a reservation. It's a primitive one, which means there's nothing there: just a very basic toilet (bring your own paper) and a nearby stream where you can get water for drinking and cooking. Fires are prohibited, so ideally you'll bring a portable stove and a trash bag for your waste, since everything that goes into the national park has to come out with you. As we mentioned, the weather in El Chaltén is super unpredictable, so we recommend always being prepared for serious cold. The temperature usually drops a lot at night, so come prepared and with a good sleeping bag.

If you don't have the gear you need or don't feel comfortable doing it on your own, you can book a 2-day tour to Laguna de los Tres that includes a guide, a tent and meals. There are 2 options:

• Hike to Laguna de los Tres with a night at Campamento Poincenot, then sunrise at Fitz Roy on day 2 before heading back to El Chaltén. You can see and book the tour here.
• Hike to Laguna de los Tres with a night at Campamento Poincenot, then a hike to Cerro Torre on day 2 before heading back to El Chaltén. You can see and book the tour here.

Another option we recently came across while doing research is a company with tents already set up at the campsite and a dome that works as a sort of restaurant, which also provides sleeping bags and meals. It's a very good option if you don't have a tent and sleeping bag, or don't want to carry the extra weight. They'll be waiting for you with the tent up and your meals ready. Here's where you can see more about what they offer.

2. Hike to Laguna de Capri

This trail is part of the Laguna de los Tres trail and is an easier option if you don't want to go all the way to Fitz Roy. From Laguna de Capri you get an incredible view of Fitz Roy.

Distance: 8 km total (5 miles)

Time: 3-4 hours

Difficulty: Easy

At Laguna de Capri there's a free primitive campsite where you can spend the night.

3. Hike to Laguna Torre

Another trail you can't miss in El Chaltén is the one to Laguna Torre. This one will also take you all day.

Distance: about 18-19 km total (11.2-11.8 miles)

Time: 7-8 hours

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Just 15 minutes into the walk you'll reach a first viewpoint, above a gorge of the Río Fitz Roy, with a panoramic view of Cerro Solo, the Adela range, Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy. The first 3 km (1.9 miles) of the trail are a bit demanding, but then it gets easier, with no major changes in altitude.

The path eventually passes through the D'Agostini primitive campsite, where you can spend the night. After that, the trail heads toward a ridge straight ahead. From there you can go down to the lake or continue on a 2 km (1.2-mile) trail to the Maestri viewpoint. We highly recommend going up to the Maestri viewpoint, since that's where you get the best views.

In our case we had a cloudy, very windy day, which kept us from seeing Cerro Torre. We could barely get close to the lake because of how strong the wind was, but even so, the trail has its charm and the walk was worth it.

If you want to go on a tour, you can do this day trip to Cerro Torre from El Chaltén or choose this two-day one that includes Laguna de los Tres, with a night at a campsite and a visit to Cerro Torre on the second day.

4. Hike to Chorrillo del Salto

This is a short, easy trail, so you can combine it with another one on the same day.

Distance: 7 km total (4.3 miles)

Time: 3 hours

Difficulty: Easy

The trail starts in El Chaltén, at the end of Av. San Martín, and ends at Chorrillo del Salto, a spectacular waterfall with a 20 m (66 ft) drop.
You can also do it by bike, or drive to the parking lot 5 minutes from the waterfall.

5. Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints

Distance: 4 km and 6 km total (2.5 and 3.7 miles)

Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Easy

From El Chaltén, cross the access bridge over the Río Fitz Roy and continue to the trailhead, on the grounds of the National Park Visitor Center. After a small gate there's a sign pointing the way to the left.

From the Los Cóndores viewpoint you get a view of the Río Fitz Roy valley and, as the name suggests, condors. It's ideal for watching the sunset.

10 minutes before you reach the Los Cóndores viewpoint, the trail forks toward the Las Águilas viewpoint. From here you get a panoramic view of the steppe and Lago Viedma to the south.

6. Hike to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

Instead of heading into the valleys, this trail rises above them, which gives you a spectacular panoramic view of the whole El Chaltén area.

Distance: 21 km total (13 miles)

Time: 7-8 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

The trail starts on the grounds of the National Park's Ceferino Fonzo Visitor Center. It climbs the whole way until it reaches 1,500 m (4,921 ft) above sea level. If you don't want to do this trail on your own, you can book a tour with a mountain guide like this one.

Trails in the Lago del Desierto area

In the Lago del Desierto area, an hour's drive from El Chaltén, there are several self-guided trails with impressive panoramic views. Local travel agencies offer transportation out there. We used Zona Austral for the transfer.

These are the trails:

• Hito Limítrofe (border marker) - Laguna Larga (4-5 hours)
• Huemul Glacier (2 hours)

We decided to do only the Huemul Glacier trail.

Huemul Glacier

It's an easy trail, but a beautiful one, and we highly recommend it. You get spectacular views of the north face of Mount Fitz Roy and the Río de las Vueltas valley.

Distance: 4 km total (2.5 miles)

Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Easy

This trail is on private property, so there's an entrance fee of ARS 500 (in 2021, US$2.50). At the start of the trail there's a bar and restrooms. The travel agency picked us up at 14:00 and took us back to El Chaltén at 16:00.

The Huemul Glacier trail is short and easy, ideal to add on to longer trails like the ones to Laguna Torre and Laguna de los Tres.

Trails in Reserva Los Huemules

Cagliero Glacier

The hike starts 18 km from El Chaltén, at the Interpretation Center of Estancia Los Huemules. The trail is easy to moderate and takes about 3 hours.

Time: 3 hours

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

At the foot of the glacier there's a refugio (mountain hut) with one-of-a-kind views, for anyone who wants a special experience in the mountains. Puesto Cagliero has 6 quadruple rooms with private bathrooms, and it offers regional food and activities. It's the ideal place to relax in the mountains. You need to book in advance, and you can do it here.

You can also take a tour to walk on Cagliero Glacier, an incredible experience. It's demanding, since there's a via ferrata section (no technical knowledge needed) before you walk on the glacier itself. The activity takes all day, and the tours leave from El Chaltén. Here's a tour for walking on Cagliero Glacier, so you can take a look and book it if it sounds good to you.

The weather in El Chaltén is unpredictable and can change from one moment to the next. It can snow in January, but you can also get days of 25°C in March. It's also a very windy place. The best way to dress for any trail is in layers, with several pieces of clothing so you can adapt to changes in temperature.

We recommend bringing:

• Thermal shirt
• Fleece
• Down jacket and a waterproof jacket or mountain raincoat
• Thermal leggings, waterproof pants
• Hiking shoes or boots or, failing that, sneakers
• Thermal socks (always keep a spare pair in your backpack)
• Gloves, neck gaiter and hat
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Reusable bottle to fill up on the trails
• Trekking poles (you can rent them in El Chaltén)
• A comfortable backpack
• First aid kit

If you're going to camp in El Chaltén, we also recommend bringing

• Headlamp
• Sleeping bag rated to 0°C
• Sleeping pad
• 3-season or 4-season tent
• Portable stove + gas (fires are prohibited)
• Cooking utensils + food + trash bag + lighter
• Pocketknife
• Power bank to charge your devices

El Chaltén has places to stay for all tastes and budgets.

1. Experiences in nature

• Chaltén Camp: Domes with prime views of Fitz Roy. They work on a full-board basis, and the location is ideal for hiking.
• Estancia Bonanza: An estancia (a traditional country ranch) with rustic cabins and private rooms with a spectacular view of Fitz Roy. They offer activities, and it's an ideal place to disconnect.
• OVO Patagonia Experience: In the heart of Los Glaciares National Park, these are capsules on the mountainside with panoramic views of Fitz Roy and luxury touches.

2. Hotels in El Chaltén

• Hotel Los Cerros: A boutique hotel with elegant rooms and a spa. Ideal if you're looking for high-end accommodation.
• Hostería Senderos: At the entrance to town, a few minutes from the main trails. It's inspired by the classic Patagonian estancias, with a warm, cozy atmosphere.
• Destino Sur Hotel: Modern rooms with a spa and gym.

3. Budget accommodation

• Hostel Wenuy: A cheap hostel with very good ratings and a shared kitchen.
• Rancho Grande Hostel: A relaxed, inexpensive place, ideal for backpackers. It has private and shared rooms.
• Hostel Pioneros del Valle: Shared and private rooms, with budget options. It has a shared kitchen.

When you head into the mountains in El Chaltén, make sure you check the weather conditions and bring the right gear for what you're planning to do. It's important to follow the safety rules and know your physical limits. Also be aware of your environmental impact and follow the conservation rules, like staying on the marked trails and carrying all your trash back with you. Respect the local flora and fauna and keep a safe distance from wildlife. Finally, try not to go into the mountains alone: it's also a thousand times more fun if you share it with someone! And don't forget to always tell someone you trust your itinerary and the time you expect to be back.