Three Full Days in El Chaltén - Patagonia's Mountain Town
El Chaltén, Patagonia
This is one of our favourite places in the world, truly. This town is within steps of some of the worlds most iconic hikes. Due to last minute planning to get here, we ended up just doing the hikes we wanted as day-hikes instead of the backpacking trip and honestly, we loved it! We got to see more of the town and not stress about the packing in and out, with nothing to do but hike up to a mountain and come back down to a meal and a drink waiting for us.
We PACKED our three days here with a big hike each day and I wouldn't have it any other way. This itinerary is three days of day hiking, but with some alternate options in case the legs need a break.
What To Know
How To Get Here
To get here you'll need to fly into El Calafate and make your way over to El Chalten which can be a journey of about 3-4 hours. The drive is through an almost desert like terrain but when you get near El Chalten you will know - the iconic mountains of patagonia will give you a SHOW. This is why I liked driving versus public transportation as you can stop and take in the views at your own pace. The drive is also almost in the middle of nowhere with not many other cars and no gas stations so fuel up / grab snacks before you go! There are a few ways to get here:
By Car
We opted to rent a car because we didn't think we would make the bus, we wanted to do things on our own schedule (i.e. hit up grocery stores so we could get right at it the next day), and have a car when we got back to El Calafate for transportation to the glacier and back. We really like doing things on our own schedule and after a super long day of overnight travel by air plane from North America we really valued having our own space!
This being said, we didn't use our car until the very last day in El Chalten - everything (including ALL the hikes) are within walking distance.
By Transfer
If you don't think you'll make the bus schedule or just want to avoid the bus, consider a private or small group transfer to get you between the two locations. Here is a transfer link:
By Bus
Here is where you can find more information on the buses:
Money
The local currency in the Argentine Peso. Argentina is actually pretty affordable to visit right now due to their current economic standing. In short, their foreign currency is highly sought after so there are places in Argentina (if you look in the right spots) that will offer you up to double the current exchange rate for your foreign cash. This is called the blue dollar, and it means you can bring in your US or European cash (the US dollar does really well here) and double it (depending on the rate they offer you) when you exchange it to the local currency versus if you were to exchange your currency at the market rate.
You can use your credit card here but we highly advise to bring cash for the duration of your trip - we always had issues and difficulty finding a place or ATM to pull out cash.
Language
The main language in Argentina is Spanish, however this little mountain town is full of backpackers and people from around the world who love the mountains here so English and all sorts of languages are prevalent!
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Patagonia (via El Chalten) especially for hiking is during their summer. Their summer here runs from December - March, but early autumn (before the snow comes) is quite beautiful as well and there are less tourists, but the weather can cool down.
Do note for packing purposes that although the weather is nice, the high elevation gain and sometimes windy weather can cool it down quite a bit. We ended up wearing our puffy jackets for one of the hikes!
The itinerary below is for three days, however if you are dead set on seeing the views, you may want to factor in a few weather days. Nothing is more disappointing then travelling across the world and missing out on the activities and sights you really wanted to see.
Where To Stay
The town here is pretty small so no matter where you choose to stay, being in walking distance from the trails shouldn't be an issue.
Day One
You will likely be arriving the night before so make sure to plan accordingly for your day. If you plan on hiking right in the morning you will need to make sure breakfast spots are open to fuel up and grab some food to go for lunch, or make sure you stop in El Calafate before your arrival to grab some groceries if things will be closed when you arrived.
What To Do
Laguna Torre Hike
Day one is an AMAZING introduction to the mountains of Patagonia. Today you'll do the Laguna Torre hike. The all trails hike is linked below so you can find the starting location and be able to follow it, but this is a popular hike so it would be hard to veer off in the wrong direction.
This hike will be 17.5 kilometres (from the start of the hike - factor in more depending on where in town you're starting from), 500m elevation, and will take 4-6 hours to complete depending on stops and speed.
We highly recommend heading over to the right of the hike where less people travel as here we got some amazing viewpoints with less people, you just have to walk a bit further to find them (it's almost as if you're walking over towards the glacier, but that's out of reach!).
Separate Option
If the weather is bad or you're not feeling a hike, consider a different tour where you can spend the day on horseback admiring the views just outside the town. Same epic mountain views, entirely different experience.
What To Eat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day Two
What To Do
Loma Del Pliegue Tombado Hike
Day two is another hike, but with a drastically different feel. This hike felt LONG and it was the hardest but also the less travelled of the three hikes here and was a close tie for our favourite!
This hike is 18.3 kilometres, has an elevation gain of just over 1,100 metres, and will take you about 7-8 hours to complete.
This hike is completely different to the other two, and we only ran in to maybe 5 other people this entire hike. It starts with AMAZING views over the town of El Chalten then you get into territory that almost looks desert or volcanic like. It feels like a way longer hike because as soon as you get out of the forest you can see exactly the path you will be taking the entire way and it looks FOREVER away - literally. However, its all worth it when you get to the top. 360 degree views of the lakes below and the iconic mountain ranges! It does get extremely windy on this hike as there are no real barriers so pack your warmer gear.
Separate Option
What To Eat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day Three
What To Do
Laguna De Los Tres
This hike is definitely the most iconic of the three. The bright blue water, crystal clear water at the shore, and Mt Fitz Roy right in the background is the perfect combination for a good view point. We were even able to walk further down the shore and grab our own spot away from the crowd to hang out alone. This hike is BUSY but definitely worth it.
At 22 kilometres, an elevation of just over 1,000 metres, and about 7-8 hours for the out and back trail, this is one of the harder hikes here and will take a lot of your day. Start early or later to avoid the crowds but WOW this is a good hike with stunning views to keep you motivated the entire way.
Separate Option
If you are looking for more to do in the area on the same track but a bit more adventurous than hiking, look into this tour which is an ice trekking tour from El Chalten! Walk on a glacier with a guide in this full day tour and get some epic views - what an experience.
If the weather doesn't cooperate again, how about having a slow morning and then taking the afternoon to hop around all the different breweries? There are so many pubs and breweries around this area all with unique vibes that you could easily spend an afternoon hopping from one to the other.
What To Eat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Happy Hiking!
We hope you love El Chalten as much as we did - it's one of our favourite spots in the world. Be sure to check out our blog for even more content on Argentina and El Chalten before your trip!
If You Loved This Guide...
If you loved this guide be sure to check out our other two guides right on our thatch page (plus the blog above). We have a guide encompassing all you could need and our experienced for two weeks through Argentina hitting hot spots like the famous city (Buenos Aires), El Chalten & El Calafate (Glaciers!), and the end of the world (Ushuaia!).
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