Heart of the Argentine Andes
Argentina Hiking + Walking Tours
A trek in unforgettable Patagonia
- Tour Type
- Skill Level
- Length12 days
- Prices from$3348 Rates
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Overview
From bustling, cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, through the glacial landscape of Southern Patagonia, and back again, your 12-day adventure is jammed packed.
After some time in the capital city, you begin your venture into the remote beginning with Los Glaciares National Park and the icy landscape of Perito Moreno Glacier.
In the extreme north of Los Glaciares National Park, on the foothill of Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Torre’s massive granite rocks, you will visit El Chalten, Argentina’s “youngest” village, founded in 1985.
From here, there are countless trekking trails. Surrounded by the mountains and forests, you will be able to admire the unique animals that inhabit this area such as the very discreet “pudú”, the smallest deer in the world, which lives in dense groves, and the “huemul”, an endangered deer that wonders among the woods. Bird watching is also interesting given the abundance of condors, parrots, and woodpeckers inhabiting one of the world’s southernmost areas.
Topping off your trekking experience is a trip to Bariloche with authentic accommodations in refugios. Refugios offer rustic hostel-meets-hotel accommodation for hikers. They have warm dorm-style rooms with comfy beds where you can relax and unwind after a long day on the trails.
Highlights
- Buenos Aires
- El Calafate
- Los Glaciares National Park, home to the famous Fitz Roy massif as well as the Perito Moreno Glacier
- Charming El Chalten
- Bariloche and the Lake District
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to the International Aiport Ezeiza in Buenos Aires
Day 2: Departure from Buenos Aires El Calafate Airport on filight to El Calafate
Day 3: Perito Moreno Glacier - Ice trek - El Calafate
Day 4: El Calafate - El Chalten - Trekking - El Chalten
Day 5: Laguna de los Tres - Poincenot Campsite
Day 6: Trekking - Laguna Torre - El Chalten
Day 7: El Chalten - El Calafate - Bariloche Airport - Bariloche -
Day 8: Bariloche - Otto Meiling Refuge (1919m)
Day 9: Otto Meiling Refuge - Agostino Rocca Refuge
Day 10: Agostino Rocca Refuge - Bariloche - Frias Lake - Pañuelo Harbor - Bariloche
Day 11: Bariloche - Bariloche Airport - National Airport Buenos Aires
Day 12: Buenos Aires - International Aiport EzeizaDay 1: Arrival to the International Aiport Ezeiza in Buenos Aires
You will be welcomed at Ezeiza International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Buenos Aires in a private vehicle. Once you are settled in at your first hotel, you can enjoy lunch followed by a half-day walking tour of the city.Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city with European features, is among the 10 most active cities in the world. City of arts, cultures, theaters, traditions ... the variety satisfies even the most demanding traveler.
You visit the imposing Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest in the world, dominated by the Obelisk, a symbol of Buenos Aires. You will pass the prestigious Colon Theatre, a jewel of Argentine architecture, and the famous Plaza de Mayo, graced with architecture such as the Casa Rosada, Casa de Gobierno, the Cabildo, and the Cathedral.
The picturesque neighborhood of La Boca will top off your visit. Its centerpiece is the cobblestoned El Caminito, a former railway route, now a pedestrian walkway lined with pastel-colored buildings, hot spot for painters, tango dancers, and musicians.
Accommodation: Tango de Mayo Hotel, standard room
Meals: LDay 2: Flight to El Calafate
You will be transferred from the hotel to the airport for a flight to El Calafate, on the edge of the Southern Patagonian, and the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel.Once you are settled in, get ready for a wonderful culinary experience. It is said that the kitchen is the heart of the house. Rancho Aparte was created out of this ambiance... the warmth of a home, the aroma of homemade food, a glass of wine while talking and laughing with friends, both old and new. The Rancho Aparte experience will allow you to savor a home-cooked meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The dishes are prepared with local products with the main ingredient, lots of love! The menu is accompanied by selected wine pairings from Argentine and Patagonian wineries.
Accommodation: Marcopolo Suites, standard room
Meals: B & DDay 3: Perito Moreno Glacier- Ice trek- El Calafate
A morning transfer of 75 km will transport you from your hotel to Los Glaciares National Park. From the harbor located at Bahia Bajo de la Sombra, you’ll board for a 20-minute crossing of Brazo Rico and dock at the foot of the refuge. From there, you’ll begin your trek in Los Glaciares National Park (entrance included) amidst exuberant vegetation. As you pause on the beach near the glacier, the guides will educate on glaciology. You’ll continue the walk to reach the foot of the glacier where you’ll don the crampons before starting the trek. The walk that follows is approximately two hours accompanied by mountain guides. At the end of your experience, you will be transferred back to El Calafate.Difficulty level: Easy
Accommodation: Marcolpolo Suites, standard room
Meals: B & LDay 4: El Calafate- El Chalten- self-guided trekking
After a 3 hour transfer from El Calafate to your hotel in El Chalten, you will trek self - guided up to Los Condores and Las Aguilas viewing points. This is the shortest hike from El Chaltén, enabling you to reach a viewpoint that offers exceptional panoramic views of the Adela, Torre, and Fitz Roy massifs, and the Río de las Vueltas valley.Optionally you can access a second viewpoint on a natural balcony with views of the steppe and the large Viedma lake. Leaving El Chaltén, you cross over the town on the access bridge over the Fitz Roy River and continue along the road until you reach the National Park Visitors' Centre where the trail begins. From there, this well-signed trail ascends until you get to a viewpoint. This footpath is relatively new as it has been inaugurated in 2004. As its name shows, the lookout point is situated in a strategic place for the eventual observation of condors in their frequent glide to and from the Río Fitz Roy valley. It is also an excellent alternative to appreciate the imposing granite peaks and glaciers that dominate the horizon.
The trail to Las Águilas viewpoint begins at a fork situated a few minutes before reaching Los Cóndores viewpoint, and after a 15-minute walk, you arrive at this natural balcony with panoramic views over the steppe.
Hike:
Distance: 2 mi. (3 km)
Elevation: +100 m
Duration: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Accommodation: Hosteria El Paraiso, standard room
Meals: B & DDay 5: Laguna de los Tres- Poincenot Campsite
The walk starts along a beautiful trail in the forest, on the West slope of the Polo mount, to get to a slight ascent to Camp Poincenot. The amazing views accompany you all the way: the Blanco River valley and the Piedras Blancas glacier and its lagoon. The climb to the Laguna de los Tres starts at Poincenot and is challenging but the reward is well worth it as you will be up close and personal to the mountains, Fitz Roy in all its splendor, and the spectacular Sucia lagoon.Hike:
Distance: 5 + 1 mi. (8 + 2 km)
Elevation: +800 m
Duration: 6 hours
Difficulty level: difficult
Accommodation: Camp Poincenot
Meals, B, L, & DDay 6: Laguna Torre- El Chalten
Following the Lagunas Madre e Hija Trail, you arrive to Laguna Torre. You begin on flat terrain and then descend to the Fitz Roy River which originates at Lake Torre. The Cerro Torre, overlooking the lagoon, is one of the most majestic peaks and one of the most difficult in the world to climb, with its 2,000 meters of vertical granite. Next to it, other granite giants like Egger and Standhardt Needles, Adela Mountain Range, and the Cerro Grande with its hanging glaciers, adorn this majestic setting. At the end of the day, you return to El Chalten!Hike:
Distance: 7.5 + 6 mi. (12 + 9 km)
Elevation: + 300 m
Duration: 6 hours
Difficulty level: moderate
Accommodation: Hosteria El Paraiso, standard room
Meals: B & L
Day 7: El Chalten- El Calafate- Bariloche Airport- Bariloche - Cooking class & dinner
A 3-hour transfer (210 km) will transport from the hotel in El Chalten to El Calafate, followed by a domestic flight to Bariloche. You will then be transferred to your hotel. Here in Bariloche, you will enjoy a cooking workshop.According to the meal you are going to cook, you will look for the best ingredients. Meanwhile, you will discover the local culture, different uses of each food product, and stories about gastronomy. Then, with your beautiful apron, you will prepare a local meal assisted by a chef. Enjoy the tasting!
Accommodation: Hosteria Costas Del Nahuel, Lake room
Meals: B & DDay 8: Bariloche - Otto Meiling Refuge
A shared transfer from Bariloche to Pampa Linda. 73 km (2 hrs.)Mount Tronador is an imposing volcano located on the border between Argentina and Chile. Today, the volcano is dormant. It was named Tronador (Spanish for 'Thunderer') by locals in reference to the sound of seracs that fall regularly, sounding just like thunder. It was first climbed by Hermann Claussen on 29 January 1934. In Argentina, the volcano is located in the province of Río Negro near the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. In Chile, it is located in the 10th Lake District. In fact, this massif lies on the very border and separates two national parks: the Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina and the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park in Chile.
Mount Tronador is 3,491 meters high and shows three summit peaks. The Chilean summit rises to 3,320 meters, the Argentine summit to 3,200 meters and the Chilean-Argentine summit on the border to 3,491 meters. It is also located in an area featuring abundant rains which accounts for its ever-lasting snow and seven glaciers: Frías, Alerce, Castaño Overo, Manso, Peulla, Casa Pangue and Río Blanco.
At 8 a.m. you drive south towards Pampa Linda, leaving Nahuel Huapi Lake behind but following Gutierrez Lake. You take the “Ruta 40”, follow the same lake and later drive along some marshland. After about 40 minutes, you turn off this road and take an unpaved track towards Mascardi Lake. After paying the entrance fees to the Nahuel Huapi National Park, you continue the drive towards Pampa Linda where you start the trek.
This is a trail through a century-old Coihue forest that takes you to viewing points from which you admire the beauty of the valley below. Final destination is Otto Meiling mountain hut, a very authentic trekking accommodation.
Hike:
Distance: 9 mi. (14 km)
Duration: 4 to 5 hours
Elevation: +1060 m
Difficulty level: moderate
Accommodation: Otto Meiling Mountain Hut in a large common room in bunk bed
Meals: B, L & DDay 9: Otto Meiling Refuge (1919m) - Agostino Rocca Refuge
This morning you prepare to cross the Alerce Glacier to the "Paso de las Nubes" - or "Cloud Path". After a short walk, you tie up and put on crampons to cross the glacier. During the crossing, you discover a frozen world, its colors, and crevasses. At the exit of the glacier, you arrive on the ridge that will lead you to the Paso de las Nubes. After a steep descent, you cross green meadows before arriving at the refuge Agostino Rocca.Hike:
Distance: 18 km
Duration: 6 to 7 hours
Elevation: +1268 / -959m
Difficulty level: moderate
Accommodation: Refuge Agostino Rocca
Meals: B, L & DDay 10: Refuge Agostino Rocca - Frias Lake- Pañuelo Harbor- Bariloche
You leave the heights of Paso de las Nubes to go down into the valley to reach the Frias Lake where the catamaran awaits you. From the refuge, you will admire the turquoise waters of the lake, which contrasts with the surrounding mountains. You cross forests of Nothofagus, native Andean trees of Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia before the navigation that will take you back to Bariloche. This will consist of navigating from the port of Frias Lake by catamaran to Puerto Alegre. A bus will be waiting to take you the 3 km to Puerto Blest where you embark another catamaran to navigate the Nahuel Huapi Lake to Puerto Pañuela in Bariloche.Hike:
Distance: 14 km
Duration: 6 hours
Elevation: -1373m
Difficulty level: moderate
Accommodation: Costas del Nahuel in lake room
Meals: B, LDay 11: Bariloche - Bariloche Airport - Buenos Aires
Transfer in a private vehicle from your hotel to Bariloche Airport followed by a domestic flight to Buenos Aires. Once you arrive, you will be transferred to your hotel.In the evening, you are in for a treat! In "El Querandí", enjoy an authentic and traditional tango show, accompanied by a delicious dinner "a la carte" in an intimate and exclusive atmosphere of the early twentieth century (1920s building entirely renovated).
Walk to the El Querandi theatre, located only 5minutes away from your hotel
Accommodation: Two Hotel in a standard room
Meals: B, DDay 12: Departure from Ezeiza International Airport
Transfer from the hotel to Ezeiza International Airport in a private vehicle.We have many other hiking and walking tours! Be sure to check them out!
Accommodation
On each day’s details, you will find the overnight hotel listed. Hotels are subject to availability at the time of booking. Please note that there is no guarantee of breakfast if leaving the hotel before 7 am. On two nights you will be accommodated in Refugios. Refugios are similar to backcountry huts or lodges. Refugios typically feature 6-8 person dorm-style rooms, equipped with kitchens, cooking staff, bathrooms, showers, and a communal area.
Inclusions
What’s Included
- Arrival transfer & all transfers as indicated in the itinerary
- Meals as indicated in the daily itinerary
- Tour of the city of Buenos Aires
- Domestic flight to Calafate
- Brazo Rico crossing to foot of Perito Moreno Glacier
- Entrance to Los Glaciares National Park
- Guided glacier hike excursion
- Guided Laguna de los Tres hike
- Domestic flight from Calafate to Bariloche
- Cooking workshop on Day 7
- Guided Pampa Linda hike
- Alerce Glacier guided hike
- Guided hike on Day 10
- Catamaran transfers, from port of Frias Lake to Puerto Alegre and on Nahuel Huapi Lake to Puerto Pañuelo in Bariloche
- Domestic flight Bariloche to Buenos Aires
- Tango Dinner Show
What’s Not Included
- International Flights
- Meals not mentioned as "included"
- Entrance fees to the Nahuel Huapi National Park
- Gratuities
- Travel insurance
Dates & Pricing
Dates
2021/2022
November 2021 through March 2022
You decide which day to begin!
Please Note
- Rates are based on double occupancy
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
Pricing
November
2 people 4 people 6 people Twin/double room & hut accommodations $ 5351 £ 3018 $ 5,258 € 3392 NZ$ 5746 kr 34264 $ 4,048 $ 4756 £ 2682 $ 4,673 € 3015 NZ$ 5108 kr 30455 $ 3,598 $ 4425 £ 2496 $ 4,349 € 2806 NZ$ 4753 kr 28339 $ 3,348 Single supplement On request *Other tour dates/months pricing is pending. If you are interested in this tour, just ask! We will provide you with a price proposal on request.
Extra Info
Skill Level — Moderate–Difficult
On each day’s details you will find distance and elevation of each hike indicated. On most days, you will find that the level of difficulty is moderate, thought there is one more difficult day.
Airport Info
The closest international airport to your tour start and end is Ministro Pistarini International Airport, also known as Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires.
Local Travel
Airport transfers are included in your tour price. You will send us your flight information once this is arranged and details of the transfers will be sent to you in your final tour information.
Climate
Buenos Aires has a temperate climate, which is classified as a humid, subtropical climate. Patagonia’s weather can change from day to day or even minute to minute. Expect a blend of sunshine, overcast, rain, wind, and perhaps even a tiny bit of snow.
Important to know
Travel Documents
Passport and visa requirements vary for each nationality and it is each passenger's responsibility to be informed at the time of booking and ensure they have the correct documents necessary to enter both Chile and Argentina. It is important to know that the routes transit from Chile to Argentina and vice versa, so before traveling each passenger must find out whether visas, entry permits, or reciprocity fees are required for BOTH countries for their particular nationality, regardless of the port of embarkation, and ensure they are processed well in advance in order to present them at check-in.
Travel Insurance
Participants are required to take out medical and repatriation insurance and cancellation insurance, which must be sent to the Agency before departure.
Tour Operator
This tour is run by Terra Argentina.
We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
We are not a broker.
We do not inflate tour prices.
We are simply travelers helping travelers.Would you like to learn more About Us? How about What Makes Us Different than other companies?
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