Location: El Calafate
Top Things to do in El Calafate
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Top 10 Tours in El Calafate, Patagonia
Building on its must-visit location, the once-tiny El Calafate has grown quickly to cater to and profit from the visitors to nearby Los Glaciares National Park. Many visit to see such natural wonders as Perito Moreno Glacier, a massive glacier that’s actually composed of many other pieces of shifting ice. Yet travelers will find that El Calafate is much more than merely a gateway to the Patagonian wild—it’s a fun town offering all sorts of outdoor adventures.
Restaurants in El Calafate
1. Calafate Balcony
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
The track takes you to marvelous landscapes with an incredible variety of vegetation in high altitudes. Reaching 1050 m over the sea level, our first stop is a natural viewpoint where you will enjoy the most stunning sights of El Calafate and the central part of the Lake Argentino. You will also enjoy sights of the magnificent Andes mountain range at the back and at certaintimes, the area of accumulation of the glaciers, towards Boca Del Diablo, (the narrowest part of the lake, on the road to the Upsala arm).
Inclusions: Local taxes, Local guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off
Exclusions: Food and drinks, Gratuities
Reviewed By V3155FJlisak
Fun day! The hike was fun and once we were at the top the views were amazing. It was a long drive from El Calafete but our guide was terrific providing a lot of great history and info. The 4x4 part of the excursion was a bit misleading as there was not a true 4x4 adventure as we were expecting (four wheeling) but rather a 40 min ride in a van over some rough terrain to get to the start of the hike. Overall we would do this trip again!
2. Private Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Calafate)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Private transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the airport, with a guide or a driver/guide.
Inclusions: Guide/Driver, Round-Trip Private Transfer
Exclusions: Tips (optional)
Reviewed By danielarK9287UF
Worst experience in Calafate. Rude tourguides Abusive with animals No respect for the visitors or for the animals Sad to see these kind of experiences are still running Went there for the horses, there were not to much to see on the ride
3. Bamboo Bike self drive tour El Calafate surroundings
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
You can feel in balance with all the nature surrounding driving a bamboo vehicle in complety silence and using your sense to capture the inmensive of the pristine nature arround the Lake, mountains, and sky...
Inclusions: Use of bicycle, Helmets, Segurity lock, A MAP of the area with all the information you need to discover the City by yourself.
Exclusions: All Fees and Taxes, Bottled water
Reviewed By michaelpH7226PC
Santiago was friendly and helpful throughout the whole process. He coordinated drop off of the bikes at our Airbnb in the afternoon and was super easy about picking it up from where we were at in town later in the evening. Riding the e-bikes were a great way to experience the different areas in El Calafate that would have been too much to walk. Santiago provided a map with different areas of interest which we were able to ride to. Having the e-bikes were super helpful for going uphill and on the unpaved roads. After a long day of riding, our legs felt great!
4. La Lioness Petrified Forest
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
This is a whole day excursion very different from the rest in the area. The site is located in the middle steppe just halfway between El Calafate and El Chaltén. Throughout the walk you can see a large number of petrified logs that lie on the surface, some 70 million years old, some with a diameter of 1.20 m. These remains are testimony to ancient times where the weather was very different from today and allowed the support of a large and abundant flora. Occasionally fossil remains of different types of dinosaurs are discovered.
Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, The lunch offered is a Box Lunch
Exclusions:
Reviewed By megabrain22
The horses do the leading, your just a passager. The scenery is picture worthy on the 5pm route when I went. If you dress like a Gaucho, it would add a little more flare to the picture:)
5. Perito Moreno Glacier Mini-Trekking Day Trip
Overall Ratings
4.9 based on 28 reviews
After the disembarkation we access the refuge where the guides organize the groups that are composed each up to 20 people. Then we start a walk along the lake shore for approximately 20 minutes to the glacier. Upon reaching the edge of the ice the guides place the crampons to the participants, who receive instructions on how they should move on the ice. The tour on the glacier is done in about 2 hours, and during the course of it you can see a variety of ice formations such as cracks, seracs, sinkholes, small lagoons. The walk is moderate. The ice surface on which you walk is irregular, but firm and safe. Explanations will be received about the flora, fauna and general glaciology of the region as well as the particular phenomenon that occurs in the Perito Moreno glacier and eventually produces its rupture. At the end of the walk, you will return to the refuge through the exuberant Magellan forest, and then take the catamaran back to Puerto Bajo de Las Sombras.
Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off hotels located at Calafate downtown areas, Crampons to the participants, Guide for all the tour, Pick up time could be at 8 AM or at 1 PM depending on the availability in high season
Exclusions: Gratuities, National Park fees, Take a lunch box to have a meal in the woods at the side of the lake, before embarking., Transfers Calafate airport to Calafate Hotel are not included, Food or Drinks
Reviewed By silviapoli
Not worth it, I'm afraid. Too expensive to get to see just one of the glaciers, the Spegazzini one. (The Upsala glacier can only be seen from afar, as it's deemed too risky to approach). The journey was too long and quite uncomfortable (the ferry I took was the Quo Vadis). Too many people travelling. The ferry was 80% full in Covid times, which I found unsensible and irresponsible. We could not choose where to sit or change seats afterwards. The Spegazzini refuge is partly open. You can take a (rather short) walk in the woods, but the café/restaurant/toilet area is (still) closed and looks quite derelict. I've taken other tours in the area (Perito Moreno Glacier/ Canal Beagle/Full day at Chalten) and they were less expensive, better organised and far more enjoyable than this one.
6. 5-Days Discovery Ushuaia and El Calafate
Overall Ratings
4.8 based on 4 reviews
Travel to the end of the world! Join us in this adventure and get to know the most southern capital city in the world, Ushuaia. Be astonished by its landscape littered with dense forests, snow-capped mountains, lakes and millenary glaciers.
Inclusions: Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast, Transfers in Ushuaia and Calafate, 1 Night at a 4* Hotel in Ushuaia, 3 Nights at a 4* Hotel in El Calafate, English-speaking Guide, Excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park, Excursion to Beagle Channel and Sea Wolf Island, Excursion to Punta Bandera and Ice Rivers, Excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier
Exclusions: Plane Tickets, Transfers in Buenos Aires, Meals, excepting breakfast at the hotel, Air tickets Buenos Aires – Ushuaia – El Calafate – Buenos Aires
Reviewed By JohnVandeDam
Be sure to book only with Piratours - ideally directly at their office in the centre of Ushuaia. We had a terrible experience with cancellation of our trip (booked here!) via Grey Line - despite paying in full for a trip on a date shown online here as available. Luckily, that was not the fault of the actual operator Piratour and they were able to fit us in when we went there in person. However, although quite expensive, it was well worth the experience and the tour is respectful of nature & the environment.
7. Nativo Experience - Lakes & Caverns
Overall Ratings
4.7 based on 57 reviews
It is a tour in 4x4 where every moment is a unique experience. The coast of Lake Argentino is surrounded by nature and history. The ascent to Punta Bonita cliff allows to have an excellent panoramic view. The Punta Walichu archaeological site is visited where the cave paintings made by natives are interpreted in the walls of caves. We finish the tour in one of the caves, where you have lunch or dinner, with an impressive view of the lake and the mountains.
Inclusions: Entry: homemade soup. Main dish: lamb casserole with vegetables. Dessert: chocolate mousse Beverages included: wine, juice and mineral water. Optional vegetarian: sauteed vegetables, Entry: homemade soup Main dish: lamb casserole with vegetables. Dessert: chocolate mousse Beverages included: wine, juice and mineral water. Vegetarian option: sautéed vegetables., Entrance to the archaeological site Punta Walichu
Exclusions:
Reviewed By 551beel
A fantastic day out. The guides Sebastian and Cole were fantastic; knowledgeable, fun and safe. The food at the end was delicious. whole day was well organised and very relaxing.
8. Full-Day Tour to the Perito Moreno Glacier including Boat Safari
Overall Ratings
4.6 based on 305 reviews
Be seduced by the fascinating landscape of the Perito Moreno glacier on this full-day tour from El Calafate. Admire the mesmerizing beauty of the spiky glacier walls, its crevasses and the immensity of its ice formations while touring this renowned national park. Enjoy a 1-hour boat ride to get a different perspective of this natural wonder that rises 240 feet above Argentino Lake. On this tour, you’ll also learn about the general glaciology of the region, as well as the formation of an ice bridge, a particular phenomenon that happens every few years in the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Inclusions: Professional Bilingual Guide, Boat ride, Hotel pickup and drop off, Air-conditioned vehicle
Exclusions: Gratuities, Lunch, Entrance fees (around USD 17.00) payable only in cash and local currency
Reviewed By Dannysupersonic
I was a little concerned as I read in many reviews that this tour is too long, and yes, I found it long. But you are in Patagonia, distances are supposed to be huge and the landscape is a big reward, so the distance is in the end acceptable. If you are afraid of distances don't come to Patagonia! The guide and driver (Matias and Mauro) were highly professional and let us experience the park from many beautiful places, so in only 1 day we have been able to get the most out of the national park. Border crossing didn't present any problem, and even the lunchbox was tasty and abundant. Not a lot of toilets during the trip, but this is nobody's fault so just be prepared. Unmissable!
9. El Calafate History Museum Tour
Overall Ratings
4.6 based on 10 reviews
The CIC travel 100 million years of nature and human history in Patagonia. The montage of dinosaurian and mega mammal illuminate the show of the evolution that this region was. Videos, photos and audios are to understand and remember the genocide of Aonikenk people and the Patagonics strikes. Re-discover the Tehuelche culture understanding the process of large duration. Immerse in five halls powered of solar energy were the past speck.
Inclusions: All taxes, fees and handling charges
Exclusions: The listed price does not include any parking fees, payable at the time of tour check-in., Souvenir photos (available to purchase), Snacks( available to purchase), Coffee/tea(available to purchase), Non-alcoholic beverages (available to purchase), Transportation to/from attractions
Reviewed By Berthaki
Although it's a bit far from the city center, it's worthy to visit if you want to have an idea of the rich history of this region. The museum has a timeline that accompanies you through all the rooms. It begins with an exposition of different kind of dinosaurs found in Patagonia and rebuilt by scientists. Then, it explains how human beings arrived to this remote place and what they left that let archaeologists and paleontologists know about their habits. Besides it tells how European colonized/invaded the place and treated native people as animals, a shameful history that unfortunately happened not only in Argentina but all along Latinamerica. The last room displays a collection of photos of native people and their sad stories, a wonderful reflection to appraise our American roots that make us different from the rest of the world.
10. Full Day Glaciers Cruise from El Calafate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
This tour is essential to learn about the wonderful glaciers that surround the National Park, because it is the only one that takes us to the two most important glaciers: Upsala and Spegazzini, to which it would be impossible to reach otherwise. The navigation lasts approximately 5 hours which we can enjoy amazing views from the terrace and balconies of the boat, or we can be comfortably seated inside the boat. The boats have a capacity between 200 and 300 passengers and the VIP lounges vary between 16 and 30 places depending on the boat.
Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only), Navigation on Argentina's biggest lake, Round-trip shared transfer
Exclusions: Food and drinks, Souvenir photos (available to purchase), National Park Entrance Fee (ARS 700 - It can only be paid with Argentine pesos)
Reviewed By adcdiving
1069/5000 We drive to the Perito Moreno glacier, one of the few glaciers in the world that is still growing (about two meters per day). Here too the parking lot is completely full, which is not illogical because Perito Moreno is the top attraction in El Calafate. The hike to the Perito Moreno glacier follows a beautifully landscaped route with several steps. The first viewpoint of the Perito Moreno is probably also the best point to see breaking pieces of ice fall into the lake. Avid hikers can take even longer routes from here, but we opt to experience 'le moment suprême' here. And we don't have to wait long at all to see a first ice block crumble off the Perito Moreno and fall down. After about 10 minutes, a second block falls and eventually what everyone is waiting for happens because a huge ice wall of 70 meters high tears off, which ends up in the water with a huge bang. Unbelievably, this is a textbook example of 'being in the right place at the right time'!
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