El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park holidays
El Calafate Los Glaciares National Park at a Glance
This is glacier country. El Calafate is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and one of the largest national parks in Argentina, where nearly a third of the land lies under ice. Much of it is fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the largest expanse of ice in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica, and from it huge glaciers grind down towards the milky-blue waters of Lago Argentino.
The star is the Perito Moreno glacier, one of the few you can stand face to face with. A network of boardwalks brings you close to its cracked and pinnacled front, a wall of ice around 5km wide and 60m high, and the great draw is watching, and hearing, blocks of ice calve away into the lake below. It’s a rare glacier that has held its own for decades while others retreat, though recent studies suggest it too is now beginning to thin.
The park’s northern sector, around El Chaltén and the Fitz Roy massif, is Argentina’s trekking capital, and easily combined with El Calafate. Your base itself is El Calafate, a bustling little town on the shore of Lago Argentino, with an international airport and direct flights from Buenos Aires.
The Perito Moreno isn’t the only ice here. Boat cruises head out across Lago Argentino to glaciers only reached by water, among them the Upsala, larger and wider than the Perito Moreno, and the Spegazzini, whose ice wall is the tallest in the park. Sailing between towering blue-white bergs to these remote ice fronts is one of the most memorable things you can do from El Calafate.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Two full days do El Calafate justice, one for the Perito Moreno boardwalks and an ice walk, another for a cruise to the Upsala and Spegazzini.
When to visit El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
The glaciers are reachable from spring to autumn, roughly October to April, when the park is fully open and the days are long. Seasons run opposite to the UK, and Patagonian weather is famously changeable whatever the month.
This is the busiest time for international and Argentinean visitors, as the weather is clear and sunny with the warmest temperatures.
Visit in autumn and you’ll avoid the crowds, while still enjoying clear and bright weather and mild temperatures.
Winter ushers in colder weather, with rainfall and storms more likely and visibility reduced. The glaciers may become more difficult to access due to heavy snowfall.
Spring can be a good time to visit, as the large crowds of summer have not yet arrived. Temperatures begin to warm up, and many days will be sunny and clear, though rain is always a possibility
Top Things to do in El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
Los Glaciares is all about the ice, seen from the walkways, the water and the surface of the glaciers themselves. Here’s what we recommend.
Challenge yourself to a half or full day’s walking with crampons on the icy surface of Perito Moreno.
Enjoy a mini-cruise to the Perito Moreno glacier whilst feasting on an array of Patagonian delights.
Hike from Estancia Cristina in a crimson and gold, fossil-stamped canyon among the icy peaks of Argentine Patagonia.
Observe the working life of a sheep ranch in Argentine Patagonia, and round off your day with a delicious asado (traditional barbecue).
Traverse the iceberg-strewn waters of Lago Argentino and visiting an historic estancia deep in the wilderness.
Admire a true marvel of nature from panoramic viewing platforms and up close on a short lake cruise.
Walk through an other-worldly barren rockscape to discover the petrified La Leona forest in Argentine Patagonia.
Accommodation in El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
Accommodation ranges from town hotels in El Calafate to remote lodges out towards the glaciers, and we hand-pick every property for location and character. In and around town, comfortable and boutique hotels put you close to the restaurants and the lakeshore, while a handful of special estancias and lodges sit deeper into the landscape, some with glacier views from the room. Staying nearer the park buys you an early start on the boardwalks before the day-trippers arrive.
Large modern hotel in a peaceful natural setting overlooking Lago Argentino, with a low-key, distinctively Patagonian elegance.
Good value chalet-style hotel in a quiet area of town with a pretty garden and spacious rooms.
Centrally located hotel with an alpine exterior, stylish rooms and a relaxing Scandinavian-style sauna and Jacuzzi room.
Estancia Cristina is a friendly lodge in spectacular glacial Patagonian scenery, offering a variety of outdoor activities to explore.
Estancia la Estela is a rustic yet enchanting lodge on the south-eastern shores of Lake Viedma in El Calafate.
Authentic working ranch beside Lake Roca within Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park. Soak up the views and take part in the everyday life of the farm with its timeless rural setting.
Smart, modern and cheerful hotel with a charming alpine feel and cosy rooms dotted with motifs from the local indigenous culture.
Explore the glaciers around El Calafate in comfort whilst staying on the Santa Cruz.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
Browse our range of holidays to El Calafate and the icy wilderness of Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. Book now Journey Latin America.
Group El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Charito: Pure Patagonia
Places visited: Santiago and the vineyards · Chilean Lake District (south) · Torres del Paine National Park · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Buenos Aires
12 days from £3,685
Lapwing: Patagonian Odyssey
Places visited: Santiago and the vineyards · Torres del Paine National Park · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Tierra del Fuego · Buenos Aires
14 days from £6,673
Magellanic: Southern Voyage
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Argentinian lake district · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Valdes Peninsula and Atlantic Patagonia
12 days from £5,197
Nandu: Peaks and plains of Patagonia
Places visited: Santiago and the vineyards · Chilean Lake District (north) · Chilean Lake District (south) · Torres del Paine National Park · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · El Chalten and the Fitz Roy Massif · Tierra del Fuego · Buenos Aires
20 days from £5,526
Tailor-Made El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Active Argentina: Walking in Patagonia
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Argentinian lake district · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · El Chalten and the Fitz Roy Massif · Tierra del Fuego
15 days from £4,800
Active Patagonia: Classic treks in Argentina and Chile
Places visited: Santiago and the vineyards · Torres del Paine National Park · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · El Chalten and the Fitz Roy Massif · Buenos Aires
14 days from £5,030
Luxury Argentina: Vineyards, glaciers and gauchos
Places visited: Buenos Aires · The Pampas · Mendoza and the vineyards · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
13 days from £11,600
Luxury Chile and Argentina: Simply Patagonia
Places visited: Santiago and the vineyards · Torres del Paine National Park · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Argentinian lake district · Buenos Aires
13 days from £12,800
Self-drive Argentina: Patagonia, lake district and Perito Moreno
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Argentinian lake district · El Chalten and the Fitz Roy Massif · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
16 days from £4,500
Signature Argentina: Patagonia, lake district and Iguazú Falls
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Argentinian lake district · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Iguazu Falls – Argentinian side
13 days from £4,950
Signature Patagonia: Glaciers of Chile and Argentina
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Tierra del Fuego · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Torres del Paine National Park · Argentinian lake district · Chilean Lake District (south)
17 days from £8,250
Signature Patagonia: Highlights of Patagonia
Places visited: Santiago and the vineyards · Valparaiso and Vina del Mar · Chilean Lake District (south) · Argentinian lake district · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · Torres del Paine National Park
13 days from £7,700
Value Argentina: Explore Patagonia
Places visited: Buenos Aires · Argentinian lake district · El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park · El Chalten and the Fitz Roy Massif
13 days from £3,250
FAQs about visiting El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park
El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When is the best time to visit El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park?
Weather-wise it’s best to visit in the summer (Dec-Feb) when days are long and mild, but at this time – especially Jan – the area is very crowded with both Argentine and foreign visitors. Mar/Apr or Sep/Oct can be sunny and clear, but it can be windy. In the winter months Jun-Aug it is very cold and access routes can be blocked by snow. Many facilities are closed then, too.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- What language is spoken in El Calafate?
The main language spoken in El Calafate is Spanish.
- What currency do I need in El Calafate?
The Argentine Peso is the main currency used in El Calafate.
- What's the time difference between El Calafate and the UK?
The time difference between El Calafate and the UK is GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.
- What places does El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park combine with?
El Chaltén in the northern sector of the park, to visit the Fitz Roy massif, 215 km (3hrs); Peninsula Valdés (1hr 20 mins’ flight); Tierra del Fuego for visit to Lapataia National Park and Beagle Channel (flight 1.5hrs); Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, 210 km, (4-5hrs scenic drive).
- How do I get to El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park?
Daily flights from Buenos Aires take 3.5hrs; from Ushuaia, 1.5hrs. You can reach El Calafate by road from Puerto Natales in Chile (5-6hrs).
- What are the cultural events in El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park?
Lago Argentino Day: El Calafate, 15 Feb, live music, barbecues and dancing.
Dia de la Tradición: El Calafate, 10 Nov, horse-riding presentations and barbecues.
- How many days do I need in El Calafate?
We’d suggest at least two full days, one for the Perito Moreno boardwalks and an ice walk, and another for a boat cruise to the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers. Add more if you want to combine El Calafate with El Chaltén and the Fitz Roy trails, which most travellers do as part of a wider Patagonia trip.
- Can I walk on the Perito Moreno glacier?
Yes. Guided ice walks let you cross the glacier with crampons and a guide, after a short boat trip to reach the ice. The standard Minitrekking, around an hour and a half on the ice, suits most reasonably fit walkers, while the longer Big Ice is more demanding and goes deeper onto the glacier. Both are led by expert guides and end with a toast over glacier ice.
- Is the Perito Moreno glacier still advancing?
The Perito Moreno was long famous as one of the few large glaciers that held its ground while others retreated, and it remains a spectacular, endlessly calving sight. Recent studies suggest it has now begun to thin and retreat somewhat, in line with changes across the region, but it is still one of the most dramatic and accessible glaciers anywhere on Earth.
- What's the difference between El Calafate and El Chaltén?
Both sit within Los Glaciares National Park but offer different experiences. El Calafate, covered on this page, is the base for the Perito Moreno glacier, ice walks and Lago Argentino cruises. El Chaltén, three hours north, is Argentina’s trekking capital, with trails up to the Fitz Roy massif. Many travellers combine the two, and we can build both into your trip.
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