Things to do in El Chaltén: hikes, glaciers and day tours

El Chaltén is a small town inside Los Glaciares National Park, facing Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Day trails need no booking and you do not need a ride to start: you walk out of the door. We have lived and guided here since 1995, and this list is in the order we would give a friend.

If you have	What to do
An afternoon	The Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints: two hours there and back from town.
One day	Laguna de los Tres if it is clear. If not, Laguna Torre.
Two or three days	Both classics, one a day, and a short viewpoint the afternoon you arrive.
Five days	Add a high viewpoint such as Pliegue Tumbado and an easy day at Lago del Desierto.
A week	A night at Poincenot camp or a multi-day trek.

The day-by-day plan, for 2, 3 or 5 days. See →

The two classics: Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre

These are the two hikes nearly everyone comes for. Laguna de los Tres ends at the foot of Fitz Roy: 10 km one way with a very steep last climb, 8 to 10 hours there and back. Laguna Torre is flatter: 10 km one way to the lake with icebergs in front of Cerro Torre, 7 to 8 hours. Keep the clearest day for Los Tres. Read more →

Fitz Roy at sunrise

Under a clear sky, the first light turns the granite red for a few minutes. There are two ways to be there: leave town at night with a headlamp, or sleep up high at Poincenot camp and climb the last stretch before dawn.

Laguna de los Tres Sunrise Trek19.6 km · +890 m · 8 to 10 h · from USD 295

The night at Poincenot camp, facing Fitz Roy: tent pitched, dinner and a guide. See →

Viewpoints and short walks

For the afternoon you arrive or the day your legs are tired. All start on foot from town and none takes more than half a day.

Los Cóndores viewpoint: 1 km and 45 min one way. The whole town below and, on a clear day, Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre behind.
Las Águilas viewpoint: 2 km and 1 h one way. It carries on from Los Cóndores and looks the other way: the steppe and Lago Viedma.
Laguna Capri: 4 km and 1 h 45 one way. A lake in the forest with Fitz Roy above it. The most beautiful of the short ones.
Torre viewpoint: 3 km and 1 h 15 one way. The valley opens and Cerro Torre appears at its end, with the glacier below.
Chorrillo del Salto: A waterfall in the forest, almost no climbing, 4 km north on route 41. Access is now booked and paid online.

Fitz Roy above Laguna Capri · Photo: Gagea, CC BY-SA 3.0

The short walks on one map, and which to do depending on the day. See →

High viewpoints, to see the whole massif

For when you have done the classics and want to look at it all from above. From Loma del Pliegue Tumbado you see the whole massif, with the Laguna Torre valley below. Loma de las Pizarras, Cerro Madsen and Paso del Cuadrado are longer, steeper days for fit hikers.

Glaciers near town

You can see ice up close with no crampons and no experience. The Piedras Blancas Glacier viewpoint is a half-day walk. The Huemul Glacier is beside Lago del Desierto, 37 km north on route 41: a short trail through the forest to the lake at the foot of the glacier. And the Viedma Glacier is reached by boat: it is included in some of our packages. Read more →

Nights in the mountains and multi-day treks

For those who want more than a day out. The shortest is the night at Poincenot camp. Laguna Toro is two days to the south; the Huemul Circuit, four days over Paso del Viento and along the Viedma Glacier. And two crossings end at Estancia Cristina. Read more →

Coming alone or as a couple? Group departures on set dates to the Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy camps. See →

On the river

You can run the Río de las Vueltas in a packraft, a light, stable inflatable boat. It is a half day: a short walk and about 7 km of river, with a dry suit and a guide. You need to be able to swim. Read more →

If it rains or is very windy

The weather here changes within hours, and a bad day is not a lost day. In wind, the Laguna Capri trail runs mostly through forest and Chorrillo del Salto is sheltered. With the summits in cloud, Laguna Torre gives more than Los Tres. And afterwards, La Cervecería Chaltén, the town’s historic brewery in a log cabin. Read more →

How the trails are today, from our guides. See →

With kids or no experience

There are outings with little climbing and shorter days: Mirador de las Águilas, Piedras Blancas Glacier, Piedra del Fraile and Lago del Desierto with the Huemul Glacier.

In winter

From June to August there is snow, silence and few hours of light. Many businesses close, but the trails stay open: you walk with crampons and poles, which the Park requires. And there is less wind than in summer. Read more →

Food and drink

Before you set out: Que Rika to pack your lunch early, before it sells out, and PAISA for a good coffee.
After the mountain: La Cervecería Chaltén, the town’s historic brewery.
A special dinner: The Hostería El Puma restaurant or La Tapera, home-style Patagonian cooking.

Where to eat and the town guide, our way. See →

Other activities

Besides hiking, El Chaltén has horse riding, kayaking, mountain biking, fishing and rock climbing, run by other local operators. We stick to the mountains on foot: day hikes, multi-day treks and packrafting.

Good to know before you come

Park fee: The Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre trails are inside Los Glaciares National Park and there is an entrance fee, paid by QR or card: no cash at the booths.
Cash: There is a single ATM and in season it sometimes runs out. Bring some pesos.
Signal: There is 4G in town. On the trails, almost none: download your maps before you go.
Booking: In January and February the town fills up: book your bed, bus and guided hikes before you arrive.

How much the National Park fee is and how to pay it. See →

With a guide

You can walk the classic trails on your own. With a guide you understand more of the place, and someone makes the call when the weather turns. We go out in groups of up to 8, with certified local guides and a satellite messenger. Read more →

The whole trip sorted: packages

The guided hikes, the hotel or the night at camp and, if you like, the transfer from El Calafate. From 2 to 8 days. Read more →

In El Chaltén the weather makes the plan. The best thing you can bring is a spare day.

Questions

What is there to do in El Chaltén?

Mostly, hike: Laguna de los Tres at the foot of Fitz Roy, Laguna Torre facing Cerro Torre, short viewpoints such as Los Cóndores or Laguna Capri, glaciers such as Huemul and Piedras Blancas, nights at camp and multi-day treks. Also packrafting on the Río de las Vueltas.

What to do in El Chaltén in one day?

On a clear day, Laguna de los Tres. If it is cloudy or very windy, Laguna Torre. And if you arrive mid-morning, Laguna Capri or the Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints.

What to do in El Chaltén when it rains?

Laguna Capri, which runs mostly through forest, Chorrillo del Salto or the viewpoints near town. Our guided hikes go ahead all the same.

What can I do in El Chaltén without much hiking?

The Los Cóndores viewpoint (a 1 km climb), Chorrillo del Salto, almost flat, and the day trip to Lago del Desierto and the Huemul Glacier.

How many days should I spend in El Chaltén?

Three at least, for Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre with a spare day for the weather. With five you add a high viewpoint and a rest day.

Do you have to pay to hike in El Chaltén?

Day trails need no booking, but those inside Los Glaciares National Park have an entrance fee. It is paid by QR or card.

What to do in El Chaltén with kids?

The Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints, Laguna Capri, Chorrillo del Salto and Lago del Desierto with the Huemul Glacier: little climbing and shorter days.

Can you visit El Chaltén in winter?

Yes. The trails stay open, with ice and snow: the Park requires crampons and poles. There are few hours of light and many businesses close.

What is the best tour in El Chaltén?

Laguna de los Tres, at the foot of Fitz Roy. If it is cloudy up high or very windy, Laguna Torre.