offwegooo.com
Travel guide
El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier
3 days · 5 things to do
Best time to go: November to March (southern summer)
offwegooo.comPrint it, fold it, take it with you
Welcome
El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier, in a few days
El Calafate is the gateway to the Perito Moreno Glacier, long known as one of the few glaciers in the world that was not retreating. From the walkways of Los Glaciares National Park, you watch huge blocks of ice break away from its front.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Perito Moreno Glacier · 2 to 3 hA wall of ice several kilometres wide that ends in Lago Argentino, where towers of ice regularly break off and crash into the water.
- Afternoon · The Los Glaciares walkways · 2 to 3 hA network of walkways and viewing platforms facing the glacier front, with loops of different lengths.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Kosten Aike€120 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Mini-trekking on the ice · half a dayA short boat crossing, then a guided walk on the glacier in crampons.
- Afternoon · Boat trips on Lago Argentino · a full dayCruises on Argentina's largest lake to the faces of other glaciers in the national park, such as Upsala and Spegazzini.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Design Suites Calafate€130 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · El Calafate, the base town free · about 1 hA small town on the shore of Lago Argentino with hotels, restaurants and tour agencies, the starting point for all visits to the glacier.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Kapenke€95 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Asado: the national barbecue, several cuts over wood, eaten slowly and with company.
- Empanadas: baked or fried pastries, with a different recipe in every province.
- Milanesa: a breaded cutlet, served flat or buried under ham, cheese and tomato.
- Dulce de leche and alfajores: caramelised milk, in or on almost every sweet thing.
- Malbec and mate: one poured, the other passed round a circle through a metal straw.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Change money through official channels, and check the rate on the day: it moves fast.
- The distances are huge. Plan night buses or internal flights rather than improvising.
- Book El Calafate and Ushuaia early in high season. Beds and tours run out first.
- Keep small notes. Taxis and kiosks rarely have change for a large one.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hola |
| Thank you | Gracias |
| Please | Por favor |
| Yes | Sí |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Perdone |
| Goodbye | Adiós |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? |
| I don't understand | No entiendo |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
| Where are the toilets? | ¿Dónde están los baños? |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
| Help! | ¡Socorro! |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyArgentine peso (ARS)
BudgetAbout €125 a day, mid-range
Best seasonNovember to March (southern summer)
PlugC/I · 220V
Tap waterSafe to drink in the cities
TippingAround 10%
Emergency911 / 107
EntryVisa-free for 90 days for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep tetanus and polio up to date; hepatitis A is worth considering if you eat well outside the tourist trail.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/el-calafate
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.