How to Spend 3 Days in El Chaltén, Argentina

El Chaltén is the ultimate launch point to the best hiking Argentina’s Patagonia has to offer. You could easily spend a week exploring all the trails, glaciers, mountains, and rivers.

But if you only have 3 days in El Chaltén, I’ve got the perfect literary for you.

First things first, logistics.

The nearest airport is in El Calafate, which is 213km/132 mi away from El Chaltén.

Option 1: rent a car. If you’re planning on camping and exploring the region more, renting a car might be wise. But if the name of the game is hiking, renting a car for 3 days in Chaltén might not be a savvy use of your budget.

Option 2:  private transfer. Booking a private car will set you back a couple hundred USD. Why do that when you can…..

Option 3: take a bus. There are numerous buses that make the trip from El Calafate to El Chaltén every day. BOOK EARLY, especially during peak seasons (December-February), because they fill up. Expect to pay anywhere between 10usd and 40usd.

Tip: Booking some of the bus options online isn’t necessarily obvious or easy. I found that companies respond best through WhatsApp.

Next… Let’s Talk Money….

The economy of Argentina is fragile, and locals don’t trust the government’s control of the currency. Having US dollars is a much more stable way to hold wealth, but the amount of USD people can get from banks is tightly controlled. As a result, locals will give you KILLER deals on exchanging USD for Argentinian pesos. During our trip in January 2023, there were stores offering anywhere from 340-360 pesos per 1 usd. Banks and government exchanges will give you a mere 200 pesos per 1 usd.

I made the faux pas of exchanging all my cash at the airport. As you can imagine, I’m reeling over how much money I could have saved had I known about this currency black market.

Now, let’s dive into how to spend 3 days in El Chaltén!

Day 1: Laguna de Los Tres

Laguna de Los Tres is revered as one of the best hikes in Argentina. The 30km journey takes you through lush forests and sweeping valleys and past Lake Capri with breathtaking views of towering mountains and glaciers. The hike is fairly tame (AKA doable in Birkenstocks) until the final hour, which is a brutal uphill climb. With great effort comes great reward: a picture perfect view of the glacier blue Laguna de Los Tres situated under Mount Fitz Roy

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It’s as if the forces of nature got together to plan the perfect postcard.

The journey took us roughly 9 hours there and back, and Laguna de Los Tres is a must-do when spending 3 days in El Chaltén.

Day 2: White Water Rafting and Chorrillo del Salto

Give the legs a break and put the arms to work with a white water rafting excursion. We booked ours with Comarka Expeditions, and it was perfect for novice rafters such as myself. The rapids were thrilling yet tame—I didn’t feel like death was eminent but my adrenal was pumping at times.

For the second half of the day, we took the the easy stroll over to Chorrillo del Salto. The waterfall is beautiful, but the throngs of people took away from the magic. If I were to do the day again, I’d do the waterfall hike in the morning and hit the rapids in the afternoon.

Day 3: Laguna Torre

Laguna Torre is another must-do hike when spending 3 days in El Chaltén. The trek is 10 km each way. I must warn you that the journey is less diverse, less exciting, and less beautiful than the climb to Laguna de Los Tres. You might even be disappointed once you get there. BUT there’s a secret. The hike doesn’t end when you reach the lagoons edge. To the right, you’ll see a slightly treacherous looking path snaking around the lagoon. Take it! 

It’ll lead you to an epic view of the massive glacier that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

The journey took just over 8 hours there and back.

Extra Tips for Your 3 Days in El Chaltén:

• Food in El Chaltén can be expensive, and it isn’t necessarily worth the price tag. I recommend staying in a place where you can cook to cut costs. We booked a tiny home AirBnB that was perfect.
• Pack food, water, sunscreen and layers for your hikes. While we were blessed with clear skies for all 3 days in El Chaltén, word on the street is weather on the mountains can change super fast. Being prepared for rain and cold is essential.
• During the summer (December-February), it doesn’t get dark until after 10pm. There’s no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to tackle long hikes if you aren’t an early riser.
• There isn’t cell service. While the popular trails are usually busy, having a tracking device so someone somewhere knows where you are is advisable in the events of an emergency.

El Chaltén is a tiny village that serves as your gateway to huge adventure. This 3 day itinerary was the perfect way to see the best views El Chaltén has to offer, and was a travel experience for the books.