9 days in Patagonia (El Calafate, Torres del Paine, El Chaltén)
- borderlesskate
- Oct 3, 2023
- 17 min read
Updated: Oct 6, 2023
Patagonia is at the top of many adventure-minded travelers' bucket lists for a reason. It's a must--visit for those who love exploring the beauty of the natural world. Its pristine landscapes, wide open spaces, and wild guanacos are just a few of the things that turn this Google screensaver into the trip of a lifetime. I was lucky enough to go with eight wonderful friends, and had an unforgettable adventure.
PATAGONIA OVERVIEW
Safety ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Affordability ⭐⭐
Public transportation ⭐⭐
Easy to reach ⭐⭐
Adventure ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Number of days recommended: 7 -- 10+
Car recommended: ✅
Visa required for Americans: 🚫
El Calafate | Torres del Paine | El Chaltén |
Population: 6,500 Town: Town infrastructure with airport, bars/restaurants, shops Main attraction: Perito Moreno Glacier Country: Argentina | Population: ~700 (depends on source) Town: No town Main attraction: Torres del Paine National Park Country: Chile | Population: 1,400 Town: Small town with one main road of restaurants and bars. Ski town vibe. Main attraction: Mount Fitz Roy / Cerro Torre Country: Argentina |
BLOG CONTENTS OVERVIEW
Where is Patagonia | Language + culture
Our Route
Detailed Itinerary
Additional tips to keep in mind
If I had had more time
*I know that this is quite a long post but hopefully it will cover all of the details you need for your trip to Patagonia in one place, ultimately saving you time from having to Google search for hours!
What and where is Patagonia?
Patagonia covers an expansive swath of southern Argentina and Chile. It's every outdoor enthusiast's dream full of pristine natural landscapes, crisp fresh air, and breathtaking views. The specific region of Patagonia that I cover in this post is the area to the far south where the three dots are located on the map below. When people think of Patagonia, these are the three locations that typically come to mind, and show up as the (non-clothing brand) images in a Google search 😊
Language and Culture
While Spanish is the native language of the region, English is commonly spoken and understood in hostels and on trails. I found that speaking Spanish helped forge a stronger connection when talking to national park rangers or crossing the border from Argentina to Chile (we rented a car). Through these simple conversations we'd end up with new friends and local recommendations wherever we went.
I didn't feel like I had a chance to really connect with the local culture here. I think this is partly because the three places we went in Patagonia were pretty touristy and we were busy every day. What I could tell, however, was that the people that seek out and make the trek to Patagonia generally love and respect the great outdoors. They are ready to hike and explore nature, sleep in tents, go without a shower, and enjoy being disconnected from the rest of the world. In keeping with this, I found that this community was generally more environmentally aware and quite conscious of the footprint that they were leaving behind ("leave no trace").
I'm curious to see how Patagonia evolves as tourism evolves. On the one hand we are seeing the rise of ecotourism -- where the goal is to ensure that tourism is at least sustaining, if not enhancing, the natural environment. But on the other hand the rise in demand for amenities and 'glamping' options seems to be at odds with environmental preservation. Will one beat out the other as Patagonia continues to develop? I also couldn't help but think of Venice and other tourist destinations that have increasingly been flooded with people, putting stress on the local infrastructure. Many places in Patagonia create a 'natural' barrier to the number of tourists because of their remote locations and limited lodging availability. But as demand grows and glaciers shrink, will the national parks need to begin limiting the number of visitors to ensure preservation?
DEEPER DIVE
🦺 Safety Thoughts
I felt very safe in every part of Patagonia - El Calafate, Torres del Paine, and El Chaltén. I've broken them down below:
El Calafate | Torres del Paine | El Chaltén |
|---|---|---|
Felt very safe. The biggest of the small towns (pop. ~ 6,000) it was a good intro to Patagonia and had cute shops and restaurants on the main street. I never worried about my safety during the day or night, even walking alone as a woman. Most other people in the town were tourists coming to see the glacier or people working in the hospitality industry. | Felt very safe. There isn't even a town here, just camp grounds. I never worried about my safety during the day or night, even being alone as a woman. Everyone I met was a tired (but happy!) hiker or backpacker, or staff who usually stayed on site. People were friendly and often wanted you to join in on conversations. As a testament to the trust, our campground had one small central charging station where people would leave their phones and walk away - concern of them getting stolen was very low. | Felt very safe. A small town of about 1,000 there was one main street with shops and restaurants. It felt like a little ski town to me. I never worried about my safety during the day or night, even walking alone as a woman (which I did frequently). Most other people in the town were tourists coming to hike or people working in the hospitality industry. Everyone I met was very kind and friendly. |
💵 Affordability Thoughts
El Calafate | Torres del Paine | El Chaltén |
|---|---|---|
Food is more expensive than in Buenos Aires or other cities because of the more remote location and prominence of tourism which can lead to inflated prices. But there are lots of restaurants and breweries to visit, which you won't find in Torres del Paine. They also have a grocery store and some cute little boutiques if you want to shop. I'd say average meal was $15. We had breakfast at our hostel. Lodging: Can be cheap or expensive! Our hostel was great and ~$42/night/person (4 people to a room) | The most expensive of the three, but you're a sitting duck with no other options except what the grounds provide. Breakfast was about $15 per person for a buffet, we ordered the bagged lunches to take on hikes, and dinner was also about $15-$20. I thought the food was pretty good though. We tried to bring in snacks from Argentina (like protein bars) to augment but ended up eating at the little cafe for most meals - hiking 15-20 miles a day makes you hungry! Lodging: Expensive or more expensive because of limited availability | Also generally expensive but you can find ways to make it more affordable if you want - like grabbing food for breakfast at the grocery store or a sandwich from a bakery for lunch on a hike. We ate dinners out and price can vary by restaurant. You can find something for $15 or go more expensive. There are some cute boutique shops. For pricing reference, I got a cute hat for about $20. Lodging: can be cheap or expensive! Our hostel was like $40/night/person. |
The thing to do is hike! Free! Unless you're with a guided tour or visiting the glacier and go trekking.
Lodging prices can vary. You can find pretty cheap hostels in El Calafate and El Chaltén but don't expect that from Torres del Paine. Space there is limited and this drives prices up in high season. You can also find non-hostel accommodations in all three places which will be more expensive.
🚌 Public Transportation Thoughts
Is limited, but does exist. We didn't use any because we rented a car (more below), so I don't have great details but what I know I'll share below:
El Calafate | Torres del Paine | El Chaltén |
|---|---|---|
You can fly directly to El Calafate and use private transport or taxi to get to the town. If you don't do a day tour to Perito Moreno Glacier you're going to need to take a taxi or a shuttle that you can catch from the El Calafate bus terminal. I believe you can book directly at the terminal. | You can reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station (an entrance to the park) via bus from Puerto Natales, which has an airport. The bus (Bus Sur) leaves twice a day. From: Puerto Natales, Chile To: Laguna Amarga / Torres del Paine Price: 12,000 Pesos Duration: 2 hours More details here |
*DISCLAIMER: I did not personally take any public transportation so cannot speak to these sites or information with 100% certainty. It's worth doing more research on your own.
🧗♀️ Adventure Thoughts
Patagonia ranks quite high on the adventure scale. It's pretty tough to get to and the focus is on outdoor and nature activities. I absolutely love that so I thought it was amazing. But it may not be for everyone!
Patagonia is for you if you like or don't mind:
Hiking
Camping
Nature
Wide, untouched expanses of terrain and relatively little 'civilization' (ie - big city amenities)
Modest lodging
Disconnecting - there isn't great cell reception and wifi is hit or miss
VISA REQUIREMENTS
If you are an American you do NOT need a visa to enter Argentina or Chile. For foreign nationals exempt from the visa requirements, all you will need is a valid passport with a blank page for the entry stamp. You can stay in the country for 90 days. If you are not sure if you are exempt from the visa requirements, check here for Chile and here for Argentina.
LOGISTICS
Our Route
1. El Calafate > 2. Torres del Paine > 3. El Chaltén > 4. El Calafate
How to get there
You can start this route from 2 different places - Puerto Natales (Chile) or El Calafate (Argentina). I am going to give the logistics for our route, which started and ended in El Calafate. Flying to El Calafate -- the airport in Argentine Patagonia -- is most central.
El Calafate | Torres del Paine | El Chaltén |
|---|---|---|
Fly in to this airport, drive into town. | Drive from El Calafate | Drive from Torres del Paine by passing through El Calafate |
Should I rent a car? I would say yes. We rented a car and we all agreed that that was such a good decision. It gave us flexibility to go where we wanted, stop along the way to admire the views, and get to and from the airport easily. It was also relatively cost effective given that we had 4 people in a car.
Tips for renting a car:
If you want to rent a car book ahead as early as possible. While there may not be a super high demand for rental cars, that means there is also not a huge supply. Showing up and hoping there's an available car is a huge risk.
If you are going to drive our route, you will need to get a permit for crossing the border into Chile, which will cost a little extra and require a bit of facilitating.
ALWAYS have a full gas tank and water in the trunk in case of emergency. Gas stations are few and far between.
Make sure that you have Google Maps of the entire area pre-downloaded onto your phone. There will be a lot of places without cell service and this will be crucial.
Stop and get gas at La Esperanza on your way to and from Torres del Paine. We filled up once on the way in and once on the way out and had enough gas to get back to El Calafate. There aren't many other gas stations on the route so try not to miss it.
Pros of having a car:
You aren't reliant on public bus schedules that may only run once or twice a day. You can move between places at your own pace.
It was nice to have trunk space and be able to leave some things unpacked/less consolidated since we were moving between places so frequently.
Driving in Patagonia is an activity in itself since the scenery is breathtaking. Having a car allows you to stop along the way and seek out areas that are not on tour routes. Some of my favorite memories were the road trips.
Cons of having a car:
For one part of the Torres del Paine route you will have to park your car and leave it behind for a day or two while you ferry to the next hostel.
You will have to figure out the Chilean - Argentine border crossing on your own. You will need to get a permit for it. Don't worry, I cover details of the border crossing below.
Sometimes the routes aren't super clearly marked. With a bus this isn't something you'd need to think about, but driving on our own we missed a few turns and had to figure it out (don't let this scare you -- it wasn't that hard!)
CASH vs. CREDIT
Chile | Argentina |
|---|---|
Currency: Chilean Pesos Exchange rate as of Sept 2023: 1 USD is ~ 875 Chilean Pesos We used credit cards at most places in Torres del Paine with no issues. But for the ferry you will need cash -- either pesos or USD. | Currency: Argentine Pesos Exchange rate as of Sept 2023: This is too complicated and changes too fast to even list. Check out my post on the exchange rate/ cash situation in Argentina here. We used largely cash in Argentina because of the favorable exchange rate. You can use credit card, but it will cost you way more. |
NOTE: I explain the ferry in more detail below. You can use credit cards in most shops and grocery stores in both countries. But you should definitely have cash on hand. There are little artisanal stores that don't take credit card, or have a minimum purchase limit for cards in both Chile and Argentina. Again, as mentioned above the exchange rate is far better if you pay in cash in Argentina than if you pay with credit card. Cash is also important to have for tipping tour guides.
El Calafate does have a bank with an ATM where you can withdrawal pesos if needed, or you can use one of the many cash exchanges in town. I recommend the cash exchanges because of the ever-changing exchange rates. In El Chaltén a lot of restaurants will also act as exchange locations. You'll see a sign on the door with the exchange rate and you just need to ask the hostess.
MUST DOS
in no particular order
-- Perito Moreno Glacier trek
-- Cerro Torre / Mount Fitz Roy
-- Wander the town of El Calafate
-- Enjoy a drink post - hike in El Chaltén
-- Mirador las Torres
-- Laguna de los Tres
-- Glacier Grey
-- Drive and enjoy the scenery
ITINERARY
Our 9 days play--by--play
Day 1: Arrival and explore the town of El Calafate
We landed around 2 pm and picked up our rental car. Then we drove to El Calafate - about 30 minutes.
We went right to our hostel and spent some time admiring the absolutely stunning view from the main communal space. We then wandered into town - and made some local pup friends!
NOTE: there are a lot of 'homeless' pups around. All of the ones we saw were very friendly and would follow us around town. (A lot of them are known to different hostels in the area where they have been adopted as the 'local hostel dog').
We walked down to the lake which was beautiful and stopped in a few little boutiques and grabbed some groceries at the market. We wanted to stock up and have extra snacks for the ride to Chile in a few days and to augment the offerings at Torres del Paine since we knew we'd be limited to whatever the accommodations offered. El Calafate has cute restaurants so we went out for dinner before heading back to the hostel and calling it a night.
Day 2: Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking
We headed to the Perito Moreno Glacier in Glacier National Park for our trekking tour that began at 10 am. It takes about an hour to drive but we allotted 2 hours to get there. Thank goodness we did because you will need to get out of the car and buy an entrance ticket into Glacier National Park, which adds some extra time. We also missed the turn to the port and had to drive for a bit before finding a turn around point on the tight and winding two lane road. TIP: I would definitely budget at least 2 hours to get there because the tour will leave promptly at its designated time with or without you so you want some buffer time.
The trekking tour lasted about 3 - 4 hours during which time we boated to the glacier and walked all around the glacier wearing equipment like helmets and snow-shoe like ice pick add-ons that help grip the ice while you walk. This tour is absolutely worth it. The glacier is all-imposing and awe inspiring. I have never seen such incredible shades of blues before, and was utterly blown away by its size. We drank from the glacial water (delicious) and at the end had whiskey on the glacial rocks. We were also lucky enough to see the glacier calf (when a chunk falls into the water), which was wild.
TIP: We made sandwiches with some of the things we got the night before at the grocery and brought them with for lunch. Such a great idea because after the tour we could have lunch with the beautiful view of the glacier behind us. They have lockers where you can store a bag before the trekking begins if you want to bring anything.
After the trek we returned to El Calafate and enjoyed a beer at the Patagonia Brewing Company in town and wandered into some little boutiques.
TIP: If there is any gear, or other things, that you feel like you need or forgot before heading into even more remote Torres del Paine, El Calafate is the place to pick them up. They have pharmacies and hiking/outdoor gear stores that sell what you would need.
Day 3: Drive to Torres del Paine, Chile Big driving day! After breakfast at the hostel we packed up our bags and began our drive to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. NOTE: You should buy your entrance into Torres del Paine National Park in advance. It makes everything far easier. You can do this here. For adults for up to 3 days it’s $35 and for adults 4+ days it’s $49.
The drive is about 4 hours if you go straight through. It took us about 8 because we stopped so frequently to admire the views and take photos. The border crossing into Chile also took a bit of time. For me this roadtrip will be forever remembered as one of the most fun and iconic trips I've taken. We set up a playlist and were in awe as the vast landscape continued to change as we approached the famous Torres del Paine National Park. Because we drove ourselves we were able to stop frequently along the way to take pictures. The roads are relatively empty so we didn't cause any traffic problems by doing this. Some of my favorite pictures from the entire trip came from these stops.
We made it to our campground around 5 pm and settled in. We had a "deluxe tent" which meant that it was raised off the ground. We didn't have to pitch it and just had to pick up our sleeping bags from the check-in desk. We got set up and then went to the main lodge to figure out dinner.
NOTE: If you want the to-go lunches for your hike you will need to ask for those at the front desk the night before so that the kitchen will have the time to get them prepared for you by 8 am the next morning.
Back at our campsite, about a 5 minute walk to the main lodge, there was one central place that offered a charging station for phones and backup chargers. You could also pay for wifi access in hour-long increments (we did not).
TIP: Bring a backup charger that is fully charged. This will help make sure your phone can stay charged to capture all the beauty.
TIP 2: Bring a lot of layers. It gets cold at night! My packing list can be found here (coming soon).
CHILEAN BORDER CROSSING
During your drive there will be a relatively unmarked turn off that will take you to the Chilean border crossing. The road is unpaved and pretty uneven, so we took it slow. It was about 30 minutes on that road until we hit the border, where you have to park and get out. First you will show your passports to the border agents along with the paperwork for your car. You do need to get a permit to cross the border, which costs $140. You will then drive a short distance to the customs buildings where you will have to get out of the car again and a customs agent will also come out and check your car.
Steps for getting the border crossing permit:
Email your rental car provider and request a border crossing permit for Chile.
They will require a copy of your passport and driver's license to be emailed to them.
You will pay for and pick up the permit when you arrive and pick up the car.
TORRES DEL PAINE "THE W" MAP OVERVIEW
NOTE: I will reference elements of this map when diving into the itinerary below.
Day 4: Full day hike Mirador las Torres
Our first full day hike! We did the eastern side of the W trail (map visual above). It was an out - and - back, meaning the trail goes up and down the same route.
We had breakfast in the lodge (gotta have enough energy!) and then left our campgrounds at 8:45 am. TIP: leave as early as possible because you will want to make it up to the Mirador before the busloads of people arrive for the day trips from Puerto Natales. They arrive around 10 am and make it to the top around 2 pm.
It took us about 4 hours to hike up - we made it to the Mirador around 12:30. We took a lot of pictures along the way and stopped for lunch at the top. It took us another 3.5 hours to get down. We were back at the campsite around 5. Step count: 39,593.
Day 5: Ferry transit to Refugio Vértice Paine Grande and Glacier Grey hike
We were up and out pretty early to get to the ferry that would take us to our next refugio (hostel). We took the early ferry so we would have time to arrive and hike. The drive took us a bit longer than expected because of the poor condition of the roads. You should allot at last 45 minutes to get from Hotel de las Torres to the ferry dock. You can't take a car with you to the next part of the W, so you will have to leave it behind in the parking lot. It's a first come, first serve loading situation and if they don't have room for you you will have to wait for the next ferry.
When we arrived the line was already really long so we were worried we wouldn't make it, but they fit a lot of people in. We chose to ride on the upstairs outer deck and loved it. It was chilly, but the views were incredible (and it was less crowded than inside).
NOTE: You do have to pay for this ferry in cash and there aren't any ATMs in the area. It's $30 per person per way, so $60 total.
When we got there we dropped our stuff in a storage locker before hitting the Glacier Grey trail. We left at 11, which was a little later than expected, but the check-in took a bit and we ran into a good friend of ours who was doing the entire W! He joined our group for the last hike.
We struggled on this one. We didn't get down to the next refugio destination until 3:30 at which point we were so tired we weren't sure if hiking back was a good idea (half of it was largely straight uphill out of a valley). Thankfully during summer we didn't have to worry about the sunset, so after our break / lunch we started our way back. With a little music and some new energy we made it back around 7 and straight to dinner. Our real beds were such a treat! Step count: 44,000
Day 6: Transit day from Torres del Paine to El Chaltén
This was our longest car day - over 8 hours from Torres del Paine to El Chaltén. We were pretty much retracing our steps back to El Calafate and then driving the 2 additional
hours north to El Chaltén. You will have to take the ferry back to your car and then begin your drive. You will have to cross the Chilean - Argentine border again and they might ask for proof of health insurance as well. This didn't happen to us but did to some friends.
We made it to El Chaltén in the evening and dropped our bags off at the hostel. We went out to grab some dinner in town -- there are a good number of restaurants all within walking distance -- and grab some sandwiches from a bakery for a lunch while hiking and breakfast things from the grocery. Then we headed to bed after a long day.
Day 7: Full day hike Laguna de los Tres
Another full day hike! You can do this route as an out - and - back starting from the trailhead in El Chaltén or you can do it as a loop if you take a shuttle to a different starting point near Hostería El Pilar. It's about a 30 minute drive from the town.
We did the loop and had our hostel reserve seats for us on the little shuttle that picks you up from your door and takes you to this starting point. I definitely recommend doing this! This is a beautiful trail but to get up to the Laguna it's about an hour hike up a pretty steep incline on loose rocks. Just be prepared for a challenging ascent (It’s worth it though!). It was pretty cloudy up in the mountains so sadly we didn’t have a great view of Mt. Fitzroy (the famous mountain featured on all of Patagonia’s clothing). After the hike we went and shared some drinks at a brewery and enjoyed the ski-town apres-hike vibe.
TIP: Be sure to ask about the shuttle transfer as soon as possible because the shuttle is small and space fills up fast. It's such a beautiful route and fun to always have new scenery instead of doing another out - and - back. This route follows valleys, crosses rivers (there are bridges), provides a view of a glacier, and then meets up with the Laguna de los Tres route.
TIP: dipping your feet in the cold river on the east side of town feels amazing after a long hike!
Day 8: Full day in El Chaltén
We planned another full day hike out to Laguna Capri starting from the trail head in El Chaltén. It was a nice day, but unfortunately it was so gusty and stormy that we decided to turn around after a few miles. Instead of finishing the hike we walked around town and got lunch at an adorable biergarten. We also explored the different shops and took some time to relax and re-pack.
Day 9: Return to El Calafate for flight to Bariloche
We were up and out pretty early to make the 2.5 hour drive back to El Calafate and catch our flight to Bariloche.
MORE IMPORTANT TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND
What I learned from days of intense hiking:
DRINK WATER always. And more than you think. I always had my CamelBak with a few liters plus a bottle of gatorade or water with Nuun.
Electrolytes are key to keeping you feeling well and hydrated. See Gatorade comment above ^. Nuun also works well, I brought a tube from home.
Bring a pair of flip flops or slide on shoes for the shower and for after hiking. There's nothing worse than lacing your hiking boots back up to go to the communal bathroom after 44k steps.
After hiking 18 miles it can be really helpful and soothing to lay with your feel up the wall to help with any swelling.
Hostels in this area book out really fast because there is limited availability. Make sure you book as soon as you know your dates.
Lunches and buffet dinners at Torres del Paine can sell out online since they need to have all produce delivered, so ideally try to book in advance.
REVIEW OF ITINERARY
This is an overview of our itinerary with fewer words than above 😊 I'm more visual, so this format helped me know what we were doing when.
LODGING
Location | Notes |
Great hostel, beautiful views, clean, reasonably easy walk into town | |
Pick VIP lodging if you aren't bringing camping gear | |
Beautiful hostel and only option on this part of the W. People of all ages stay | |
Probably the most similar to the traditional idea of a "hostel," but wonderful location, nice and helpful staff, and clean |
TICKETS
LOCATION | PRICE | WHERE TO BUY |
|---|---|---|
Glacier National Park | $15 | Upon arrival |
Torres del Paine | $35 | |
Ferry | $30 one way - CASH ONLY | On the ferry |
ROUGH BUDGET
Meals | $360 |
Car* | $290 |
Border crossing permit* | $35 |
Ferry | $60 |
Hotels/Hostels* | $500 |
Perito Moreno mini trekking | $180 |
Groceries | $30 |
National Park entrance ticket | $65 |
Gas* | $20 |
Souvenirs | $40 |
TOTAL | $1580 |
* Overall costs were split 4 ways. This is the cost per individual.
NOTE: This budget does not include flights, hiking gear, or tipping tour guides. The estimate will also vary depending on the current exchange rate in Argentina and whether you pay with cash or credit. Additional factors that might alter budget include where and how often you eat out, how many tours you go on, which lodge you stay in, etc.
IF I HAD HAD MORE TIME
I could have spent so much more time in Patagonia, but all-in-all I feel like we really hit the major highlights of the three places where we went. With more time I would have:
Finished the Laguna Capri hike in El Chaltén. Darn wind!
Stayed a night at the Refugio Grey in Torres del Paine instead of just one day doing an out-and-back. The actual glacier is about 2 hours beyond the refugio where we stopped and turned around, which we could have seen if we'd started our hike earlier in the day.
Gone to Ushuaia - the southern most tip of South America also known as 'the end of the world'. More stunning scenery, plus penguins! You would have to fly down here, otherwise it's a 14+ hour drive.
Taken a kite boarding lesson in El Calafate. They have a beautiful lake where tons of people kite board.
ADDITIONAL Q & A
Q: Can I drink the tap water?
A: The water here is good. We drank straight from the glacier and it was delicious. I drank both from the tap and from bottled water. I would usually fill up my CamelBak in the sink of the hostel and then have an additional bottle of water to make sure I was staying hydrated.
Q: Can I barter here?
A: This is not a barter society. Prices are as listed.
Q: Are there any particular vaccinations I need?
A: This depends on what vaccinations you already have. Check here for a list of everything that is recommended by the CDC, or make an appointment with a travel health service clinic or doctor.
Q: What should I pack for a Patagonia hiking trip?
A: Check out my post here with a packing list and more details (Coming soon).