2 days
- Day 1Laguna de los Tres, if the day is clear. If not, Laguna Torre and the Tres tomorrow.Laguna de los Tres →
- Day 2Whichever you did not do. If your legs want less, the Los Cóndores viewpoint at sunset.Laguna Torre →
3 days
- Day 1Arrival. Los Cóndores viewpoint (1 km) to see the town and Fitz Roy, and pack for tomorrow.
- Day 2Laguna de los Tres, on the clearest day.Laguna de los Tres →
- Day 3Laguna Torre.Laguna Torre →
5 days
- Day 1Arrival and the Los Cóndores viewpoint.
- Day 2Laguna de los Tres (or at sunrise, to arrive with the first light).Laguna de los Tres →
- Day 3Rest: Chorrillo del Salto or Lago del Desierto. If it rains, this is the day.
- Day 4Laguna Torre.Laguna Torre →
- Day 5Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, to see the whole massif before you leave.Loma del Pliegue Tumbado →
Check the mountain forecast every morning: if the good day is another one, swap the order. We go out almost every day, so you can. See →
What to do in El Chaltén besides hiking
- A rainy or rest day
- Chorrillo del Salto, a waterfall over 20 m high, 3 or 4 km from town along Route 41, almost flat (access is now paid online). Or the Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints, two hours there and back from the Visitor Centre.
- A long half day
- Lago del Desierto, 37 km north on gravel: forest, a lake and a boat trip.
- After the mountain
- La Cervecería Chaltén, the town’s historic brewery in a log cabin. For a special dinner, the Hostería El Puma restaurant or La Tapera, home-style Patagonian cooking.
- Before you set out
- Que Rika to pack your lunch early, before it sells out, and PAISA for a good coffee.
Before you pick dates, see when to go: light, wind and crowds, month by month. See →
Getting there and staying
El Chaltén is 213 km from El Calafate: 2 h 40 to 3 hours by bus, with several departures a day. There is a single ATM: bring cash. For lodging, food and rainy-day plans, see El Chaltén, our way. Read more →
Questions
How many days do you need in El Chaltén?
Three days cover Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre with room for the weather. With five you add a high viewpoint and a rest or rain day.
Can you do Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre on the same day?
Not advisable: both are long days. One per day, with the clearest one for Laguna de los Tres.
What to do in El Chaltén in 3 days?
An arrival day with the Los Cóndores viewpoint, one day for Laguna de los Tres and one for Laguna Torre. If it rains, Chorrillo del Salto and La Cervecería Chaltén.
What to do in El Chaltén on a rainy day?
Chorrillo del Salto, the Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints, Lago del Desierto or an afternoon at La Cervecería Chaltén.