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Calafate and Los Glaciares NP Tours

One of the most beautiful landscapes in the Western Hemisphere is found in the Patagonian Andes. For this reason a chain of Argentine and Chilean National Parks protects this natural beauty. Numerous lakes fed by glacial run-off reflect the majesty of the snow-capped peaks. The mountainsides are covered by primeval forests of subantarctic beech trees many of which change color spectacularly in autumn.

Surrounded by this magnificent vegetation are the immense glaciers, most likely the highlight of any trip to this region. Between the 48 and 51 South parallels, the Andes Range is covered by a large extension of permafrost known as the Patagonian continental icecap, which stretches for 560 miles from north to south. So large it is, that it is also called "the third pole" after its huge concentration of ice. It is the origin of 47 major glaciers, such as the famous Perito Moreno glacier. But it is also known all over the world for its dramatic steppe at the foot of the imposing Fitz Roy and Torre Mountains, a "mecca" for climbers from all over the world. These areas allow for hiking, trekking, horseriding, overlanding and overnight in remote and isolated estancias by turquoise lakes.

Perito Moreno Escapade

Day 1 El Calafate airport – El Calafate
We welcome you at El Calafate airport and transfer to town, where we check in at our lodge. The rest of the day is free for us to enjoy this lovely town or just chill after the flight.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: none

Day 2 El Calafate – Perito Moreno glacier
We dedicate this day to one of the World’s Natural Wonder: the Moreno glacier. This ice field- type glacier flows down from the Patagonian Icefield, and big sheet of ice that with its 22.000 square kilometres is the third largest glacier area in the world, after Antarctica (14 M sq km) and Greenland (1 M sq km). Because unusual favourable local conditions, this glacier is the only one in the world that shows a closure and rupture process. The road leads to the very front of the glacier, which will be only meters away from your eyes. A beautiful, short trail, will lead us from the shores of the lake to the upper viewpoints. The roar of the chunks of ice falling inside the glacier or from the glacier into the lake, the frequent collapse of the front seracs into the turquoise water, makes out of this day a very special and unique experience. We will drive 80 km (1 and a half hour) to get and come back from the glacier across the steppe, watching a wide variety of birds.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

Day 3 Optional: boat trip in the Argentine lake
This day is free, with the possibility to choose between the optional proposals that the city of the Calafate offers.
They stand out among them, the boat trip of the Argentinean Lake. It starts in the banderas harbour, from where the ship will take us to the most impressive glaciers of the National Park: The Upsala and the Spegazzini. It’s also possible to have lunch in the Onelli Bay alter visiting it. In the afternoon the excursion continues to the Upsala glacier (which is the biggest one in the National Park).
If not this option, the town also has other options such us rides in 4 x 4 and more.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

Day 4 El Calafate airport
After breakfast we take our transfer to El Calafate airport where our services end.
Meals we provide: breakfast.

2011-2012 price per person in US$: $414 in single, $265 in double. High season supplement of $22 for departures Nov 11-Jan 31

Included
Incoming services
Bilingual guides (Spanish English) during all the excursions
3 nights lodging in Hosterias double or single room with private bathroom
Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier
All transportation as shown in the itinerary combining private and regular buses.
Trasfer Calafate Airport – Hotel – Calafate Airport

Not included National Park fees , Medical and life insurance , Tips , Drinks , Optional excursions , Air tickets and airport taxes
Services not detailed in the program

Calafate With Ice Trekking & Upgraded Hotel

Day 1 Arrival in El Calafate.
Meet & greet at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.
Balance of the day at leisure to get acquainted with the small village, walk along its recently inaugurated coastal park. There will be opportunities for a panoramic 4WD or a horseback ride to Cerro Frias that -weather permitting - will let us see the Paine Massif. A new Museum recently opened in El Calafate is not to be missed: The Glaciarium Museum, a modern exhibition center where visitors will experience and learn about the impressive ice fields as well as global warming issues.
Accommodation: Hotel de Campo Kau Yatun / Kosten Aike Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 02 El Calafate
Early morning pick up and transfer to the pier to start full day Perito Moreno Glacier tour in which the road leads to the most famous glacier in South America. Entrance fees are included.

Perito Moreno glacier is the park's most famous and imposing glacier. It is permanently advancing along its 3-mile-wide front, which is a wall 200 feet high over Lake Argentino. Visitors invariably observe great blocks of ice breaking loose from this wall and falling thunderously into the lake, making huge waves, later surfacing to form icebergs. The first views of Moreno glacier are breathtaking vistas down a narrow arm of Lago Argentino with the imposing Andean Mountains as a backdrop. As spectacular as it is, it pales compared to a close approach where the constant sounds of this "living" glacier shake the air. Gigantic blocks of ice, frequently break away and crash into the lake, sending spray hundreds of feet into the air and sound like distant artillery fire. The startling contrast of color, sound, motion and size creates a continuously changing mosaic of indescribable beauty.

We leave El Calafate and drive for about two hours on a paved road to reach Los Glaciares National Park. Enjoy a memorable trekking on the glacier. This involves a 2 hour walk on the lateral morrein of the glacier The trekking is moderate. The ice surface over which you walk is irregular, but firm and safe. Note: In order to do this excursion clients should be between 10 to 60 years old. Then we will enjoy spare time at the catwalks to simply enjoy, be mesmerized by the constantly calving of ice of this amazing glacier. Different blue colors, altitude, capricious formations, the roaring of the calving are all part of this experience. Afternoon return to El Calafate.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

DAY 03 El Calafate
Day at leisure to explore the area on own or relax and enjoy activities at the hotel.

Suggested activity:
Full day navigation Rios de Hielo, to approach the most imposing glaciers in the area. This can be easily booked locally.

Early morning transfer to Puerto Bandera to embark for a full day Ríos de Hielo navigation. Upsala is the Park's largest glacier and offers the perfect gateway to the huge Ice Cape, the origin of the areas 47-ice flows. The glacier is 50 km long and 9 km wide at the lake's edge where large chunks crash into the water, surfacing to become icebergs. Its basin is of 1000 km2 and it was named after the city of Upsala, whose University sponsored the first glaciology research in the area at the beginning of the XXth century.

An early start takes explorer to the tiny port of Puerto Bandera. We board a comfortable modern catamaran and navigate the Upsala Channel to approach the amazing (once the largest on the continental ice fields - nowadays it is the Viedma Glacier). The navigation gets close to the south wall of impressive altitude, and then the navigation continues to reach a small and cozy bay called Onelli, where passengers debark and have the opportunity to hike to a small lagoon that reflects the Onelli glacier (20 min. walk).

Three major glaciers (Onelli, 45km2 - Bolado, 16km2 & Agasiz, 31km2) drain into the small Onelli lagoon of great beauty and in the middle of a subantarctic and pristine beech forest. Spare time for lunch. (No meals are provided - We suggest a box lunch from the hotel or buy lunch at the restaurant in the bay but reservations should be made in advance). Return to Puerto Bandera and then to El Calafate.
Arrival at the hotel and accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 04 El Calafate
Morning transfer to the airport and board the flight to Buenos Aires.
Meals: Breakfast

** A note about hotels recommended:

HOTEL DE CAMPO KAU YATUN - www.kauyatun.com
A hotel located 6 blocks from city center. We like it very much because it is very simple, yet cosy, with ample rooms. It needs a bit of updating but service is soo good; staff is very friendly yet professional. It offers a very special experience. It is the feeling of a country house in town.

Price per person in US$ (based on minimum of 2 people traveling together):

El Chalten Extension

Day 1 El Calafate – El Chalten
In the morning we drive our way across the Patagonian steppe and around Lakes Argentino and Viedma to El Chalten, a small and picturesque mountain village at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy. Driving distance 220 km. Free time in the afternoon to know the town or to walk on the surroundings to the different viewpoints of the mountains.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: None

Day 2 El Chalten Fitz Roy trail
This world class trail offers some of the most dramatic mountain sights in South America. Fitz Roy trail gradually climbs across shrubland and southern beech forest and lead us to Laguna Capri, then to Fitz Roy basecamp and finally to Laguna de los Tres. From where you can see Fitz Roy, all the spires of the massif including Poincenot, Saint Exupery, Mermoz, Guillaumet and Rafael, as well as the glaciers and the glacier fed lagoons at the mountain foot. Walking time is 1 h and a half to Laguna Capri, 3 hs to FR basecamp and 4 hs to Laguna de los Tres.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch.

Day 3 El Chalten Viedma lake boat trip
Alter breakfast, we drive to Bahia Tunel Port. There we get into our ship to sail across the lake to visit Viedma Glacier. This huge glacier which comes down from the Icefield shows us his deep blue colors in the front. Big chunks of ice keep on falling into the lake. Later we’ll be able to get off the ship and take a small trek on ice over the glacier.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch.

Day 4 El Chalten - El Calafate
Transfer from Chalten to Calafate and end of our services.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

2011-2012 price per person: US$483 double, US$610 single.

Included:
Incoming tourist services at El Chalten.
3 nights lodging in Hostería double or single room.
Trekking guide for the hike.
Lake Viedma excursion.
Transfer in regular bus from El Calafate to El Chalten and back.
3 breakfasts and 2 box lunchs.

Not inluded:
Entrance fees to National Parks.
Medical and life insurance.
Tips.
Drinks and beverages (all foods are without alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks).
Flights or airport taxes.
Services not shown or detailed in the program.

Season: October thru April
Beginning day: Sunday
Minimum of pax 2 passengers

Also See Trekking Fitzroy

We can customize a program to include more upscale lodging with tours similar to those above
or you can add or substitute the following tours:

Mini-trekking on the glacier - Transfer to Los Glaciares NP, in the sub-Antarctic Continental Ice-cape, known as the "Third Pole", which extends over 60,000 sq.km (23,000 sq. miles) and gives birth to several major glaciers along the Patagonian Andes. We will board zodiac boats to cross Argentino Lake in front of towering ice walls of the Perito Moreno glacier and will navigate around the ice blocks, which are constantly calving from it. We will land on an uninhabited beach and hike on the glacier. (Neither additional equipment nor previous experience needed). The wildlife of the area includes Andean condors, buff-necked ibis, black-chested buzzard eagles, ashy-headed geese, etc. It is a moderate hike and the ice surface where you will walk is irregular, but firm and safe. At the end of the hike, you will go back to the shelter walking through the exuberant Magellan forest. Arrival and embark to cross the lake. Once you arrive at the pier, you will travel for 6 km to reach the catwalks, in front of the Perito Moreno glacier, from where you will have different and amazing views of it.
add $87 per person to prices above to substitute for regular Perito Moreno tour

Big Ice - This incredible experience starts at the small pier "Bajo las Sombras", where you board a small boat - the Tehuelche - to cross the Rico Arm of Lake Argentino. After a 10 minutes navigation you meet the guides on the opposite bank of the lake and you start hiking in the beech forest till you get to the lateral moraine of the Perito Moreno glacier. You put on our grampons, get a brief instruction on ice climbing and hiking and off. Once on the glacier, the world changes dramatically, deep blue lagoons, profound crevasses, huge cesspools, amazing ice caves and that special feeling of being right in the heart of the ice mass. You will explore this "unique world" hiking for about 3 hours led by expert mountain guides. You will stop for lunch (not included) - an opportunity to rest and enjoy the most of this experience, being the first and few in the area. You then hike back (about an hour) to the small pier to board our boat and navigate back to the coast with our souls fulfilled of this amazing experience unique in the world. This tour has a demanding schedule, due to the uneven terrain. Therefore it is only advisable for participants between 18 and 45 years old with a good physical condition, taking into account that the trail demands a 7 hour walk on ice and loose pebbles.
add $135 per person to prices above to substitute for regular Perito Moreno tour

HD Mount Frias Horseback ride W/ lunch - Meetings at the starting point to begin a great full day ride to Mt. Frias. Following a valley to Mt. Frías, at 1100 m. up a canyon, through a Nothofagus forest, we reach the ridge with spectacular views to Lakes Roca and Argentino. If the weather is fine we will be able to see as far as the Torres del Paine in Chile. Return to the ranch, for a cup of tea and cakes and having experienced the typical patagonian steppe, with the possibility of wildlife watching (guanacos, pumas, and condors).
Includes full equipment, lunch and assistance of qualified bilingual guides. 4x4 drive to Mount Frias also available for same price.
US$72

PETRIFIED FORESTS at La Leona - A few kilometers from El Calafate and for all those interested in the ancient world when dinosaurs roamed over the landscape, the visit of BOSQUE PETRIFICADO LA LEONA cannot be missed. Magnificent petrified tree trunks and large dinosaur fossils hidden for millenniums, were uncovered by wind and water erosion and are nowadays at the bottom of a very beautiful valley of incredible characteristics.

Departure at 8:30 am from El Calafate following the route 40 and driving North about other 67 kilometers.
Traveling mostly through the open steppe with magnificent views of the valley of lake Argentino, panoramic background of the Southern Andes we cross the mighty Santa Cruz river, and coast along the valley of La Leona river with chances to appreciate mount Fitz Roy. We then reach La Leona Hotel (historical landmark) and stay there for 15 minutes for a coffe, continue West for other 10 kilometers through the southern shore of lake Viedma until we get to Los Hornos hill (St Teresita ranch). Near its top starts a large depression formed by water erosion where most of the fossils can be found. This point is where our walk begins : we go down through steep inclines of loose, dry, claylike soil and explore a seemingly endless system of gorges and ravines with petrified wood that "sprouts" from the soil. Tree trunks from 0.50 to 1.20 diameters, heaps of fossilized broken bones and occasionally whole vertebrae and leg bones of large reptiles (still under the process of identification) are part of the landscape as well. Due to its location in a steppe zone, the weather in BOSQUE LA LEONA is warm and dry along the valley.
US$125