Compare El Calafate & The Glaciers by Say Hueque vs 8-Day Argentina & Patagonia Tour: Buenos Aires & El Calafate by Tours4Fun

Day 1 Welcome to your 3-day tour in El Calafate - 4WD Trip to Tehuelches' Caves

Transfer from El Calafate airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Southern Patagonia welcomes you with open arms. Upon arrival, we will bring you to your hotel and have the remainder of your day to relax or explore the surroundings.

El Calafate is a starting point for adventure-seeking travelers who chase to unearth the most spellbinding natural wonders of Patagonia, like the Perito Moreno Glacier.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the only glaciers in the world that’s still advancing. Though it’s not the only glacier in the area, it’s the one that made the city of El Calafate famous worldwide. For many years now, El Calafate has been considered the capital of the glaciers. Located at the shore of Lago Argentino (the southernmost, largest Patagonian lake) it’s also home to the Spegazzini glacier, which forms the natural border between Argentina and Chile, and the Upsala Glacier, named Glaciar del Gigante (Giant’s glacier). It’s the biggest glacier that sits at the mouth of Lake Argentino.

But there is much more to see in El Calafate than glaciers. Make the most of your free day and discover other secret gems of the region.

4WD trip to Tehuelches’ Caves

In the afternoon, we will pick you up at your hotel to enjoy an excursion in a 4×4 vehicle along the shore of Argentino Lake. You are entering the lands of the Tehuelches. Enjoy the sight of their ancient caves and wild paintings at the lakeshore. Explore the original landscapes of the natives, enjoy a 3-course lunch, and live the experience of eating inside a Tehuelche cave. At the end of the experience, we’ll drive you back to your hotel in El Calafate.

Day 2:   Mayo Trek Spirit & Perito Moreno Glacier Tour

Meet the icy giant of Patagonia

Get ready to explore secluded glaciers, only reachable by boat, in an 8-hour day trip combining short boat trips and hikes. Start the day with a pick-up at your hotel, travel to Puerto Bandera inside Glaciers National Park, and embark on today’s first navigation.

Sail Mayo Channel and disembark on Toro Bay to hike through the Patagonian forest; your specialized guide will tell you about the vegetation of this area (very different from other kinds inside the park) and show you the millenary cherry tree and its 3-meter-in diameter trunk.

Set sail again to reach the Cerro Negro (Black Hill) and make a half-mile soft hike to the base of the hill to admire the hanging Black Glacier. Enjoy your free time in this place that not many travelers have seen, before departing for our third stop, the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.

Our boat will pass by the immense icy wall -take your beanie and grab your camera, you may see a piece of ice breaking!- before stopping at Puerto Moreno.

Enjoy your free time, wander the traditional catwalk circuit that surrounds the glacier before sailing back to Puerto Bandera, and be driven back to El Calafate.

Day 3:  The end of your 3-day tour in El Calafate

Transfer from your hotel to the airport
At the appropriate time, we will drive you to the airport where you’ll take your flight to your next destination. This is the end of your tour to the Perito Moreno Glacier and the city of El Calafate. Don’t be discouraged! You can return whenever you want (we will welcome you with open arms) or…

Continue your trip towards the North area of Argentina, to the beautiful Salta region or the wine area in Mendoza. We have still a lot to offer!—Check out these trips to Argentina.

Day 1 Arrival in Buenos Aires

Upon your arrival at Buenos Aires airport (Ezeiza or Aeroparque), you will be met and transferred to the Europlaza hotel in the city center. The rest of the day will be free for you to spend at your leisure.

Day 2 Buenos Aires - El Calafate

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the Jorge Newbery Airpark for your domestic flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival at the El Calafate Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Hosteria Hainen, where you can relax for the rest of the day. El Calafate is a picturesque village close to Lago Argentino, one of Patagonias largest and most stunning lakes. It's also the entrance to the amazing land of the glaciers.

Day 3 Perito Moreno Glacier Boat Safari

Today's Los Glaciares National Park excursion is perfect for those nature lovers who want to explore lakes, rivers, mountains and trails to discover one of its greatest wonders, the only advancing glacier in the world, Perito Glacier. Known worldwide for its unique phenomena: huge parts of the glaciers fall out in the Argentino Lake once a year, attracting thousands of people. The Safari Boat ride will take so close to the glacier you will feel how cold it is and see how small we feel next to it! After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel and we will head towards Los Glaciares National Park. We will drive along the scenic Route 11, which runs alongside the main course of Lago Argentino on our way to Brazo Rico. Once in the park, we will go to Curva de los Suspiros, where we will get off the vehicle to take a first look at the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is certainly an amazing image. Later we will make another stop at the Muelle bajo las Sombras, where we will navigate to get closer to the southern wall of the glacier. By boat we will approach to the stunning Perito Moreno ice walls, getting close enough to contemplate its immensity and also to observe the ice landslides that continually take place. As we get to the front wall, the boat will stop for a few minutes to get a better look at the landscape, giving us a very good opportunity to take interesting photographs and film the scene. Then we will go to the front catwalks of the glacier, where we will see it from several balconies located at different heights, allowing to appreciate it from different angles, each more beautiful than the last one. Finally we will enjoy some free time to spot the different detachments that continually take place, and those who want to, can enjoy lunch at any of the restaurants near the runways. In the afternoon we will return to El Calafate and we will drop you off at your hotel. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy El Calafate.

Day 4 Full Day Boat Trip on the Ice River From El Calafate

Our journey to the Ice Rivers of Patagonia will take so close to the glaciers you will feel Patagonia's heartbeat against your fingertips. Early in the morning, after breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will head towards the Port of Punta Bandera, 47 kilometers away from the city of El Calafate. You will drive by the Route 11 to Los Glaciares National Park and will skirt the main part of Lake Argentino to Puerto Bandera's private port, arriving around 8:30 am. You will be quickly informed about the safety and seaworthiness and you will then embark on modern Catamaran at 09:00 am, to start navigating between icebergs in the north and Upsala Glacier to the namesake. Travelling through another arm of Lake, you will observe the highest Glacier, Glacier Spegazzini with almost 100 meters of height. After spending the day being impressed by the landscapes and unique experience, you will be taken back to shore and take ground transportation to El Calafate.

Day 5 El Calafate to Buenos Aires

In the morning you'll be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport in El Calafate for your return flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival at the domestic airport you'll be welcomed and transferred to your hotel in Buenos Aires. You will have your afternoon free for your last souvenirs shopping or just to take a walk around the city.

Day 6 Panoramic City Tour and Tango Show

Today we'll introduce you to Buenos Aires, from the great attractions to the amazing culture, including an exciting Tango Show. Buenos Aires City Tour Discover the magic of Buenos Aires. Perfect for first-time visitors, this morning or afternoon three-hour city tour is a well-rounded introduction to Buenos Aires' famous sights while also leaving you with some free time to explore a bit more of the city. After breakfast, you will be picked-up from your hotel and go for a three-hour bus tour, including the beautiful parks and gardens of Recoleta and Palermo neighborhoods, the Colon Theater, Mayo Square, the cathedral, traditional Mayo Avenue, Congress Square and many other buildings and palaces. We will start our tour through one of the main avenues, the 9th of July Avenue, where we'll see the Teatro Colon and the Obelisk. Afterwards we will visit the Plaza de Mayo, where we will do our first stop, There was the historical, political and foundational epicenter of the city; We will be able to take Photos of the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Government House, the Cabildo. The tour will continue south through the old neighborhood of San Telmo, passing through Parque Lezama, and then on to the neighborhood of La Boca, where we have our second stop. Famous for the stadium of Boca Juniors, one of the greatest exponents of the Argentinian passion: Football; and also important for Caminito, one of the biggest Tourist Attractions, full of color, magic and history. After the break we'll move to Puerto Madero, which is one of the newest, most exclusive and most modern neighborhoods in Buenos Aires with its main areas of Retiro and Plaza San Martin. We'll move on to Palermo, which is Buenos Aires main green area. The last neighborhood we'll visit is the exclusive and sophisticated neighborhood of La Recoleta to end up our excursion in Buenos Aires in downtown where we will thank every person on the tour hoping to have you back in the future. Tango Show At night, around 8 pm, you will be picked up at your hotel to enjoy an exclusive meal, followed by a tango show with the best dancers of the City. You can enjoy an exquisite dinner of three steps with over thirty options Argentinian and international dishes. The service includes starter, main course soft drinks, mineral water, wines from winery Finca Flichman, dessert and coffee. On the menu, you will find the best Argentinian dishes like, chicken, meat, varieties of pastas and salads. Starter hot and cold -Fries empanadas. Stuffed with meat, onions, scallions, egg, peppers and olives. Main course -Bife de chorizo grille. With potatotes, onions, corn, tomatoes, green onions, red peppers. -Wok sauteed tenderloin with onions, potatoes, rice, sauce. -Veal Cutlets with mashed tricolor. Mashed potatoes, pumpkin and sweet potato. -Pope Arugula gnocchi, arugula, prosciutto and mozzarella roquefort cream. -Pollack stew shrimp cream sauce, peppers, onions, carrots, zuchinnis and shrimp. -Lamb and mushroom casserole tomatoes, carrots, eggplants, onions, pepper and potatoes. Dessert -Triffle red fruit and Chocolate Biscuit. Drinks -Malbec and Chardonnay wines (1 bottle for 2 people) -Beer (free) -Sodas and water (free) -Coffee and tea (free) 10:15 pm: After a delicious dinner the show begins. A quartet of musicians start playing the pieces of classic tango and on stage four pairs of dancers fall in love with the audience with precision and sensuality. Two singers dazzle the audience with their voices and the same will be complemented with stories of the history of tango and Buenos Aires, its charachters and circumstances from 1860 to the present. 11:30 pm: the event will finish and near and we´ll take you back to your hotel after living a great cultural and gastronomic experience.

Day 7 Tigre Delta Half Day Trip from Buenos Aires

"Watching the Delta" means appreciating the generosity of nature in this singular place of the world, which could never be invisible to your eyes. In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel where you will board a comfortable bus and head towards Tigre, up north. The first stop will be in San Isidro City, where our guides will take you to visit the beautiful Cathedral of San Isidro and popular mansions inhabited by ancient aristocratic families of Buenos Aires. Then you will continue the journey to Tigre. In Tigre we will climb aboard a catamaran where we'll enjoy a 40 minutes tour of the Delta. There, we can see the landscape of rivers and streams that cross forming numerous islands. You can see the lifestyle of the local people and how they interact with services operating on a floating way in rivers: boats, rafts, water taxis. You will also see houses built on stilts and the house-museum of president Sarmiento. At the end of the boat ride, you will return to the port to board the bus again and make your way back to Buenos Aires. On the way back to Buenos Aires we will pass by the Presidential Residence (Quinta de Olivos).

Day 8 Leaving Buenos Aires

In the morning, after breakfast, you will check out at your hotel and you will have free time until your vehicle picks you up to drive you to the airport.