Description
Day 1:
Reception at El Calafate airport and transfer to hotel. Accommodation. Free time to explore the cozy town or, if your arrival time permits, you could add an optional short excursion (ask).
Day 2:
In the morning, after breakfast, depart to Full Day Excursion Perito Moreno Glacier: This is one of Patagonia’s most extraordinary excursions. Some moments etch themselves into memory, and seeing the grandeur of the Perito Moreno Glacier is undoubtedly one of those life-defining experiences.
The departure from the hotel is due at 8 am. You will start the way bordering Bahía Redonda of the Argentino lake, from where you’ll observe the Solitaria Island. After a short while you’ll be touring around the steppe, in which you will get to visit several interesting locations such as: Comisión or De Los Elefantes hill, the Centinela river, Frías hill; some Patagonian estancias, ‘Alice’, among the famous ones.
Once you crossed the Mitre river, you will enter the Glaciers National Park. Thence a 35 km passage begins, it goes through the coasts of Rico branch of the Argentino Lake found in the middle of abundant vegetation. You will find this passage in the middle of the forest amazing. There are many immense tree specimens such as ñires, lengas, notros and sour cherry trees. The famous Curva de los Suspiros, along the road, will show you the first panoramic view of the Perito Moreno Glacier, thus making it a must stop (in order to take photographs). A short while after, you will reach the viewpoint of the glacier and there will be a new chance of getting amazing shots of the landscape with your camera.
Towards the end of the tour, you will come across the footbridges which are very close to the ice wall. There will be enough time for you to enjoy the spectacle of the glacier, and you will also get to witness the famous ice detachment phenomena, hear the hollow sounds of ice falling and thus becoming smaller floating glaciers.
The approximate time you will spend in the footbridges is two hours.
Note:
Even though the visit to the footbridges is unrestricted, it is important to point out that a big part of the bridges have steps, so people with reduced mobility can tour through the balconies and the parts with ramps, but not the whole structure of the footbridges.
The departure may vary from 8 am in summer, to 10 am in winter and depending on climate conditions. The return is due approximately at 5 pm. Lunch is not included. Near the footbridges area there is a small bar where you can buy a light snack, and there is also a restaurant offering more complete menus. You could also ask us for the inclusion of a boxed lunch at a small charge.
It allows you to observe, from a completely different perspective, the stunning walls of the glacier and the permanent detachments of blocks of ice, which later become icebergs and float by, very close to the boat, tingeing the reflexes of the channels and lakes with that peculiar blue color they have had since immemorial times.
The craft, which offers room for up to 70 people, takes a prudential position, close enough to the wall as to be able to cover its whole extension.
Duration: 1 hour.
Day 3:
In the morning, after breakfast, depart to Full Day Excursion El Chaltén: It is a full day excursion. Starting from El Calafate approximately at 7 am during the morning.
The tour covers the mythical Route 40, skirting the Lake Argentino up to La Leona River. From there it continues bordering the canyon for another hour, up to the De Ruta Hotel, almost a museum of Route 40; coffee and welsh cake will be served there.
Afterwards, the route skirts Lake Viedma, the whole Andes Chain already as the background, Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre included, up to the mountain town El Chaltén.
The journey takes three hours, covering 220 Km. of pure Patagonian beauty. This travel time includes some photographic stops, made before arriving to town, ascending to several panoramic viewpoints of the Andes and the Viedma glacier.
Once in El Chaltén there is a trekking option through the self-guided paths that lead you to Cerro Fitz Roy or Cerro Torre; likewise you can follow the guide up to Lake Del Desierto. The latter constitutes a tour that combines short treks (an hour each), with rides on 4x4 through the De Las Vueltas River Canyon (37 km one-way ride). During this trip you will visit Salto del Chorrillo, Saltos del Rio de las Vueltas, Lake Huemul and the glacier of the same name.
A boxlunch is included.
Note:
The excursión to Lago del Desierto it’s an optional, it is not included in the price.
The return time is flexible (between 7 and 8 pm).
Day 4:
In the morning, after breakfast, depart to Full Day Excursion Gourmet Glaciers Experience: This fabulous excursion consists of a full day aboard the María Turquesa Cruise. Two pleasures are combined: to sail between glaciers and to enjoy excellent cuisine in the same navigation with incredible views.
The departure starts early in the morning from your hotel where we pick you up to take you to Punta Bandera where at 09:00 hs. you embark on the Private Port La Soledad. This tour of the majestic Lake Argentino allows you to "live" unique landscapes of Los Glaciares National Park, from another perspective, almost in contact with the glaciers. Crossing the Escuadra Bay and the Wall of Condoreras, the first two glaciers found on the slopes and mountain tops appear and this feature is called "hanging": Seco Glacier and Heim Glacier. Then, we continue through the Argentino lake heading south so as to take the Canal Spegazzini to reach the glacier of the same name. The navigation allows a striking approach to this glacier that has front walls between 80 and 135 meters above the level of the lake. We later continue to Puesto de Las Vacas - an extremely calm bay in the Spegazzini Canal, where the Captain silences the engines to allow passengers to share an interesting walk coordinated by our team of guides.
Later, the ship will stop in front of the barrier of icebergs that prevents the entrance to the Upsala Channel, and if the weather conditions allow, we admire the Upsala and Bertacchi glaciers in the distance. Lunch time with unforgettable panoramas (Gourmet lunchbox with non-alcoholic beverages included). Then we navigate through Los Témpanos Channel towards the north wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier where the boat also stops to watch and listen to the constant detachments of huge blocks of ice.
Return to Port is set to 6PM, from where we take you back to your hotel.
NOTE: When booking you can request access to the Premium sector of the María Turquesa Cruise (capacity only 20 passengers max.), which includes full lunch with alcoholic beverages plus cafeteria services without cost during the entire navigation. Ask us for this option.
Day 5:
Breakfast at hotel, and, at scheduled time, transfer to airport.
End of our services.
Please contact us if you wish to extend your stay in this destination or continue your trip elsewhere in Argentina!
