Winter Day Trip Itinerary from El Calafate to El Chalten

Welcome to El Chalten – Argentina’s Trekking Capital.

The trekking capital of Argentina, El Chaltén is a quaint village known for being the gateway to some of Patagonia’s most heralded trails. From El Chalten, hikers will be able to trek through to views of Cerro Torre, Mount Fitz Roy and Laguna Capri. But can you do any trails on a Winter’s Day Trip from El Calafate to El Chalten?

With less time and daylight hours to explore El Chalten, you may be wondering what you’re actually able to visit on this day trip. We’re here to break down an itinerary for you.

About El Chalten

View over El Chalten town from Mirador de los Condores.

With a tiny population of 1,627, El Chalten’s visitors absolutely outnumber its locals. Originally incepted in 1985 as a result of a border dispute between Argentina and Chile, this charming mountain village has only existed for less than 40 years, and yet it has the atmosphere of an established cosy mountain resort.

With the only reason for its existence essentially being tourism, El Chalten is a hiker’s paradise. There are countless trails that visitors can adventure through from the town centre, as well as many food and shop outlets scattered around town.

Many travellers visit El Chalten on a day trip from the more well-established town of El Calafate in hopes of experiencing a taste of the region’s mountains and trails.

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Getting from El Calafate to El Chalten

How do you get from El Calafate to El Chalten?

Organised Day Tour

The easiest way to get from El Calafate to El Chalten is through an organised day tour. This ensures that you’re maximising your day and only experiencing things that you’re able to reasonably fit in during a day trip.

Keep in mind that the drive from El Calafate to El Chalten is a long 3-hour drive each way, so when factoring the winter season’s shortened daylight hours, you won’t have too much time to explore El Chalten – that’s why an organised tour is an excellent way to take the hassle out of catching the bus and getting from place to place during the day.

We used the tour company Patagonia-Chic and everything went perfectly! Because of their near-perfect reviews and established reputation as one of the best tour operators in the Argentinian Patagonia region, we chose this company over the many others in El Calafate and didn’t regret it.

Milanesa is a Schnitzel-type dish popular in Argentina. This lunch was included in my tour package and it was mind-blowingly good!

We were picked up on time, taken to all the amazing sights for the day and even treated to a tasty Argentinian lunch. I had a delicious beef Milanesa (Argentinian schnitzel dish) and devoured it! Our guide was not only informative, but funny, kind and super helpful in explaining our surroundings. You can read more about our tour here.

By Rental Car, Private Transfer and Taxi

All these above options are certainly viable, but the main problem with this is the possibility of getting lost, or not knowing where certain attractions are. Plus, you might be unable to catch a taxi back to El Calafate as it depends on availability.

By Bus

The bus is a great option if you have more time and would like to stay in El Chalten overnight. To me, it would be a little stressful to try and organise a return bus trip for a day trip as it would depend on the departure and arrival times for that particular day, and I would feel a bit rushed – but its definitely doable as I know many travelers do it this way.

Buses leave from the main bus terminal in El Calafate located on Julio Argentino Roca. This is about a 20-minute walk from the town centre, so factor this into your plans as well. In El Chalten, the bus station is more easily located as it can be found at the entrance of town. There are a handful of bus companies that depart daily, but this number does decrease in the winter usually.

If you’re looking to take the bus, my suggestion is to ask around for available times at the bus station as soon as you get to El Calafate to make sure you’re aware of all your departure and return options.

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What to see and do in El Chalten on a day trip from El Calafate

Chorillo del Salto in El Chalten

Given that most of the popular hiking trails in El Chalten take 7 hours or more to complete and the return journey from El Calafate to El Chalten takes 6 hours itself, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll be able to fit in one of these hikes (I know, it’s sad, but visiting a little part of El Chalten is better than nothing – trust me). It can be done, but you’d have to wake up very early and be careful on the trail as daylight fades quickly here.

Not to mention - some trail are closed, or at least partially closed, due to snow, rain and the chance of hikers slipping.

With that being said, there’s still plenty to do to fill up a day in El Chalten. Here’s what we did.

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1. Parador La Leona – Ruta 40 Stop

Stopping at Parador La Leona to learn more about Ruta 40.

Parador La Leona is a stop you can take along the way from El Calafate to El Chalten. Considering it’s a 3-hour drive, this is a great place to stretch your legs while learning about the history of Ruta 40, as you’ll find yourself driving along it on your way to Chalten.

Visiting a part of Lago Viedma while passing through Parador La Leona.

At 5,194km in length National Route 40 (Ruta 40) is one of the longest highways in the world, and a major route in Argentina. It’s actually hard to wrap my head around how long this road is - it begins at the Bolivian border, and stretches as far as the Rio Gallegos area! From here, you’ll also be close to the beautiful Lago Viedma.

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2. Mirador de los Condores

Asher at Mirador de los Condores.

Mirador de los Condores is one of the short hikes that will still be accessible during the winter season, and it’s not one to be missed! This is an easy walk (about 20-minute each way) that most trekkers should be able to complete with no problems.

Another perspective at the viewpoint.

The views at the summit are breathtaking, and on a clear day, you’ll be able to see many of the mountain peaks that surround El Chalten – including Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the engulfing valley.

Ralph enjoying the Mirador.

You can also choose to continue onto the Aguilas viewpoint which takes about 30 more minutes to complete. If you’re on an organised day trip, you might not have time to do this so listen carefully to what your guide says about how much time you have at Mirador de los Condores.

Information centre at Mirador de los Condores.

The viewpoint is named aptly because of the many condors that fly around near the top of the mountain. This was also a really awesome sight to see. At the trail entrance, there’s also an information centre where you can learn more about the history of Argentinian Patagonia.

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3. Chorillo del Salto

Asher at Chorillo del Salto.

You might have not been expecting to see a waterfall in the such a mountainous region, but El Chalten is full of surprises! Chorillo del Salto is easily accessible from El Chalten town and presents another scenic hike for travelers of all fitness levels.

A short 10-minute walk will take you through to a refreshing waterfall, surrounded by Chalten’s famous mountains. This hike is particularly scenic in the autumn and winter months due to the colours of the leaves around the waterfall.

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4. El Chalten ‘Bienvenidos’ Sign

Bienvenidos! You’re in El Chalten.

I usually wouldn’t include a basic ‘Welcome’ sign as part of an itinerary, but this one is an exception. Not only is it an iconic location on social media and in the travel world, but on a clear day, you’ll once again get unobstructed views of the mountain range.

Unfortunately for us, the clouds did not co-operate – but it was still fun to take a photo at the National Trekking Capital of Argentina.

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5. Walk around El Chalten Town

Lastly, cap off your scenic day with a walk around pretty El Chalten town. It’s usually pretty quiet during the winter, so enjoy having the quaint streets mainly to yourself.

Gelato from Domo Blanco. So good.

If there’s one food recommendation I can make, you have to try the gelato at Domo Blanco. It’s seriously so good – one of the best ice cream places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.

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Is El Chalten Worth Visiting in the Winter?

So how was our visit to El Chalten in the winter?

Despite the lack of ‘big trails’ you can embark on in the winter on a day trip, I still really enjoyed my short time in El Chalten. The short trails and attractions around town were enough to justify arriving from El Calafate, and I can’t wait to come back one day.

Have you decided to visit El Chalten on a day trip? You’re going to have a great time! Let us know your plans in the comments below

PS: Follow my travel journey on Instagram!