THE 15 BEST Things to Do in El Calafate
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Things to Do in El Calafate
Check out must-see sights and activities:
Lago Argentino, Pasarelas Perito Moreno, Nature & Wildlife Areas, Nature and Wildlife Tours. For personalised recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
Lago Argentino, Pasarelas Perito Moreno, Nature & Wildlife Areas, Nature and Wildlife Tours. For personalised recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
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Book these experiences for a close-up look at El Calafate.
- fromper adultAU$319
- fromper adultAU$363
- fromper adultAU$422
- On the Waterfromper adultAU$311
- Dining Experiencesfromper adultAU$290
- fromper adult (price varies by group size)AU$144
- fromper adultAU$156
- 4WD Toursfromper adultAU$215
- Day Tripsfromper adultAU$270
- fromper adult (price varies by group size)AU$3,900
Bodies of Water
Geologic Formations
Speciality Museums
Modern glacier-themed museum with bilingual displays, an engaging ice bar, and scenic lake views. Features multimedia exhibits on glacier science.
This attraction description was created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for this description. Please read full traveller reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in this AI-generated description is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Bodies of Water
Historic Sites
Bodies of Water
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Other Top Attractions around El Calafate
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Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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What travellers are saying
- Shyam MishraKolkata (Calcutta), India387 contributionsBeautiful blue lake about 90 km in length you will notice right at landing at El Calafate airport. It's breath taking view is unforgettable. Blue color is due to turquoise.Written 21 June 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Dave48838Greenville, MI659 contributionsTraveling through green forests, our road through this amazing natural area terminated at this glacier. A wonderful visitor center and viewing platforms have been constructed so close that visitors get an up-front view. This glacier is more than 20 miles long and moves about 6 feet a day, giving visitors the thrill of frequent thundrous "calving" (pieces sharing off into the water). There are choices of thails (on catwalks) of different lengths but we found equal enjoyment offered by the short walks as well as the longer ones. A visitor should be able to navigate stairs.Written 4 January 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- JUDYKINS1Stratford, CT41 contributionsI was hesitant thinking there would not be much to see. Boy was I wrong and really enjoyed the experience and all that it offered about glaciers.Written 30 January 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- paxaWashington DC, DC6,748 contributionsThis lake area is only about a 25 min walk from our hotel in downtown Calafate so very easy to visit. There is an entrance fee, cash only - a bit pricy at US$11 per person. In November it's open till 7:30 pm. Too bad we didn't have a lot of time so just took a quick walk around the lake - there is a trail with a combination of boardwalk, dirt, sand or gravel surfaces and takes about an hour with stops for photos. There are a lot of birds there with signage showing where they should be but we didn't see all the species. Still it's a very nice walk on a sunny day - it can get pretty windy there too. and we did see about half a dozen types of birds including the upland goose, coscoroba swan, plumbeous rail, spectacled tyrant etc. Very worth visiting especially for birders.Written 5 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Trypp AdamsMinneapolis, MN9,485 contributionsThe nice thing about El Calafate is that it's not huge, it's easy to figure out if you are a tourist and pretty much everything you need is on Avenida Libertador. Both grocery stores are here - one on each end, Banks/ATMs, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, tour guides, artisans and crafts. It's great to stroll up and down in the evening although El Calafate is a bit of a sleepy town and rolls up the carpet early. There are a few options off the main street, but if you are just here for a night or two, this is a good place to head for options. During the day, there is quite a bit of traffic heading through town on this road to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, but at night it's fairly quiet.Written 16 April 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Erin BNew York City, NY130 contributionsWe did this on our second day in Argentina and it remained one of our top highlights throughout our 2.5 week trip! I has high expectations for this experience and it exceeded them. The landscape is so beautiful and we had a wonderful time walking through the forest, learning about the fossils, and overall having fun taking pictures with them. It was like a playground with petrified trees! Prepare for the possibility of strong wind - wear layers because it can be cold while windy but hot in the sun. Bring good shoes - I suggest regular sneakers at minimum (I appreciated my hiking sneakers), a hat, and water. The walk is not too challenging but it is steep in some sections. We booked a tour with Morresi Viajes - highly recommend. Easy to communicate with, kind, and wonderful guides. We were picked up in El Calafate and they arranged our transfer to El Chalten. Lunch was included and delicious. Everything went smoothly and I could not have asked for a better day or introduction to Patagonia.Written 5 February 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Andrea MSydney, Australia46 contributionsAmazing view of Spegazzini Glacier, not so much of Upsala glacier. The boat is comfortable and safe and all runs on time. However this is tourism to the enth degree. The hard sell of the photos and the boat positioning and staying till all photos are taken by professionals is pretty crass. The commentary is woeful , telling me that there are cows in the surrounding park has no informative value , the nauseating need to fill the cabin with useless information was irritating. BUT this area is impressive and would still do the cruise despite the above bring a sense of humor and you will be fine.Written 12 February 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Sam BUnited Kingdom21 contributionsPleased we decided to stay in town and wonder around instead of being hearded on to the standard tours. Unassuming place with helpful staff and multilingual guides to steer you around.
Really informative. Be prepared to hang your head in shame at collective colonial past events.Written 26 January 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Global7638255 contributionsFrom the few pictures that were previously posted and the description I believed we were going into a cave with petroglyph paintings, and I knew the entire tour would take about 1 hr. Well, it’s all outdoors looking at some very subject- to- interpretation drawing on the rock face. Then we were herded to the refreshments concession where there is overpriced water and coffee available. It would have been a good way to pass 2 hours except it cost approximately $20 US and I just think that was a bit high for the short ride and walk about. All that said, it was nice to have something to fill a couple of hrs after having done the glacier yesterday. It’s a last resort activity on the banks of the lakeWritten 4 November 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- MichalNysa, Poland43 contributionsspring time mass schedule change affected oct 05 from 7pm to 8pm.catholic church is a catholic church, catholic mass is a catholic mass but the way the sing and clapping hands that was new to us.Written 21 October 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- SEsLondon, UK25,780 contributionsThis is a very good place to have good views and photos.The drive here also scenic.Good to drive here in the evening.Written 12 May 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jim BHove1,380 contributionsThe boat excursion gives you another angle on the glacier and being at sea level you have a better impression on how large it is. Well worth the cost and if you are luck you will see some calving activityWritten 6 March 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
The above attraction descriptions were created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for any of the above hotel descriptions. Please read full traveller reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in one of these AI-generated descriptions is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
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