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Hikers walk along a rocky mountain path in Patagonia, with colorful, layered cliffs and a river or lake below under a bright blue sky with clouds near Estancia Cristina, Argentina.

Estancia Cristina

  • 3 Days
  • 2 Nights
  • Get Custom Pricing
  • Customizable & Combinable
Argentina travel content reviewed by Bradley Nehring, Co-Founder, COO & CFO of SouthAmerica.travel
A white truck crosses a rustic wooden bridge over a turquoise river, surrounded by rocky terrain and distant snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky.
A person in sunglasses and a beanie holds a large fish with both hands while standing in shallow, clear water, with a fishing rod resting on their shoulders and mountains in the background.
Two smiling men wearing hats and sunglasses kneel in shallow water, holding a very large, reddish-brown fish together, with a scenic river and mountains in the background.
Hikers walk along a rocky mountain path in Patagonia, with colorful, layered cliffs and a river or lake below under a bright blue sky with clouds near Estancia Cristina, Argentina.
A group of hikers wearing jackets and backpacks walk on a rocky trail with a glacier and snow-capped mountains in the background under a clear blue sky.
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Two people ride horses through a shallow stream, surrounded by autumn trees and bushes, with snow-capped mountains visible in the background.
Bright blue glacier descends from rugged, snow-capped mountains into a turquoise lake under a vivid blue sky with clouds. Patches of green vegetation cover some slopes.
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  • Tour Extension
  • 3 Days
  • 2 Nights
  • Get Custom Pricing
  • Customizable & Combinable

*Example by 4 travelers in 4★ accommodation, low season. Flights priced separately. Get a quote for 1 to 99+ below

Boat-access estancia inside Los Glaciares National Park - Estancia Cristina

Tour extension: two nights by boat inside Los Glaciares National Park

There is no road to Estancia Cristina. The way in is a boat across Lake Argentino from Punta Bandera harbor, and that single fact shapes everything about the stay: a historic estancia inside Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rooms in the five-building lodge face the Norte, Pfifer and Moyano hills and their hanging glaciers. On day two, 4WD vehicles climb the Feruglio range, 9.5 km of mountain road, to about 550 m. From there the Upsala Glacier shows its eastern front, a viewpoint only Estancia Cristina reaches, with the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and Mount Bertrand beyond. Day three is an easy valley walk to Pesca Lagoon, then the boat out.

It works as a tour extension, added to a stay in El Calafate. Two nights is short, and that suits it. Transfers, entrance fees, tours, English-speaking guides, and two breakfasts, lunches and dinners are all included, so nothing needs deciding once the boat leaves the harbor.

Highlights

  • Lake Argentino crossing by boat to a roadless estancia
  • Rooms facing the Norte, Pfifer and Moyano hanging glaciers
  • 4WD up the Feruglio range to 550 m
  • Upsala Glacier's eastern front, a view only Cristina reaches
  • Low-difficulty walk across ground glaciers recently uncovered
  • Valley walk to Pesca Lagoon

Included

  • 2 nights at the Estancia Cristina
  • 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
  • All transfers, entrance fees, and tours
  • English-speaking guides
  • Beverages during activities

Not Included

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tips or gratuities
  • Medical immunizations
  • Travel or medical insurance

Example Itinerary – Fully Customizable

Two people ride horses through a shallow stream at Estancia Cristina, surrounded by autumn foliage and snow-capped mountains in Patagonia, Argentina. Both riders wear jackets and hats, enjoying the scenic outdoor landscape.
Day 1

A guide collects you from your hotel in El Calafate, or meets you at Punta Bandera harbor, and the boat crosses Lake Argentino to the estancia.

The lodge is five buildings. Every room looks out on the Norte, Pfifer and Moyano hills and the glaciers hanging from them.

Dinner is traditional Patagonian. After it, the job is simple: head to your room and rest in the Los Glaciares quiet.

A group of hikers walk on rocky terrain with snow-capped mountains and a glacier in the background beneath a bright blue sky in Patagonia, Argentina.
Day 2

Day two starts in 4WD vehicles, climbing the Feruglio range on 9.5 km of mountain road. The ground along the way was under glacier until recently, which makes it of real geological interest.

At about 550 m, the Upsala Glacier shows its eastern front. That viewpoint is exclusive to Estancia Cristina. Part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Mount Bertrand and the Andes fill out the scene, with Guillermo Lake in it too. Then a walk on the ground near the glacier front, on foot, not on the ice.

The 4WD vehicles take you back down to the estancia.

The outing takes about four hours, there and back, at low difficulty.

Turquoise blue lake bordered by rocky land, with snow-capped mountains and glaciers in the background under a cloudy sky—an iconic scene from Estancia Cristina in Patagonia, Argentina.
Day 3

After breakfast, the pace drops. This is a walk for unwinding, not for ticking anything off.

The route follows the valley north to its end, through the flora and fauna of Los Glaciares National Park. The destination is light blue Pesca Lagoon (Laguna de la Pesca in Spanish), of pluvial, or rain, origin.

About three hours, low difficulty.

Back at the estancia, check out and board the boat to Punta Bandera harbor, where a group transfer takes you to El Calafate. Combine the stay with another tour starting in El Calafate, or continue to the airport for your departure.

Estancia Cristina
  • 3 Days
  • 2 Nights
  • Get Custom Pricing
  • Tour Extension
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Estimated Tour Price Without Flights

Prices vary according to several factors including: season, number of people traveling, shared vs private excursions, when you book and rooming arrangements. These are from prices based on low season.

We can customize anything for any time of year! Contact us for an exact quote for your trip.

US Price (2 People): $968
US Price (4 People): $968
US Price (6 People): $968
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