El Calafate & El Chalten Patagonia Eco Tour

When you arrive at the El Calafate airport, transfer to your hotel, the Estancia Nibepo Aike. This beautiful estancia, renovated from its days as a working cattle and sheep ranch, is located near the shores of Lago Argentino, and faces the majestic Perito Moreno Glacier. Trekking, horseback riding, and other activities are available to guests at the estancia. All meals, plus afternoon tea, are included. Spend the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

After breakfast, spend the day trying your hand at a number of activities. Estancia Nibepo Aike is a working ranch, and you can watch demonstrations as gauchos herd cattle and tend to sheep in the traditional Patagonian way. Or go horseback riding on the lake shores, and you might see a number of shore birds such as steamer ducks and lapwings. A variety of hikes and other horseback rides to La Angostura, several peaks, or the Chilean border are also available.

Have breakfast in your hotel, and then transfer to the bus station for the ride to El Chalten. Upon arrival in El Chalten, a guide will greet you and transfer you to your hotel, the Hosteria El Puma. This is another estancia, located at the foot of Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre in Los Glaciares National Park. Spend the evening at your leisure.

Enjoy breakfast in your hotel, and then head out on a full day trekking and Patagonia excursion. This trek is of medium difficulty and takes about 6 hours. Launching from El Chalten, walk to Poincenot, and then cross the Blanco River. Then head up 400 meters to the Laguna de los Tres. This is a glacier moraine with a sensational view of the lake and the De los Tres Glacier. Follow the path around the lagoon to the Sucia Lagoon and its glaciers. Enjoy the breathtaking views of glaciers, peaks, and the windswept landscape. It's also possible to camp here and witness the sunrise. Return to your estancia in El Chalten in the evening.

After breakfast, depart from El Chalten and return by bus to El Calafate. Check in to the Hotel Kau Yatun, which boasts deluxe rooms and plenty of amenities. The hotel is located in the downtown area, so you can spend the rest of the day at your leisure exploring the town.

Breakfast in your hotel, and then begin the day long tour of the Perito Moreno Glacier, for which El Calafate is famous. This huge glacier is the largest advancing glacier in the world. Huge chunks of ice periodically break off from the ice wall and crash into the lake, in a process called calving. Visitors can sit and have a picnic or relax in the restaurant on the opposite shore, and watch the ice break off. There are also some boardwalks and easy walking trails that allow you to see different views of the glacier. Board a boat from a "nautical safari" across Lago Argentino, and see the ice wall from only 500 meters away. Then return to the pier and from there, return to the hotel.

Breakfast is included today, as well as a transfer from your hotel to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires or to your next destination in South America.