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Experience the best of El Calafate

El Calafate is a small Patagonian town on the shore of Lago Argentino, the base for the Perito Moreno Glacier and Los Glaciares National Park.

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El Calafate lies on the south shore of Lago Argentino, a milky turquoise lake fed by glacial meltwater, with the Andes on the western horizon. The town is named after the calafate, a thorny shrub with dark berries, and a local saying promises that anyone who eats them will return to Patagonia. It was founded in the 1920s to serve the surrounding sheep estancias and now exists chiefly as the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park.

About eighty kilometres to the west, the Perito Moreno Glacier pushes into the lake in a wall of ice some five kilometres wide, and blocks break off with a crack and a splash. Walkways on the facing peninsula look straight at the ice front. Boats also reach the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers, and the trekking village of El Chaltén, beneath Mount Fitz Roy, is roughly three hours north by road.

Patagonian lamb, split open and roasted for hours over coals, is the dish of the region, and calafate berries turn up in jam, ice cream and cocktails. Trout from the lakes and thick hot chocolate are common on menus. The long days of November to March are the busiest time, and the wind is part of the scenery.

  • 3 skip-the-line tickets
  • Free cancellation on 61% of experiences
  • 4.6 across the top 24

Top 10 attractions in El Calafate

See all 12 attractions
  1. Number 1

    Los Glaciares National Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares)

    4.63k reviewsfrom $51
  2. Number 2

    Perito Moreno Glacier

    4.63k reviewsfrom $51
  3. Number 3

    Argentino Lake (Lago Argentino)

    4.73k reviewsfrom $51
  4. Number 4

    Upsala Glacier

    4.5729 reviewsfrom $130
  5. Number 5

    Mt. Fitz Roy

    4.6502 reviewsfrom $82
  6. Number 6

    Walichu Caves (Cuevas Galicho)

    4.7307 reviewsfrom $130
  7. Number 7

    Laguna de los Tres

    4.699 reviewsfrom $198
  8. Number 8

    El Calafate Historical Interpretation Center

    4.371 reviewsfrom $15
  9. Number 9

    Viedma Glacier

    4.551 reviewsfrom $161
  10. Number 10

    La Leona Petrified Forest

    4.537 reviewsfrom $100

Special offers in El Calafate

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Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

Day trips from El Calafate

104

Guided tours in El Calafate

52

Food and drink experiences in El Calafate

12

Outdoor and adventure activities in El Calafate

61

Nature and wildlife tours in El Calafate

26

Desert and safari experiences in El Calafate

12

Signature experiences in El Calafate

Go beyond El Calafate

  1. El Chaltén · 121 km

    Mirador de los Cóndores

    11 hr4.4517 reviewsfrom $82
  2. El Chaltén · 121 km

    Laguna Capri

    10 hr4.897 reviewsfrom $280
  3. Puerto Natales · 164 km

    Nordenskjold Lake

    10–12 hr4.6942 reviewsfrom $90
  4. Puerto Natales · 164 km

    Milodon Cave (Cueva del Milodon)

    11 hr4.7910 reviewsfrom $70
  5. Punta Arenas · 329 km

    Strait of Magellan

    6–7 hr4.31k reviewsfrom $105
  6. Punta Arenas · 329 km

    Magdalena Island (Isla Magdalena)

    5 hr4.0616 reviewsfrom $140
  7. Puerto Chacabuco · 539 km

    Laguna San Rafael National Park

    4 days4.33 reviewsfrom $299
  8. Puerto Chacabuco · 539 km

    Parque Aiken del Sur

    4 days4.01 reviewfrom $1,052
  9. Ushuaia · 564 km

    Tierra del Fuego National Park

    6 hr4.53k reviewsfrom $50
  10. Ushuaia · 564 km

    Lapataia Bay

    5–6 hr4.62k reviewsfrom $50
  11. Castro · 877 km

    Church of San Francisco (Iglesia San Francisco de Castro)

    3 hr4.86 reviewsfrom $5
  12. Puerto Montt · 982 km

    Osorno Volcano

    4–10 hr4.61k reviewsfrom $12

Questions about El Calafate

What are the top attractions in El Calafate?
Ranked by the experiences that visit them, the top attractions in El Calafate are Los Glaciares National Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares), Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentino Lake (Lago Argentino), Upsala Glacier.
What is the most popular experience in El Calafate?
By number of traveller reviews it is "Perito Moreno Glacier Full Day Tour with Optional Boat Safari", rated 4.7 out of 5 from 554 reviews.
How long do tours and tickets in El Calafate take?
The typical experience in El Calafate lasts about 8 hours; the middle half run between 5 hours and 11 hours.
Can I cancel a booking in El Calafate?
The operator lists free cancellation on 62% of the 302 experiences we hold for El Calafate. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.

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