Patagonia Hiking: Self-Launched Buenos Aires, El Chaltén & El Calafate
9 days · Patagonia, Argentina
G Adventures charges £2,310
No-markup version: ~£627 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day version of G Adventures' "Patagonia Hiking" (trip code SACC), hitting the same three bases: Buenos Aires, El Chaltén and El Calafate. You fly the same internal route, walk the same two big trails in Los Glaciares National Park (Loma del Pliegue Tumbado and Laguna de los Tres), and visit Perito Moreno Glacier — but you book flights yourself on Aerolíneas Argentinas or Flybondi, ride the regular El Calafate–El Chaltén bus instead of a private van, stay in hostels and guesthouses, and hike with free park trail maps rather than a guided group. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights to Argentina.
Day-by-day
Arrive Buenos Aires — Palermo or San Telmo base
Buenos Aires
Land at Ezeiza (EZE) and take a public bus or airport minibus into the city — Tienda León shared shuttle is around £12, or the local 8/51 bus is under £1 if you're travelling light. Check into a hostel in Palermo or San Telmo (dorms £10-15, private £25-35). Spend the afternoon walking: Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada, and the colourful El Caminito in La Boca are all free to wander. Change money carefully — bring USD cash in clean £50/£100-equivalent notes and use a 'cambio' or the MEP/blue rate rather than ATMs. Book your El Chaltén bus and any tours for tomorrow before bed. Evening: cheap empanadas and a bottle of Malbec in Palermo Soho.
🚌Airport shuttle/minibus ~£12, walking and SUBE card on local buses ~£1/trip
🛏Hostel in Palermo or San Telmo (dorm or budget private room)
- →Self-guided walk: Plaza de Mayo & Casa Rosada
- →La Boca & El Caminito street wander
- →Money exchange & SIM/eSIM setup
Fly Buenos Aires → El Calafate, bus to El Chaltén
Buenos Aires → El Calafate → El Chaltén
Book your own internal flight: Aerolíneas Argentinas or Flybondi Buenos Aires–El Calafate, roughly £90-140 one way booked a few weeks ahead (baggage 15kg checked is standard on Aerolíneas). From El Calafate airport, take the shared minibus or local taxi into the bus terminal (~£5), then the regular Chalten Travel or Caltur bus to El Chaltén, 3 hours on gravel with Andean views — about £20-25 one way. Arrive, check into a hostel or hospedaje (dorms £12-18, private rooms £25-35). Afternoon: walk to the Mirador de los Cóndores and Mirador del Águila above town (free, 1.5 hours) for your first Fitz Roy view. Sort out your park trail maps and weather forecast at the visitor centre.
🚌Internal flight ~£115; shared airport minibus ~£5; El Calafate–El Chaltén bus ~£22
🛏Hostel or hospedaje in El Chaltén (dorm or budget private)
- →Mirador de los Cóndores & Mirador del Águila walk
- →Los Glaciares National Park visitor centre briefing
- →Gear check & trail map planning
Full-day hike: Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (360° viewpoint)
El Chaltén
The quieter alternative to the famous trails and one of the best panoramas in the region. Start at the trailhead near the ranger station and climb steadily on the less-travelled route — around 18km return, 6-7 hours, ~900m gain, finishing at a ridge that opens to a full 360° view of Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the Río de las Vueltas valley. It's a free, self-guided national park trail; waymarking is decent but carry the AllTrails/Organic Maps offline GPX and plenty of water. Pack lunch from town the night before (shops are pricey — budget £6-8). Evening: hostel kitchen dinner and early night.
🚌Walk from town to trailhead (~20 min)
🛏Hostel or hospedaje in El Chaltén
- →Self-guided Loma del Pliegue Tumbado hike (18km)
- →Full 360° Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre viewpoints
Full-day hike: Laguna de los Tres (Fitz Roy)
El Chaltén
The headline trek. Leave early (7-7.30am) from town on the free trail to Laguna Capri and on to the Río Blanco camp, then the steep, rocky final push up to Laguna de los Tres — about 20-21km return, 8 hours, 1,000m+ of climbing. If the weather plays ball you get the classic view of the Fitz Roy massif reflected in the turquoise lagoon. Self-guided is straightforward here: it's the busiest trail in the park, so you'll never be alone; take poles, layers and a windproof shell. If you'd rather have a mountain guide for pacing and safety, El Chaltén guiding outfits sell this as a day trip for roughly £45-60. Evening: pizza and a big meal in town.
🚌On foot from town
🛏Hostel or hospedaje in El Chaltén
- →Self-guided Laguna de los Tres hike (21km) to Fitz Roy
- →Laguna Capri & Río Blanco en route
- →Optional: local mountain guide day hike ~£50
Laguna Torre or Chorrillo del Salto, then bus to El Calafate
El Chaltén → El Calafate
Choose your own morning trail. Laguna Torre is the pick — 18km return, around 6 hours, ending at the lagoon under the spiky Cerro Torre with its hanging glacier, with the Maestri and Adela ranges in view. Shorter and easier options: the flat 40-minute walk to Chorrillo del Salto waterfall (you can also get the shuttle bus for a few pounds), or a wander to the Piedra del Fraile. Back in town by mid-afternoon, grab the regular afternoon bus to El Calafate (3 hours, ~£22-25). Check into a hostel or guesthouse in El Calafate (dorms £12-18, private £28-40), and have a hearty lamb (cordero) dinner to refuel.
🚌El Chaltén–El Calafate bus ~£23
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Calafate
- →Self-guided Laguna Torre & Cerro Torre hike (18km)
- →Alternative: Chorrillo del Salto waterfall walk
- →El Calafate town wander
Perito Moreno Glacier day trip
El Calafate
The glacier is 80km out of town and there's no public bus to the walkways, so the cheapest realistic option is a shared shuttle from El Calafate — several companies run daily transfers with 3-4 hours at the glacier for around £28-35 return, and the park entrance fee is roughly £25 (pay in ARS or card at the gate). Alternatively book a GetYourGuide/Viator day tour with transfer and guide included (~£45-55 plus entrance). Once there, walk the metallic boardwalk circuit for close-up views of the 5km-wide ice wall and wait for a calving roar. Optional extra: the boat trip along the glacier face is about £60-70 booked on site — worth it if the budget stretches. Back in El Calafate for dinner.
🚌Shared glacier shuttle ~£32 return; park entrance ~£25
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Calafate
- →Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalk circuit
- →Optional: glacier boat trip ~£65
- →Optional: mini-trekking on the ice (book ahead, ~£150)
Free day: Laguna Nimez and Estancia or kayak adventure
El Calafate
A flexible day. Walk the Laguna Nimez nature reserve on the edge of town — a small reserve with flamingos, coots and upland geese, entry about £10-12 — then catch up on laundry and buy supplies. If you want more action, book locally: a half-day kayak on Lago Argentino, a horse-riding afternoon at a working estancia (~£70-90 with lunch), or a 4x4 trip to the less-visited Estancia Cristina. Book any of these directly through your hostel reception the night before for the best walk-up rate. Evening: sample the craft beer bars on Avenida del Libertador.
🚌Walking; local taxi ~£4 if needed
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Calafate
- →Laguna Nimez nature reserve walk
- →Optional: estancia horse-riding day ~£80
- →Optional: Lago Argentino kayaking ~£50
Fly back to Buenos Aires — La Boca, San Telmo & tango
El Calafate → Buenos Aires
Morning shared minibus to El Calafate airport (~£5) and flight back to Buenos Aires (~£90-140). Check into a hostel in San Telmo or Palermo. Afternoon: San Telmo market and the Plaza Dorrego antique stalls, or a wander around the Recoleta Cemetery (free-ish, small entry). In the evening, choose your tango experience: a proper milonga like La Viruta or Salón Canning is a few pounds to enter and gives you authentic dancing, or if you want the dinner-show version G Adventures sells as an extra, book direct with a venue like Señor Tango or Esquina Carlos Gardel for £50-75 including dinner and transfer. Cheapest and often best: a free tango lesson in a plaza followed by cheap steak.
🚌Shared minibus to airport ~£5; flight ~£115; local bus ~£1
🛏Hostel in San Telmo or Palermo
- →San Telmo market & Plaza Dorrego
- →Optional: milonga entry ~£6-10
- →Optional: tango dinner show booked direct ~£60
Last morning in Buenos Aires and departure
Buenos Aires
Use the morning for anything you missed: a self-guided bike ride around Palermo's parks (city bike hire ~£5-8 for a few hours), the free-entry MALBA or the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur boardwalk. Grab a final coffee and medialuna, then take the shared shuttle or bus back to Ezeiza for your international flight. If your flight is late, hostels will usually hold bags for free.
🚌Airport shuttle ~£12
🛏None (departure day)
- →Palermo parks by rental bike
- →Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur walk
- →Café & medialuna send-off
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£627 | £2,310 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,683 per person (73%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£627
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Patagonia Hiking: Self-Launched Buenos Aires, El Chaltén & El Calafate cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £627 per person for 9 days in Patagonia, Argentina. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,310 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £627 — a saving of roughly £1,683 (73%) per person.
How long is the Patagonia, Argentina trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Patagonia, Argentina.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, backpacker trip through Patagonia, Argentina, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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