El Calafate
Chalten full day: Desert Lake
$ 270,000ARS
$ 320,000ARS
16% OFF
Free transfer from airport
All Photos
The Chaltén Full Day: Lago del Desierto excursion is ideal if you want to combine mountain landscapes, navigation, and trekking on a full-day experience departing from El Calafate. The tour travels through El Chaltén and the Cañadón del Río de las Vueltas until reaching Lago del Desierto, where you’ll sail among forests, mountains, and views of Mount Fitz Roy. Then, you’ll enjoy a self-guided trek through the forest to Vespignani Glacier, where a unique view of one of the most remarkable glaciers in the El Chaltén area awaits.
Price
Adult12 to 80 years
$ 270,000ARS
Child0 to 11 years
$ 216,000ARS
StartEnd
7:00 am8:00 pm
Start at your hotel in El Calafate
Guide during the transfer to El Chaltén
Sailing on Desert Lake
Trekking to Vespigniani Glacier Viewpoint
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before start
Urban usage rate
Optionals
Lunchbox
$ 35,900ARS
Recommended
Trekking boots
$ 29,600ARS
Recommended
Finish in El Chaltén
Free
Availability
Highlights
1 / 3
Included
Included
Included
Included
Included
Food
Lunchboxes
Optional
This tour does not include food. We recommend taking a lunchbox.
Good to know
It is recommended to bring warm clothing, a waterproof jacket and pants, trekking boots, gloves, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, a backpack, and a packed lunch.
When booking this tour,
we'll give you a free airport transfer to your hotel
we'll give you a free airport transfer to your hotel
Free airport transfer
Book any tour with us and the transfer is on us, so planning your trip is much simpler.
How does the benefit work?This benefit applies to the arrival leg, covering the transfer from El Calafate airport to your hotel in the city. Please note that it does not include the return trip to the airport. You will be able to enter your flight details and arrange the transfer in the next step.
Description
Chalten Desert Lake is a spectacular full-day excursion that will take you through the city of El Chalten and Las Vueltas River Canyon in a setting of unparalleled natural beauty. It includes a boat tour in Desert Lake and a 1-hour trek through the forest towards the Vespignani Glacier.
The tour begins when we pick you up from your hotel in El Calafate at 7:00 a.m. and head to the legendary Route 40 towards El Chalten. This route borders Lake Argentino, crosses the Santa Cruz and La Leona Rivers and takes you after 1 hour and 15 minutes to the old roadside hotel called Parador La Leona (virtually a Route 40 museum), where you can enjoy coffee and homemade cakes.
Then, you will continue along Lake Viedma, with the Andes Mountains in the background and, before reaching El Chalten, you will make stops at panoramic viewpoints from where you can enjoy views of the Andes Mountains and the iconic Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. After a 3-hour drive and 220 km, you will arrive in the picturesque town of El Chalten.
In the city center of El Chalten, you will change vehicles and travel 37 km through the Las Vueltas River Canyon to Desert Lake along a gravel road surrounded by a forest. During the tour, you will make stops at panoramic viewpoints from where you can enjoy views of the mountains and waterfalls near the route. Your guide will be waiting for you in El Chalten while you visit Desert Lake and its surroundings.
Upon arriving at Lago del Desierto, you will embark for a one-hour round-trip boat tour around this beautiful body of water surrounded by mountains and glaciers. Halfway across the lake, you will disembark and enjoy a self-guided mountain hike. The tour includes a two-hour visit to the nature reserve, during which you can choose one of three trails with varying difficulty levels to the Vespignani Glacier. The nature reserve manager will greet you after disembarking and recommend the most suitable trails for your fitness level. After trekking through this spectacular, little-explored natural landscape, you will have lunch and take shelter in the dome located in the forest next to the lake until you embark again.
Around 3:00 p.m. the return to El Chalten begins, where you will be greeted again by your guide to then head towards El Calafate, where you will arrive at 8:00 p.m., ending the excursion after having lived a unique experience in an unparalleled natural setting.
The tour begins when we pick you up from your hotel in El Calafate at 7:00 a.m. and head to the legendary Route 40 towards El Chalten. This route borders Lake Argentino, crosses the Santa Cruz and La Leona Rivers and takes you after 1 hour and 15 minutes to the old roadside hotel called Parador La Leona (virtually a Route 40 museum), where you can enjoy coffee and homemade cakes.
Then, you will continue along Lake Viedma, with the Andes Mountains in the background and, before reaching El Chalten, you will make stops at panoramic viewpoints from where you can enjoy views of the Andes Mountains and the iconic Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. After a 3-hour drive and 220 km, you will arrive in the picturesque town of El Chalten.
In the city center of El Chalten, you will change vehicles and travel 37 km through the Las Vueltas River Canyon to Desert Lake along a gravel road surrounded by a forest. During the tour, you will make stops at panoramic viewpoints from where you can enjoy views of the mountains and waterfalls near the route. Your guide will be waiting for you in El Chalten while you visit Desert Lake and its surroundings.
Upon arriving at Lago del Desierto, you will embark for a one-hour round-trip boat tour around this beautiful body of water surrounded by mountains and glaciers. Halfway across the lake, you will disembark and enjoy a self-guided mountain hike. The tour includes a two-hour visit to the nature reserve, during which you can choose one of three trails with varying difficulty levels to the Vespignani Glacier. The nature reserve manager will greet you after disembarking and recommend the most suitable trails for your fitness level. After trekking through this spectacular, little-explored natural landscape, you will have lunch and take shelter in the dome located in the forest next to the lake until you embark again.
Around 3:00 p.m. the return to El Chalten begins, where you will be greeted again by your guide to then head towards El Calafate, where you will arrive at 8:00 p.m., ending the excursion after having lived a unique experience in an unparalleled natural setting.
Itinerary
7:00
Pick-up at hotel
260 km distance with stops
12:30
Arrival at Desert Lake
Boat tour in Desert Lake
Lunch in the forest
Visit to the dome
Trekking to Vespignani Glacier
2:00 hs duration
15:30
Return from Desert Lake
Return to El Calafate
20:00
Drop off at hotel
Included ActivitiesOptional ActivitiesTimings, order, and activities may vary based on the day's organization
The lowest price, always
If you find a lower price, we'll refund the difference
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Frequently Asked Questions
Discover the questions other travelers also had before booking.Since it's a self-guided trek, are the trails clearly marked?
Yes. The trails to the Vespigniani Glacier are clearly marked. They also have a well-defined route.
Is there a departure time to return to El Chaltén?
The excursion has a pre-established return time from Lago del Desierto, so you must take this into account to continue with the excursion and return to El Chaltén.
Does the dome at Lago del Desierto have heating and restrooms?
The dome has restrooms for visitors. However, it is not heated, so we advice following the dress code recommendations.
If the optional lunchbox is not booked, is it possible to buy food or drinks during the tour?
During the journey to El Chaltén, there is a brief stop of approximately 15 minutes at La Leona Roadhouse, where it is possible to purchase drinks and food. However, product availability depends on current stock, so we do not recommend relying on this stop. For greater convenience, we suggest bringing your own food and drinks from El Calafate.
Is the Huemul Glacier trail included in the tour?
No, the trail to the Huemul Glacier is not included in the tour. It is a separate activity and is not part of the included itinerary.
Is the experience cancelled due to bad weather?
The excursion is not cancelled due to weather conditions, as it takes place in Patagonia, where changing weather is common. For this reason, it is recommended to follow the clothing guidelines to be prepared for any eventuality during the experience.
Is there cell phone or Wi-Fi signal in the Desert Lake area?
No. There is no Wi-Fi service in the Desert Lake area and cell phone signal is very limited or nonexistent for much of the route.
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