Introduction: El Calafate Airport to El Chalten
When we arrived at El Calafate Airport from Bariloche, we had plan to go straight to El Chalten for a couple of days and then come back to El Calafate and keep heading south Patagonia.
We found out 3 ways to make the journey from El Calafate Airport to El Chalten:
- Renting a car
- Taking the bus
- Taking the shuttle Van
Table of Contents
By bus
There are two options for the bus:
- Get a bus to the bus terminal and catch the bus there
- Catch a bus at the airport (less route possible)
The transfer bus to the bus terminal cost 400 pesos each. Once in the bus terminal you could catch a bus to El Chalten. The cost of a single ticket varies between 800 to 1300 pesos. We found one at 4:30pm that cost 1300 pesos. Making the journey cost 1700 pesos.
Some buses also stop at the airport bus. The duration of the trip is 2h45min as there is 215km to cover.
Here is the timetable of the buses:
- 08h00: Cal-Tur, Chaltén Travel
- 08h00: TAQSA (Airport 08h30)
- 12h30: TAQSA (Airport 12h50)
- 13h30: Cal-Tur, Chaltén Travel
- 16h30: TAQSA (Airport 17h30)
- 18h00: Cal-Tur, Chaltén Travel
- 21h00: Chaltén Travel
For more information check: https://elchalten.com/v4/en/busses-to-el-chalten.php
The shuttle Van
It’s the option we used. We landed at 2pm and once out of the luggage claim area, we saw a shuttle service called “Lengas”. We asked there and they had a departure at 2:30pm or 4:30pm to El Chalten.
The cost for one-way ticket is 2400 pesos and 3500 pesos. It’s a door to door transfer and we found this solution quite easy.
Also, 3500 pesos both ways make it 1750 pesos one way. We opted for this option and got the 2:30pm Van to El Chalten (This way we also didn’t have to wait the bus 3h and the cost is similar).
And got right away the return from El Chalten to El Calafate at 7:30am (9:00am, 10:00am also available) in order to have time in El Calafate to go to Perito Moreno the same day.
The return ticket can be changed up to 24h before departure for free by simply texting them on Whatsapp.
Our journey was:
- 2:30pm: left from El Calafate Airport
- 3:55pm: 15min break at Leona hostel
- 5:30pm: stop 10km from El Chalten for a panoramic view of the landscape
- 5:45pm: arrival at our hostel
It was a comfortable ride, in an 18-seaters Van. The view along the trip is gorgeous and we saw lots of vicuna on the side of the road and sometime on the road.
“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca
Where to stay in El Chalten
- Budget: Lo de Guille
- Mid-Range: Complejo “Nahuel Pan “
- Luxurious: Destino Sur Hotel & Spa de Montaña
