El Calafate, located in the heart of Argentina’s Patagonia, is the perfect base for discovering some of the world’s most breathtaking glaciers starting with the infamous Perito Moreno glacier. The town itself is small but charming, full of cozy cafés, artisan shops, and that unmistakable Patagonian vibe. It feels like a little mountain town, where you can still enjoy a good parilla (steak).

Traveling here with a young child might sound challenging, but it turned out to be easy and a very rewarding stop for our Patagonia trip.

The restaurants are pretty expensive, but we found one that we absolutely loved, so I truly recommend it: El Gaita Pizza Bar

Traveling through Patagonia with a toddler might seem intimidating, but El Calafate is actually a very manageable destination for families. Distances are reasonable, infrastructure is good, and most activities can be adapted.

Our daughter handled the travel days surprisingly well, especially the bus rides, which were comfortable and smooth. We made sure to keep a relaxed pace, include snack breaks, and not overpack the itinerary. And also we made quick park stops every time that we could.

👉 The key here is: don’t rush — Patagonia is best enjoyed slowly anyway.

TRIP OVERVIEW

We spent a total of six nights in Patagonia, split between El Calafate and El Chaltén. Our itinerary was:

• 2 nights in El Calafate to see Perito Moreno
• 2 nights in El Chalten to do the Fitz Roy trekking
• 1 night in El Calafate, before heading to Puerto Natales, Chile

TRANSPORTATION

There are only two direct flights that are serving this airport, one coming from Buenos Aires and the other one coming from Ushuaia. From the airport, we took an official taxi that was in front of the airport which took us to our hotel.

There’s also the bus option, with multiple companies running daily routes. You can easily reach El Calafate from places like El Chaltén, Puerto Natales, and Río Gallegos, and even from Buenos Aires, but this route requires a connection in Río Gallegos and is quite long (36 hours).

From Ushuaia, we flew with Flybondi to El Calafate. From there, we took a roundtrip bus to El Chaltén (about $38 per person, one way, 2h40), which was very comfortable. We also traveled from El Calafate to Puerto Natales by bus (around $38 per person for a roughly 6-hour journey, including the border crossing).

ACCOMODATION

There are plenty of accommodation options in El Calafate, ranging from very cheap hostel dorms to luxury hotels, mirroring the variety of travelers you’ll find here, from backpackers to retirees.

We chose something in between, El Calafate Hostel, with a 8.7 score on Booking.com and a great location. We had a double room with breakfast included, at 75€ per night. The staff were incredibly helpful, they arranged a taxi for us when we needed one and even kept our luggage safe for two days while we went to El Chaltén.

GLACIER PERITO MORENO

And the reason why we came to Patagonia (drums please 🥁)… the glacier Perito Moreno.

The glacier is situated 80km away from El Calafate, in the national park Los Glaciares. It is approximately 30 km long, 5 km wide, with a height of about 74 meters above the water surface. Unlike most glaciers, it is stable and often advances at a rate of up to 2 meters daily.

There are 4 ways to get there:

1. By bus ($50 roundtrip) – but you have a fixed schedule
2. By private car – more expensive usually, but it makes sense if you are a group
3. Renting a car
4. Booking a tour (around $60)

Once you arrive at the entrance of the National Park, no matter how you choose to go, you must pay an entrance fee of $45 per person.

There are several things that you can do once you arrive there. Our choice was only to walk the 4km of trails right in front of the Glacier, being able to see it from different viewpoints. The lower trails are best for hearing the ice crack and watching calving events up close (which one cannot imagine how that can make you feel – humbled by nature).

The walkways are extremely well designed, safe, and easy to navigate, even with a small child. We did the full 4 km of trails with our 3-year-old, taking breaks to admire the landscape and give her time as well, and it never felt overwhelming.

What surprised us most was how engaging it was for her – waiting for the ice to crack, hearing the loud sounds of the glacier, and spotting chunks falling into the water turned into a real experience, not just sightseeing. It’s one of those rare places that truly works for both adults and kids at the same time.

The other options:

• Trekking on the ice – not suitable for kids
• Boat tours – great for kids

It is more than impressive to be able to witness nature at its finest.

OTHER ACTIVITIES FROM EL CALAFATE

First one that comes to my mind is “go to El Chalten”, but except that, there are various other activities worth considering:

• Visit Laguna Nimez Reserve – a peaceful nature reserve perfect for birdwatching and an easy walk, also suitable with kids
• Take a boat trip on Lago Argentino to see other glaciers like Upsala or Spegazzini
• Explore a traditional Patagonian estancia – we found this option too expensive given the prices in AG right now
• Visit the Glaciarium (Glacier Museum) to better understand how these massive ice fields are formed

COST

TIPS (with kids):

• Clothes – bring layers, many layers
• Shoes – the best are good trekking waterproof shoes (everything is expensive in the town)
• Bring snacks and water to Perito Moreno
• Photography – use the official photographs from the site, they are really doing a great job
• Don’t plan too much in a day – the glacier is sufficient

CONCLUSION

Visiting Perito Moreno Glacier was one of those experiences that stays with you — not just because of how impressive it is (and it is!!!), but because we got to share it as a family.

Seeing it through our child’s eyes made it even more special… slower, simpler, and somehow more meaningful. And if there’s one thing this trip proved, it’s that places like Patagonia are absolutely possible with kids.