9-Day Patagonia Tour: El Calafate, El Chalten and Puerto Natales

Beautiful landscapes

We had a lovely trip. Everything was well-organized and the hotels we stayed at were all excellent (superior category). The breakfast was included every day and was very good. Our included day excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier was spectacular and we felt we had sufficient time to really see it. Our full-day tour of Torres del Paine was also fantastic. This is mostly a van tour with stops. There's a little bit of walking, no hiking. Take note that there is a lot packed in this Patagonia tour, which meant for us that there was not as much time at each place as we would have liked. It's all detailed in the description, so we knew that before booking. But sometimes it's hard to really know until you're on the tour, which is why I'm sharing here. Another thing to take into account is that the travel between El Calafate and Puerto Natales is a very long bus ride, with two border controls which just add more time to the trip. It could be that it's the only way to travel between the two places, but be prepared for a lot of sitting.

Response from the operator: Hello, Thanks for taking the time to share such a thoughtful review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the overall journey, the accommodations, and the key highlights along the way. It is also helpful that you mention the pace and the longer travel days, as Patagonia itineraries do involve covering large distances, which is outlined in advance but can feel different once on the road. We appreciate you sharing this perspective, as it can be very useful for future travelers planning a similar experience. Best regards

via Viator

Things to know before you book!

This is the perfect option for people that just want to hit the highlights of Patagonia and don’t want to be involved in all the extra planning it takes. The hotels were good and the buffet had a lot of options but overall felt like some of the extra stuff we paid for was way too expensive. We paid for the most expensive option for the booking because we wanted to splurge but realistically that only got us a king bed at every hotel, nothing more. No bigger room etc. El Calafate was great and amazing - we ended up doing the mini trekking and definitely recommend it. One of those types of bucket list items you can’t find anywhere else and everything was professional, secure, beautiful and well organized. I know a few other websites had this tour cheaper FYI. Would also recommend taking a boat tour to see the other glaciers - very high quality and worth it especially if you have never seen glaciers. We wished we had a bit more time in El Chalten because there are so many hikes to do and don’t forget your trip is very dependent on the weather! We couldn’t do the Tres Laguna hike during our time because it was raining and completely cloudy. I would recommend you pick your trails ahead of time. Please note the pictures in this posting are not views you will see unless you do the hikes yourselves!! It is a bit misleading in my opinion. Puerto Natales was very different - it is a city and there are tons of places to eat, things to do etc. The tour you do here is great but you are in a car all day and they take you to different points (no real hiking involved). Tour guide was great and everyone was very friendly in Chile. Hotel comments: Hotel Alto Calafate - nice hotel, a little far from downtown but they (as well as many other hotels) have a free transfer service to downtown once an hour in the afternoon-nighttime. The staff is SUPER friendly but one thing I did notice was that the hotel felt humid throughout (from the pool on the ground floor) and a little bit run down in certain places. I did expect a little bit more from this place but it was good overall. The Chalten Suites was next and was very well located and is the biggest hotel in the town. They helped us plan some activities while we were there and had a better brunch than Alto Calafate. Hotel Costaustralis was last and was absolutely gorgeous and our favorite. Located near the water it was beautiful and the hotel was really nice. Best breakfast here and very friendly.

Response from the operator: Hi! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and thoughtful review. We're glad to hear that your trip through Patagonia was enjoyable and that the overall coordination, accommodations, and excursions contributed to a positive experience. We appreciate your feedback regarding the “superior” package. This option is designed to prioritize comfort and location, but we understand how expectations can vary between properties, and your comments help us continue refining the experience. El Chaltén is indeed a place with much to explore, and while we aim to design itineraries that balance variety and feasibility across destinations, we understand the desire to stay longer once you're surrounded by its landscapes—especially when weather conditions can be unpredictable. Regarding the photos, they were all taken at locations included in the itinerary. However, as you noted, accessing some of those viewpoints requires doing the hikes, so we always recommend reviewing the activity descriptions to match each traveler's expectations and style. Thank you again for choosing us and for your recommendations to future visitors! Kind regards

via Tripadvisor

Spectacular Trip

Just returned from this fantastic trip organised by Say Hueque. Patagonia is a spectacular region with fantastic national parks and wildlife. The guides we had for the day trips in Perito Moreno and Torres del Paine were excellent. Great knowledge, very interesting & spoke perfect English. Accommodation in El Chalten & El Calafate was superb although Puerto Natales was a bit below standard although we did book late and so missed out on our preferred choices. All three towns were really pleasant and very safe. Wrap up well though because the wind can be biting! From our initial contact and organising the tour right through to the end Say Hueque were very efficient and made this tour a highlight of our South American trip

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Paid for ‘superior’ and only received ‘comfort’. Chile addition not worth it for the extensive extra travel.

Perito Moreno superb, El Chalten great. Hotels not the standard that Viator checked before we booked and promised us. Transfers and tour for the Glaciar v good. Public bus to Chile took over 7 hours with only a 30 min delay at the border. Before you book with Say Heuque- check every component is what you want or expect. Our complaint on day 1 met with the response ‘we pick our hotels for service rather than stars’. That is commendable unless you are missing a swimming pool, decent sized hotel room, king sized bed.

via Tripadvisor

Easy arrangement for patagonia travelers

Great arrangement and prompt reply from customer service. There is breakfast for every hostel we stayed. Sufficient enough time to visit around el calafate, el chalten and puerto natales. I chose the medium price accommodation and stayed in Koi Aiken (el calafate), pudu lodge (el chalten) and Darwin hotel (purrto natales).

via Viator