El Calafate Private Tours: Drivers, Guides and Day Trips

Perito Moreno with a private driver

The seven-and-a-half-hour programme collects you from your El Calafate hotel in a private vehicle with a driver and returns you afterwards. It includes approximately three hours of free time at the glacier walkways. Scenic stops along the road depend on timing and conditions. This is a transport-led visit for a party that wants to use the included free time independently.

The group price is USD 330 for up to four people. At four people that is USD 82.50 each; at two it is USD 165 each. National park entry, boat navigation, food and drinks are extra. The included staff role is a driver. The glacier guide to visiting Perito Moreno Glacier helps with destination planning, while this choice settles the private road journey from your hotel.

El Chaltén with a guide and a short waterfall walk

The eight-hour El Chaltén and Chorrillo del Salto outing starts with private return transfers from your hotel. A specialised guide working in Spanish, English or Portuguese, free time in El Chaltén and a short hike to Chorrillo del Salto are included. Lunch, drinks and snacks are extra. The day suits a party looking for a village visit and a specified short walk rather than a long mountain trekking objective.

The group price is USD 475 for up to four people, equivalent to USD 118.75 each with four travelling or USD 237.50 each with two. The duration describes the entire outing, including transport. The El Chaltén day-trip page explains the distinction between sightseeing with short walks and trekking programmes. Choose the waterfall outing for the activities actually included, rather than treating every El Chaltén tour as the same hike.

El Chaltén vehicle with an optional guide

The ten-hour El Chaltén option includes a private return vehicle from El Calafate, onboard Wi-Fi and trekking poles. A bilingual guide is included only in the version with a guide. The national park fee, a meal and tips are extra. This is a useful distinction for a party deciding whether it wants its own transport alone or a guided version of the day.

The starting group price is USD 529 for up to three people. With three travelling, that is approximately USD 176.33 each; with two, USD 264.50 each. The guide option can change the selected package, so the starting group figure should stay attached to the advertised base offer. Trekking poles are an included item, while the choice of guided activity belongs to the version selected. A private vehicle alone does not name a particular long-distance mountain trail.

Exclusive Viedma transport and a separate boat ticket

The Viedma option provides an exclusive return vehicle from El Calafate, onboard Wi-Fi and trekking poles. Its stated programme length is ten to eleven hours. A bilingual guide belongs only to the corresponding option. The national park fee and the Viedma Glacier navigation ticket are extra. It suits a party organising the land connection while treating navigation as a separate purchase.

At USD 610 per group for up to three people, the transport starts at approximately USD 203.33 each with three people, or USD 305 each with two. The exclusive road journey provides access to the starting arrangements; the separate boat ticket supplies the navigation activity. For a comparison with a complete lake outing, use the Lago Argentino cruise page and compare both the destination and the services involved.

Private tour or small group?

All USD starting-price comparisons on this page refer to November 2026. The group price is divided by the stated number of travellers, with approximate amounts rounded to cents. For comparison, the shared guided Perito Moreno outing starts at USD 51 per person. It includes a guide and the walkway visit, with the boat dependent on the option and admission and food extra. Even at four people, the private driver’s USD 82.50 each is a higher transport choice; the shared guided outing suits travellers whose priority is price and interpretation.

The guided Fitz Roy and Laguna Capri trek starts at USD 180 per person, while the Laguna de los Tres trek starts at USD 258. The latter’s El Calafate departure is Option A, including return transport and a boxed lunch. These are hiking programmes, so compare them with a private offer by activity as well as by cost. A waterfall visit and a demanding trek do different jobs even when their per-person figures are close.

Choose a small-group activity when the specified guide and trail match your plans and you do not need an exclusive vehicle. Choose private transport when keeping your party together on the road is worth the group cost. For all four private programmes, check the selected guide option, meeting arrangements and participation requirements before booking.

Outdoor conditions remain part of a private day

An exclusive vehicle still travels through Patagonia’s changing conditions. Wind and sudden weather changes can disrupt glacier, boat and kayak outings, including cancellations. Bring warm waterproof clothing and suitable footwear. In Los Glaciares, pets and drones are prohibited, wildlife must not be fed and rubbish must be carried out. Stay off frozen lagoons. Private transport does not change the park’s protection rules or turn an included viewpoint visit into an ice activity.

Questions before you go