L'Heure du Voyage
🇦🇷 Itinerary · Argentina · 7 days

1-week Argentina itinerary 2026: Buenos Aires and glaciers

7 days in Argentina: Buenos Aires, El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier, El Chaltén. Day by day, with domestic flights, distances and costed budget.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

7 days

Stops

3 places

Average budget

€1,600-2,400

Total distance

~3,000 km

Profile

First time

Season

Nov-Mar

Buenos Aires 3d · El Calafate 2d · El Chaltén 2d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Argentina 1-week itinerary map: Buenos Aires, El Calafate, Perito Moreno, El Chaltén

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

7 days, day by day

1

~€80

Buenos Aires · Arrival & San Telmo

  • Morning Arrival at Ezeiza airport. Transfer to the centre.
  • Afternoon Rest off the jet lag, then San Telmo, cobbled streets and antique shops.
  • Evening First asado (Argentine grill) and a glass of malbec.
🛌 🛌 San Telmo or Palermo · e.g. Hotel Mine (3 nights)·🚇 Subte and walking·Argentina guide →
2

~€65

Buenos Aires · Recoleta & La Boca

  • Morning Recoleta cemetery (Evita's tomb), upscale district.
  • Afternoon La Boca, Caminito and its colourful houses.
  • Evening Tango show in a milonga.
3

~€70

Buenos Aires · Palermo & culture

  • Morning Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, Avenida 9 de Julio and the Obelisk.
  • Afternoon Palermo Soho, designer shops, parks and rose garden.
  • Evening Fine-dining dinner in Palermo Hollywood.
4

~€150

Buenos Aires → El Calafate · Patagonia

  • Morning Flight to El Calafate (3h, ~€120), gateway to the glaciers.
  • Afternoon Settle in, Nimez lagoon and its flamingos by Lake Argentino.
🛌 🛌 El Calafate · e.g. Hotel Posada Los Alamos (2 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight
5

~€90

El Calafate · Perito Moreno glacier

  • 8am Trip to the Perito Moreno glacier (1h30 drive), a 5 km, 60 m high ice front.
  • Day Walkways facing the glacier, ice blocks crashing into the lake. Optional ice mini-trek.
  • Evening Back to El Calafate, Patagonian lamb dinner.
6

~€85

El Calafate → El Chaltén · Trekking capital

  • Morning Drive to El Chaltén (3h, 215 km), a village at the foot of Fitz Roy.
  • Afternoon Hike the Mirador de los Cóndores and de las Águilas, valley views.
🛌 🛌 El Chaltén · e.g. Hostería El Pilar (1 night)·🚗 215 km, bus or car
7

Flight

El Chaltén · Laguna de los Tres & return

  • Morning Hike to Laguna de los Tres at the foot of Fitz Roy (8h round trip for the fit) or Laguna Capri (shorter).
  • Afternoon Back to El Calafate, flight to Buenos Aires then flight back to Paris.
🚗 + ✈️ flights

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€1,600

per person

  • ✈️ International return: €950
  • ✈️ Domestic BA-Calafate: €120
  • 🏨 Hostel: €35/night
  • 🥩 Canteens/asado: €18/day
  • 🎫 Glacier + bus: €120
Recommended

Comfort

€2,100

per person

  • ✈️ International return: €1,000
  • ✈️ Domestic flight: €130
  • 🏨 3★ hotel: €90/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €35/day
  • 🎫 Excursions + mini-trek: €250

Premium

€4,200

per person

  • ✈️ Business flight: €2,100
  • ✈️ Flexible domestic flights: €180
  • 🏨 Boutique hotels: €220/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €65/day
  • 🎫 Private tours + glacier cruise: €500

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

You're here

1 week

1 week

Buenos Aires and the Patagonian glaciers.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Buenos Aires, full Patagonia and Bariloche.

1 month

1 month

The grand tour: Patagonia, Iguazú, the North and vineyards.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

Argentina is vast: domestic flights are essential. This itinerary combines 1 Buenos Aires-El Calafate flight (3h, avoids 40h of bus) and the road to El Chaltén. Expect ~3,000 km total, mostly by plane.

✈️

Flight Buenos Aires → El Calafate

€120 · 3h · Aerolíneas Argentinas · avoids 40h of bus

🚗

Road El Calafate → El Chaltén

215 km · 3h · regular bus or rental car

🚌

Patagonia bus

Comfortable · El Calafate-El Chaltén several times daily

🚇

Subte (Buenos Aires)

Handy and cheap metro in the city

Adapt by season

Austral summer from November to March

Argentina is in the southern hemisphere: its summer runs from November to March, the ideal window for Patagonia (long days, open trails, accessible glacier). From December to February, El Chaltén and El Calafate buzz but book months ahead. In austral winter (June-August), Patagonia is cold, windy and some links slow down. Buenos Aires, further north, stays pleasant most of the year, stifling in January.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In January 2024 I watched a serac of Perito Moreno break off and crash into the lake with a thunderclap: everyone on the walkways gasped at once. Wait patiently facing the ice front, these collapses happen several times a day in summer.
  • • The domestic flight over the bus, saving almost 2 days.
  • • Sleeping a night in El Chaltén to start Laguna de los Tres early.
  • • Asado and malbec on the very first night in Buenos Aires.
  • • The glacier mini-trek, a memorable experience if your budget allows.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Book El Chaltén accommodation months ahead in austral summer (tiny village).
  • • Pack windproof layers, Patagonia is windy even in summer.
  • • Don't overload: 7 days barely covers these 3 stops.
  • • Leave a margin on domestic flights, prone to wind delays.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is one week enough for Argentina? +
For a first taste, yes: Buenos Aires and southern Patagonia (Perito Moreno, Fitz Roy). The country being huge, you focus on one region. To add Ushuaia and Bariloche, plan 2 weeks.
Do I need domestic flights? +
Essential. Buenos Aires-El Calafate is 2,700 km: that's 3h by plane (~€120) versus 40h by bus. Aerolíneas Argentinas and Flybondi serve Patagonia several times a day.
When is the best time to go? +
The austral summer, November to March: long days, open trails, accessible glacier. December-February is high season (book early). Austral winter (June-August) is cold and windy in Patagonia.
Is the Perito Moreno glacier worth it? +
Yes, it's one of the few glaciers in the world still in balance. Its 5 km wide, 60 m high front regularly calves into the lake. Walkways let you watch it up close, the mini-trek lets you walk on it.
Do I need a visa for Argentina? +
No for French citizens: no visa for tourist stays up to 90 days. Passport valid for the whole stay. No entry fee currently.
Is El Chaltén accessible to non-hikers? +
Yes: several viewpoints (Cóndores, Capri) are reached in 1-2h of easy walking, with fine Fitz Roy views. Laguna de los Tres (8h round trip) remains for seasoned walkers.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

Profile →