The famous Patagonia region of Argentina has some amazing hiking trails, but the very best would have to be the day hike to Mount Fitz Roy and the Laguna De Los Tres!
This entire trek is full of great scenery, and at the end you get to see a spectacular blue glacier lake called Laguna De Los Tres, which sits at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy, one of the most impressive and iconic peaks in South America.
The Fitz Roy hike is a challenge, with plenty of distance and elevation gain, but most hikers will still find it very doable. And even if you don’t go all the way to the lakes, you can still get amazing pictures of the mountains from the Fitz Roy Mirador (viewpoint) after only a moderate amount of hiking from the town of El Chalten.
This travel guide will explain how to do the Laguna De Los Tres hike, what to bring, best time to visit, how to get to El Chalten, and everything else you need to know before you go!
Fitz Roy Quick Facts*
- Distance: 22 kilometers (14 miles) return
- Elevation Gain: 1,050 meters (3,445 feet)
- Ending Elevation: 1,175 meters (3,850 feet)
- Duration: 7 – 9 hours return
- Difficulty: Moderate / Hard
*These stats are for the full hike to the lake of Laguna De Los Tres from El Chalten. The Mirador (viewpoint) is shorter and easier.
Where Is Mount Fitz Roy Located?
The Mount Fitz Roy hike is located directly by the small town of El Chalten, in Argentina’s famous Patagonia region.
El Chalten has comfy hotels and restaurants for tourists, but it’s a very small town, so you can easily reach the starting point for this hike from any part of town.
How To Get To El Chalten
There’s no airport in El Chalten, so the closest airport for this hike is the small international one in El Calafate (FTE), which has direct flights from Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Ushuaia, and other places.
The flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate takes about 3 hours and it’s offered by multiple airlines, with pretty reasonable prices. There are two airports in Buenos Aires (AEP or EZE) and you can use either of them to fly here. You can shop for flights to Argentina on Skyscanner.
Once you arrive in El Calafate, it’s a 3 hour drive to El Chalten. You can get there with a bus, private shuttle, or rental car. The bus service is offered by multiple companies with regular departures.
If you’re short on time, there are also day tours from El Calafate to Laguna De Los Tres (more on that below).