El Calafate: What We Did, Where We Ate, and What I'd Add With Another Day
I'll be honest, we gave El Calafate whatever time was left over. One night before the glacier, one night before the bus to Chile, and the vlog chapter called "Exploring the town" only happened on our very last evening, because, as I admitted on camera, "we didn't really explore it too much last time." And still, walking in that evening, I was calling it "a really cool town," and in my glacier tips on TikTok I'd already told everyone to add a day or two here, because "the town is stunning"!
So this isn't a list of 23 things to do in El Calafate. It's what two short stays in the town were actually like in January 2026: where we ate and what it cost each, what we did with one evening, how cash and taxis work, and the four things I'd add with another day, clearly marked as things we didn't do. If you're planning the whole region, my Patagonia planning guide has the full route.
El Calafate, My Quick Answer
Short answer is: El Calafate is the gateway town for the Perito Moreno glacier, and the town itself is genuinely lovely and much bigger than I thought. Give it two nights rather than one, have breakfast at Calafate Coffee Roasters, eat at Maki Go after the glacier, carry some cash, and save one evening for dulce de leche ice cream and a Patagonia pint.
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| My answer | |
|---|---|
| What it's like | A bit like Queenstown, and much bigger than I thought |
| How long | Two nights at least, three for an ice trek |
| The one thing | The Perito Moreno glacier, about 90 minutes' drive away |
| Best coffee | Calafate Coffee Roasters |
| Best meal | Maki Go, after the glacier |
| Getting in | The airport shuttle desk, A$14 each |
| Money | Carry cash: no Uber, cash-only taxis and cash discounts |
What El Calafate Is Actually Like
The first thing to know is how far south it is. On the way in from the airport I zoomed the map out on my phone to show Antarctica, and honestly, it "looks like you could swim"! The second thing is the town itself, which has "a bit of a Queenstown feel to it when you're down in the town," and it's "actually a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be." If you've been to Queenstown in New Zealand, picture the same mix of a busy main street, outdoor shops and tour offices, just with dry hills instead of ski fields.
On our last night it was a Friday and everyone was out and about. There are "plenty of cafes", and there are a lot of gyms too, so, as I said walking past them, "you can train if you want." I know there's lots of hiking around here, but if you like a session while you travel, you'll be fine.
It also feels like a town that's set up for people coming and going. The buses to El Chaltén and into Chile leave from the terminal just outside the centre, and Daniel's planning note for El Calafate summed it up: "Start here, buses go from here."
Where We Ate in El Calafate
We cooked a lot of our meals, because Patagonia isn't cheap to eat out in, but the places we did go to were all really good. Prices below are per person, January 2026.
Calafate Coffee Roasters
This was our first stop off the plane, and I'd send everyone here! They roast the coffee "right in front of us," with the whole roasting set-up in the room, and the coffee comes straight off the roaster. The avocado on toast "didn't look very good," and then it somehow tasted really good!
Our flight landed early and we couldn't check in until 2pm, so we sat here and did some work while we waited. It's close to where the airport shuttle drops you, which makes it perfect for an early arrival. Breakfast came to A$23.36 each.
Maki Go, the Japanese restaurant after the glacier
After the glacier, our driver brought us back into town and we went to Maki Go. In the vlog I called it a "must visit Japanese restaurant," and I said it again on TikTok months later: "If you're here, you must go." There was a chicken curry with lentils in it (I'd never had a chicken curry with lentils before), a chicken don and a pork don, and all of it was so good!
The honest bit: it isn't cheap. As I said at the table, "Keep in mind, guys, the prices are higher. This is probably double the price it would normally be somewhere else, maybe, but it's really yummy."
Mexican street food by the bus terminal
When we got back from El Chaltén we were starving, and Mexico Street Food was right next to the bus station, so we walked straight in. Daniel had a chicken burrito and I had chicken nachos, because I hadn't had nachos in so long. The corn chips were very yellow, and "that meat is amazing"! If you're arriving by bus hungry, it's right there.
Cooking for ourselves
Daniel's planning note for El Calafate literally says "Buy food all here," and he was right! Our first grocery shop was A$27 for the two of us, for two steaks, bananas, apples, pumpkin, sweet potato, eggs and rice crackers, and it fed us for the rest of the day. On our last night we cooked steak and veg before heading out for dessert, for A$13.92 each.
Things We Did in El Calafate
We had one proper evening in town, the night after El Chaltén, and this is how we spent it.
Stickers. Time for stickers, obviously! There was a "World's End" one I loved, and our little haul came to A$2.87 each.
The weekend market and the rainbow steps. We stumbled across a little market down a lane under a big "Paseo de Artesanos" sign. I'm assuming it's a weekend market, because Daniel said it wasn't there before. At the back there's a set of rainbow stairs, and I'll be honest, I "thought they looked cooler from afar."
Dulce de leche ice cream. "We couldn't leave Argentina without getting ice cream because it truly is the best." We both got the same, dulce de leche with chocolate bonbons and a super chocolate, and then sprinkled dark chocolate flakes on top! Dessert came to A$9.21 each, and it was our last scoop in Argentina!
A Patagonia pint on a Friday night. We'd wanted to go to this bar before the ice cream, but it was so busy there were no seats. We walked past again afterwards, Daniel said that if there was a table he'd still have a drink, and there was one! We really wanted one of the Patagonia pints, "brewed in Patagonia," and Daniel kept the bottle cap with the little mountain on top. That was A$14.23 each.
The evening in town is in the vlog from 17:09: the stickers, the market, the rainbow steps, the ice cream and the pint.
The Perito Moreno Glacier From El Calafate
This is the reason almost everyone comes, and it was "easily one of the most incredible things that we have ever seen." We walked into a tour office in town on our first day and booked a private driver for only about $10 more than the shuttle, bought our park tickets online the night before (45,000 pesos, about A$47 each), and were in the park soon after it opened at 9am, before the tour buses started arriving around 11. The whole day, with the boat we skipped and the timing trick, is in my Perito Moreno glacier guide.
Cash, Taxis and Getting Around El Calafate
From the airport, look for the little shuttle desk as you come out. It was A$14 each to where we were staying, about 16 minutes into town.
No Uber. "We couldn't get an Uber. It's really hard to get them here. So, we've got in a taxi, which is cash only." A taxi from town to the bus terminal cost us A$6 each, and it's about a 15 minute walk if you don't have suitcases.
Carry some cash. To be fair, "everywhere takes Visa except for gym," but a lot of restaurants give a discount for cash, and so does the bus terminal: 15% off if you pay in US dollars and 10% off in pesos. We took out about A$100 each in pesos just in case. If you're juggling pesos and US dollars like we were, a Wise card makes the ATM and card side much simpler.
Leaving town. The bus to El Chaltén takes two and a half to three hours, and you can check El Calafate to El Chaltén buses here. The tickets, the boarding tax at window 9 and where to sit are all in El Calafate to El Chaltén by bus.
What I'd Add With Another Day in El Calafate
We didn't do anything in this section, and the reason is simple: we booked so late that we had one full day here, and the glacier filled it. If you've got a second day, these are the four things I'd look at first.
Walk on the glacier. This is the one I'd do first. "If we had had the time, we would have done the mini trek. We would have gone on the ice, but we didn't have the time." I also saw people kayaking near the glacier and thought that looked better than the boat. I've compared the boat, the ice trek, the kayak and the walkways in Perito Moreno glacier tours.
Laguna Nimez. A nature reserve with a walking trail and boardwalk right by town, which looks like an easy way to spend a slow morning without another long drive.
The Glaciarium. An ice museum all about the Patagonian glaciers. After standing in front of Perito Moreno and reading the signboard out loud on camera, I'd love to understand how the ice field actually works, and that's what this is for.
An estancia. A visit to one of the big Patagonian ranches around El Calafate. It's a side of Patagonia we didn't see at all on this trip.
If you'd like any of these organised, you can browse El Calafate tours and day trips here. Just keep in mind that for anything inside the national park, the park entry is usually separate.
Where to Stay in El Calafate
Stay in the centre if El Calafate is your base for the glacier, and near the bus terminal for a night before a bus out. We had an Airbnb of each kind, at A$40.78 and A$57.26 each per night, and I've compared the areas and checked the best-rated places in where to stay in El Calafate. These are the three I'd look at first.
Santa Monica Aparts
Rated 9.4 from 203 reviews on Booking, about 240 metres from the centre, with your own kitchen so you can cook like we did.
Patagonia Queen Hotel Boutique
Rated 9.5 from 470 reviews, about 800 metres from the centre. The treat option, and where we'd stay as a couple.
Folk Hostel
Rated 9.1 from 1,298 reviews, about 400 metres from the terminal. The easy pick for the night before a bus.
Still planning? Here is our complete Patagonia planning guide and how we did Perito Moreno.
FAQs About El Calafate
Is El Calafate worth visiting?
Yes. It's the base for the Perito Moreno glacier, which was one of the most incredible things we've ever seen, and the town itself has good coffee, great food and a busy main street. We only gave it one evening, and I'd give it more time than we did.
How many days do you need in El Calafate?
Two nights at least, so the glacier isn't squeezed in before a bus. Three if you want to walk on the ice or see Laguna Nimez and the Glaciarium.
What is there to do in El Calafate besides the glacier?
We had coffee at Calafate Coffee Roasters, ate at Maki Go, wandered the weekend market and the rainbow steps, had dulce de leche ice cream and a Patagonia pint. With another day I'd add an ice trek, Laguna Nimez, the Glaciarium and an estancia.
Do you need cash in El Calafate?
Yes, some. We couldn't get an Uber, the taxis were cash only, and many restaurants and the bus terminal give a discount for cash. Most other places took Visa.
How do you get from El Calafate airport to town?
Look for the small shuttle desk as you come out of arrivals. It was A$14 each in January 2026 and took about 16 minutes into town.
Is El Calafate expensive?
Eating out can be. Maki Go was probably double what we'd pay elsewhere, while our first grocery shop was A$27 for two. Our whole six nights in Patagonia are broken down in is Patagonia expensive.
Final Thoughts: Is El Calafate Worth More Than a Night?
It really is. We treated El Calafate as the place you pass through for the glacier, and one evening of ice cream, stickers and a Patagonia pint was enough to show me we'd got that wrong! Give it two nights, or three if you can, so you've got time for the glacier and a slow day in town. And if you want that second day planned before you land, here's where to browse El Calafate tours and day trips.
