Is El Chalten expensive to visit?
El Chalten is a smaller destination that draws visitors with a range of travel styles, spending habits, and budget preferences. Accommodation options range from budget-friendly hostels to mid-range hotels to high-end luxury properties.
If you choose to make it so, El Chalten can be very pricey, but you can reduce your expenses by looking for discounts and coupons.
On average, budget travelers spend $40 (AR$41,616) per day, mid-range travelers spend $92 (AR$95,433) per day, and luxury travelers spend around $178 (AR$184,320) per day. These costs are calculated from the expenses of previous travelers to El Chalten.
Within South America, El Chalten is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Torres del Paine National Park or Temuco.
For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is El Chalten Expensive?
How much money do I need for a trip to El Chalten?
The average El Chalten trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these El Chalten travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers. Also, you can see more details at How much does a trip to El Chalten cost?
Realistic Expectations for Your Travel Budget
It's important to have realistic expectations for your travel budget. While many people assume they can travel to El Chalten without spending much money, the reality is that most people are not comfortable traveling on an extremely low "shoestring" budget. Consider what you really enjoy doing when you are on vacation and how you've traveled in the past. Do you prefer resorts, vacation rentals, or hostels? Do you like to experience all of the activities, museums, and sights? Is dining out at delicious restaurants important to you? Your answers to these questions will affect your overall travel budget and itinerary.
Who Exactly is a Budget Traveler?
Although you may consider yourself a budget traveler, unless you're ready to cut out many creature comforts, you'll likely spend much more than the $40 per day that young budget travelers often get by on.
For backpackers, this tight budget typically involves staying in hostel dorms, eating at the cheapest eateries or fast food joints, using public transportation, and sticking to free attractions.
Fortunately, El Chalten has plenty of hostels such as La Comarca Hostel, Aylen-Aike Hostel, and Rancho Grande Hostel. At hostels like these, you can find cheap accommodation in a dorm as well as a social atmosphere, but with very little amenities.
Is Your Travel Style Average?
Couples and families traveling for leisure often prefer mid-range hotels, dine at popular eateries, and visit key museums and attractions that require an entry fee. Visitors to El Chalten typically prioritize the major attractions, museums, sights, and landmarks during their stay. It's important to remember that most activities will cost you money. Consequently, you should anticipate your daily budget to be closer to $92 per person, per day.
El Chalten boasts a wide array of hotels and vacation rentals. When traveling with others, you can share accommodations with a partner, friend, or children, thus reducing your expenses. Families should prioritize hotels and restaurants that are geared toward kids. Hosteria Kaulem is an excellent family-friendly option, while Hotel Poincenot is also superb. You can find additional family and couple-friendly hotels in our hotel guide for El Chalten here.
What Luxury Travel Looks Like
If you're used to premier amenities and elevated service, prepare to spend about $178 per day. Choosing comfortable hotels, dining at award-winning establishments, indulging in extravagant excursions, and relying on taxis or private drivers to explore the destination will demand a higher price range.
Accommodation Budget in El Chalten
El Chalten has a wide range of hotel prices. Luxury hotels come with higher price tags and better amenities, and prices are much steeper during peak season. On average, a room costs $106 in the off-season and averages $198 during peak season. Overall, you can expect prices from $56 to $422. Hostels, especially dorms, are cheaper alternatives. You can save by traveling in the low season, booking in advance, or looking for special offers.
Calculated from travelers like you
The average price paid in El Chalten for two people for a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $141 (AR$148,167). For one person sharing a room, the average price paid for a hotel room is $70 (AR$74,083) per night. These costs are from the reported spending of actual travelers.
Looking for a hotel in El Chalten? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.
The most affordable highest rated hotels in El Chalten include:
- Confin Patagonico starting at $95
- Destino Sur Hotel & Spa de Montana starting at $202
- Chalten Suites Hotel starting at $200
- Posada y Cabanas El Barranco starting at $71
- Hotel Lunajuim starting at $169
Traveling in the low or shoulder season (and not in ) means you'll enjoy lower accommodation prices and fewer tourists around.
Food Budget in El Chalten
Cuisine is one of the main reasons people travel, so don't miss out on the local fare.
Calculated from travelers like you
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While restaurant and meal prices in El Chalten can vary significantly, the average cost of food in El Chalten is $9.09 (AR$9,565) per day, per person, based on the spending habits of previous travelers.
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Food2
Meals for one day
$9.09
AR$9,565
When dining out, the average daily cost for food in El Chalten is around $9 (AR$9565) per person, with previous travelers spending from $4 to $19. Generally, breakfast and lunch cost less than dinner, but this will depend on the type of restaurant and what you order.
Typical meal prices in El Chalten are as follows:
- Breakfast: $1 to $3
- Lunch: $1 to $4
- Dinner: $3 to $6
- Coffee: $1
- Fast Food or Street Food: $1
El Chalten is famous for its cosy and rustic wooden eateries with seatings around a fire pit or a bar, ideal for post-trek drinks and where, during high season, you may find it hard to get a seat and could end up sharing a table with other travelers. Many restaurants offer yummy tapas and the rest of the menu is usually hearty Argentine dishes such as stews, steaks, Bife de Chorizo, trout, lamb, milanesas (a thin slice of meat covered in breadcrumbs and fried), which all need to be washed down with delicious Argentine wine. Look out for excellent value menu del dia (menu of the day) with generous portions that many restaurants offer at lunch-time. There is also a great amount of choice for vegetarians in El Chalten. Pasta, pizza, salads and other wonderful, wholesome, home-cooked foods are popular as well in the little town.
Countless hotels provide breakfast as part of your stay, but some will add it as an additional fee. The price and quality can change based on the hotel. Being informed ahead of time can aid in deciding whether to budget extra funds. You might enjoy the delightful buffet offered at the hotel, or perhaps a more economical option would be a nearby bakery or cafe.
Bring a water bottle along to avoid the need to buy drinks. It's also good for Mother Earth.
When planning your tour, don't forget to check what meals are included. You might have to pay for some of your own food, which could add to your expenses.
Sightseeing and Activities Budget in El Chalten
Calculated from travelers like you
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Sightseeing activities, entertainment, and entrance tickets in El Chalten typically cost an average of $38 (AR$39,934) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
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Entertainment1
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
$38
AR$39,934
Unlike the tourists of El Calafate, travellers who go to El Chalten are mostly hiking lovers and mountaineers, as the city is the starting point to many excursions around the Fitz Roy (3 441m) and the cerro Torre (3 138m). However you can also leave on a boat excursion on the Viedma glacier (USD$37 plus transport fee) with Patagonia Aventura. There are 1 to 2 excursions per day from October to April, departing from Bahia Tunel, about 18km away from El Chalten. While it is not as imposing as the Perito Moreno, the 30min navigation on the Viedma Lake towards the 40m tall glacier remains spectacular. Climbing is another famous activity in El Chalten. Many travel agencies offer climbing on ice excursions with experimented guides, on the Torre glacier as well as the Viedma glacier. You can also ask the agencies about their rock wall climbing excursions.
El Chalten, also known as the Capital of Trekking, offers various splendid hikes departing from the Centro de Visitantes del Parque Nacional. For those who wish to start with an easy hike to admire the region, Los Condores and Las Aguilas (2h return trip) provides a panoramic view on El Chalten as well as on the Viedma Lake and the surrounding steppe. Then if you are feeling adventurous, the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (8h return trip) is a medium level hike offering one of the most beautiful views of the region, with a spectacular panoramic point at 1490 m of altitude on the Viedma Lake, El Chalten's valley, the Grande Glaciar throwing itself in the Laguna Torre and the Fitz Roy. Other hikes depart at the north of the town, an easy 45 minutes walk to the Chorrillo del Salto waterfalls, the perfect spot to enjoy your picnic, is great for a relaxed afternoon. Otherwise, to get the best viewpoints on the Fitz Roy, the hike of medium difficulty to the Laguna Capri (3h-4h return trip) is a great option. Diverse varieties of ducks are found around the lagoon during summer. If you want to push yourself a little further, you may continue your hike towards the Laguna de Los Tres (8h-9h return trip) and you may even decide to stop for the night at the free camping site Poincenot or Río Blanco. You can also take a shuttle or your car to the Hosteria El Pilar from which you can reach the Poincenot camping more easily and quickly. You can then go up to the Laguna de Los Tres, and perhaps go back down by the original path if you wish to see a different panorama on the way back. Finally, do not mix up the hike of high difficulty to the Laguna Toro (7h to ascent, with an authorised camping site) for which you need to register at the Centro de Visitantes del Parque Nacional before leaving, with the Laguna Torre hike (6h-7h return trip), which departs from the center of El Chalten. Campamento de Agostini is a free camping site available near the Laguna Torre. For those in good physical condition, you can climb another 2km (about 1h) to reach the Mirador Maestri.
Local tours that last a few hours can be a great way to explore El Chalten. Prices vary by the type of activity or tour, the dates, and the size of the group. Here are a few of the highest rated tours by previous visitors:
- Rafting experience on the Rio de las Vueltas in Patagonia for $120 details
- Rio de las Vueltas Rafting Experience - El Chalten for $120 details
- 3 Hours Grilled Lamb Experience in Estancia Bonanza for $90 details