How to Get From El Calafate Airport to the City

Different transportation alternatives to get from El Calafate airport to the city, where the hotels are located.

If there is a magical place in Patagonia where you can contemplate the imposing masses of ice, the high white walls of the glaciers and the huge icebergs floating on the lake, it is in El Calafate.

🔝 Read this article about things to do in El Calafate.

The Perito Moreno glacier is the symbol of the place, but there are also other wonders of nature that cannot be missed, such as the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers, large Patagonian estancias such as Cristina and many others trekking that can be done in El Chaltén , located 200 kilometers from El Calafate.

📷 Book here the excursion to the Perito Moreno glacier , the walk above the glacier and the boat trip to see the Spegazzini and Upsala glaciers .

El Calafate International Airport is located 21 kilometers from the city center, the place where the accommodations are concentrated and which serves as a base for different excursions in the surroundings.

At the moment, there is no public transport between the airport and the center, so the options on how to get from El Calafate airport to the city are the following:

Go from El Calafate airport to the city by transfer

Private or shared transfers are the best option to get to El Calafate from the airport. You can book by indicating the date and time of arrival of your flight and they will wait for you and carry out the transfer to the door of the hotel you have reserved.

📷 Book here the transfer from El Calafate airport to your hotel .

Go by minibus from the airport to the city

Minibuses are available at El Calafate airport. They have 19 seats and room for suitcases and even bicycles and skis. They have immediate departure upon arrival of each flight and leave you directly at your hotel. The company Ves Patagonia is in charge of the service.

🏨 Do you want to find the best hotel or cabin? In this article we recommend where to sleep in El Calafate .

Transfer by taxi or remis

A comfortable way to go from El Calafate airport to the city is by remis or taxi . The Taxi Condor company has immediate departures at each flight arrival. It is convenient if there are three or four people , since the transfer will surely be cheaper than doing it in a shared transfer.

You can check the prices of the remis service from here .

Rent a car at El Calafate airport

The last and convenient option in case you want to move around the city and its surroundings is to rent a car . There are several rental offices at the airport.

Likewise, you have to consider that you will not be able to access many of the excursions to do in El Calafate by car, but you will have to hire it separately, as is the case of the walk on the glacier or navigation on the lake. Yes, the car will allow you to reach the entrance to the walkways of the Perito Moreno glacier from the city center.

🚗 Search here for the best car rental prices; and travel at your own pace!

How to go from El Calafate to El Chalten

The Taqsa company is the one who makes the route from the bus terminal and the airport of El Calafate to El Chaltén . It has three daily services that leave at 8, 12:30 and 7:00 p.m. from the El Calafate bus terminal, makes a stop at the airport to pick up people and then ends in El Chaltén . It takes about two and a half hours to make the journey from El Calafate to El Chaltén.

Depending on what time your flight arrives at El Calafate airport, it will be convenient or not to choose this option, since the waiting time can be too long. In addition, in high season places tend to fill up quickly, so even if you want to book in advance you may not find a place.

One of the best options to go from El Calafate to El Chaltén is by reserving a transfer , which can be shared or private. In this way, reporting the arrival time of the flight, they are waiting for you for the departure to El Chaltén.

📷 Book here the transfer from El Calafate airport to El Chaltén .