# FitzRoyHikePatagonia.com - Hiking Mount Fitz Roy from El Chaltén: Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Capri, seasons and tours

> Independent guide to hiking below Monte Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén, 3,405 m) from El Chaltén, in the northern sector
> of Los Glaciares National Park, Santa Cruz, Argentina: the Laguna de los Tres trail, Laguna Capri, the Río Eléctrico
> start, difficulty, seasons, getting there from El Calafate, and the tours sold on GetYourGuide compared honestly.
> Independent of the national park, the town and every tour operator.

Site: https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com
Languages: English (root), French (/fr/), German (/de/), Spanish (/es/), Italian (/it/). Country: Argentina.
The site prints no prices by design; check the live price on each listing and park fees on the official APN website.

## Verified facts (checked 30 September 2026; APN trail brochure and pages, elchalten.com, Wikipedia, local press)

- Monte Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén): 3,405 m (the figure on the national parks' map), on the Argentina-Chile border. Tehuelche name Chaltén, 'smoking mountain', for the cloud around its summit. Named by Francisco P. Moreno on 2 March 1877 after Robert FitzRoy, captain of HMS Beagle. First ascent 2 February 1952 by Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone.
- The summit is technical alpine rock and ice climbing; climbers must register with the national park. Hikers reach Laguna de los Tres at the foot of the walls, around 1,170 m.
- Laguna de los Tres hike: starts on foot at the north end of El Chaltén (about 400 m). About 20 to 25 km round trip, 8 to 9 hours, about 750 m net climb (closer to 900 m total ascent). The last section from Poincenot and the Río Blanco is about 400 m of climbing in roughly 1 km on loose rock, a little over an hour. The park rates it medium to high difficulty.
- Stages one way from town (APN): Laguna Capri about 4 km / 1 h 45; Poincenot about 8 km / 2 h 45; Laguna de los Tres about 10 km / 4 h.
- Alternative start: Hostería El Pilar / Río Eléctrico, about 15 km north of town on RP41, via the Piedras Blancas glacier viewpoint.
- Campsites: Laguna Capri, Poincenot (Fitz Roy trail) and De Agostini (Laguna Torre trail); reservation required through the Asociación Amigos del Parque; there is no campsite at Laguna de los Tres.
- Park access: the national parks agency (APN) has charged an access ticket for the El Chaltén trails in the main season since October 2024, sold online (ventaweb.apn.gob.ar); the portals close for winter. Dogs, drones, fires and bikes are not allowed. No mobile signal on the trails. Emergencies: 911.
- Other hikes: Laguna Torre about 18 km round trip, 6 to 8 h; Mirador de los Cóndores about 1 km from the visitor centre; Loma del Pliegue Tumbado about 20 km, about 1,000 m of climbing; Chorrillo del Salto waterfall, flat.
- Seasons: best November to March; April autumn colour; May to September winter terrain (the park asks for crampons and poles). About 16 h of daylight at the December solstice, about 8 h in June. Summer highs in town mid to high teens C.
- El Chaltén: founded 12 October 1985, Argentina's National Trekking Capital; about 215 km (around 3 hours) from El Calafate, whose airport (FTE) is the nearest.

## Bookable tours listed on this site

Ratings are GetYourGuide figures at the last build.

- Laguna de los Tres Guided Trek (Pickup in El Calafate) - 10 hours, rated 4.9 from 7 GetYourGuide reviews, non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/chalten-full-day-trekking-laguna-de-los-tres-experience-t770415/
- Laguna Capri Hike & Picnic (Pickup in El Calafate) - 13 hours, rated 4.9 from 24 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/el-chalten-capri-hike-with-guide-and-patagonian-picnic-from-el-calafate-t1159747/
- El Chaltén Full-Day Tour (Hotel pickup in El Calafate) - 11 hours, rated 4.4 from 1,025 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/from-el-calafate-full-day-hiking-tour-to-el-chalten-t233572/
- Laguna de los Tres via Río Eléctrico (Pickup in El Calafate) - 16 hours, new listing, no reviews yet, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/el-chalten-laguna-de-los-tres-trek-from-el-calafate-t1352569/
- Fitz Roy Sunrise Night Trek (El Chaltén) - Overnight, new listing, no reviews yet, non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/chalten-night-trekking-fitz-roy-sunrise-experience-t1280930/
- Private El Chaltén Day Trip (Pickup in El Calafate) - 10 hours, rated 5.0 from 14 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/explore-el-chalten-in-a-day-private-tour-t1249387/
- Private Car to El Chaltén (Pickup in El Calafate) - 15 hours, rated 4.4 from 13 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/el-chalten-full-day-from-el-calafate-private-car-for-groups-t609051/
- Condor Lookout & Waterfall Day (Hotel pickup in El Calafate) - 11 hours, rated 4.5 from 80 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/discover-el-chalten-hike-to-condor-lookout-falls-t226531/
- El Chaltén Day & Short Hike (Hotel pickup in El Calafate) - 11 hours, rated 4.6 from 91 GetYourGuide reviews, non-refundable. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/full-day-tour-to-el-chalten-t37933/
- Río de las Vueltas Kayak (El Chaltén) - 5 hours, rated 4.9 from 8 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-chalten-l2367/chalten-kayak-rio-de-las-vueltas-t724048/
- Perito Moreno Glacier Day (Hotel pickup in El Calafate) - 8 hours, rated 4.7 from 2,754 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/el-calafate-perito-moreno-glacier-optional-boat-trip-t231537/
- Perito Moreno Mini Trekking (El Calafate) - 4.5 to 10 hours, rated 4.7 from 25 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/el-calafate-l544/mini-trekking-hike-on-the-perito-moreno-glacier-with-crampons-t1266941/

## Guide pages on this site

- https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com/guides/difficulty/ - How hard the Fitz Roy hike to Laguna de los Tres really is: distance, climb, the steep last hour, fitness, altitude, easier hikes and what to carry.
- https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com/guides/laguna-de-los-tres/ - The Laguna de los Tres trail from El Chaltén, stage by stage: where it starts, how long it takes, Laguna Capri, the El Pilar start, camps and tickets.
- https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com/guides/el-chalten/ - Fitz Roy from El Calafate or El Chaltén: the distance, how to get there, what each day tour really reaches, how many days to stay and what else to do.
- https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com/guides/best-time/ - When to hike Fitz Roy: November to March for long days and clear trails, April for autumn colour, winter with crampons, plus wind, cloud and temperatures.
- https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com/guides/torres-del-paine/ - Fitz Roy or Torres del Paine: day hikes from El Chaltén versus the W Trek in Chile, how the two compare, how to combine them and what else not to miss.
- https://fitzroyhikepatagonia.com/guides/climbing/ - Climbing Fitz Roy is technical alpine climbing; hiking to its base at Laguna de los Tres is a long day walk. Height, first ascent, history and how each works.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- Most tours sold as 'El Chaltén' or 'Fitz Roy' tours are day trips from El Calafate with short walks (Condor viewpoint, Chorrillo del Salto); they do not reach Laguna de los Tres. Only two GetYourGuide tours go all the way.
- The El Chaltén trails are not costless: the national park charges an access ticket in the main season.
- Hiking to Laguna de los Tres is not climbing Fitz Roy; the summit is technical alpine climbing.
- The height is 3,405 m on the national parks' map; 3,359 m appears only on some commercial listings.
- There is no campsite at Laguna de los Tres.
- Altitude sickness is not a concern on the hike (highest point around 1,170 m).

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage. Park fees, trail rules and season dates change; verify close to your date with the national park (APN) and its visitor centre in El Chaltén.