Start your tour with a pickup from your centrally located El Calafate hotel. Relax into your air-conditioned coach or minivan and enjoy the views over the untouched landscapes on route to Walichu Caves.
After roughly 30 minutes, arrive at the ancient caves on the shores of Lake Argentino. Marvel at the spectacular milky-blue lake, and follow the trail (own expense) to gaze at the aeons-old rock paintings. Admire the recreated and authentic depictions of humans and animals, and learn from a local guide how they date back around 4,000 years to Paleolithic times and were probably originated created by pre-Tehuelche hunter-gatherers.
Next, drive back to El Calafate for a panoramic sightseeing tour. Drive past the early 20th-century buildings and homes built by its first settlers, as well as the main plaza, church and other landmarks as your guide details the town’s early beginnings.
Afterward, continue to Laguna Nimez, the beautiful nearby birdlife reserve. Stroll along the waterside and use the supplied binoculars to admire the flamingoes, swans and other birds on its waters.
Finish at the El Calafate Historical Intepretation Center. Explore this informative museum independently (own expense) and uncover the area’s history, wildlife and geology. See the bones of dinosaurs that roamed here millennia ago, and trace the formation of Patagonia’s glaciers and story of the Tehuelche peoples who lived here for centuries before the arrival of colonizers.
Either end your tour here to stay on at the museum cafe or souvenir shop, or finish your trip with a hotel drop-off.