Getting in

• El Calafate Airport: Take the direct El Calafate–El Chaltén coach from the airport counters; the intercity buses stop here specifically to collect Chaltén passengers. It is about 3 hours over roughly 222 km. Buy the next available departure at the airport rather than paying for a private transfer; fares move with Argentina’s inflation, so confirm the AR$ price at the counter. Avoid Taqsa/Marga if you have a choice: recent traveler reporting flags older, poorly ventilated buses.
• El Calafate bus terminal: Use a scheduled El Calafate–El Chaltén coach: about 3 hours. Typical departures are morning, early afternoon and evening, varying by operator and season. This is the sensible link if you have already overnighted in El Calafate; do not treat a day return from there as a substitute for staying in El Chaltén.
• El Chaltén bus terminal / town entrance: There is no airport and no rail service in El Chaltén. From the bus drop-off, most lodging in the compact centre is walkable; use a pre-arranged accommodation pickup only if you have heavy luggage or are staying out of town.