Sailing
6+ hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$300
per adult
Estancia Cristina
Estancia Cristina
4.5
4WD, ATV & Off-Road ToursFishing Charters & ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Located on the Northwest shore of the Argentine Lake on the far of Cristiana’s arm, Estancia Cristina is located in a unique corner in Los Glaciares National Park. Founded in 1941 by Joseph P. Masters and his wife, this stunning place still maintains its essence, keeping the history of this family alive, that with great effort and perseverance, made this lonely and inhospitable place a small paradise a home. This full day program grants alternatives to those who prefer a quiet afternoon of walk and history as well as those who are into adventure with trekking and 4x4 wheel drive rides.
El Calafate, Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Estancia Cristina
Adventure Tours
6+ hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$657
per adult
Full-day Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$499
per adult
Travellers talk about
(61 reviews)
(13 reviews)
(7 reviews)
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4.5
2,424 reviews
Excellent
1,564
Very good
619
Average
150
Poor
55
Terrible
36
Cordelia D
32 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
This was a really special place, 5* purely on the location. It’s in the middle of nowhere and you can completely relax, the staff are great, the rooms are basic but beautiful and the breakfast is good. They could benefit from upgrading dinner, perhaps having less options but more excitingly executed like big bbqs for everyone as it did become a little monotonous after four days and a couple of times we had to send our food back as it hadn’t been cooked or was still cold, but it would be v difficult to get ppl to work there as it is far away from El calafate and it really didn’t impact our ultimate enjoyment of one of the most beautiful places we have ever been
Written 14 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meral P
Chicago21 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
It was a nice day on the lake and the mini-hike to the glacier view point. However, it was too
much time and money to have a far, far away view of the glacier. Also did not appreciate the guides explaining stuff for 10 minutes in Spanish and 1 minute in English.. Seems to be the general approach in the area: charge the same (probably higher) fee to non-Spanish speakers but provide much less service.
much time and money to have a far, far away view of the glacier. Also did not appreciate the guides explaining stuff for 10 minutes in Spanish and 1 minute in English.. Seems to be the general approach in the area: charge the same (probably higher) fee to non-Spanish speakers but provide much less service.
Written 24 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gaby Franhan
Sao Paulo, SP857 contributions
This visit was really an incredible experience! Everybody should visit this place!
The first part is amazingly itself, with the boat going through the ice. Then, the amazing view with the 4x4 and little trekking to see the Upsala Glacier!
Then, the lunch with amazing food and service. The staff is great!
The tour at the museum and the place outside is really really amazing!
I would like to have a compliment for Brenda, an amazing guide that don’t miss any detail!
The first part is amazingly itself, with the boat going through the ice. Then, the amazing view with the 4x4 and little trekking to see the Upsala Glacier!
Then, the lunch with amazing food and service. The staff is great!
The tour at the museum and the place outside is really really amazing!
I would like to have a compliment for Brenda, an amazing guide that don’t miss any detail!
Written 10 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Desiree S
5 contributions
A well organized & informative tour. Starting with the collection from our hotel, the information shared on the drive to the port, the boat trip across and our time at the estancia. The guides were informative, professional & engaging. The meal was hearty & very tasting. Just to be aware that you do not see the glacier or any part there of on the Clsssic Tour option.
Written 26 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TS55
Coulsdon, UK20 contributions
Jan 2023 • Friends
This was an amazing trip. We sailed up the Upsala channel of Lake Argentino where we saw huge icebergs . We then arrived at Estancia Cristina . We had a lovely guide Augustine who took us trekking to the beautiful falls with amazing views. Lunch was delicious and the tour of the ranch was very interesting .
Well worth it
Well worth it
Written 15 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vijayasree A
3 contributions
Dec 2022
If there is one activity that summed up the whole experience of patagonia for us it was the day we spent visiting Estancia Cristina. The upfront close up encounter of the iceberg was the highlight of our trip!. The beautiful rainbow that accompanied us throughout the sail up to the preserve was a predictor of beautiful the day was going to be! We chose the classic option of hiking to water falls once on the preserve and we were treated to the best views of the entire aerial view of the area from the high vantage point. It was followed by Lunch in the restaurant, who whipped up this incredible vegetarian/ vegan meal at moments notice. Overall the day was magical!
Written 7 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
allplanetsearch
Menlo Park, CA221 contributions
Dec 2022
We did the boat tour to Estancia Cristina, followed by the 4x4 drive to the vista point, lunch, and tour of the local family museum. We liked it, but didn't love it. Here is our experience - your mileage may vary!
* Boat trip: it takes a bit over 2 hours from the dock to the farm on the way there.
There are gorgeous icebergs on the lake as you sail along, and the boat goes slowly to allow for pictures. The same ride on the way back was closer to 1.5hours. Boat is comfortable, mostly with indoor spaces to watch the view from behind the glass. Bathrooms on board (very clean on the way out, not so much on the way back), coffee and croissants available.
* 4x4 ride: once on the other side, groups are split by activity type (you're given a color-coded bracelet..). We had the 4x4 excursion, and were happy that we were assigned to do the trip before lunch vs. after it. The 4x4 are minibuses retrofitted with 4x4 suspension and roll bars. It's small, stuffy, and bumpy, going uphill non-stop for about one hour (not something I'd like to do on a full stomach!).
Once at the top, you walk about 20min to a gorgeous vista point. When we were there, the wind was very, very, very strong, which made it for a tough and cold walk. We were told that those conditions are quite common during the Summer. At the top of the hill, you get an expansive view of the glaciers around. We spent about 10-20min at the top and then had to move back to the minibus as a group. Tip: dress warmly!
Finally, you descend the same hill back to the flats, for about another hour. No bathrooms available throughout this whole part of the adventure.
* Lunch: Lunch was a set menu, with farm-like food and local wine. It was tasty and relaxing. We wished we could have hung out a bit more and chilled after lunch.
* Tour: After lunch, we were ushered to tour the family museum on the property. It is interesting enough, but the tour was long and crowded with over 15-20 people circling one of the guides that delivered the information somewhat mechanically.
And then it was back to the boat.
It is a LONG day in a large, organized tour following a tight schedule. The main highlight being the view from the top of the 4x4 ride. Definitely beautiful, but the cost-benefit equation may have been a bit off for our party.
* Boat trip: it takes a bit over 2 hours from the dock to the farm on the way there.
There are gorgeous icebergs on the lake as you sail along, and the boat goes slowly to allow for pictures. The same ride on the way back was closer to 1.5hours. Boat is comfortable, mostly with indoor spaces to watch the view from behind the glass. Bathrooms on board (very clean on the way out, not so much on the way back), coffee and croissants available.
* 4x4 ride: once on the other side, groups are split by activity type (you're given a color-coded bracelet..). We had the 4x4 excursion, and were happy that we were assigned to do the trip before lunch vs. after it. The 4x4 are minibuses retrofitted with 4x4 suspension and roll bars. It's small, stuffy, and bumpy, going uphill non-stop for about one hour (not something I'd like to do on a full stomach!).
Once at the top, you walk about 20min to a gorgeous vista point. When we were there, the wind was very, very, very strong, which made it for a tough and cold walk. We were told that those conditions are quite common during the Summer. At the top of the hill, you get an expansive view of the glaciers around. We spent about 10-20min at the top and then had to move back to the minibus as a group. Tip: dress warmly!
Finally, you descend the same hill back to the flats, for about another hour. No bathrooms available throughout this whole part of the adventure.
* Lunch: Lunch was a set menu, with farm-like food and local wine. It was tasty and relaxing. We wished we could have hung out a bit more and chilled after lunch.
* Tour: After lunch, we were ushered to tour the family museum on the property. It is interesting enough, but the tour was long and crowded with over 15-20 people circling one of the guides that delivered the information somewhat mechanically.
And then it was back to the boat.
It is a LONG day in a large, organized tour following a tight schedule. The main highlight being the view from the top of the 4x4 ride. Definitely beautiful, but the cost-benefit equation may have been a bit off for our party.
Written 6 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
charlotteaccounts
Cheshire185 contributions
What an amazing place , if you can afford it stay the night, the boat trip was amazing if you stay you are in the vip area, staff excellent, place wonderful, food excellent ( breakfast just slow and needs some work), very special ,we horse rode in the rain!, you must do 4wd to glacier, view one of the most amazing ever seen in life, we then walked back 14km quite challenging but so special , condors amazing views and scenery, guides amazing so supportive and brought coffee and tea and cakes, one night is enough to do everything, very windy and weather changeable but a life experience, the history is amazing , just 6 staying when we were there lovely Americans we all ate together as such lovely people , fabulous experience
Written 19 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VivaPatagonia
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience at Estancia Cristina! It is fabulous you loved the place and everything on our proposal!
Thanks for recommending us!
Estancia Cristina team
Written 22 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Aditi M
4 contributions
Nov 2022 • Solo
I cannot recommend doing this activity more. It has been one of my favourite hikes! The staff at Estancia Christina are truly amazing, I had an incredible time here to do the Fossil Canyon Expedition. It was a one of a kind experience and my guide Augostina was very knowledgeable and excellent company during my trek through the canyon.
The bus that came to pick me up from El Calafate was very much on time. We went to Puerto Bandera where we were out on a boat to head to the estancia. The boat ride is so incredible, the captain and crew do their best to make you feel comfortable and they take you as close as possible to the icebergs. There’s also a slight detour to see the Upsala glacier whilst on the boat.
They give you a band and a very well detailed set of instructions on the boat. When I got off I was welcomed by my tour guide. I seemed to have been the only one for the hike on the day, so it felt very personalized. My guide Augostina did a fantastic job making me feel welcome and took me down the canyon at a very good pace. I was offered hiking poles before we embarked on our 14km hike, which was so thoughtful. The hike in itself was incredible - the canyon is so full of colours and you get to see the upsala glacier from many angles at the beginning of the hike too. The whole canyon is covered in fossils and so stunning. I didn’t want to add too many photos as to ruin the delightful surprise that is the whole canyon.
Additionally, hats off to the chef. I got a lovely veggie sandwich (grilled veggies, cream cheese, cheese and some lovely seasoning), a brownie (so fresh), a piece of fruit and a large water bottle that was neatly packed for my lunch in the canyon. The food was absolutely delicious!
If you’re thinking about doing this activity, just do it! It’s a one of a kind opportunity. I haven’t been able to experience this anywhere else but here!
The bus that came to pick me up from El Calafate was very much on time. We went to Puerto Bandera where we were out on a boat to head to the estancia. The boat ride is so incredible, the captain and crew do their best to make you feel comfortable and they take you as close as possible to the icebergs. There’s also a slight detour to see the Upsala glacier whilst on the boat.
They give you a band and a very well detailed set of instructions on the boat. When I got off I was welcomed by my tour guide. I seemed to have been the only one for the hike on the day, so it felt very personalized. My guide Augostina did a fantastic job making me feel welcome and took me down the canyon at a very good pace. I was offered hiking poles before we embarked on our 14km hike, which was so thoughtful. The hike in itself was incredible - the canyon is so full of colours and you get to see the upsala glacier from many angles at the beginning of the hike too. The whole canyon is covered in fossils and so stunning. I didn’t want to add too many photos as to ruin the delightful surprise that is the whole canyon.
Additionally, hats off to the chef. I got a lovely veggie sandwich (grilled veggies, cream cheese, cheese and some lovely seasoning), a brownie (so fresh), a piece of fruit and a large water bottle that was neatly packed for my lunch in the canyon. The food was absolutely delicious!
If you’re thinking about doing this activity, just do it! It’s a one of a kind opportunity. I haven’t been able to experience this anywhere else but here!
Written 14 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot for your great review, and for sharing it with other visitors!
It is fantastic to know you´ve had an unforgettable experience at Estancia Cristina
Kind regards
Estancia Cristina team
Written 22 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Antony D
London, UK26 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
This your advertises as a journey up the river, then a 4x4 adventure in the national Forrest stopping at view points, and finding out about the history. In reality, the journey by boat does take you to the icebergs with some great views. However, when you get to land to go to the rain Forrest, if you are in a big group, they put you in a cramped mini bus (converted 4x4 chassis with a cramped minibus on top). You have limited view, and they don’t stop and tell you about things and have view points, they just make their way to one main view (which is a fantastic view). The converted mini bus has an off centre of balance, so I would question its safety. Once at the top after an uncomfortable drive, you walk to the view point, spend 15 minutes there, walk back and then another uncomfortable hour coming down for lunch. After a good lunch, you do the strangest walking tour leading about the family - showing you a house and a water wheel! The guide did not bother waiting until the group was at a point before explaining about it, so most of the group missed any information. The guides were poor - no information about landscape changes, volcanic history, etc. after the walking tour, back on the boat to go back to port. Only do this trip if you want to see the icebergs from the water, spend hours travelling to a single viewpoint, and have a good lunch. Otherwise, give it a miss…
Written 25 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good afternoon Mr Antony D
Thanks a lot for taking the time to share your experience with other visitors and of course with us, even though it was not what you expected.
It is a shame you did not enjoyed the tour, we know it can happen (fortunately it does not happen often), but we need to minimize it so, all our visitors could have the best experience ever.
To be totally frank, the vehicles are specially adapted to the terrain, they are tested and are 100% safe. The roads do not help to make the trip smooth, but is part of a Patagonian range crossing.
As per the Historic tour, I must admit the family history trapped most of the visitors, considering the location, the natural conditions, weather, distances, how could they settle down and make that place their home, it is really unbelievable. But experiences are totally personal and individual, and maybe our guide doesn´t transmit our soul to you properly. We will work on that and maybe, next time in the area, we can receive you again and make you change your mind about Estancia Cristina!
Kind regards
Estancia Cristina team
Written 22 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hola, estare viajando con mi novia en febrero 2022, que me recomienda del tour?. Que previsiones debo tomar? vale la pena?
PatriciaVeiga
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil3 contributions
alguém já usou a agencia DESCUBRA TURISMO, algum apontamento importante?
SergioCunha
Rio de Janeiro, RJ75 contributions
Boa tarde a todos!
Irei para El Calafate em 27/2/20 e gostaria de esclarecer algumas dúvidas?
- 3 dias em El Calafate é o suficiente para conhecer as atrações?
- Farei o mini trekking no glaciar perito moreno, será necessário fazer o passeio "passarelas" e "safári náutico", ou será repetitivo ou já inclui no mini trekking?
- O passeio a estancia cristina com a vista para upsala é independente ou é complementar de outro passeio?
- Pretendo ir de carro a El Chalten e Torree del Paine, alguma informação sobre esses lugares?
Grato,
Sérgio Ricardo.
SergioCunha
Rio de Janeiro, RJ75 contributions
Ótimo!
GBH01
London, UK22 contributions
Hi I am looking for a tour to do the glacial and trecking happy to do different day can you please advise
Grant R
Los Angeles, CA75 contributions
Not sure I understand your question. If you’re staying at Estancia Cristina, you can do a great (but long) hike that ends up with a great tour of the glaciers on a very large boat. Great place!!!
Fabi M
6 contributions
Boa tarde!
Alguém saberia me dizer quanto tempo dura o percurso de barco nesse passeio da Estancia Cristina?
Não sou muito fã de barco, mas queria muito ir!!
É tranquilo ou balança muito?
Jet59490435855
Sao Paulo, SP1 contribution
Olá!
O trajeto é longo, mas muito bonito.
Eu não recordo do barco ter balançado muito. Apenas venta bastante, porém a embarcação possuía uma área interna para se proteger do frio.
Wilson
Fabi M
6 contributions
Boa tarde! Alguém saberia me dizer quando tempo ficamos no baco nesse passeio? Não sou muito fã de barco, mas queria muito ir!! É tranquilo ou balança muito?
gabialima
67 contributions
O barco é grande, mas o passeio é longo . Não me lembro bem quantas horas mas cerca de 1 hora e meia . Não balança muito não e não vi ninguém passando mal. Eu acho que vale
stefano
6 contributions
Buongiorno, sto organizzando il mio viaggio per Novembre e sarò un paio di giorni a El Calafate.
Un giorno verrà dedicato interamente al Pepito Moreno e il secondo giorno vorrei fare l'escursione a Estancia Cristina e Upsala.
Per quanto riguarda il primo giorno opterei per prendere il pulman di prima mattina e tornare di sera.
É possibile prendere il biglietto direttamente al terminal dei pulman il giorno prima?
Mentre x l'escursione a Estancia Cristina e Upsala è meglio prenotare su internet o direttamente al El Calafate in un'agenzia?
Se si x internet quale opzione sarebbe meglio?
Grazie
Commercial Department
El Calafate, Argentina2 contributions
Buongiorno
In realtà via Internet o per posta sarebbe lo stesso, solo che raccomandiamo l'antecedence per garantire i luagares. Dipenderà dalla data del mese di novembre, per sapere quanto sia complessa l'occupazione, ma ti suggeriamo di prenotare con il tempo. Sul nostro sito è possibile prenotare ma con pagamento immediato, ma un'altra opzione è via email e verificare con l'ufficio prenotazioni.
Grazie e ti stiamo aspettando
Heather C
Denver, CO99 contributions
Does Estancia Cristina offer tours of any kind FROM El Chalten? We will not be staying in Calafate, therefore don't want to drive there to begin the tour.
chrismb2016
Winchester, UK37 contributions
It is 3 hrs 30 from El Chalten to El Calafate and a further 30 minutes to Puerto Bandero for the boat to the Estancia, so a day trip from El Chalten would be unlikely.
sh319
Boston, MA11 contributions
Should lodge guests book excursions in advance of arrival? We will be staying for 2 nights in November, and the websitr recommends that overnight guests book their excursions in advance, but the hotel staff I’ve been emailing with said we would arrange our excursions once we got there. With such a short time there, we want to make sure we get to do the activities we’d like. Thanks!
KarinP63
Sydney, Australia369 contributions
We stayed 2 nights and had no problem booking the excursions we wanted. However, if you know which excursions you want to do you could let them know. We wanted to go on an extra horse ride which they arranged for us. The service was fantastic. Enjoy!
Kate L
3 contributions
Hello - What time does the afternoon boat return to El Calafate? Would we be able to make an 8 pm flight to Mendoza? Thank yoy.
Commercial Department
El Calafate, Argentina2 contributions
The Day Tripper boat arrives at El Calagate at 8:30pm so, not possible to catch the flithg. If you are lodged at Estancia, special boat for guests arrives at El Calafate at 6pm, so, it is possible to get the flight at 8pm.!!! Regards.