Guides & Tour Operators in El Chaltén

The main difference is that guides focus on personalized accompaniment and hands-on experience in the field -they are individually licensed people-, while a travel agency acts as a commercial organizer and intermediary -it can be a legal entity-, offering broader services that include bookings, transport and coordination.

If you're doing a classic day trek -Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Torre, etc.- and want to save money or have a more personal experience, hiring a licensed guide directly works very well. If you'd rather have everything handled for you, want more backup, or are planning something more complex -several days with camping, less-traveled areas-, a company or agency will give you more peace of mind. Either way, always make sure the guide is licensed: that's what really matters for your safety and for the activity to be permitted within the National Park.

Yes. Today you can directly and perfectly legally hire a guide licensed by National Parks, or a small provider -even a single person-, for a half-day, full-day or camping trek. The 2025 deregulation of the activity allowed many guides and small operators to offer their services without needing to be a formal travel agency.

The most important thing is to confirm the guide is licensed by the National Parks Administration -ask for their credential or registration number- and that they carry civil liability insurance. It's also worth asking exactly what the price includes -just the guide's services, or also gear, food, transport, tents, etc.- and who's responsible if something unexpected happens, like a weather cancellation or an accident.

Under Decree 70/2023 (DNU 70/2023), the mandatory national registries for travel agencies and hotels were eliminated, and Decree 216/2025 amended the National Tourism Law so that the State limits itself to promotion, no longer planning, subsidizing or intervening in the development of the sector.

Resolutions 61/2025 and 62/2025 of the National Parks Administration are currently in force. They simplified permits, digitized the process, and eliminated the exclusivities and monopolies that existed before, allowing more operators to offer activities.

Not for all of them. Current regulations relaxed the requirement for guides in low-risk activities, although it remains in place for more complex or higher-risk ones, and many local providers still offer them for safety and quality.

To open up competition, remove bureaucratic barriers and lower prices, allowing more companies and guides to operate freely and more visitors to access these experiences -as happened with the well-known case of Perito Moreno Glacier.

On argentina.gob.ar -news and regulations section-, in the Boletín Oficial (Argentina's official gazette), and in the National Parks Administration's resolutions, especially 61/2025 and 62/2025 and their updates.