El Calafate Glacier Tours

For most travelers, the Glaciers Gourmet Experience full-day cruise operated by Cruceros Marpatag. It runs 8 hours from La Soledad Port at ~$235 per person, covers scenery around Spegazzini, Heim, Seco, Upsala and Bertacchi Glaciers plus the northern face of Perito Moreno, includes a stop at Puesto Las Vacas and lunch on board, and holds a 4.8/5 rating from 351 reviews. If your budget is tighter, the classic 8-hour Perito Moreno day trip at ~$69 covers the famous boardwalks instead, and if you want to walk on the ice, the trekking and cruise tour at ~$399 is the only option that puts crampons on your feet.

Starting prices on this page run from ~$69 to ~$399 per person. The classic Perito Moreno day trip begins at ~$69, the full-day Glaciers Gourmet cruise at ~$235, and the Perito Moreno trekking and cruise tour at ~$399. These are indicative starting rates that change with season, departure date and the specific option selected. On top of the tour price, every visitor pays the Los Glaciares National Park entrance fee separately.

Two different ports serve two different kinds of trip, and mixing them up is the single most common travel-day mistake here. La Soledad Port and Puerto Bandera, northwest of town, serve the long catamaran cruises toward Upsala, Spegazzini and the northern glaciers — this is where the Glaciers Gourmet Experience boards. Bajo de las Sombras, near the Perito Moreno access road roughly 1.5 hours from town, serves the short crossings and the ice trekking tours. Check which port your voucher names, because they are about an hour apart and not interchangeable.

No. None of the three tours includes park admission. It is paid separately, either at the port, at the park gate, or in advance through Argentina's official National Parks booking system. The fee is set in Argentine pesos at a non-resident rate that is revised seasonally, so confirm the current amount close to your travel date and carry a payment method that works in Argentina.

It depends on the glacier. On the Glaciers Gourmet Experience, the vessel offers close panoramic sightseeing around Seco, Heim and Spegazzini, but it is explicitly not permitted to approach Upsala and Bertacchi Glaciers closely — those are viewed across ice-filled water from a distance. The short cruises from Bajo de las Sombras and the optional one-hour add-on on the classic day trip bring you nearer to the Perito Moreno face at water level, which is the best way to appreciate the roughly 60-metre height of the ice wall.

Only on the Glaciers Gourmet Experience, where lunch is either a four-course gourmet menu or a lunchbox depending on the option booked. The classic Perito Moreno day trip and the trekking and cruise tour do not include food or drinks, so most experienced visitors buy lunch in El Calafate the evening before. The cafeteria inside the park exists but has long queues and high prices, and the time spent waiting comes directly out of your boardwalk time.

The Glaciers Gourmet Experience is a full sailing day of about 8 hours including lunch and the Puesto Las Vacas stop. The classic Perito Moreno day trip also runs 8 hours door to door, but most of that is the round-trip drive plus roughly three hours at the glacier, with the boat cruise being an optional extra of about one hour. The trekking and cruise tour is listed at 5 hours, of which about an hour is spent walking on the ice and roughly 30 minutes sailing each way.

The cruises are the family-friendly choice. The Glaciers Gourmet Experience has indoor seating, four outdoor decks and a recreation area for children, and suits couples, families and travelers who prefer sightseeing to strenuous activity. The boardwalk day trip is similarly accessible, though it involves a lot of stairs and walking. The glacier trekking tour is the restricted one: fitness and age limits apply and it is generally unsuitable for young children, pregnant travelers, wheelchair users and people with heart, respiratory or mobility conditions.

Often, but nobody can guarantee it. Perito Moreno sheds ice year-round and most visitors hear several collapses during a few hours at the glacier, and see at least one. You usually hear it first — a crack that carries across the water like distant thunder — and then scan for the splash. The trick is to settle at one viewpoint and watch patiently instead of moving constantly between platforms, because the ice never falls where the cameras are already pointed.

Bring a passport or ID card, comfortable shoes and comfortable clothing, plus a windproof outer layer, gloves and a hat in any month — the air coming off the ice is cold even in midsummer and you will spend most of the day on an open deck. Sunglasses and sunscreen matter too, since glare off ice and water is strong. Pets and drones are not allowed on board. For the trekking tour, closed sturdy shoes with ankle support are essential because crampons cannot be fitted to soft trainers.

The main Patagonian season runs from November to March, with the longest daylight, the mildest conditions and the fullest departure schedules; December and January are the busiest and sell out earliest. October and April are quieter shoulder months with lower prices and softer light, at the cost of shorter days and less predictable weather. Winter sailings are spectacular under snow but some services reduce their schedules, so confirm departures before booking flights.

Occasionally, and wind is almost always the reason rather than rain or cold. Lago Argentino can become rough quickly when Patagonian gusts build, and operators will delay or cancel sailings for safety. This is the strongest argument for booking your glacier day early in your stay rather than on your final morning — it leaves room to rebook. It is also why you should never schedule a tour on your arrival day, since flights into El Calafate are themselves regularly delayed by wind.

All three tours on this page offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and the Glaciers Gourmet Experience also offers a reserve-now-pay-later option. Exact terms are set by each provider and differ by tour, option and date, so always confirm the policy displayed at checkout before paying. All bookings, payments, changes, refunds and customer support are handled directly by the tour operator or booking platform, not by this site.

Yes, particularly between December and February. The Glaciers Gourmet Experience is flagged as likely to sell out, and the trekking tour runs limited daily capacity because of guide-to-guest ratios on the ice. Booking one to three weeks ahead is sensible in high season; for the trek in January, earlier is better. With free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure on all three, booking early carries little risk and protects you from arriving to find only the least convenient departure times left.