How to Visit Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: Best Tours & Tips

I honestly wasn’t expecting to be as amazed as I was, and we visited on a day with rain and crappy weather. But standing in front of a huge wall of blue-white ice and watching enormous chunks of glacier calve into the lake was an absolutely incredible experience.

And unlike many of Patagonia's most dramatic landscapes, you don't need to be an experienced hiker to see it. You can simply walk to the viewpoints and enjoy. This makes Perito Moreno Glacier one of the easiest, but major experiences to do in Patagonia.

If you’re heading there and need help planning I’m here to help you. You might be wondering if you should visit independently or take a tour? If the boat trip is worth paying extra for? How much time you need? And probably much more.

After visiting myself I created this guide that explains exactly how to visit Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate, including the different ways to experience it and which options I'd choose depending on how much time and money you have to spend.

What is Perito Moreno Glacier?

First, a small geographical clarification that can save you some confusion when planning your trip. Perito Moreno Glacier is located inside Los Glaciares National Park, not inside the separate Parque Nacional Perito Moreno. Those are two different national parks in the Santa Cruz province. The Perito Moreno Glacier is part of Los Glaciares National Park, whose southern sector is accessed from El Calafate.

The glacier itself is enormous. Its front is roughly 5 kilometres wide and around 60 metres high, with approximately 4 kilometres of public walkways and viewpoints providing different perspectives of the glacier. And unlike many glaciers around the world, Perito Moreno is famous for its spectacular and relatively accessible calving activity.

You can stand on the opposite side of the water and watch and hear huge pieces of ice breaking away from the glacier. This is of course no guarantee, but very likely. Especially if you spend enough time. Some are lucky and see it immediately, some have to wait for an hour. We saw it multiple times during our visit and it was such an extraordinary sight.

How far is Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate?

The glacier is approximately 80 km from El Calafate, and the journey takes roughly 1.5 hours depending on traffic, stops and your method of transport. The route follows paved roads towards Los Glaciares National Park.

The distance makes El Calafate the obvious base for visiting the glacier. The town has accommodation, restaurants, supermarkets, tour operators and transport connections, making it much easier to organise the rest of your Patagonia itinerary.

The town is charming, but I don’t recommend spending more than a couple of days here as there really isn’t so much else to do than visiting the glacier and the surrounding landscape.

If you’re planning on venturing further in to Patagonia and visit El Chaltén you’ll most likely fly in to El Calafate anyways so it’s a nice area to start or end your trip.

Best Hotels in El Calafate

Hotel Posada Los Alamos

This is one of the most established hotels in El Calafate and is particularly convenient if you want a more traditional full-service hotel. It's right in town and has spa facilities and an indoor pool, making it extra appealing after a cold day exploring Patagonia.

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Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate

This is a good option if you like the predictability of an established hotel brand but still want something with a Patagonian aesthetic. It's slightly removed from the busiest part of the centre, while still being within the main tourist area so it's just a short walk to all the restaurants.

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Calafate Parque Hotel

This hotel is a great pick if you want something close to the main tourist area. It's a good option if you're looking for a proper hotel rather than a hostel or apartment but don't necessarily want to pay luxury-hotel prices.

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How to get from El Calafate to Perito Moreno Glacier

Getting to Perito Moreno Glacier is relatively easy, it just depends on how much time you have and how much money you want to spend on it. I’ll go through the four realistic options below.

Take an organised tour

For most visitors, this is the absolute easiest option. A typical glacier excursion picks you up at your hotel in El Calafate and drives you to Los Glaciares National Park. You’ll get enough time to explore the various walkways and see the glacier from every angle before returning to town.

It’s easy because you don't have to worry about navigating, parking or figuring out the park's layout at all. You simply relax on the way and enjoy the view.

It's also particularly convenient if you want to combine the walkways with a boat trip or another activity as many of the tours have packages you can choose from.

The only downside is that you’re working on someone else’s timetable. Maybe you feel like you’ve seen everything you need to and want to leave, but cant, or want to see more but have to leave. There are always pros and cons.

If you decide to do a tour make sure to check carefully what they include. Some tours might appear more budget friendly but don’t include things like the national park entrance fee, meals or boat-ride. So pick one that has what you need.

Rent a car and drive to Perito Moreno

If you're already travelling around Patagonia by rental car, this is of course the easiest way to visit. The route from El Calafate to the glacier is straightforward and paved, and having your own vehicle means you can choose when to leave and how long to stay.

Parking here is easy and you’ll find plenty of signs for where to buy tickets and where to park. So there’s no need to stress about that part. The only thing to keep in mind is that the signal here isn't strong so I recommend downloading a map before you leave the city just in case you need it.

The only downside is that renting a car in El Calafate is relatively expensive. So if you’re not already renting a car to explore more of Patagonia it might actually not make sense financially to do it just here. However this might change and you can always compare rental car deals here and see if you get a good deal.

When I visited, the price for a rental car was almost the same as a personal driver so we ended up doing that instead so we didn’t have to spend time on picking up and delivering back a rental car.

Another thing worth noting is that most of the rental cars here are manual, so if you're not comfortable driving with a manual stick I would choose another option.

Take a bus to Perito Moreno

There are also regular bus services from El Calafate towards the glacier. However it’s important to know that these aren’t local and budget friednly busses, they are busses dedicated to tourists. So the prices can be quiet stiff. When I last checked it was around 50USD per person, so if you’re more than one person it might not be the cheapest option.

There are 4 companies operating at the moment:

• Cal Tour
• Chalten Travel
• Marga Taqsa
• Always Glaciers

They all have departures twice per day. The first departure around 8AM and the second departure around 1PM. Make sure to check the time schedules for updates as it might depend on the season.

Book your bus ticket in advance here

If you decide to visit Perito Moreno by bus, I recommend checking the updated schedules and book your tickets in advance.

Hire a private transfer to Perito Moreno

A private transfer or remis is another option, particularly if you're travelling as a couple, family or small group. It's a bit more expensive than public transport but it gives you more flexibility than a standard group excursion.

For a group travelling together it can sometimes be more budget friendly compared to renting a car. This is what we ended up doing because the price differance wasn’t so big when we visited and we didn’t know how long we wanted to stay there.

I have to say that we planned this very late so it might be more budget friendly to rent a car if you plan more in advance then we did.

We booked this driver and it was really nice and easy all day

Travel with peace of mind and get travel insurance before your trip.

I personally use SafetyWing and highly recommend it for every kind of trip. Check their prices & plans here.

What are the best ways to see Perito Moreno Glacier

The hardest part about planning a trip to Perito Moreno Glacier is to figure out how you actually want to see and experience it. There are so many different ways and all of them offer a new and exciting way to experience the glacier.

Use the walkways along the glacier

The one thing you cannot miss is the walkways. It’s not a simple and quick viewing platform, it’s a surprisingly huge network of trails and platforms that lets you see the glacier from different angles. I was honestly surprised at how close we got to the glacier and how stunning the views were.

In total there are about 4 km of path you can walk, all sections are fairly easy to walk, and there are also some alternatives for visitors with reduced mobility. If you need the path without stairs look for the purple coloured path.

At the entrance and around the paths you’ll find maps and signs guiding you in the right direction. There are multiple colour coded paths to take, some longer than others. My personal opinion is that the blue and orange coloured paths were the best ones.

The orange trail takes you to the best views and is of course therefor also the most crowded one. The blue one is also really nice and if you walk a bit further on it the crowds disappear. No matter where you go, you’ll find amazing views of the glacier and surrounding area.

I would set aside at least 2-3 hours to explore the walkways, and you could probably spend even more. The only reason we left was because it was raining and we started to get really cold. Otherwise I could’ve easily sat there longer waiting for more calving and exploring more of the trails.

Take a boat to get closer to the glacier

I personally think the views from the walkways were amazing enough, but if you have the budget for it, then taking a boat ride can be an amazing experience. You’ll get to see the glacier from an entirely different perspective. From the water, you’ll get much closer to the vertical ice wall and maybe see some more calving up close.

However, don’t think that you have to do this to get a good view of the glacier. You’ll get amazing views from the walkways so I only recommend adding a boat tour to those who don’t think the extra cost matters.

If you decide that you want a boat tour, I recommend booking you’re whole visit as a guided tour. This will make it cheaper and easier to navigate. If you want to do it this is the tour I would’ve booked.

If you’re unsure if you want to do the boat tour or not and you have a flexible schedule it might be possible to get a last minute spot. Maybe not during peak season though.

If you decide to book a last minute boat ride, head to the port called Puerto F.P Moreno which is located close to the main parking area and see if they have any available spots. There are usually 4-5 departures every day with the last one being around 4PM.

Best value for money tour to Perito Moreno

This is the best tour I could find that gives you the best value for your money if you want to both visit the walkway and do a boat ride.

Join a Kayak Tour to Perito Moreno

If you want something a bit more hands-on that also takes you closer to the glacier you can check out this kayak-tour. This need to be booked in advance and preferably quite some time in advance as spots are limited.

You’ll get all the gear you need to keep you both warm and dry for the tour that takes around 2 hours. You don’t need any previous experience so if you want to give it a try, do it. I think it sounds like so much fun.

Learn more about kayaking to Perito Moreno glacier

If you want to kayak to the glacier I recommend checking out this tour to see if it's something for you.

Do a Mini-trekking on the glacier

If you've come all the way to Patagonia and want to do something genuinely memorable, this is the experience I'd seriously consider. You'll be able to actually walk on the glacier for about 1,5 hours.

You need to book an organised tour in advance that takes you from El Calafate to Puerto Bajo de las Sombras, then you cross Lago Rico by boat and meet your mountain guides on the other side.

After a walk towards the glacier, you're fitted with crampons and safety equipment before you step onto the ice.

On the tour you have experienced guides showing you different formations in the ice such as crevasses, blue pools and other ice formations. You'll get to access areas of the glacier that few people have ever experienced.

If you enjoy hiking and you’re in relatively good shape I think this is a once in a lifetime experience. It sadly wasn't in our budget this time, I chose to spend my money on walking with penguins in Ushuaia instead, but hopefully I'll be able to come back and do it sometime, because it seems like an amazing experience.

Walk up to and touch the glacier

If you want to get as close to the glacier as possible, but walking on it either is too expensive or you’re not physically able to, this might be the perfect tour for you. It’s the perfect middle ground between a standard boat trip and full glacier trekking.

The excursion takes you across Lago Rico from Puerto Bajo de las Sombras, followed by a walk towards the glacier's southern face. You’ll have about 20 minutes on the boat followed by around 1,5 hours walking on natural terrain, including sand, rocks, slopes and stairs.

You don’t walk on the glacier, but you get so close to it that you can actually touch it. It’s perfect if you want something a bit more active than a boat ride, but don’t want anything as demanding as a trekking experience.

Book your tour to Perito Moreno in advance

If you don't want to hike on the glacier, but come as close as possible, this is the perfect tour to check out.

How much does it cost to visit Perito Moreno Glacier?

This is one area where you should double check the official information right before your trip because Argentine national park fees change. Check national park website for updated prices.

As of 1 June 2026, the fee for entering Los Glaciares National Park is ARS 50,000. There are reduced rates for Argentine nationals, provincial residents and eligible students. There is also a 50% discount if you want to visit the glacier for a second day within a 72-hour period.

How much you spend will of course depend on what you want to do here and how you get there. You can visit Perito Moreno as budget friendly as possible by taking the bus and only doing the walkways and still have an amazing time. If you add on various excursions the price will of course be higher, but you’ll get some amazing experiences for it.

Based on todays prices I think the minimum spend if you’re travelling alone will be around 100USD for entrance and buss ticket. If you add on various tours I would budget for at least 150-300USD per person depending on what tour you add on and how many people you can split the transport cost with if you get there on your own.

As stated earlier I do think that if you already know that you’re going to add on a boat trip or another excursion, it’s a better financial decision to book it all as a guided tour with pick-up than renting a car or driver in addition.

Looking for the perfect place to stay in El Calafate?

Browse the best hotels, guesthouses, and boutique stays on Hotels.com here.

When is the best time to visit Perito Moreno?

There's no single correct answer as Perito Moreno is open all year. And since it’s a glacier it will look stunning no matter what time of year you visit. However, there are some things like crowds and possibility for excursions to take into consideration.

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December to February

This is summer in Patagonia and generally the most popular time to visit Patagonia. You get long days and relatively favourable conditions for outdoor activities.

The only downside is that there will be more people and higher demand, so make sure to book your accommodation and activities well in advance.

March and April

The crowds start to thin and autumn colours can make the surrounding landscape spectacular. You’ll still have good opportunities for outdoor activities, although individual excursions can have seasonal operating periods. So make sure to check what you want to do and if it’s possible before booking.

May to August

Winter brings snow, shorter days and colder conditions. But if you don't mind the cold, the landscape can be extraordinary. I do have to say that I visited in February and I think that was very cold, so just be aware that it can get truly cold here during the winter time.

The biggest thing to check is which activities are operating during your dates. Many of the excursions don’t operate during winter months.

September to November

Spring is another excellent option. You get longer days and more activity without experiencing the peak summer crowds.

What should you wear to Perito Moreno Glacier?

This is Patagonia, so even if the forecast looks pleasant in El Calafate, conditions around the glacier can feel completely different.

Always make sure to bring:

• warm layers
• a windproof jacket
• waterproof outer layer
• comfortable walking shoes, preferably hiking shoes
• sunglasses
• sunscreen
• gloves
• hat or beanie
• water
• snacks

I highly recommend suitable trekking shoes for the walkways because some of the sections use metal grating and can be very slippery.

Don't make the mistake of dressing for the temperature in El Calafate. ALWAYS bring layers. You never know what the weather might change into. As I said we visited during the summer months and I had on all my warm clothes and was still cold due to the rain and wind.

How much time should you spend in El Calafate?

I'd recommend at least two nights, preferably three if you’re not in a rush. That way you can explore the glacier without stressing and also explore the cute city before moving on. Depending on what kind of experiences you want on the glacier you might need one or two days just for that, but if you plan on just seeing it once, walking the paths or maybe doing a boat ride you only need one full day and can leave El Calafate after two nights.

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Should you book a tour or go independently?

This really comes down to how you like to travel and how much you’re willing to spend. As I said earlier we decided to rent a driver for the day so we could spend as much time there as we wanted and for us that was the perfect day.

Go independently if:

• you're already renting a car in Patagonia
• you like travelling at your own pace
• you want to spend hours at the viewpoints
• you're comfortable organising your own transport

Take a group tour if:

• you're travelling solo
• you don't want to drive
• you want everything organised
• you want to combine transport with a boat trip or other activity

Take a private tour if:

• you're travelling as a family or small group
• you want flexibility
• you have a larger budget
• you want a guide to focus on your interests

Book Minitrekking if:

• this is a major highlight of your Patagonia trip
• you're reasonably fit
• you want to actually experience the glacier rather than just photograph it

My recommendation: which Perito Moreno experience is best?

If I were planning the trip again for myself, I'd choose one of these three options.

Option 1: Best value

If you want the best value option, go for the walkways alone. You'll see the glacier from multiple viewpoints and have the chance to witness calving. This is the option I'd choose if I was travelling on a budget.

Option 2: Best overall

If you want more from your trip I’d add on a boat trip like safari Azul where you get to see the glacier from various angles as well as actually getting close to it. However, I don’t think you should skip the walkways even if you walk close to the glacier. It will give you two completely different perspectives. You see the glacier from across the lake and then approach its enormous ice wall from the water. For most travellers, this is the sweet spot.

Option 3: Best experience

If you're physically able and don't mind spending more, I would pick a combo of walkways and mini-trekking. You get the viewpoints, the boat crossing and the experience of actually walking on the ice. It's hard to beat and it’s something not a lot of people get to do.

Book your mini-trekking experience

This is the guided mini-trekking experience I would book!

Perito Moreno Glacier: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Perito Moreno Glacier worth visiting?

Absolutely. Even if you're not particularly interested in glaciers, its combination of accessibility, scale and calving activity makes it one of Patagonia's standout experiences.

Can you visit Perito Moreno Glacier without a tour?

Yes. You can drive yourself, take the bus from El Calafate or arrange a private transfer. The walkways can also be explored independently without a guide.

Can you walk on Perito Moreno Glacier?

Yes, but only as part of an organised glacier-trekking excursion using specialist guides and equipment. If you want to do it, I would check out this tour.

Is Minitrekking difficult?

It is rated as moderate difficulty. You should be comfortable walking for several hours over uneven terrain and ice.

How long should I spend at Perito Moreno Glacier?

Allow at least 2–3 hours for the walkways. If you're adding a boat trip or Mini-trekking, plan for a full day.

Can you visit in winter?

Yes. The glacier can be visited year-round, although some excursions operate seasonally. Winter also has shorter park-access hours.

Do I need hiking boots?

You don't need serious mountaineering boots just to visit the walkways, but sturdy, comfortable footwear with good grip is strongly recommended.

Final thoughts: Is Perito Moreno Glacier worth the trip?

I absolutely think so. In fact, if you're travelling through southern Patagonia, I'd consider Perito Moreno Glacier one of the experiences worth planning your itinerary around.

It was one of the best days we had in Patagonia and just seeing the glacier and the magnitude of it was an incredible experience. If you're lucky you'll also get to see some calving which I personally thought was worth the wait.

Plan Your Trip to Perito Moreno

Hopefully this guide has given you everything you need to plan your trip to Perito Moreno. To make planning the rest of your trip even easier, I've included all the resources I personally use when I travel.

Find the best hotels and compare prices on Booking.com

Find the best hotels and compare prices on Hotels.com

Book buses, trains and ferries with 12Go

Brows the best tours on Viator here

Brows the best tours on Get Your Guide here

Compare eSIM plans with Airalo here

Get travel insurance from SafetyWing here

Every recommendation is based on tools and services I genuinely use and would recommend to friends and family.

By using these links you help me continue to create free travel guides like this one.

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-Ingrid

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