Without a doubt, the Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the natural attractions that everyone comes to Argentina to visit.
Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world arrive in the country with the intention of seeing this monumental piece of ice floating on Lake Argentino.
This glacier originates in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and, as it descends, reaches the southern arm of Lake Argentino with a 5 km long front, rising above the water at a height of about 60 meters.
In this article, I'll tell you, among other things, how to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier on your own, how to hike on it, and other useful information for your trip to El Calafate.
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Where is the Perito Moreno Glacier?
Located southwest of the province of Santa Cruz in Argentina, the Perito Moreno Glacier is located within the Los Glaciares National Park, about 80 km from the city of El Calafate.
How to get to the Perito Moreno Glacier on your own
First, we need to get to the city of El Calafate. There are daily flights from Buenos Aires and other cities to the city, taking about three hours from the Argentine capital.
Traveling by land will depend on your location. From Buenos Aires, it's quite a long way, and buses can take two days to reach your destination.
Calafate is a small city primarily focused on tourism. On its main avenue, you'll find numerous travel agencies offering all kinds of excursions to the Perito Moreno Glacier and other interesting activities in the area, which I'll tell you about later.
Once you're settled in El Calafate, to get to the Glacier on your own, simply go to the city's bus terminal and take the bus that goes to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
It's been a few years since I last went, but there used to be two services a day: one at 8 a.m., returning at 4 p.m., and another leaving at 1 p.m., returning at 7 p.m. (check the terminal for updated information).
The cost wasn't cheap, but it's still certainly much cheaper than agency tours.
As a last resort, one that doesn't require you to pay anything, you can hitchhike along the route. But other travelers who have tried it have told me that they had trouble getting a ride on this route.
One thing you should consider before taking the regular bus is whether you plan to take any excursions within the National Park, such as trekking or sailing on Lago Argentino. You should consider whether it's best to go on your own or book everything through an agency.
How much does it cost to enter the Perito Moreno Glacier?
Prices in Argentine pesos for 2025 are as follows:
- General: $ 45,000 (foreigners pay this amount)
- Rate for Argentines: $ 15,000
- Student Bonus $ 7000
The official website of National Parks added the possibility of Buy your ticket to the Park (access to the Perito Moreno Glacier) online.
What to do on the Perito Moreno Glacier
Walking the catwalks
What everyone can do after purchasing their ticket is walk along the extensive network of walkways that border Lago Argentino facing the Glacier.
Although the Glacier front is 5 km long from coast to coast, the walkways cover a substantially smaller portion due to the geography of the area.
In any case, we're going to have a great time walking back and forth along the walkways. Each section allows you to admire the Glacier from a different perspective.
Traveling all the trails will surely take you a couple of hours, especially if you keep stopping to take pictures.
The entire landscape is beautiful and makes you want to stop at every corner to pay attention to the Glacier.
There is an upper viewing platform, right in the center of the walkways, which has one of the best views of the Glacier (in my opinion).
And if you're lucky enough to be there when the "ice tunnel" is collapsing, you'll want to be as close as possible, right on the lower walkways.
This phenomenon is due to the fact that, as the glacier advances, it dammed the waters of the Rico arm of Lake Argentino, causing its level to rise up to 30 meters above that of the rest of the lake. This created a tunnel with a vault over 50 meters high, through which the water descends to the lake. Erosion caused by the water eventually caused the vault to collapse, in one of the most impressive spectacles ever witnessed.
Trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier
One of the most interesting excursions to take on the Perito Moreno Glacier is to walk on it.
To do this activity, you absolutely need to book a tour with an agency. If I remember correctly, only one company has the concession to hike on the glacier, so any agency will offer the same package.
There are two types of trekking, a short one and a longer one called “Big Ice”.
You'll notice that these are very expensive excursions (quite expensive, to be honest), especially the most comprehensive one, the Big Ice tour, but I sincerely recommend you do one of them.
The sensation of walking on such a giant ice crag, with our special footwear, is unique.
The guides will briefly explain how to walk with these crampons and will direct us in the right direction safely.
They will find themselves walking for a long time on ice hills, passing through white walls, avoiding pits with an uncertain destination.
Everything is ice around us. And as a reward for our journey, we are given a snack at the end, including a few glasses of fine alcohol.
The truth is a 100% recommended experience.
From here you can book one of the excursions that make this route. They all charge the same, so you won't save much if you hire them online or in person.
Boat trip on the Perito Moreno Glacier
Another popular excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier is a boat ride. They frequently depart to explore Lake Argentino and get up close to the glacier's frontal wall.
I decided not to do this activity because I had already done a similar one from El Calafate, touring other Glaciers (I'll tell you more about that later), but if you're keen and want to see Perito Moreno from the water, this is your chance.
From here you can book a boat ride to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
When to go to the Perito Moreno Glacier
Although you can visit the Glacier year-round, it is recommended to visit during the cooler months, from approximately September to April.
In winter, the average temperature ranges from 0.6°C, while in summer, the minimum is 13°C.
What other things can be done in El Calafate?
Well, as I mentioned earlier, the city is completely dedicated to tourism, so in addition to visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier, we can do other activities.
Excursion to the Ice Rivers
This activity is another one I recommend. It's not cheap either, but you'll spend hours sailing across Lake Argentino, seeing other glaciers as spectacular as Perito Moreno.
They usually start very early, around 7:00 in the morning and leave from the Puerto BanderaFrom there, they'll spend a few hours sailing among the glaciers and icebergs of Lake Argentino.
It's very cold on the deck of the boat, so I suggest bringing a good coat just in case.
Among the important milestones of the excursion, we have the view of the gigantic Upsala Glacier of about 870 km2. Generally, the ship doesn't get too close, due to the presence of blocks of ice on the lake, so don't get too excited about seeing it up close.
Another milestone that we will have on the tour is the view of the Spegazzini Glacier and its ice walls. This time, the boat got close enough to be face to face with the iron mass. The views we had of the walls of this glacier were truly beautiful and were one of the things I enjoyed most about the trip.
And finally, another glacier that we will see along the way will be the one they call Dry GlacierThis one has the peculiarity that it is receding over the side of a mountain, giving us the sensation of seeing a stretched tongue.
It's several hours on the boat, and getting up early can seem a bit tiresome (it happened to me), but later, when they're sound asleep and warm, they'll remember it with great pleasure, I can tell you this from experience.
From here you can book the complete excursion called Rivers of Ice
Trekking or horseback riding at a nearby ranch
There are several options for exploring the area's ranches and going hiking or horseback riding.
For example This tour offers a trek of about 14 km along the Cristina's Ranch and the Fossil Canyon, with a boat ride to see the Upsala Glacier.
Enter an Ice Bar
It's an ice bar, as the name suggests. The walls, the ceiling, the bar—everything is made of ice. You can only stay there for a limited time; let's just say it's more for taking photos than for enjoying a comfortable drink in sub-zero temperatures.
You can purchase tickets to the Ice Bar from this link.
Enter the Glaciarum
It's like a museum about the origin of the glaciers of Argentine Patagonia. You'll be able to hear the sounds of melting ice, see professional photographs, and learn about other things related to the glaciers and ice in the area.
To buy the ticket to this place you can enter this link
Walking through El Calafate
The city is small and easy to walk around. We'll likely pass by the main avenue, Route 11, again and again, which is the liveliest, lined with shops, restaurants, souvenir shops, and travel agencies.
It also has a beautiful, long waterfront promenade around Lago Argentino, offering views of the lake and the city's colorful houses.
Other places further away to visit from El Calafate
Visit El Chalten
What can I say about this magical mountain town? I already wrote a long article about how much I fell in love with El Chaltén the two times I visited.
If you want to book a day trip to El Chaltén from Calafe, you can do so from here.
Excursion to the Petrified Forest of La Leona
There is an excursion that takes you to the La Leona Petrified Forest to go trekking and observe dinosaur fossils and trees that are millions of years old. Be careful not to confuse it with the Jaramillo Petrified Forest National Park, which is much further from Calafate.
From this link You can book this excursion leaving from Calafate.
Where to stay in El Calafate
Since the city is small, almost any location near the main avenue, Route 11, will be fine.
The first time I went I stayed at the Hostel of the Libertador Glacier, which is in an unbeatable location on the main avenue and close to all shops.
The second time I went I stayed at the South America Calafate Hostel, which, while also close, is on a slope. The positive side is that the rest area offers beautiful views of El Calafate. The negative side is that, since it's on a slope, we'll have to walk up and down each time we want to go downtown.
Final Sensations
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of those places you can't miss in Argentina.
Being so far away, I recommend adding a visit to the town of El Chaltén, and why not Usuahia, to get a complete view of this southernmost part of the country. Some airlines even offer flights from Buenos Aires to Usuahia with a stopover in El Calafate to promote tourism.
The glacier is a beautiful sight in itself. Listening to the thunderous sounds of ice chunks falling into the lake, walking on its surface, and why not sailing on Lake Argentino, will be an experience you'll never forget.
With this, I hope I've helped you with how to get to the Perito Moreno Glacier, and what other activities you can do there and in El Calafate.
As I always tell you, you can see the photo album of all Argentina from here, and if you have any comments you can leave them below.
See you next time!
