Perito Moreno Glacier Tour: Full Day with Boat Safari in El Calafate

Walk the viewing platforms above a glacier the size of a city, then sail past its calving ice face.

This full-day tour from El Calafate takes you by vehicle through the Patagonian steppe to Los Glaciares National Park, where you walk multiple viewing balconies overlooking Perito Moreno Glacier and learn how its ice bridge forms. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. A bilingual guide leads the day. You can add a 1-hour boat ride through Rico Branch of Lago Argentino to drift past floating icebergs and watch ice detach from the glacier wall. The boat option depends on your choice at checkout. The park entrance fee is separate. You'll return to El Calafate around 5 p.m.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Los Glaciares National Park40m
2. Lake Argentino1h

Perito Moreno Glacier full-day tour

• Pick up at hotel in El Calafate
• Scenic drive to Los Glaciares National Park
• Stop at Curve of Sighs for photos
• Purchase entrance tickets at National Park
• Guide explains park walkways and viewing balconies
• Visit main balcony and walk freely on walkways
• Optional 1-hour boat safari on Lago Argentino
• Return drive to El Calafate, tour ends

The experience

After hotel pickup in El Calafate, you drive south through the Patagonian steppe, skirting the shore of Lago Argentino and passing the Curve of Sighs. A viewpoint whose name becomes clear once you see it. Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, holds nearly 200 glaciers across almost half a million hectares. The Patagonian ice field that covers half the park is the second-largest on Earth outside Antarctica. Your guide will walk you through the park's layout and point you toward the viewing balconies, each one framing Perito Moreno from a different angle. The glacier's spiky walls, deep crevasses and massive ice formations dominate the view. You'll spend time on the main balcony and then move freely along the walkways until the agreed meeting time. The exact duration depends on weather and how the group moves.

If you booked the boat safari option, you'll board a 1-hour ride through Rico Branch of Lago Argentino. The boat takes you close to the glacier wall so you can watch pieces of ice break away and slide into the lake, and you'll drift past icebergs floating in the water. The boat capacity varies by date. It can hold 65, 115 or 160 people depending on which vessel is assigned. If you chose the tour without the boat, you'll have more time to explore the park's walkways or rest before the return drive.

The National Park has a cafeteria where you can buy snacks or a meal, or bring your own lunch. Wear warm layers, a waterproof jacket, gloves and a hat: Patagonian weather changes fast. Comfortable walking shoes are essential. There are a moderate number of stairs on the viewing platforms. The drive back to El Calafate takes the early evening, arriving around 5 to 5:30 p.m.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off.
• professional bilingual guide in English and Spanish.
• Los Glaciares National Park access and viewing platform walkways.
• 1-hour boat safari through Lago Argentino with icebergs (if you choose the boat option at checkout).

Options for this experience

2 options

Basic tour without the boat rideGuide in English or Spanish · 09:00Pickup is included

Full-day tour with a boat safari includedGuide in English or Spanish · 09:00Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 8h–9h, runs every day at 09:00, from US$ 80 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 24

Live guideEnglish and SpanishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (3 to 15 years) · Infant (under 3)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Say Hueque Travel

Is this one for you?Book the tour with the boat safari if you want to see the glacier from two angles: the viewing platforms give you the scale and detail, and the boat ride puts you close enough to watch ice calve into the lake. Choose the tour without the boat if you prefer more time to walk the park's balconies at your own pace or if you're traveling with very young children or anyone who finds stairs difficult.

Traveler reviews

4.68★★★★★★★★★★

559 verified traveler reviews

5 ★457

4 ★58

3 ★22

2 ★9

1 ★13

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 15 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the boat ride if I add the safari option?

The boat safari is 1 hour long, sailing through Rico Branch of Lago Argentino along the glacier wall and past floating icebergs. You only take it if you book the "including Boat Safari" option at checkout.

What is the Curve of Sighs and why does it matter?

The Curve of Sighs is a viewpoint you pass on the drive to the national park. The name becomes clear once you see the landscape. It's a photo stop where the Patagonian steppe opens up in a way that makes the name make sense.

Is lunch included in this tour?

Lunch is not included. The national park has a cafeteria with a restaurant and snack bar where you can buy food, or you can bring your own box lunch to eat during the day.

What happens at the viewing balconies in Los Glaciares National Park?

The park has multiple viewing balconies positioned at different angles around Perito Moreno Glacier. Your guide explains the walkways, and you walk freely between them until the meeting time, choosing which views to spend time on. The exact duration depends on weather and how the group moves.

What should I bring for this full-day tour?

Bring warm clothing, a waterproof jacket, gloves, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and comfortable walking shoes. There are a moderate number of stairs on the viewing platforms. You can also bring refreshments or your own lunch.

Do I need my passport for this tour?

Yes. Passport details (name, number, nationality and date of birth) are required at booking for all participants. If you're taking the boat safari, a digital copy of your passport is required to confirm the ride. Children under 15 must have a passport copy provided as well.