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El Calafate Glacier Cruise: 3 Glaciers & Perito Moreno Walkways

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.00 (9 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/8

Duration10h

GroupUp to 200

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Three Glaciers, One Day on Lake Argentino

You sail to three glaciers in one day: Upsala, Spegazzini (the tallest at 135 meters), and Perito Moreno, with close approaches and floating icebergs. The cruise includes park entry, a transfer to the Perito Moreno walkways for 1.5 hours of land-based viewing, and return transport to El Calafate. A modern ship with panoramic windows keeps you comfortable, and the full itinerary takes roughly eight to nine hours from start to finish.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Navigate North Arm to Upsala Glacier
Sail Spegazzini Channel to glacier
Approach Spegazzini Glacier wall
Sail Icebergs Channel to Perito Moreno
View north face of Perito Moreno Glacier
Disembark at Puerto Moreno
Explore walkways overlooking Perito Moreno
Return to El Calafate by bus

The Experience

"The ice never stops moving," our captain said as we pulled away from Puerto Bandera, pointing toward the distant white wall of Upsala Glacier. "Even when it looks still, it's calving somewhere you can't see." The full-day cruise from El Calafate starts early, and you spend the first hour sailing the North Arm of Lake Argentino watching the glacier's massive icebergs drift in the turquoise water. The front has retreated over the years, but the scale of what's left still hits you — chunks the size of buildings floating like they weigh nothing.

After Upsala, the boat turns into Spegazzini Channel, and the landscape changes completely. Steep cliffs rise on both sides, waterfalls pour down from the snow line, and then the Spegazzini Glacier appears — the tallest in Los Glaciares National Park at about 135 meters. The ship slows down and holds position near the glacier wall, close enough that you can hear the ice cracking and watch pieces calve off into the water. This part takes roughly two hours, and it's the kind of moment where you stop taking photos and just watch. The blue of the ice is almost unreal, deeper than any water you've seen.

Then comes the Icebergs Channel — a narrow passage where the boat threads between floating ice blocks, turquoise water on all sides, and you're heading toward the north face of Perito Moreno. This glacier is different from the other two. It's stable, famous, and the ice is constantly breaking off with a sound like distant thunder. The ship approaches slowly, giving you time to really look. After the cruise ends, you disembark at Puerto Moreno and take a short transfer to the walkways — 1.5 hours exploring the different balconies and trails that overlook the glacier from the land side. It's the perspective most people come for, and it's included. Then a bus takes you back to El Calafate, and you're done by late afternoon.

The whole day is about eight to nine hours from pickup to return, and the modern vessel has panoramic windows and outdoor decks so you're never stuck inside. If you want to upgrade to a gourmet lunch onboard, you can, but the park entry and all three glacier visits are already included. This route covers more ground than the standard Moreno-only tours — the Icebergs Channel and the north face approach are what set it apart — so if you're only in El Calafate for a day or two, this is the one that doesn't leave you wondering what you missed.

What’s included

Navigation of Lake Argentino with views of Upsala, Spegazzini, and Perito Moreno glaciers.
passage through the Icebergs Channel.
admission to Los Glaciares National Park.
1.5 hours on the Perito Moreno walkways and viewing balconies.
transfer from Puerto Bandera to the glacier walkways.
return transfer to El Calafate by bus. Onboard commentary and personalized service are included.
gourmet lunch can be added for an extra cost.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SALUM TOUR & TRAVEL

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to see three major glaciers and experience both the water and land perspectives of Perito Moreno in a single day without arranging multiple bookings — the fixed itinerary and included transfers handle the logistics, which is what makes fitting all three glaciers into one outing possible.