El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Ice Hiking & Boat Tour

Walking across blue ice while chunks of the glacier collapse into the lake below

You'll be picked up from your hotel (if selected), boat along the glacier wall, strap on crampons, and spend 90 minutes ice hiking across Perito Moreno with a bilingual guide. You'll see crevasses, blue lagoons, and watch ice calve into the lake, then finish with free time at the viewpoint footbridges before returning to town. The whole day is about five hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Perito Moreno Glacier ice hiking tour

• Receive pick-up time from guide
• Travel to Bajo Las Sombras port
• Boat sail along glacier south wall
• Disembark and organize hiking groups
• Put on crampons with guide's help
• Ice hike on glacier trails
• See crevices, moulins, and lagoons
• Learn about glacier and wildlife
• Return through Magellanic Forest
• Free time at glacier footbridges
• Return to El Calafate

The experience

Someone straps metal spikes to your boots while you stand on the edge of a glacier, and then your guide points you toward a trail that only exists because it's frozen solid. That someone is your bilingual guide from Howlanders, and the glacier is Perito Moreno: one of the few on Earth you can actually walk on. The day starts with a boat ride along the glacier's south wall from Puerto Bajo Las Sombras, a port inside Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate. You'll see the sheer height of it first, the ice wall rising up, and then you hear it: the sound of chunks breaking off and crashing into the water below. That's when it hits you that you're about to walk on something that's actively falling apart.

The ice hiking itself takes about an hour and a half, and your guide keeps the group moving on firm, safe trails across the glacier. You'll see crevasses up close, small blue lagoons trapped in the ice, and moulins. Those sinkholes where meltwater disappears into the glacier. The guide talks about how the glacier moves, what the endemic plants and animals are doing up here, and points out where landslides happen. It's not a scramble or technical climbing. It's walking, but the ground beneath you is ancient ice, and that changes how you feel about each step. The crampons grip, the guide stays close, and you move through formations that look like they belong on another planet.

On the way back, you pass through the Magellanic Forest: the landscape shifts from ice to trees, and the views of Perito Moreno from the footbridges are the kind you'll look at in photos for years. If you book the package with transfers, the guide calls your hotel the day before to confirm pickup time, and you don't have to figure out how to get to Puerto Bajo Las Sombras yourself. If you skip the transfer, you meet the group directly at the port. Either way, you're back in El Calafate by afternoon.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off (if you select that package option), a boat ride along the glacier wall, bilingual guide in Spanish and English, all ice hiking equipment including crampons, 90 minutes of guided hiking on the glacier, and free time at the Perito Moreno footbridges and viewpoints before returning to El Calafate.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tour without transfersGuide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeMeet at Puerto Bajo las Sombras

Tour including transfers to Perito MorenoGuide in English or Spanish · No fixed timePickup is included in the visit to the Perito Moreno walkways

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (16 to 65 years) · Youth (8 to 15 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Howlanders

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to walk on Perito Moreno Glacier itself rather than just view it from above: the ice hiking and boat combination show you the glacier three ways in one morning, and the fixed schedule with guide and equipment means you don't arrange anything separately.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 15 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What's the age limit for this ice hiking tour?

Travelers must be between 8 and 65 years old due to government policy. The tour is not recommended for people with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.

Do I need to be fit to do the ice hiking?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. The hike is about 90 minutes on firm, safe trails with a guide, not technical climbing.

What's included in the tour?

Boat ride, ice hiking equipment (crampons), bilingual Spanish-English guide, and either hotel pickup and drop-off or direct meeting at the port, depending on your package choice.

How long is the whole tour?

About five hours total, including boat ride, 90 minutes of ice hiking, and time at the footbridges and viewpoints.

Do I need to book the transfer option?

No. You can either book with hotel pickup and drop-off, or meet the group directly at Puerto Bajo Las Sombras inside Los Glaciares National Park.

What will I see on the glacier?

Crevasses, moulins (sinkholes), small blue lagoons, and the glacier's ice formations. You'll also watch and hear ice calving from the glacier wall during the boat ride.

Is this tour available year-round?

The tour operates in Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate. Check with the operator for seasonal availability and weather-dependent closures.

What should I wear?

Warm, layered clothing suitable for Patagonia weather. The operator provides crampons and other ice hiking equipment.