Perito Moreno Glacier Minitrekking: Walk on Ice in Patagonia

Step onto the ice and feel the glacier shift beneath your feet

A guided minitrekking tour on the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate, where you walk across the ice with crampons, see deep crevasses and turquoise lagoons, and spend 90 minutes on the glacier itself. The tour includes a boat crossing of Lake Rico, a forest walk, and instruction from a bilingual guide on how glaciers form and move.

Step-by-step itinerary

MiniTrekking on Perito Moreno Glacier

• Board boat at Bajo de las Sombras port
• Cross Lake Rico to glacier shore
• Meet expert mountain guides
• Walk along lake shore observing glacier
• Attend glaciology talk by guides
• Trek on glacier ice surface
• Observe glacial formations and calving

The experience

The day starts with a boat ride across Lake Rico, a 20-minute crossing that brings you face-to-face with the southern face of the Perito Moreno Glacier as you approach the landing. Once ashore, your guide leads you to a refuge with a direct view of the ice, then the trek begins with a walk along the lake shore. This is where you watch for calving, the moment when chunks of ice break away and crash into the water below. Before stepping onto the glacier itself, your guide gives a talk on glaciology so you understand what you're about to walk across.

The glacier circuit is medium difficulty: the ice surface is uneven but firm and safe underfoot. You'll wear crampons for traction and spend roughly 90 minutes on the ice, moving through formations the glacier has carved over centuries: deep crevasses that drop into shadow, blue sinkholes where meltwater pools, enormous seracs that tower overhead, and turquoise lagoons fed by glacial melt. The walk includes a round-trip trek through Patagonian Andean forest before and after the ice, adding another hour to the day. Your guide speaks Spanish and English, so questions about what you're seeing get answered in real time.

The tour runs about 10 hours door-to-door. You can book it with or without hotel transfers from El Calafate. If you choose transfers, the footbridges of Perito Moreno are included as well. Crampons are provided. Bring your own food and water (there's nowhere to buy either during the excursion), and wear layers: thermal base, warm sweater and jacket, windproof and waterproof outer shell, trekking pants, waterproof hiking shoes, gloves, hat and sunglasses. The schedule is confirmed once your booking details are received. The published time is an estimate.

What’s included

• Round-trip transfers from your hotel (if you choose the option that includes them).
• crampons for walking on ice.
• bilingual guide in Spanish and English.
• 90 minutes on the glacier.
• a 60-minute forest walk.
• a visit to the Perito Moreno footbridges (if you choose the option with transfers).

Options for this experience

2 options

Without TransfersGuide in English or Spanish · 09:00Lasts 5 hours

With TransfersGuide in English or Spanish · 08:00Lasts 10 hours; pickup is included

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 dayDepartures at 08:00 and 09:00

Book up to2d before

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

GroupUp to 50

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.You can choose from 36 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 33

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

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

Operated by Gray Line Argentina

Is this one for you?Book the option with transfers if your hotel is in El Calafate and you'd rather not arrange your own transport to the port. Book without transfers if you have a rental car or prefer to meet the group at Bajo de las Sombras. The 10-hour commitment and moderate physical demand (three hours of walking, 90 minutes on ice with crampons) suit travelers aged 8 to 65 who can walk independently and have at least moderate fitness. Minors need written parental authorization and the physical capacity to handle the ice section.

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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: Child (8 to 15 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do you walk on when you're on the Perito Moreno Glacier?

The ice surface itself, which is uneven but firm and safe. You'll see deep crevasses, blue sinkholes where meltwater collects, enormous seracs (towers of ice), and turquoise lagoons as you move across it wearing crampons for grip.

How long do you actually spend walking on the ice?

Roughly 90 minutes on the glacier itself, plus an hour of walking in the Patagonian Andean forest before and after, for a total trek time of about three hours within the 10-hour tour.

What happens if you see the glacier calving during the tour?

Calving (when chunks of ice break away and fall into the lake) is part of what makes the glacier active and changing. Your guide keeps watch during the lake shore walk so you don't miss it if it happens while you're there.

Do you need to bring food and water, or is lunch included?

You must bring your own food and water from El Calafate. There are no places to buy either during the excursion, so pack enough for the full 10 hours.

What's the difference between booking with transfers and without?

The "with transfers" option includes round-trip pickup from your hotel in El Calafate and a visit to the footbridges of Perito Moreno. The "without transfers" option means you arrange your own way to the meeting point at Bajo de las Sombras port.