Argentina
Best of Calafate Glaciers 5 Day Tour Package
Calafate
From
US$1,397
≈ €1,198 · billed in US$ ≈ £1,025 · billed in US$ per person
In short
Perito Moreno is a 250 km² glacier 80 km from El Calafate, and one of the few in the world that is not retreating. A network of steel balconies puts you a few hundred metres from a 60-metre ice front that calves several times an hour.
It ends in Lago Argentino, which is what makes it visitable: the front advances into the water and breaks off, so the show happens on a schedule of its own rather than requiring a trek. The balconies run for several kilometres at different heights, and you can spend four hours on them without repeating a view.
Every few years the advancing ice dams one arm of the lake entirely, the water backs up, and the dam ruptures — the rupture is a national event that draws crowds when it is predicted.
The park entrance is paid on arrival and is separate from the transfer. Ice trekking on the glacier itself is a separate operator and has an age limit; it needs to be booked well ahead in high season.
What Perito Moreno Glacier is known for
- The balcony network — four hours without repeating a view
- Calving several times an hour in summer
- The nautical safari along the south face
- Mini-trekking on the ice, booked separately
- One of the very few glaciers on earth that is stable, not retreating
Practical detail
- Where
- 80 km from El Calafate, 90 min by road
- Ice front
- 5 km wide, about 60 m above the water
- Best months
- November–March; it calves most in the warm months
- Time on site
- A full day, 4+ hours on the balconies
What a trip to Perito Moreno Glacier costs
Per person, including hotels, transfers and the guided days each trip lists. International flights are never included.
Argentina
5 Day Best of Calafate Tour Package
Calafate
From
US$1,426
≈ €1,223 · billed in US$ ≈ £1,046 · billed in US$ per person
Argentina
Calafate & Chalten 6 Day Tour Package
Calafate
From
US$1,547
≈ €1,326 · billed in US$ ≈ £1,135 · billed in US$ per person
Argentina
Buenos Aires & Calafate 10 Day Tour package
Buenos Aires
From
US$3,026
≈ €2,594 · billed in US$ ≈ £2,219 · billed in US$ per person
Argentina
Ultimate Buenos Aires & Calafate 10 Day Tour Package
Buenos Aires
From
US$3,055
≈ €2,619 · billed in US$ ≈ £2,241 · billed in US$ per person
Argentina
Buenos Aires, Calafate & Chalten 11 Day Tour Package
Buenos Aires
From
US$3,176
≈ €2,723 · billed in US$ ≈ £2,329 · billed in US$ per person
| Package | Length | Price p/p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best of Calafate Glaciers 5 Day Tour Package | 5 days | US$1,397 | Book |
| 5 Day Best of Calafate Tour Package | 5 days | US$1,426 | Book |
| Calafate & Chalten 6 Day Tour Package | 6 days | US$1,547 | Book |
| Buenos Aires & Calafate 10 Day Tour package | 10 days | US$3,026 | Book |
| Ultimate Buenos Aires & Calafate 10 Day Tour Package | 10 days | US$3,055 | Book |
| Buenos Aires, Calafate & Chalten 11 Day Tour Package | 11 days | US$3,176 | Book |
No package matches that search.
Frequently asked
How do you get to the Perito Moreno glacier?
By road from El Calafate, 80 km and about 90 minutes each way. There is no accommodation at the glacier itself, so every visit is a day trip from town.
Can you walk on the Perito Moreno glacier?
Yes, with a licensed operator. Mini-trekking is roughly 1.5 hours on the ice and has an upper age limit; it is booked separately from the park entrance and sells out in high season.
How long do you need at the glacier?
A full day. Four hours on the balconies is normal, and the boat adds another hour on the water.