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Patagonia & Fjords

Perito Moreno Ice Trek

Los Glaciares National Park

Crampons bite living ice as blue crevasses open underfoot. From shore, the glacier calves into Lago Argentino with a sound like thunder.

Days
7
Effort
Moderate
Window
Oct–Apr
From
$6,100

The ground

Perito Moreno is about 5 km wide at its snout with a face standing roughly 70 m above Lago Argentino, and it is one of very few glaciers on earth that has held roughly stable while almost everything around it retreats. It calves constantly, and the sound arrives a beat after the ice hits the water.

Every few years the advancing snout dams the Brazo Rico arm of the lake, water builds behind it, and the ice bridge ruptures. An event that draws crowds when it is predicted. It is not schedulable and we will not pretend it is.

To be precise about what this is: guided ice trekking on a sector of the glacier, not a traverse of it. Mini Trekking is about an hour and a half on the ice and suits most people; Big Ice is three to four hours, more demanding, and age-limited.

Shape of the days

A shape, not a script. Order and pacing move with weather, permits, and how the first days actually go.

  1. Days 1–2

    El Calafate

    Arrival, the Glaciarium ice museum for actual context, and the Laguna Nimez bird reserve on the lake edge.

  2. Day 3

    Boardwalks

    The full boardwalk system on the Península de Magallanes at different times of day. The calving is best in the afternoon when the face has been in sun.

  3. Days 4–5

    Ice trek

    Crampons on the glacier — Mini Trekking or Big Ice depending on your appetite — with a guide-led route through the crevasse field.

  4. Days 6–7

    Lago Argentino and exit

    Navigation to the Upsala and Spegazzini faces, then an estancia day in the pampa before departure.

Conditions

Cool and windy, 8–20 °C in summer with rain or sleet possible. October to April is the operating season. The glacier's own microclimate is colder and windier than El Calafate — layers matter more than you think.

Fitness bar

Moderate for Mini Trekking: walking in crampons on uneven ice with a short approach. Big Ice is Challenging. Three to four hours on the ice with a longer, steeper approach and an upper age limit set by the operator.

Best months

October through April. Shoulder months are quieter on the boardwalks and the light is better.

Private or small group

Private guiding for the boardwalks, lake navigation, and estancia days; the ice trek itself is run by the licensed glacier concession in small roped groups, which is a regulatory requirement.

What to bring

Crampons, harness, and helmet are supplied; you need stiff boots that take them, and we can lend those. Warm layers and a windproof for a glacier microclimate colder than El Calafate. Sunglasses for the ice glare.

Access and permits

The constraints that actually decide whether a date is possible.

  • Ice trekking is only available through the licensed concession inside the park, in guided roped groups. Independent access to the ice is not permitted.
  • Big Ice enforces an age range — typically around 18 to 50 — set by the operator, not by us.
  • Viewing the face from the boardwalks is the safe way to see calving; shore access below the face is fenced for good reason.

Included

  • Los Glaciares park entry and the ice-trek concession booking
  • Crampons, harness, and helmet for the ice section
  • Lake navigation to Upsala and Spegazzini
  • El Calafate lodging, private guide and vehicle, all transfers

Not included

  • Unsupervised glacier travel, which is prohibited
  • Big Ice for guests outside the operator's age limits
  • Domestic flights
  • Any prediction of a rupture event

What the price reflects

$6,100–9,200 for seven days covers private guiding and vehicle, the ice-trek concession, lake navigation, and good El Calafate lodging. Bus-and-boardwalk day trips from town are inexpensive and see the same glacier from further away.

Bands are per person sharing and move with party size, season, and lodge choice. Nothing is confirmed until it is confirmed in writing. How we price.

Where this is

Glaciar Perito Moreno, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Elevation: Sea level to about 500 m. Season as published: Oct–Apr. Difficulty as assessed: Moderate (Mini Trekking); Challenging if Big Ice.

glaciersice trekkingpatagoniaadventure

What we checked

Seasons, altitudes, permits, and caps on this page were checked against park authorities, monitoring agencies, and operators on the ground. Where a fact changes with the year, we say so rather than round it off.

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