A Perito Moreno glacier hike is a guided crampon walk on the glacier's south face, reached by boat from a dock 80 km from El Calafate. Minitrekking (ages 8–65) costs from $346; Big Ice (18–50) from $459, plus the park entry fee.
Twelve listings, eight sellers, one glacier — the format decides your age limit, your ice time and your price. Every listing uses the same boat and forest walk, so the real differences are who drives you to the port, how long you stay on the ice and how many reviews back the seller.
Most people need one of six things from this day: the lowest price, the safest bet on reviews, more time on the ice, a tour they can drive to, the walkways included, or the longest glacier day. Each need has one listing that fits it best — the rest are near-copies of these six.
4.88 · 61 reviewsYou drive or take a bus to Puerto Bajo las Sombras yourself, 80 km from El Calafate, and meet the group at 10:00. Sold by Hielo y Aventura itself, it is the cheapest way onto the ice: the 20-minute boat, the forest walk, about an hour in crampons and whisky over glacier ice.
4.8 · 871 reviewsThe most-booked hike on the glacier. Guests praise the guides and the forest walk, and groups keep to one guide per 10. Pick-up packages include the walkways; without transfer you meet the group at the port.
5.0 · 11 reviewsTwice the ice of the classic walk — about two hours over 5 km — and a stop at a waterfall, for ages 17–55. Small groups of up to 10; the transfer package adds the walkways.
4.69 · 4 reviewsMeet at the port at 10:00 and walk 5.5 km in total with helmet and crampons, chocolates on the way and a whisky toast at the end. Back by mid-afternoon.
5.0 · 5 reviewsOne price for the whole day: hotel pick-up at 07:30, a guided hour on the balconies facing the ice wall and the minitrekking walk. No separate options to compare.
4.82 · 34 reviewsAbout three hours deep on the glacier among crevasses and blue lagoons — the cheapest Big Ice, sold by Hielo y Aventura itself, with hotel pick-up and the walkways.
Every hike on the Perito Moreno ice is one of three formats, and the format decides your age limit, your time on the ice and your price. Minitrekking is the classic short walk; Minitrekking 2 doubles the ice time on a longer route to a waterfall; Big Ice is a full day in the heart of the glacier, for fit adults only.
6 hikes
~1 h on the ice, ~3.5 km in all. Ages 8–65, all year.
2 hikes
~2 h on the ice, 5–5.5 km. Ages 18–55, August–May.
4 hikes
~3–4 h on the ice, ~12 km day. Ages 18–50, September–April.
any age
Boat, walkways or kayak — close to the ice, not on it.
They share the same port, boat and glacier; what changes is the format, the package and the price. The cheapest Minitrekking costs $346 and the dearest $545; Big Ice runs from $459 to $650. Sort by price per hour on the ice to see what you pay for.
| Hike · seller | Your day: on the ice | Packages | Ages | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
On the ice ~1 h5 h or 11 h day Walkways with transfer |
Port · or hotel | 8–65 | 4.8 · 871 | $424 |
Check dates |
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On the ice ~1 h8 h or 10 h day Ice time not stated · 1 h typical |
Port · or hotel | 8–65 | 4.5 · 125 | $432 |
Check dates |
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On the ice ~1 h4.5 h or 10 h day Moderate · steps cut by guides |
Port $346 · hotel $412 | 8–65 | 4.9 · 61 | $346 |
Check dates |
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On the ice ~3–4 h12 h day High effort · medical file |
Hotel | 18–50 | 4.9 · 53 | $588 |
Check dates |
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On the ice 90 min9 h or 10 h day Longest stated classic walk |
Port $430 · hotel $555 | 8–65 | 4.7 · 47 | $430 |
Check dates |
|
On the ice ~3 h12 h day Cheapest Big Ice |
Hotel | 18–50 | 4.8 · 34 | $459 |
Check dates |
 | On the ice ~2 h5 h or 10 h day 5 km on ice · waterfall | Port $370 · hotel $445 | 17–55 | 5.0 · 11 | $370 | Check dates |
 | On the ice ~1 h4.5 h or 10 h day 5.5 km in total | Port $432 · hotel $514 | 18–55 | 4.7 · 4 | $432 | Check dates |
 | On the ice ~1 h3 h or 10 h day Walkways with transfer | Port $431 · hotel $518 | not stated | 4.7 · 9 | $431 | Check dates |
 | On the ice ~1 h10 h day Walkways hour included | Hotel | 8–65 | 5.0 · 5 | $545 | Check dates |
 | On the ice 4 h trek12 h day No reviews yet | Port $556 · hotel $636 | 18+ · medical form | New | $556 | Check dates |
 | On the ice 3–4 h10 h day Park ticket listed | Hotel | 18–50 | 5.0 · 1 | $650 | Check dates |
Near-copies of the most-reviewed hike: Tangol's day minitrekking and Funny Times' minitrekking (10% off now). Prices — GetYourGuide, adult, checked Nov 2026.
Choose Minitrekking for the experience and Big Ice for the adventure — and only if you are 18–50 and fit. Both start with the bus, the boat across Brazo Rico and crampons at a refuge. Minitrekking then walks about an hour near the edge; Big Ice climbs the moraine and spends three to four hours far out among crevasses and blue lagoons.
Minitrekking
Big IceBig Ice listings ask for a medical form before the day, and the age limit is checked against your passport at the port. Expect about 7.5 hours of walking, partly uphill on moraine and on uneven ice in crampons and a harness.
If you are 51–55 and fit, Minitrekking 2 is the longest walk you can book: about two hours on the ice and a waterfall, back by mid-afternoon.
About ten hours from El Calafate, but only an hour or so of it on the ice — the rest is the drive, the boat, the forest and the walkways. Transfer packages pick you up between 7:00 and 8:30; packages without transfer meet at Puerto Bajo las Sombras, usually at 10:00 or 13:00.
7:00–8:30 in El Calafate; the route can take 45 min.
80 km along Lago Argentino; the gate checks your ticket.
Transfer packages only: a guided hour facing the ice wall.
From Puerto Bajo las Sombras to the south face.
Crampons on; about 10 per guide among crevasses and lagoons.
17:00–19:00; Big Ice days return last.
El Calafate is the only practical base — the glacier is 80 km away and there is no lodging at the port. With a car, the drive takes about an hour and a half on a paved road.
There is no way onto the ice without a guided tour: the south face is reached only by the operator's boat, and the walkways are a separate part of the park, open to anyone with the park ticket.
Food is not sold at the port or on the trail — every listing asks you to bring a packed lunch and water.
The package with transfer costs $66 to $125 more. It buys hotel pick-up, the guided hour on the walkways and about five more hours in the day. Without transfer you meet the group at the port and are back by mid-afternoon — the better deal if you rent a car. Nine of the twelve listings sell both.
Minitrekking runs all year; the longer formats only in the warmer half — Minitrekking 2 from August to May, Big Ice from September to April. November to March gives 14–16 hours of daylight and highs of 13–16 °C; June and July are coldest, with short days, few groups and a winter price.
Spring in Patagonia: cold mornings, long light and the full choice of formats before the holiday peak. Wind is the main thing to dress for on the ice.
Temperatures: weather2travel long-term averages for El Calafate. Seasons: operator listings, Nov 2026.
Age is the one rule nobody can talk their way around: guides check passports at the port. Every format also excludes pregnant travellers and people with heart, breathing or mobility problems. Children aged 8 to 17 can join Minitrekking with a parent's written consent.
Across 1,221 reviews the twelve listings average 4.8 out of 5. Guests name their guides and the moment among blue crevasses; the complaints are the long bus day, an occasional rushed boat stop and paying more than people who booked another listing for the same group.
“Big highlight of our Argentina trip — the views were just stunning and it is worth the money.”
“This trip was impeccable — from start to finish the transport, guides, stops to see the amazing scenery and take photos.”
“Seeing Perito Moreno ice from the lake shore is less than 5% of the total impression. It is quite hard, but everything went well.”
“The day trip was incredible — but please compare prices. We paid double of other participants.”
“The combination of the walkways, the boat and walking on the glacier made the experience complete.”
Yes, if you are within the age limits — it is the only way to stand on the glacier rather than look at it. The walkways give you the famous view for the price of the park ticket; the hike adds the ice underfoot, crevasses close enough to look into and the blue of meltwater lagoons.
At $346 to $650 it is one of the most expensive days in Patagonia, so choose the format and listing deliberately. The view from the walkways is about 70 metres of ice wall; the hike gives you the texture of the glacier itself.
Amazing BIG ICE! A once-in-a-lifetime hike.
Claudia · Oct 2026 · on Big Ice with transfer ★4.8
Every hike starts at Puerto Bajo las Sombras, a small dock on Brazo Rico inside Los Glaciares National Park, about 80 km west of El Calafate. Transfer packages pick you up at your hotel; outside the pick-up area the operator names the nearest meeting point.
You can still get close to the ice. The walkways put you in front of the wall, boats sail along it, and a kayak trip paddles near it. None of these let you walk on the glacier. They suit children under 8, travellers over 65 and anyone who would rather not wear crampons.
Six things catch people out on the Perito Moreno ice — each has a simple fix. Most come down to what a listing leaves out: the park entry fee, lunch, the strict age limits and the weather on the day. Read them before you pick a date, and check your voucher for the exact meeting time.
Every answer is open; tap a question to fold it.
How the prices add upThe classic Minitrekking spends about one hour on the ice inside a 4.5-hour programme from the port, or a 10-hour day with transfer from El Calafate. Minitrekking 2 spends about two hours on the ice; Big Ice three to four hours inside a 12-hour day.
It is the standard hike day: the "cruise" is the 20-minute boat across Brazo Rico from Puerto Bajo las Sombras to the south face, and the trekking is the Minitrekking walk on the ice. Every hike listing includes this boat; longer sightseeing cruises are separate tours.
Only in packages with transfer, usually as a guided visit of about an hour. Packages without transfer go straight to the port; you can visit the walkways on your own with the same park ticket.
Yes. Boat tours sail along the ice wall and suit every age, but they do not land you on the ice. Outside the hiking age limits, a boat and walkways day is the closest alternative.
Yes, one guided kayak trip paddles near the ice with gear and lunch included, for ages 14 and up. It is a separate, more expensive day and does not include walking on the glacier.
From $346 per person for Minitrekking without transfer, $370 for Minitrekking 2 and $459 for Big Ice, plus park entry of ARS 50,000 for foreign visitors. The full cost breakdown.
Minitrekking is moderate — about 3.5 km at an easy pace with guides cutting steps. Big Ice is demanding: around 7.5 hours of walking including a moraine and uneven ice. The difficulty guide compares all three formats.
Children from 8 can join Minitrekking; those aged 8 to 17 need a parent's written authorisation. Minitrekking 2 and Big Ice are for adults only.
Layers: a thermal base, a warm mid layer and a windproof, waterproof jacket, plus long trousers, gloves, a hat, sunglasses and laced hiking shoes. Crampons — and on longer formats a helmet — are provided.
Yes. No food is sold at the port or on the trail, and almost no listing includes lunch; bring a packed lunch and water for the day.
Buy it online on the national park ticket site before your visit, or pay at the gate — several operators say only Argentine pesos in cash are taken there. Foreign visitors pay ARS 50,000, Argentine nationals ARS 25,000; children under 6 enter free.
Yes. Hikes run in rain and wind; only conditions the guides judge unsafe stop them. Most listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Yes, and you will want to. Keep it in a zipped pocket or on a strap — there is nowhere to put things down on the ice.
Pick the date first — summer departures fill weeks ahead — then choose the package. Free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Dates and prices on GetYourGuide — Mini-trek with crampons.
Prices, packages, ages, inclusions, ratings, review quotes
Los Glaciares day pass, rates from June 2026
Monthly highs, lows and daylight
Season, ages, what to bring
Hike formats
Minitrekking 8 hikesMinitrekking 2 2 hikesBig Ice 4 hikesGuides
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