If you’re venturing to Argentina, chances are Perito Moreno Glacier is on your bucket-list. In this guide we’ll cover everything to know to plan your visit including how to get there, how much it costs, and what you’ll see.
Fully Updated January 2023
At 19 miles long, rising 240 feet above the water, and covering an area of 121 square miles, the Perito Moreno Glacier is a beast.
A stunning field of blinding white ice and cool blue hues rising above turquoise glacial waters, and the main attraction within Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park.
It’s most remarkable asset however, is that unlike the vast majority of earth’s great glaciers, this one is still growing.
If you’re backpacking Argentina on a bit of a budget, then you may currently be um-ming and ah-hing over whether you really to take a day trip to see this rather expensive glacier.
Well, we have a definitive answer for you: abso-bloody-lutely!
Whilst it cost us a considerable wad of cash, watching awe-struck from the lower balcony as a giant body of ice broke free and crashed into the waters below is a memory that is unlikely to leave us for some time; a pure travel memory, and the sort for which we set off to explore.
In this guide you’ll find everything you need to know to plan your visit to Perito Moreno Glacier, including the best time to visit, the top tours, how to get to Perito Moreno from El Calafate, an overview of entry costs and the things not to miss when you’re there, alongside some tips to make the most of the day.
Here is our complete guide to visiting Perito Moreno.
Note: Given the rampant inflation in Argentina causing prices in the local currency to increase sometimes daily, prices for various parts of the Perito Moreno experience (including transport) will be given in US dollars where possible - this will help keep this guide as relevant as possible for future travellers planning their trips to the glacier, and Argentina more generally.
Perito moreno essentials
/ Located in Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park
/ The glacier is 19 miles wide and 75 m high
/ Perito Moreno is one of few advancing glaciers
/ Common day trip from El Calafate
/ Can be reached by shuttle, car or tour
/ Expensive but worth it experience
The Best Time to Visit Perito Moreno Glacier
The best time of year to visit Perito Moreno, and Los Glaciares National Park more generally, is during the summer months of November to March, as this will vastly increase the chances of sunny weather.
This not only makes it a more pleasant experience (it can get bloody chilly during winter!), but bright sunshine increases the chance if witnessing the glacier ‘calving’ - that is the ice cracking and parts of the glacier falling into the water surrounding it. This is an incredible thing to witness, especially if you happen to be on the viewing platform at the time!
The likelihood and frequency of this happening is greatly increased if you time your visit for later in the afternoon, as the temperatures are higher and the ice has had a chance to melt a little.
If you’re priority is enjoying Perito Moreno Glacier with as few other tourists around as possible, then you should try and arrive nice and early (ideally before 10 am), before the shuttles and tour buses show up, or hang around until later in the afternoon once they’ve left.
How to get to Perito Moreno
Assuming you’ll be basing yourself in the town of El Calafate, there are five ways to get to Perito Moreno Glacier: shuttle bus, a taxi, a tour, a rental car or hitch-hiking.
The Shuttle Bus Option
'Public transport' to the glacier only comes in the form of shuttle buses; there are no 'local' buses which pass by the entrance. Several companies run the route daily and you can find them all in the bus terminal in El Calafate. We'd recommend you confirm departure times and purchase your tickets the day before you want to visit the glacier as demand is high, especially during the summer months.
There main companies running this route are Caltur and Chalten Travel (these are the ones for which you can buy tickets at the bus station), but several others - Patagonia Dreams, Always Glaciers, and Taqsa - also provide a shuttle service. Between them, there are a number of different departures throughout the day.
To check the departure and return times online (as well as book your ticket), you can either head to the company’s official website or alternatively compare and buy on a trusted site like BusBud or Bookaway.
The most common departure and return times are 8/9 am, returning at 4 pm, but there’s usually a departure at 1 pm, returning at 7 pm. This later option is less popular and therefore will likely have more availability. Additionally, it almost always means smaller crowds in the park.
Expect to pay around $30 USD for a return trip.
When we visited there was a bus terminal tax to be paid per person but we can no longer find mention of this; if you could let us know whether you paid this (and how much it was) in the comments, it would be greatly appreciated.
From the bus terminal to the glacier, it's just under 90 minutes through some beautiful landscapes, but the total journey time may be closer to two hours as the bus will need to stop so that everybody can pay the Perito Moreno Glacier National Park entrance fee.
Note that the difference with the public transport option, versus a tour, is that it won't include stops at any viewpoints or a guide; you are paying purely for transport from A to B.
Hiring a rental car to get To Perito Moreno
Now bear with us on this one, as we know that hiring a rental car is not foremost at a backpacker’s mind, but for Perito Moreno it makes a lot of sense - especially if there’s at least four of you who would like to visit the glacier.
We’ve found the best website for comparing companies, prices and availability is RentalCars (it’s the website we use to book all our hire cars when we travel), through which we’ve established that 24 hour’s rental will cost around $150 USD. Whilst this is more expensive than four people taking the return shuttle bus - by $30 - it allows you full flexibility on when to arrive and leave the park. This means you can arrive as soon as the park opens, and enjoy this incredible natural wonder all by yourself.
Note that the price comes down considerably if you choose to higher the vehicle for more than a 24 hour period - for example, 7-days rental costs around $100 USD per day.
Taxi to Perito Moreno Glacier
Whilst this is not an economical option for a single traveller (or even a couple for that matter), if there are a group of three or four of you then hiring a taxi to transfer you to the glacier, wait and then drive you back may work out the same or cheaper than the bus.
If you’re not keen on hiring a car, but want to arrive and leave on your own terms (rather than when the shuttle bus schedule tells you), this may be the perfect option.
The price varies depending upon taxi driver and your negotiating skills, but you should expect to pay between $75 and $100 USD.
Note that if you’re wanting to travel independently but join any of the activities at the glacier (like the boat ride or mini-trekking excursion), then the taxi may become significantly more expensive due to the extra waiting time for the driver.
Tours to Perito Moreno
For those not so keen on public transport, or with a little more money in their pocket, there are a number of tours available which include your transfer to and from the park, a guide to make the most of your time there and a variety of activities which can be tacked on to your day.
From previous experience, we can confirm that booking tours last minute and direct with the companies to get a cheaper rate doesn't really work here, so if you've got a fixed itinerary and want to be organised, it may be worth booking in advance.
The following are some popular and highly rated options:
Perito Moreno Glacier Mini-Trekking Tour and Cruise | This super high-rated tour includes your transport, bilingual guide, a one hour ‘mini-trek’ on the glacier, a guided sightseeing cruise and time to explore the site independently. For those that plan on doing a tour to Perito Moreno, this is by far the most popular option. Find out more here.
Perito Moreno Glacier | Another very popular tour option is the simple combo of transport and guided visit to the glacier (with the potential of adding on the boat cruise for an extra cost). This works out a little more expensive than taking public transport and going independently by may be preferable to single travellers. Find out more here.
Perito Moreno Glacier Big Ice Trek | If money is no object and you want the greatest adventure, this is the tour for you, offering you the chance to spend most of the day actually on the glacier! Find out more here. Please be aware that this tour is also available on Viator, but significantly more expensive.
Hitch-Hiking to Perito Moreno
Hitch-hiking is a super popular way to get around Argentina generally, and is considered a relatively safe mode of travel.
Visiting in low season may make this a little trickier, but if you’re planning your trip for the summer months the abundance of tourists travelling to and from the park make this a practical way of reaching Perito Moreno - and a very budget friendly option to boot!
Perito Moreno entry fees
The entry fee for foreign tourists to Parque Nacional Los Glacieres - which includes Perito Moreno - is currently $5500 AR (national tourists pay significantly less, at $1500 AR). This is correct as of January 2023, but as discussed, Argentina’s rampant inflation means that this may increase again in the not so distant future.
We recommend checking the official site to confirm the current price.
Tickets must be paid for in Argentinian pesos, and can be bought upon arrival from the ticket office or online and in advance here.
If choosing to book online, you will be given the choice to extend your ticket for a two-day entry (the second day can be used up to 72 hours after the first admission), for a 50% discount off the second daily rate. We do not know if this is an option available to those buying their tickets in person, at the gate - if you know, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Visiting Perito Moreno Gacier
We were surprised at how well the entire complex was designed. The wood and metal walkways blend into the surroundings and are very well constructed, rather than an eyesore.
They bring you to a variety of viewing decks so you can appreciate the glacier from every angle and lead to some rest areas with benches where you can snack or just sit and enjoy the spellbinding view. Before you start to navigate these walkways, check out the map at the top which shows you the different routes to follow and how they connect up; each is colour-coded and there are signs along the way too to keep you right.
One could rush around the viewpoints in a couple of hours but, as you've got no alternative but to wait for your bus in the afternoon, we'd suggest you go slow, take your time and enjoy one of the most incredible sights in the world. The site will be punctuated with large tour groups throughout the day but we were surprised that we actually had a lot of time in solitude to enjoy the glacier.
For those travellers with mobility issues, be aware that these walkways cover several kilometres and involved some uphill walking; there is a lift for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues to brings you to the main viewing deck.
Next to the main car park, there are bathrooms, a gift shop and a restaurant. As is to be expected, the restaurant is overpriced and, despite the cost of your entry ticket, only food purchased there can be consumed at its tables (it's also the only indoor seating space at the site).
For any visitor, we'd therefore recommend you to bring your own snacks, water and a packed lunch to enjoy outside on one of the benches with the incredible view and the soundtrack of cracking ice.
Glacier Trekking
As we discussed in the ‘How to Get to Perito Moreno’ section of this post, a super popular thing to do in Perito Moreno is to take on a glacier trek.
There are two options for this, and which you choose will come down to your budget, how long you have for the experience, and how fit you are:
The Big Ice | This excursion involves nearly seven hours trekking - half of which is spent actually on the glacier - and is very physically demanding (so much so that no children are allowed, and there is an age limit of 50). Nobody we spoke to regretted doing this, but it’s definitely not within the financial grasp of most backpackers. You can book this tour here.
Mini Trek | If you are one of many people that can’t stretch to the ‘Big Ice’ but still want to summit the glacier, this is the activity for you. Running a few hours shorter than the above option, the Mini Trek involves three hours of trekking, around 60-90 minutes of which is on the ice. You can book this tour here.
Note that both of these tours need to be booked in advance of your arrival at Perito Moreno Glacier, and will include your transport.
Other Activities in Perito Moreno
Kayak | An incredible way to enjoy the glacier, this kayak tour will let you spend an hour and a half on Lago Argentino. Just don’t forget bring extra clothes in case you get wet! Find out more here.
Boat Trip | If you don’t join a tour which includes a boat trip, you can still arrange one once you arrive at the park - just head on over to small booth in the lower parking lot by the restaurant (it’ll have a sign saying ‘Navegacion’). Tours last around 90 minutes and usually include a small dram of whiskey with glacial ice!
For a super sedate way of visiting the glacier, you can also join a cruise!
Where to stay in El Calafate
As we discussed earlier, the vast majority of people visiting Perito Moreno Glacier will do so on a day trip from El Calafate. This means that there is a large number of accommodation options in town, to cater to the varying budget levels of the people that pass. through.
Budget Accommodation in El Calafate
Depending on your budget and whether you need a kitchen to cook in, there are literally dozens of guest houses and hostels to choose from in El Calafate - and take it from us, we spent a long time trawling around the town with our backpacks on searching for the best deal!
Bla Guesthouse | This funky, well designed hostel is where we stayed, drawn in by its reasonable prices and great kitchen. Check prices and availability on Hostelworld or Booking.com.
America del Sur Hostel | For those who enjoy waking up to spectacular views (take our word for it - this place is full of them!) consider America del Sur Hostel. It's a little walk out of town, but the place is beautiful! Check availability and prices on on Hostelworld or Booking.com.
Calafate Hostel | Whilst a little bland, this super popular hostel has thousands of excellent reviews, a central location, good sized privates and dorms, a guest kitchen and super helpful staff. Find out more here.
Other highly rated hostels include Folk Hostel, Hostal Schilling, Trastienda Guest House and Titan Hostel y Cabañas Del Titan.
Mid-Range
Kau Kaleshen | This highly rated guest house is super cosy, with good-sized comfortable rooms, a charming inner courtyard garden (plus guest living room) and an excellent on-site restaurant. Guests also speak highly of their included breakfast. Find out more here.
Don Pepe Hotel y Cabañas | This simple guest house is only a few metres from the Main Street, and offers simple but cosy rooms for a good price. Ideal for a couple who don’t fancy a hostel, but don’t want to shell out a fortune. Find out more here.
Calafate Parque Hotel | A comfortable 4* hotel that feels reminiscent of a ski lodge. Centrally located and relatively modern, it has large rooms, good facilities (including a spa, gym and restaurant) and attentive staff. Find out more here.
Posada Larsen | This highly rated guest house in a wonderful location not too far from the lake offers comfortable and cosy rooms and incredible views. Find out more here.
Another simple but excellent option is Posada Karut Josh.
Luxury
Design Suites Calafate | Located north of El Calafate, in a privileged position at lake’s edge, this incredible hotel offers large and beautiful rooms (some with views over the lake), excellent facilities including an indoor pool, and even a free shuttle into town. It certainly provides the wow factor, and the perfect introduction to Argentine Patagonia. Find out more here.
For more excellent views of Lago Argentino, take a look at the popular Xelena Hotel & Suites.
Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate | A truly outstanding property, from the plush rooms to the excellent communal areas, the Esplendor offers a touch of luxury. Facilities include a spa, gym, swimming pool and restaurant. Find out more here.
