El Calafate

Glacier Exploration

Start your trip with pick-up from certain hotels in El Calafate and take the 1.5-hour transfer to Bajo de las Sombras Port. Board a boat to cross the Rico channel. Join a group of up to 20 people and take a 20-minute walk to the glacier.  When you arrive, get kitted out with crampons and begin the ascent. Hike for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes enjoying the ice formations and discovering the flora, fauna, and glaciology of the region. Learn about the phenomenon of glacier rupture.  Then, return to the refuge through the Magellanic forest. From there, cross the Rich Arm of Lago Argentino and sail in front of the glacier. After this, spend approximately 1 hour exploring a network of walkways which offer a new perspective of the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Depart from your hotel in El Calafate at around 10:30 AM and set off for the Perito Moreno Glacier located inside the Los Glaciares National Park. Travel for 80 kilometers (50 miles) until you arrive at the west end of the Magallanes Peninsula. Then, enjoy plenty of time to explore this natural ice formation due to your early start.  Begin your tour of the national park by strolling along a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) network of boardwalks. Admire the glacier from multiple perspectives as you climb up to different levels and balconies. Spend 2 hours exploring the runways and use this time to eat a packed lunch or make a stop in one of the restaurants.  Next, take an optional 1-hour boat ride in front of the northern wall of the glacier. After the tour, return to El Calafate via the same route, arriving at approximately 6:30/7:00 PM.

Start your day with pick up from your hotel and head out on Route 11, bordering Lake Argentino. Travel 80 kilometers from El Calafate to the Moreno Glacier. On the drive out of El Calafate, you can see beautiful Lake Argentino with its Redonda Bay and try to spot its wide variety of birds. Within the first 40 kilometers, you’ll travel through the Patagonian Steppe, then enter the national park. You will arrive at the “Curva de los Suspiros” or “Sigh Curve”, the first panoramic viewpoint of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Enjoy a short stop to take pictures before moving on to Bajo las Sombras Port. You will have the option of taking an additional one-hour boat trip through the southern arm of the Iceberg Channel in order to see different views of the Perito Moreno Glacier Wall. Back at the Port, a system of balconies and footbridges allow you to enjoy walks along different paths and to take in amazing views of the glacier. After some free time for walking and lunch, make your way back to El Calafate.  

Sail in luxury around Southern Patagonia's Los Glaciares National Park during this full-day sightseeing cruise. Board at La Soledad Port, before visiting the stunning Escuadra Bay and the Condor Nesting Wall. Watch these beautiful birds in action. Marvel at the majestic natural wonders of the Seco, Heim and Spegazzini Glaciers from the catamaran's four outer decks. Disembark at "Puesto Las Vacas" station for a short walk. Then, visit Upsala Canal, and enjoy panoramic views of the spectacular Upsala and Bertracchi Glaciers. Indulge in a gourmet lunch onboard. Admire the cruiser's glacier-themed decorations, which bring nature indoors. Let your kids play in the recreation area, which features illustrations of the National Park’s native fauna. Navigate along Canal de los Témpanos towards the Northern face of the Perito Moreno Glacier, and disembark at La Soledad Port. 

Enjoy a full day experience aboard the María Turquesa Cruise that travels to the most impressive glaciers, sailing with the highest comfort. Begin with the transfer from your hotel to the Private Port La Soledad. After traveling 47 KM enter the National Park and board the boat. Cross a peninsulas encounter called "Boca del Diablo" to enter the North Arm of the lake. Navigate between icebergs through the Upsala Canal where you can observe the Upsala Glacier about 10 km away. Go to the Spegazzini Channel to see hanging glaciers such as Dry Glacier, Heim Sur, Peinetta and disembark at Las Vacas Post where you will make a 30-minute walk through a lovely forest. Continue to the front of the highest glacier in the National Park, the Spegazzini Glacier (135 meters above the lake level/440 ft above the lake level). Take advantage of the time, take pictures and contemplate in silence with the surrounding natural beauty. Head to your final destination at Perito Moreno Glacier, where you will disembark on the walkways to culminate a day full of magic and surprises. Finally, take a bus in which you will return to your hotel in El Calafate at the end of the day.

Immerse yourself in Argentina’s dramatic landscapes and take in panoramic views of mountains, glaciers, and lakes. See the nature that played a major role in Darwin’s and Fitz Roy’s research and discover Argentina’s youngest village, El Chaltén, founded in 1985. Start your full-day tour with a pickup from your hotel in El Calafate. Take the legendary Route 40, which runs alongside Lake Argentino with its blueish-white glaciers.   Cross the Santa Cruz River and hear about Charles Darwin’s and Robert Fitz Roy’s expeditions. Continue to La Leona River, and stop at La Leona Roadhouse, where you can learn the history of Route 40 over a coffee and homemade cake. Walk along the edge of Lake Viedma and see the breathtaking peaks of the Andes mountain range, including Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. After your 3-hour journey, arrive at El Chatén, located in the Southern Andes in a valley where the rivers De las Vueltas and Fitz Roy meet. Admire the young village’s surroundings within the Los Glaciares National Park. Then, decide to either to hike along self-guided trails or remain in the town and enjoy some free time. If you choose to hike a trail, the tour guide will provide you with a map, a lunchbox and advise you on the different trail options to best suit your fitness level. Throughout the year, you can enjoy two short trails to Chorrillo del Salto and Mirador de los Cóndores. From October to April, you can also choose a trail that will take you to Capri Lagoon. If you prefer to stay in El Chaltén, you can enjoy a relaxing period of free time and explore the town. At 5 PM, start your journey back to El Calafate, arriving around 7:30-8 PM. Enjoy a convenient drop-off at your hotel after a full day of discovering Argentina’s nature.

Start the tour with a pickup from your hotel in El Calafate around 7:00 AM to undertake the 47km route to the Punta Bandera Port where your boat departs at 9:00 AM. The first part of the trip takes place in the north arm of the Argentino Lake before crossing into the Boca del Diablo, the narrowest part of the lake. Then, go to the Upsala and Spegazzini channels where you can view the respective glaciers. The Upsala Glacier is the largest on the Argentino Lake and can be seen from about 20km away. The Spegazzini Glacier is the highest and you can also see the Dry, Heim Sur, and Peineta glaciers. After entering the Spegazzini Channel, a 300-meter path will be crossed without difficulty through the forest along the coast of the lake making stops at viewpoints overlooking the entire Bay of Glaciers. Arrive at the Spegazzini Refuge where you can enjoy an optional 3-course lunch with drinks, visit the shop, and contemplate the landscape from the terrace.  For those who enjoy walking, the mountain path offers a 700m trek of medium difficulty through a wooded path with natural viewpoints of the Spegazzini Glacier ending at the landing point. Return to the boat and head back to El Calafate where you’ll be dropped off back at your hotel.

Get to know the Perito Moreno glacier, a staggeringly beautiful ice field and glacier that is the crown jewel of Patagonia. Spend a full day exploring with your own private group and guide. Start your trip with pickup from your hotel in El Calafate between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM, depending on your preference. Once on the road, travel the 80 kilometers that separate the town from the glacier. Upon arrival at the parking lot, if you select the add-on for this tour, your group will have a 1-hour boat ride in front of the northern wall of the glacier, the best way to see, hear, and photograph the glacier.  Then, spend up to five hours walking around and exploring the glacier and the trails around it with your guide. Among the earth’s most dynamic and accessible ice fields, this glacier is the stunning centerpiece of the southern sector of Los Glaciares National Park. Constantly advancing, the glacier is considered one of the most impressive natural spectacles in the world.

The trip begins with pickup from El Calafate and travels 1 hour and 30 minutes to Bajo de la Sombras Port. From here, sail across the Rico Channel and descend on the southwestern coast of Patagonia to reach Perito Moreno Glacier. Upon arrival at the glacier, enjoy a 1 hour and 30 minute hike with your mountain guides along a path next to the glacier. Arrive at a magnificent view point and marvel at the vast frozen landscape that stretches out before you. From here, attach the iron crampons to the ground and begin your hike walk across the ice. Trek across the ice for around 4 hours, admiring the fascinating ice formations from start to finish. From your expert guides, learn about the flora and fauna that thrive in this unique environment, and listen to interesting facts about the glaciology of the region, and in particular about the phenomenon of glacier rupture. Finally, return to Bajo de las Sombras Port to gaze at the view of the glacier from the walkways and balconies, and then return to the city of El Calafate.

Enjoy the convenience of being picked up at your hotel in El Calafate. Drive 80 km to the Los Glaciares National Park, an approximately 2-hour drive. Meet your kayaking guide upon arrival and begin your Perito Moreno adventure. Get ready to paddle by gearing up with a dry Gore-Tex suit, thermal suit, boots, gloves, and life jacket. Receive safety instructions at the lakeshore. There, your guide will lead you through a few warm-up exercises in order to get you feeling comfortable and confident in you kayak. This tour is welcome to kayakers of all experience levels. Whether you’re a seasoned kayaker or this is your first time, you’ll be in good hands with your knowledgable guide. Explore the majestic icebergs floating in the water. Enjoy breathtaking views of this natural wonder. Take extraordinary pictures of these icy giants. Return to shore after 1.5 hours of paddling. Leave your kayaking guide and meet your original guide. Discover the circuit of footbridges facing the glacier. Hear the ice cracking in surroundings ice formations as you walk along the catwalks. Afterward, return to your hotel in El Calafate.