Minitrekking vs Big Ice on the Perito Moreno Glacier
Minitrekking gives about 1.5 hours on the ice, accepts ages 8–65 and starts around $358. Big Ice gives 3.5–4 hours, accepts ages 18–50 only, and starts around $630. Most visitors want minitrekking.
The short version
Both put crampons on your feet and walk you across the Perito Moreno Glacier with certified guides. Both cross Brazo Rico by boat from Puerto Bajo de las Sombras. The difference is duration, difficulty and who is allowed on.
| Minitrekking | Big Ice | |
|---|---|---|
| Time on the ice | About 1.5 hours | 3.5 to 4 hours |
| Total day | 5 to 11 hours | 12 hours |
| Ages | 8 to 65 | 18 to 50 only |
| Group size | Up to 20, subgroups of 10–20 | Capped at 10 |
| Approach walk | Short forest path | Up to 4 hours round trip |
| Fitness | Moderate — brisk walking for 2 hours | Good — sustained hiking |
| Ice caves | Not usually reached | Part of the route |
| From | $358 | $630 |
Who each one is for
Minitrekking
This is the one most people want and most people should book. Ninety minutes is long enough to stop feeling like a novelty and start noticing things: the way meltwater cuts channels, the blue that only appears in the deeper cracks, the constant background noise of a glacier working. It is short enough that nobody in an averagely fit group is suffering by the end.
The age band matters more than the fitness. At 8 to 65 it takes families with older children and most travellers of retirement age. Reviewers who described themselves as unfit consistently report managing it without difficulty.
Big Ice
Big Ice is a different proposition and the price reflects genuine extra. Three and a half to four hours on the surface takes you well beyond the margin into the ice caves, moulins and blue lagoons that minitrekking routes do not reach. Groups are capped at ten. One traveller described roughly forty-five minutes through forest and then three to four hours on ice with a lunch stop, on a route where you barely see another party.
The approach is the part people underestimate. One operator lists four hours of hiking in Andean- Patagonian forest, round trip, on top of the time on the ice. That is a twelve-hour day with a 7:00am pickup, and it is a hike before it is a glacier walk.
The medical form nobody mentions
One Big Ice operator requires a completed medical declaration before departure. It covers allergies, epilepsy, spinal problems, knee problems, previous surgery, diabetes, asthma, dislocations, dizziness, current medication, heart conditions, high blood pressure, ankle injuries and fainting.
The form is reviewed by the company providing the service, which reserves the right to cancel the activity if a participant is judged not suitable — and the listing states that cancellation carries a 100% penalty. That is $800 at risk on a paperwork judgement made after you have paid.
- Submit the form as early as possible, not the night before.
- Read the penalty wording on the specific option you are buying.
- If you have any listed condition, book minitrekking instead — the exclusions there are narrower.
Both treks also exclude pregnancy, back and spinal problems and cardiac conditions outright. The full list sits on the safety page.
What the day feels like
The sequence is the same for both. A coach from El Calafate, then the boat across Brazo Rico with the south face standing over you at water level. A walk along the shore to a refuge, where guides fit crampons and helmets and explain how to walk — small steps, knees slightly bent, weight down through the spikes. It takes about five minutes to stop thinking about it.
On the ice, groups move in single file behind a lead guide with a second at the back. The surface is irregular but firm. Guides pick the route fresh each day because the ice moves. Most minitrekking departures finish with a drink poured over ice cut from the glacier, which is a gimmick and also a genuinely good moment.
Choosing without overthinking it
- Travelling with children or anyone over 50? Minitrekking, or the walkways.
- Want to say you walked on a glacier? Minitrekking does that completely.
- Hike regularly and want ice caves? Big Ice, and clear the whole day.
- Short on time? Neither. A walkway day gives four hours in front of the ice.
- Short on budget? The walkways cost a fifth of minitrekking and are the reason most people leave impressed.
Booking notes
Both treks sell out. Listings show average booking lead times of thirty to eighty days, and peak season runs December to February. Options described as “without transfers” start and end at Puerto Bajo de las Sombras, cut several hours off the day, and usually drop the walkways — a cheaper product, not a discount.
Neither trek includes food. Neither includes the park entrance fee. What each does include is set out tour by tour on the key facts page, and traveller accounts of both sit on the reviews page.
What the operators do not put in the headline
Three details recur across the ice-trek listings and none of them appears in the tour title. Each one changes what you are buying.
The transfer option changes the product
Listings sold “without transfers” are not the same tour at a discount. They start and end at Puerto Bajo de las Sombras, they cut the day roughly in half, and on most listings they exclude the walkways entirely. If you have no car, that also means arranging 70 km of Patagonian road yourself. The routes are set out on our visitor information page.
Group sizes are not what the photographs suggest
Marketing images show parties of six on empty ice. Reality is a coach, a shared boat and subgroups of ten to twenty, with several operators running the same route on the same schedule. Big Ice genuinely caps at ten and genuinely sees fewer people, which is part of what the higher price buys.
Bilingual means Spanish first on many departures
Several English-speaking travellers describe long Spanish explanations followed by a short English summary. It is not deception — the groups are largely Spanish-speaking — but it is worth expecting. Reviews naming specific guides are collected on the Perito Moreno Glacier tours reviews page.
Booking sensibly
- Book as soon as your dates are fixed; lead times run from thirty to eighty days.
- Leave a spare day — weather cancels treks and there may be no seat to move to.
- Check the age of every traveller against the band before you pay, not after.
- Read what happens to your money if the operator cancels, which differs by listing.
The full cancellation picture, including the one non-refundable tour on this site, is on the FAQs page, and the fee that no trek includes is covered in our guide to park fees.
Book your Perito Moreno Glacier tour
Minitrekking runs year-round for ages 8 to 65, with crampons and the boat crossing included.
Compare Perito Moreno Glacier tours Check AvailabilityCompare both treks against the walkway days at Perito Moreno Glacier Tours, and read the health requirements before you pay a deposit.