Things to Do at the Perito Moreno Glacier

There are four ways to experience this glacier and they are not variations on a theme. They cost between $76 and $800, and the hours they buy in front of the ice differ by a factor of twenty.

Hours, prices and access verified by the Perito Moreno Glacier Tours team — last checked August 10, 2026.

1. The walkways

Roughly four kilometres of steel boardwalk face the north wall across several levels. You choose how far to go: the central balconies give the head-on view, the lower circuit runs closest to the water, and a forest path loops back through lenga and ñire. An accessible route reaches the first viewpoint without stairs.

This is what every full-day tour includes, and for most visitors it is the day. Calving happens without warning; the sound arrives before the ice hits the water. Budget two to four hours and expect to spend much of it standing still.

2. The boat safari

An hour on the water brings you closer to the ice wall than any walkway can. It is the single most recommended upgrade in the reviews, and it is where the tours quietly diverge: some sail the north wall, others run the south face to within about 150 metres. Neither listing usually says which.

Booked as an add-on it costs roughly $30–50. Several travellers report paying materially less at the pier on the day — true, and it sells out in high season. Weather cancels it, in which case that portion is refunded.

3. Minitrekking

Crampons, a helmet and about an hour and a half on the ice, reached by a twenty-minute boat crossing of Brazo Rico and a forest walk. Guides split groups into subgroups of ten to twenty and pick a route that changes with the ice. You see crevasses, moulins, seracs and meltwater pools at arm’s length.

Ages 8 to 65, strictly. Moderate fitness. Not for pregnancy, back problems or cardiac conditions. Expect a ten-hour day for one and a half hours on the ice, and expect to be glad of it anyway.

4. Big Ice

The long version: three and a half to four hours on the ice, a forest approach that can run four hours round trip, groups capped at ten, and ice caves and blue lagoons that minitrekking routes do not reach. Twelve hours door to door.

Ages 18 to 50 only. One operator additionally requires a medical form covering everything from knee problems to blood pressure, reviewed before departure, with the right to cancel at full penalty if a participant is judged unsuitable. Read that clause before you pay $800 for it. The detail is on the safety page.

5. The multi-glacier cruise

A different day altogether: eleven hours on Lago Argentino from Puerto Bandera, visiting Spegazzini, Upsala, Seco and finally Perito Moreno. Lunch is included, the decks are heated, and there is an option to disembark for the walkways.

The trade-off is stark and worth stating plainly: this itinerary gives thirty minutes at the Perito Moreno front. Several travellers also note the boats no longer approach Upsala closely. If Perito Moreno is why you came, this is the wrong boat — and if you want to see four glaciers in a day, it is the only one.

6. Kayaking

Guided sea-kayak trips paddle in front of the ice wall from the southern shore, combined with a walkway visit and lunch. Small groups, weather-dependent, and the closest you get to the ice at water level under your own power.

Which one, in one line each