Guide · The day trip

Perito Moreno glacier tours from El Calafate, hour by hour

Pickup at your hotel, a drive across the steppe, hours on the balconies facing the ice and an optional boat ride. Here is what a day trip from town really looks like.

Check availabilityfrom $69 · free cancellation

Editorial team, perito-moreno-glacier-tours.comUpdated October 16, 2026Read time: 7 min7 sources

The tour for this guide El Calafate: Perito Moreno glacier day trip with optional boat 4.7 (2,735 reviews) 8 hoursBilingual guideOptional boat ride from$69per person Check availabilityFree to cancel until one day before

Quick answer

01Distance: The glacier is 80 km from El Calafate by paved road.¹
02Length of day: This site's day trip lasts 8 hours with hotel pickup.
03Price: Day trips start from $60 per person.
04Park hours: From September to April the corridor opens 8 am to 6 pm.²
05Ticket: Buy the park ticket yourself; it is not in any tour.³

What a day trip from El Calafate includes

Perito Moreno glacier tours from El Calafate follow a familiar shape. A coach or van collects you at your hotel in the morning, drives out along the southern shore of Lago Argentino into the national park, and brings you to the walkways on the Magellan peninsula facing the ice. After a guided introduction you get free time on the balconies, often with an optional boat ride, before the drive back to town in the late afternoon.

The tour sold on this site is a typical example. It includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a bilingual guide in Spanish and English and the boat ride only if you choose that option, over a day of 8 hours. It starts from $69 and is rated 4.74 from 2,735 reviews. You supply your own meals: pack a lunch, or plan to eat at the restaurant near the walkways, and carry water for the balconies, where there is nowhere to buy anything once you set off down the stairs.

Everything else about the day depends on the weather and your own pace. Some travelers spend the whole time on the walkways watching for ice to fall, others hurry through the main balconies and use the remaining hours for the boat or a walk in the forest. A guided tour gives you the structure and the transport; what you do with your free time at the glacier is still largely up to you.

Hour by hour

A day trip to the glacier

Morning

Hotel pickup

The coach collects you in El Calafate.
On the road

Across the steppe

The first stretch crosses open steppe.¹
Park gate

Into the forest

Fees are collected at the gate on RP 11.⁴
Midday

The balconies

Free time on the walkways facing the ice.⁵
Option

Boat ride

Added only if you chose it when booking.
Late afternoon

Back in town

Drop-off at your hotel.

The road out to the glacier

The drive is part of the experience. From El Calafate to the Perito Moreno glacier it is 80 km of paved road, and the first 40 km cross the Patagonian steppe before the national park entrance.¹ After the gate the landscape changes quickly, with forest closing in around the road, glimpses of the lake between the trees and, on clear days, the first sight of the ice on the far side of the water.

The route follows provincial road RP 11, and fees for the park are collected at the gate on the way.⁴ Guided tours handle the stop smoothly, but the park ticket is still yours to buy: the El Calafate tourism office states that it is not included in any excursion.³ Buying it online before the day saves time and avoids any doubt at the gate when the coach is waiting. Keep a screenshot in case the signal is weak on the road.

Watch the steppe on the way out. Guanacos, rheas and birds of prey are often seen from the road, and guides usually point out the plants that give El Calafate its name. On the way back the light is often softer and the lake turns a deeper color, and it pays to keep your camera handy even when the glacier is behind you and the coach is heading home. Ask the guide to point out anything you missed on the way out.

Reviews

How many guests have reviewed each day trip

reviews

Number of reviews on GetYourGuide for each listing.

Compared

Day trips from El Calafate to the glacier

Day trip	Duration	Rating	Price from
This site's tour, boat optional	8 hrs	4.74	from $69
National park tour, cruise optional	8 hrs	4.73	from $60
Guided full-day tour	8 hrs	4.79	from $65
Trip to the famous glacier	8 hrs	4.62	from $84
Walkways tour	8 hrs	4.43	from $90

Every amount is a from-price per person; ratings are GetYourGuide averages out of 5.

Classic day trips

Pick your day at the glacier

El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise

Most reviewed

This site's day trip

Walkways, boat optional

Duration: 8 hours
Guide: Spanish, English
Pickup: Included

See the day trip

Guided Tour of the National Park + Perito Moreno Glacier + Boat Cruise (optional)

Lowest from-price

National park tour

Guided, cruise optional

Duration: 8 hours
Guide: English, Spanish
Pickup: Included

See the day trip

Wheelchair accessible

Guided full day

Accessible option

Duration: 8 hours
Guide: English, Spanish
Pickup: Included

See the day trip

Decision helper

Tour or self-guided?

How you reach the glacier changes the whole day.

I want everything organized I want to choose my own hours I travel with a wheelchair user I am on a tight budget I want the glacier from the water too

A guided day trip

Pickup, guide and transport in one booking.

Self-drive

Drive RP 11 and stop at the park gate.⁴

An accessible day trip

Several listings are marked wheelchair accessible.

The lowest from-price tour

A guided park tour starts from $60.

Add the boat ride

See our guide to the boat tours.

From El Calafate to the Perito Moreno Glacier the distance is 80 paved km. The first 40 km cross the Patagonian steppe, then pass the entrance to the National Park.

Secretaría de Turismo de El Calafaterendered from Spanish · Source 1

A walking tour on the Perito Moreno glacier walkways

The heart of the day is a walking tour on the Perito Moreno glacier walkways. The metal paths and stairs lead down through the forest to a series of balconies at different heights, each facing the front from a slightly different angle. The ice is seen from several balconies, and there is also an area designed for accessibility.⁵ That puts the ice within reach of visitors who could never manage a trek or a boat deck.

Plan your walk around the balconies rather than the clock. The low balconies put you near the waterline and the noise of the ice, while the higher ones give a better view of the whole front and the mountains behind. Take time to stand still: the glacier calves throughout the day, and a good way to see a block fall is to choose a balcony, put the camera down and simply wait. Patience is rewarded here more often than speed, and the waiting is pleasant in itself.

At the top of the walkways there are services for the whole day. The tourism office lists a restaurant, a snack bar, toilets, parking, primary health care and photography services at the glacier.⁶ There are also two car parks, the upper one reserved for vehicles carrying visitors with reduced mobility.⁷ Guided groups usually agree a meeting point near the services before splitting up for free time.

Plan the day

Before you leave El Calafate

Book

Buy the national park ticket online
Confirm the pickup window the evening before
Note the park corridor hours for your month

Pack

Warm layers and a windproof jacket
Water and a packed lunch
Sunglasses and sunscreen

Calculator

What the day trip costs your group

Choose a day trip and the number of people for the total from-price.

This site's day trip8 hoursfrom $69 National park tour8 hoursfrom $60 Guided full day8 hoursfrom $65 Walkways tour8 hoursfrom $90

People 2

Total from$138

per guest from $69

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Glacier tour prices start from what GetYourGuide lists; for other currencies we apply the ECB reference rate, and checkout confirms the final sum.

Video

EL CALAFATE & How to see the PERITO MORENO GLACIER

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Perito Moreno glacier tour times and park hours

Day trips usually leave El Calafate in the morning and return in the late afternoon, but the exact Perito Moreno glacier tour times depend on the operator and on the boat option you choose. Check the departure time when you book, and confirm the pickup window the evening before with your hotel or the operator, especially if you are staying outside the town center. A late pickup can cost you time at the walkways.

The park sets the limits. Only the road corridor to the glacier has fixed hours: from 1 September to 30 April it opens from 8 am to 6 pm, with visitors allowed to stay until 8 pm.² From 1 May to 31 August the hours are 9 am to 4 pm, with stays until 6 pm.² If you are driving yourself, these hours shape your day more than any timetable. Plan to be inside the gate well before closing time to enjoy the balconies without hurrying.

Within those hours, the glacier does not keep a schedule. Calving can happen at any time, and the light changes from hour to hour as clouds move over the ice field. Early arrivals often have the walkways quieter; later visitors get softer afternoon light. A guided day trip picks a sensible middle, while a self-guided visit lets you choose the hours that suit your interests. Neither choice is wrong.

Comparing Perito Moreno day trips

Several day trips cover the same ground with small differences. A guided tour of the national park with an optional boat cruise starts from $60, lasts 8 hours and is rated 4.73 from 725 reviews. A guided full-day tour starts from $65, lasts 8 hours and is marked wheelchair accessible. It is rated 4.79 from 165 reviews. Both include hotel pickup and a guide in English and Spanish, and both offer free cancellation up to a day ahead, which makes them easy to compare with the tour sold on this site.

Some trips focus on the walkways alone. A walkways tour from El Calafate lasts 8 hours, is marked wheelchair accessible and starts from $90. It is rated 4.43 from 69 reviews. A further trip to the famous glacier starts from $84, is rated 4.62 from 95 reviews and also lists wheelchair access. Accessibility labels like these matter if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair or walks slowly.

When the itinerary looks the same, compare the details that change your day: group size, guide languages, whether pickup is included or only available, and the cancellation window. One day trip with an optional boat, for example, asks for 3 days' notice for a full refund. The tour sold on this site allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Small print like this is easy to miss when you book late at night on a phone, and it decides how much you lose if plans change.

A Perito Moreno glacier day trip from El Calafate on your own

You do not have to join a tour. The tourism office notes that the glacier can be reached with scheduled services, through travel agencies or by private or rental car.⁶ A self-guided Perito Moreno glacier day trip from El Calafate gives you full control over the hours and the order of the day, at the price of organizing transport and navigating the park on your own. For confident travelers with a car, that freedom is worth a lot.

If you drive, follow RP 11 west from town and stop at the park gate to show your ticket.⁴ Leave early in summer to find space in the lower car park, and remember that the corridor closes for entry at 6 pm from September to April.² Our guide on how to get to the Perito Moreno glacier covers guided trips, buses and rental cars in more detail. Fill the tank in El Calafate before you leave and download an offline map of the park.

Whichever way you travel, bring layers, food and water, and a fully charged phone with your park ticket saved offline. The weather changes fast on the lake, and the walkways are exposed in places. With good preparation, a day at the glacier from El Calafate is easy, relaxed and long remembered, whether you arrive by tour coach or behind your own wheel. Leave the last word to the weather and keep some slack in your schedule if you can.

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