Perito Moreno glacier: how to get there from El Calafate and what to do

Perito Moreno is the reason almost everyone goes to El Calafate. It is about 80 km from town, inside Los Glaciares National Park, and you can see it three ways: from the boardwalks facing it, from a boat, or walking on the ice. Here is how to get there, what it costs to get in and how much time to give it.

Getting there from El Calafate

• By car. Take provincial route 11, paved, to the end. Around an hour and a half. It gives you the most freedom: you get there early, before the groups, and stay as long as you like.
• By bus. They leave from the El Calafate bus station in the morning and come back in the afternoon, with a few hours on the boardwalks. Times and prices change with the season: ask at the bus station or at your hotel.
• On a tour. They pick you up at your hotel and usually combine the glacier with the boat trip. It is the easiest option if you have no car and want to do everything in one day.

None of the three includes the park fee unless they tell you so: you pay it separately.

The park fee in 2026

From 1 June 2026, the day pass for Los Glaciares National Park costs:

If you go back into the park within 72 hours, the second day costs half. There are 3 day passes (ARS 100,000 general) and 7 day passes (ARS 175,500 general), worth a look if you are also going to El Chaltén, which is part of the same park. You buy them on the national parks website or at the entrance, with your ID or passport.

The boardwalks

Facing the glacier there are several boardwalk circuits at different heights, with ramps along much of the way. You walk them on your own and do not need a guide. Fifteen minutes after you go in, the glacier is right in front of you.

Give it two or three hours. What everyone waits for is the calving: blocks of ice falling into the water with a noise you hear before you see them. There is no schedule; you have to stay a while watching the ice wall. Bring a warm layer even if the day is nice: the wind coming off the ice is cold.

Boat trip and walking on the ice

• Boat trip in front of the glacier. A boat that goes up close to the ice wall from the lake. It takes about an hour and you can add it to your visit to the boardwalks.
• Minitrekking. You cross the lake and walk with crampons for a couple of hours on the glacier, with a guide. In May 2026 it was advertised from ARS 320,000 per adult, not including the park fee. It has a minimum and a maximum age: check before you book.
• Longer ice walks. For people in good shape; they take the whole day and have more requirements.

Trips on the ice have limited places. In January and February, book well ahead.

When to go

You can visit all year. In summer there are more hours of daylight and more people; in winter it is cold, there are fewer people and the glacier looks just as good. The time of day matters more than the season: first thing in the morning the boardwalks are almost empty.

If you are planning El Calafate and El Chaltén together, in how many days to spend we explain why it is worth leaving the glacier for the end of the trip.

Where to stay

You do not need to sleep near the glacier: everything leaves from El Calafate. If you have no car, look near the centre or the bus station, so you can walk to dinner and to the bus. Below are places in El Calafate you can book direct on their own website.