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Perito Moreno Cruise
El Calafate · Lago Argentino · Patagonia

Boat trips to the Perito Moreno and the glaciers of Lago Argentino

Safari Náutico, north face boat, Blue Safari, Minitrekking, Big Ice, the full-day cruises and the kayak trip, with the port, the ice face, the age limit and the park fee status of each.

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One-hour boat Full-day cruise Boat and ice trek

One-hour boat

Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face
Hielo y Aventura · About 1 hour on the boat Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face
★ 4.6 (13) from €60
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Full-day cruise

Glaciares Gourmet full-day cruise
Cruceros Marpatag · 8 to 12.5 hours, depending on the option Glaciares Gourmet full-day cruise
★ 4.8 (365) from €210
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Todo Glaciares, the All Glaciers cruise to Upsala and Spegazzini
Solo Patagonia · About 10 hours Todo Glaciares, the All Glaciers cruise to Upsala and Spegazzini
★ 4.5 (322) from €254
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Boat and ice trek

Big Ice, the long trek into the heart of the Perito Moreno
Hielo y Aventura · 7.5 to 12 hours Big Ice, the long trek into the heart of the Perito Moreno Age limit: 18 to 50
★ 4.8 (33) from €410
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Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno with crampons
Hielo y Aventura · 4.5 to 10 hours, depending on the option Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno with crampons Age limit: 8 to 65, no exceptions
★ 4.8 (32) from €295
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Compare all 5 options

Every trip on this site starts from El Calafate and spends its day on Lago Argentino. They differ in where the boat leaves from, which face of the Perito Moreno it reaches, if it reaches the Perito Moreno at all, and who is allowed on board. An Upsala cruise and a Minitrekking have little in common beyond the lake, and a kayak trip near town never sees a glacier.

Which trip fits your day?

Answer for time, budget and the age of your group; the suggestion respects the operators’ age limits.

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The trips most visitors weigh up

Safari Náutico, the Glaciares Gourmet and Todo Glaciares cruises and the ice treks of Hielo y Aventura, each with port, age limit and park fee status.

Glaciares Gourmet full-day cruise
Cruceros Marpatag

Glaciares Gourmet full-day cruise

The full-day cruise that combines Spegazzini, the Upsala channel and the north face of the Perito Moreno.

  • Duration: 8 to 12.5 hours, depending on the option
  • Port: Puerto La Soledad
  • Ice face or route: Spegazzini, Upsala channel (from a distance), north face of the Perito Moreno
  • Hotel pickup: Depends on the option
  • Age limit: Not stated
  • Park fee: Not included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €210 ★ 4.8 (365 reviews)
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Full trip details

About this trip

Cruceros Marpatag sails from Puerto La Soledad to the Spegazzini glacier, into the Upsala channel and along the north face of the Perito Moreno, with a stop at Puesto Las Vacas. One option adds a landing at the walkways.

Upsala is a panorama only; the operator states that close visits are not permitted. In the basic fare the gourmet part is a box lunch, the four-course menu belongs to the premium deck. Reviewers asked for the park fee to be shown more clearly and mention a queue at the park gate.

Know before you go

  • The national park fee is not included
  • Some reviewers found the box lunch poor and the English commentary shorter than the Spanish one

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Todo Glaciares, the All Glaciers cruise to Upsala and Spegazzini
Solo Patagonia

Todo Glaciares, the All Glaciers cruise to Upsala and Spegazzini

The north-western arms of the lake with a landing at Spegazzini; the Perito Moreno is not on this route.

  • Duration: About 10 hours
  • Port: Punta Bandera, 47 km from El Calafate
  • Ice face or route: Upsala, Spegazzini, Seco, Heim and Peineta; no Perito Moreno
  • Season: Daily September to April, every second day May to August
  • Hotel pickup: Optional
  • Age limit: Not stated
  • Park fee: Listing contradicts itself

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €254 ★ 4.5 (322 reviews)
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Full trip details

About this trip

Solo Patagonia runs Todo Glaciares from Punta Bandera to the Upsala, Spegazzini, Seco, Heim and Peineta glaciers, with a landing at the base of the Spegazzini and its refugio. The Perito Moreno is not part of the route, even when a listing title mentions it.

Reviewers name the weather as the main drawback and describe the English commentary as shorter than the Spanish. Hotel pickup is an option and covers the town area only.

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Big Ice, the long trek into the heart of the Perito Moreno
Hielo y Aventura

Big Ice, the long trek into the heart of the Perito Moreno

About three hours and 12 km on the ice, for fit adults up to 50.

  • Duration: 7.5 to 12 hours
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: Long ice trek, about 3 hours and 12 km on the glacier
  • Season: September to April
  • Hotel pickup: Hotel pickup, from 6:45
  • Age limit: 18 to 50
  • Park fee: Listed as included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €410 ★ 4.8 (33 reviews)
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Full trip details

About this trip

Big Ice is the long trek: about three hours and roughly 12 km on the glacier, rated as high fitness by the operator. Pickup starts at 6:45, and the day lasts up to 12 hours.

It runs from September to April, only for ages 18 to 50, with a medical form. One reviewer had expected more time on the ice; the three hours are what the operator describes.

Know before you go

  • Medical form required
  • High fitness level required

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno with crampons
Hielo y Aventura

Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno with crampons

Sold by Hielo y Aventura, the company that runs the Minitrekking.

  • Duration: 4.5 to 10 hours, depending on the option
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: Guided ice walk on the glacier, with crampons
  • Season: Sources differ; main season October to April
  • Hotel pickup: Hotel pickup in El Calafate
  • Age limit: 8 to 65, no exceptions
  • Park fee: Listed as included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €295 ★ 4.8 (32 reviews)
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Full trip details

About this trip

Hielo y Aventura runs the Minitrekking: a boat from Bajo de las Sombras across the Brazo Rico, then a guided walk on the glacier with crampons.

The age window of 8 to 65 is applied without exceptions. Guests aged 8 to 17 need written permission from their parents, and every guest fills in a medical form.

Know before you go

  • Medical form required for every participant
  • Ages 8 to 17 only with written parental permission

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face
Hielo y Aventura

Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face

The classic short boat trip, run by the operator that also runs the ice treks.

  • Duration: About 1 hour on the boat
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: South face of the Perito Moreno
  • Season: Year-round
  • Hotel pickup: Not clear: a transfer to the park is listed, hotel pickup is not
  • Age limit: Not stated
  • Park fee: Listed as included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €60 ★ 4.6 (13 reviews)
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Full trip details

About this trip

Hielo y Aventura sails from its own pier at Bajo de las Sombras on route 11, about 7 km before the glacier, across the Brazo Rico to the south face of the Perito Moreno. The boat spends about an hour in front of the ice.

The listing names a transfer to the national park but no hotel pickup, so check how you reach the pier. Reviewers mention other passengers blocking the best photo spots on deck.

Know before you go

  • Departures listed by the local tourism portal include 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30
  • The park entrance is listed as included; keep the booking confirmation at hand at the park gate

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

See every trip in the comparison

Who sails where on Lago Argentino

The listings carry many agency names, but the boats belong to a few operators, each with its own port. This table is what the rest of the site is built on.

OperatorPortTripsIce face or route
Hielo y Aventura Bajo de las Sombras, route 11 Safari Náutico, Blue Safari, Minitrekking, Big Ice South face via the Brazo Rico; ice treks on the glacier
Southern Spirit Puerto Moreno, at the walkways North face boat, Mayo Spirit North face; Mayo Spirit also the Seno Mayo
Cruceros Marpatag Puerto La Soledad Glaciares Gourmet, María Turquesa Spegazzini, Upsala channel, north face of the Perito Moreno
Solo Patagonia Punta Bandera Todo Glaciares Upsala, Spegazzini and neighbours; not the Perito Moreno

Every listing with its operator, port and ice face

The park fee comes on top more often than not

ARS 50,000

Day pass to Los Glaciares National Park for foreign visitors, valid from 1 June 2026 (argentina.gob.ar). Children up to 6 enter free. The pass is sold online at pnlosglaciares.ar and at the entrance.

Only some listings name the entrance as included, among them the Safari Náutico, the Minitrekking and Big Ice sold by Hielo y Aventura. The Glaciares Gourmet cruise excludes it, and Todo Glaciares says one thing in its includes list and another in its notes. The site never treats the fee as included unless the listing says so, and the park fee column of the comparison shows the status for each trip.

Age limits on the ice are not negotiable

The ice treks apply them without exceptions and require a medical form. Check the youngest and the oldest person in your group before you book.

  • 6 to 70Blue Safari, shore path to the ice, no crampons
  • 8 to 65Minitrekking; under 18 only with written parental permission
  • 17 to 55Minitrekking 2, the longer ice walk
  • 18 to 50Big Ice, about three hours on the glacier

When the boats sail

October to April is the main season on the lake, and Big Ice, Mayo Spirit and the daily Todo Glaciares sailings all fall into it. In the southern winter the choice gets smaller, while Safari Náutico keeps sailing all year.

All yearSafari Náutico
Sep to AprBig Ice; Todo Glaciares daily, every second day from May to August
Oct to AprMayo Spirit

This site stays on the water. Bus trips to the walkways, El Chaltén, the estancias and Torres del Paine are compared on our sister site El Calafate Day Tours; many of those walkway tours offer a boat as an add-on.

About this comparison

We list the bookable boat trips on Lago Argentino and sort out operator, port, ice face, age limit, season and park fee for each. Bookings go through GetYourGuide, which pays us a commission out of its own margin; your price stays the same. Who runs this site

Before you book a trip on the lake

Which Perito Moreno boat trip should I choose?

Start with the time you have. In an hour or two, Safari Náutico (south face) or the north face boat from Puerto Moreno show you the ice from the water. With half a day, the Blue Safari adds a shore path to the ice and the Minitrekking a walk on it. A full day buys Big Ice, Mayo Spirit or one of the cruises to Spegazzini and Upsala.

Is the park entrance included in a Perito Moreno boat trip?

Not by default. A few listings name it as included, others exclude it, and several contradict themselves between the includes list and the notes. The comparison table shows what each listing says. When in doubt, plan to pay at the gate or buy the pass online in advance.

Is there an age limit for the boat trips?

For the ice treks, yes, and it is applied strictly: the Minitrekking takes ages 8 to 65, Minitrekking 2 ages 17 to 55 and Big Ice ages 18 to 50. Blue Safari takes guests from 6 to 70. The one-hour boats and the full-day cruises state no age limit in their listings.

Which cruise sees both the Perito Moreno and the Upsala glacier?

The Marpatag route from Puerto La Soledad, sold as Glaciares Gourmet and on the María Turquesa, combines the north face of the Perito Moreno with the Spegazzini and the Upsala channel. Upsala is seen from a distance. Todo Glaciares from Punta Bandera visits Upsala and Spegazzini but not the Perito Moreno.

How do I get to the pier?

Several trips include hotel pickup in El Calafate, usually limited to the town area. Safari Náutico leaves from Bajo de las Sombras on route 11, about an hour and a half from town, and the north face boat from Puerto Moreno at the walkways, where you need to arrive on your own or on a land tour.

Which trips run in winter?

Safari Náutico sails all year, and Todo Glaciares every second day from May to August. Big Ice runs from September to April and Mayo Spirit from October to April.

Pick your side of the glacier

South face, north face, Upsala or a walk on the ice, with the park fee status of each listing.

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Boat trips on Lago Argentino compared Compare