Which operator sails from which port to which ice face
The core of this comparison. The port decides how long the transfer takes and which side of the Perito Moreno you see; the operator decides the boat. Resellers such as Patagonia Dreams, Howlanders or SALUM Tour & Travel put their own name on the listing, but the sailing belongs to one of the companies below.
| Operator | Port | Trips in this comparison | Where the boat goes |
|---|
| Hielo y Aventura |
Puerto Bajo de las Sombras, on route 11 about 7 km before the glacier, roughly 1.5 hours from El Calafate |
Safari Náutico, Blue Safari, Minitrekking, Big Ice |
Across the Brazo Rico to the south face; the ice treks continue on the glacier |
| Southern Spirit Lago Argentino |
Puerto Moreno, below the walkways |
North face boat, Mayo Spirit |
North face of the Perito Moreno; Mayo Spirit also Seno Mayo, Bahía Toro and Cerro Negro |
| Cruceros Marpatag |
Puerto La Soledad |
Glaciares Gourmet; the María Turquesa cruise sold by Patagonia Dreams sails on one of its ships |
Spegazzini, Upsala channel as a panorama, north face of the Perito Moreno, stop at Puesto Las Vacas |
| Solo Patagonia |
Punta Bandera, 47 km from El Calafate |
Todo Glaciares (All Glaciers) |
Upsala, Spegazzini, Seco, Heim and Peineta, landing at the Spegazzini; no Perito Moreno |
| Calafate Kayaks |
Lake shore near El Calafate |
Kayak near town |
Lago Argentino close to town, no glacier |
Some listings in this comparison do not name their port. The SALUM cruise stops at Puesto de las Vacas, the same stop the Marpatag cruise makes, the María Turquesa is a Marpatag ship, and a reviewer of the Patagonia Dreams Minitrekking reports that Hielo y Aventura guided the walk.
South face or north face
Boats reach the Perito Moreno from two sides. Safari Náutico crosses the Brazo Rico to the south face, and the Blue Safari, Minitrekking and Big Ice boats leave from the same pier at Bajo de las Sombras. The north face boat, Mayo Spirit and the Glaciares Gourmet cruise show you the other side. If you come to the park on a land tour, the north face boat starts at Puerto Moreno with no extra transfer and has no hotel pickup of its own. Land tours to the walkways, with or without a boat option, are compared on our sister site El Calafate Day Tours.
Upsala and Spegazzini need a separate day
The glaciers in the north-western arms of the lake are a full day out, and only one route in this comparison combines them with the Perito Moreno: the Marpatag cruise from Puerto La Soledad, sold as Glaciares Gourmet and on the María Turquesa. Todo Glaciares from Punta Bandera does not go to the Perito Moreno, whatever the listing title of a reseller suggests. Upsala itself is seen from a distance. Marpatag states that close visits are not permitted, and SALUM writes that the Upsala part is not guaranteed.
Todo Glaciares sails daily from September to April and every second day from May to August, so check the calendar before you plan a winter visit around it.
The national park fee
ARS 50,000
Day pass to Los Glaciares National Park for foreign visitors, valid from 1 June 2026, according to the Argentine government. Argentine nationals pay ARS 25,000, residents of the province ARS 8,000, students ARS 15,000; children up to 6 enter free.
You can buy the pass online at pnlosglaciares.ar or at the park entrance. Some listings say the gate takes cash in pesos only.
The fee comes with almost every trip in this comparison, and the listings handle it in different ways. “Listed as included” means the product page says so; keep the confirmation ready at the gate. “Listing contradicts itself” means the includes list and the notes further down disagree, which is the case for Todo Glaciares, the María Turquesa cruise and the Patagonia Dreams Minitrekking. In those cases, plan to pay at the entrance. Reviewers of the Glaciares Gourmet cruise asked for the fee to be shown more clearly and mention a queue at the gate.
Age limits are applied strictly
The Minitrekking and Big Ice apply their limits without exceptions, and both require a medical form.
- Minitrekking: ages 8 to 65; guests aged 8 to 17 need written permission from their parents
- Minitrekking 2: ages 17 to 55
- Big Ice: ages 18 to 50, with a high fitness level
- Blue Safari: ages 6 to 70, no ice walk
- Kayak near town: from age 12
The one-hour boats and the full-day cruises state no age limit in their listings. With children under 6, those are the trips to look at.
When each trip runs
Safari Náutico sails all year. Big Ice runs from September to April and Mayo Spirit from October to April. For the Minitrekking the sources differ: some describe it as year-round, the Tangol listing gives early August to early June. For the Minitrekking, October to April is the best time.
Wind, rain and the view from the deck
Hielo y Aventura and Solo Patagonia do not cancel for rain, and rain can hide much of the view; a reviewer of the María Turquesa cruise saw little for that reason. Mayo Spirit reviewers describe the day as windy and very chilly, so bring a warm layer and a waterproof jacket even in summer. The SALUM listing promises a full refund if the sailing does not take place. On the busy boats, reviewers mention other passengers crowding the photo spots, and reviewers of Todo Glaciares and Glaciares Gourmet found the English commentary shorter than the Spanish one.
Hotel pickup
Where pickup is included, it covers hotels in the town area. Reviewers report that accommodation without a reception, such as a rented flat, may mean a walk to a meeting point; one reviewer of Todo Glaciares mentions 35 minutes on foot. The north face boat has no pickup at all.
