Todo Glaciares, the cruise to Upsala and Spegazzini

Upsala from the deck, Spegazzini on foot

The Upsala is seen from a distance only, and reviewers of the Gray Line listing describe the same. The Spegazzini is where the boat lands: the route includes a stop at the base of the glacier with its refugio, the part of the day when you leave the deck.

One older review of the Gray Line route sums up the most common misunderstanding: both glaciers were fine from the catamaran, but the Perito Moreno was not part of the day. If you have only one day for the lake and want the Perito Moreno in it, the Marpatag cruise from Puerto La Soledad is the route that combines Spegazzini and the Upsala channel with the north face.

A day that starts at Punta Bandera

• Punta Bandera is 47 km from town. Hotel pickup is an option on the Solo Patagonia listing and covers the town area only.
• Gray Line includes the transfer. Both listings mention a Captain’s Club upgrade on board, and reviewers of each found it worth the extra.
• One reviewer staying in a flat without reception walked 35 minutes to the meeting point.
• Reviewers describe the English commentary as shorter than the Spanish one.

Winter sailings and weather

From May to August the route runs every second day, so a short winter visit may leave you only one possible date. Solo Patagonia does not cancel for rain, and reviewers name the weather as the main drawback of the day: a long crossing under low cloud shows far less ice. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure gives some room when the forecast looks bad. Weather and season on the lake has the monthly temperatures and the calendar of every trip.

The park pass

Both listings put the national park entrance under not included, so you need the pass for the day. Solo Patagonia sent one reviewer the link to buy the pass online in advance. The park fee page explains the day pass and the multi-day Flexipass.