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El Calafate Cruises & boat tours

Our most recommended El Calafate Cruises & boat tours

El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking Tour and Cruise

1. El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking Tour and Cruise

Discover Patagonia on this trek in Los Glaciares National Park. Explore the park on foot, and trek on glaciers with crampons. Learn about the flora and fauna from your guide along the way, and sail in front of a glacier on Argentino Lake. This unmissable experience begins at the “Bajo de las Sombras” Port, within Los Glaciares National Park. Take a boat to cross the Brazo Rico, to the west coast. After crossing, take a rest stop and meet your guides who will brief you on the activity. Strap on your crampons and trek along the glacier, following along with your licensed guides. See unique ice formations and learn about glacier ruptures and the natural life of the region. Return to the refuge through the Magellan forest where you can enjoy your lunch (not included) with a view of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Return through the Brazo Rico of the Argentino Lake, sailing in front of the glacier. You can also enjoy the view of the Perito Moreno from the catwalks: another way to see and appreciate its immensity.

El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise

2. El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise

Depart from your hotel in El Calafate at around 10:30 AM and set off for the Perito Moreno Glacier located inside the Los Glaciares National Park. Travel to the west end of the Magallanes Peninsula and enjoy plenty of time to explore this natural ice formation. Begin your tour of the national park by strolling along a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) network of boardwalks. Admire the glacier from multiple perspectives as you climb up to different levels and balconies. Spend 2 hours exploring the runways and use this time to eat a packed lunch or make a stop in at one of the restaurants. Go on an optional 1-hour boat ride in front of the northern wall of the glacier. After the tour, return to El Calafate via the same route and arrive in the evening.

El Calafate: Todo Glaciares Boat Trip

3. El Calafate: Todo Glaciares Boat Trip

Start the tour with a pickup from your hotel in El Calafate around 7:00 AM to undertake the 47km route to the Punta Bandera Port where your boat departs at 9:00 AM.  The first part of the trip takes place in the north arm of the Argentino Lake before crossing into the Boca del Diablo, the narrowest part of the lake. Then, go to the Upsala and Spegazzini channels where you can view the respective glaciers. The Upsala Glacier is the largest on Argentino Lake and can be seen from about 20km away. The Spegazzini Glacier is the highest and you can also see the Dry, Heim Sur, and Peineta glaciers. After entering the Spegazzini Channel, a 300-meter path will be crossed without difficulty through the forest along the coast of the lake making stops at viewpoints overlooking the entire Bay of Glaciers.  Arrive at the Spegazzini Refuge where you can enjoy an optional 3-course lunch with drinks, visit the shop, and contemplate the landscape from the terrace.  For those who enjoy walking, the mountain path offers a 700m trek of medium difficulty through a wooded path with natural viewpoints of the Spegazzini Glacier ending at the landing point. Return to the boat and head back to El Calafate where you’ll be dropped off back at your hotel.

El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Big Ice Trek

4. El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Big Ice Trek

The trip begins with pickup from El Calafate and travels 1 hour and 30 minutes to Bajo de la Sombras Port. From here, sail across the Rico Channel and descend on the southwestern coast of Patagonia to reach Perito Moreno Glacier. Upon arrival at the glacier, enjoy a 1 hour and 30 minute hike with your mountain guides along a path next to the glacier. Arrive at a magnificent view point and marvel at the vast frozen landscape that stretches out before you. From here, attach the iron crampons to the ground and begin your hike walk across the ice. Trek across the ice for around 4 hours, admiring the fascinating ice formations from start to finish. From your expert guides, learn about the flora and fauna that thrive in this unique environment, and listen to interesting facts about the glaciology of the region, and in particular about the phenomenon of glacier rupture. Finally, return to Bajo de las Sombras Port to gaze at the view of the glacier from the walkways and balconies, and then return to the city of El Calafate.

Gourmet Glacier Cruise & Footbridges of Perito Moreno

5. Gourmet Glacier Cruise & Footbridges of Perito Moreno

Enjoy a full day experience aboard the María Turquesa Cruise that travels to the most impressive glaciers, sailing with the highest comfort. Begin with the transfer from your hotel to the Private Port La Soledad. After traveling 47 KM enter the National Park and board the boat. Cross a peninsulas encounter called "Boca del Diablo" to enter the North Arm of the lake. Navigate between icebergs through the Upsala Canal where you can observe the Upsala Glacier about 10 km away. Go to the Spegazzini Channel to see hanging glaciers such as Dry Glacier, Heim Sur, Peinetta and disembark at Las Vacas Post where you will make a 30-minute walk through a lovely forest. Continue to the front of the highest glacier in the National Park, the Spegazzini Glacier (135 meters above the lake level/440 ft above the lake level). Take advantage of the time, take pictures and contemplate in silence with the surrounding natural beauty. Head to your final destination at Perito Moreno Glacier, where you will disembark on the walkways to culminate a day full of magic and surprises. Finally, take a bus in which you will return to your hotel in El Calafate at the end of the day.

El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier, Boat Cruise & Glaciarium

6. El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier, Boat Cruise & Glaciarium

Enjoy a trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier located within Los Glaciares National Park. Begin the tour with a pickup from your hotel in El Calafate. This early departure allows you to spend more time visiting this amazing place. Travel until you reach the western end of the Magellan Peninsula. When you arrive at the park, walk along a 4 km network of walkways spread over different levels that will allow you to contemplate the glacier from different angles and points of view. Spend 2 hours walking the slopes and marveling at the incredible river of ice. During this free time, feel free to grab a packed lunch or stop at the restaurant. During the visit, the guide will coordinate with you the time for a 1-hour boat ride to the north wall of the glacier. After the boat cruise, return to El Calafate on the same route you took, arriving in the early evening The next day, you can visit the Glaciarium Museum. Enjoy scenic effects, lighting, multimedia programs, and audiovisual presentations to learn about glaciers and their formation.

Perito Moreno Glacier Private Tour with Optional Boat Ride

7. Perito Moreno Glacier Private Tour with Optional Boat Ride

Get to know the Perito Moreno glacier, a staggeringly beautiful ice field and glacier that is the crown jewel of Patagonia. Spend a full day exploring with your own private group and guide. Start your trip with pickup from your hotel in El Calafate between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM, depending on your preference. Once on the road, travel the 80 kilometers that separate the town from the glacier. Upon arrival at the parking lot, if you select the add-on for this tour, your group will have a 1-hour boat ride in front of the northern wall of the glacier, the best way to see, hear, and photograph the glacier.  Then, spend up to five hours walking around and exploring the glacier and the trails around it with your guide. Among the earth’s most dynamic and accessible ice fields, this glacier is the stunning centerpiece of the southern sector of Los Glaciares National Park. Constantly advancing, the glacier is considered one of the most impressive natural spectacles in the world.

Glaciers Gourmet Experience: Full-Day Cruise with Lunch

8. Glaciers Gourmet Experience: Full-Day Cruise with Lunch

Sail in luxury around Southern Patagonia's Los Glaciares National Park during this full-day sightseeing cruise. Board at La Soledad Port, before visiting the stunning Escuadra Bay and the Condor Nesting Wall. Watch these beautiful birds in action. Marvel at the majestic natural wonders of the Seco, Heim and Spegazzini Glaciers from the catamaran's four outer decks. Disembark at "Puesto Las Vacas" station for a short walk. Then, visit Upsala Canal, and enjoy panoramic views of the spectacular Upsala and Bertracchi Glaciers. Indulge in a gourmet lunch onboard. Admire the cruiser's glacier-themed decorations, which bring nature indoors. Let your kids play in the recreation area, which features illustrations of the National Park’s native fauna. Navigate along Canal de los Témpanos towards the Northern face of the Perito Moreno Glacier, and disembark at La Soledad Port. 

El Calafate: Estancia Cristina & Cascada de los Perros Tour

9. El Calafate: Estancia Cristina & Cascada de los Perros Tour

Located on the northwest coast of Lago Argentino (Argentino Lake), the historic sheep ranch of Estancia Cristina was founded in 1914 by Joseph P. Masters and his wife, and on this full-day tour from El Calafate you will explore the estancia to discover how it maintains the history of the family. First, you will sail among the icebergs and mountains of Lago Argentino to Upsala Glacier, the 2nd largest within Los Glaciares National Park. Departing from Punta Bandera by modern and comfortable boat, enjoy the most stunning up-close views of the blue ice. Upon arrival at the Estancia you will learn how the sheer perseverance of the Masters family made the inhospitable place a small paradise that they could call home. Visit the Estancia’s museum, and the old shed where the sheep were sheered. Next, take a short walk to see the estancia’s chapel and country house. From here, you will embark on a 2.5-hour hike to the surprising waterfall of Cascada de los Perros, surrounded by native ñires shrubs. Enjoy panoramic views of the Caterina River valley, and Patagonian wilderness, back across to Estancia Cristina.

El Calafate: Hanging Glaciers, Cascade, and Forest Hike

10. El Calafate: Hanging Glaciers, Cascade, and Forest Hike

Departure from your hotel on this adventure. Once on the port, we start sailing through the Canal de los Témpanos to then enter Mayo Branch of Argentino Lake. The glaciers of Cerro Mayo and Cerro Negro can only be observed from the water. We disembark at Toro Bay accompanied by our guide, where we take an interpretative walk to observe the Patagonian Andean forest. We visit a waterfall. From the shore of the lake, we will be able to observe the hanging glaciers of Cerro Mayo and Cerro Negro. After a second navigation, we disembark in Cerro Negro, together with the guide, we begin a walk of about 1,000 meters, entering the forest to the base of Cerro Negro, from where we can see the wonderful Negro Glacier. From this "hanging" glacier on the slope of the hill a large number of waterfalls are born, which give rise to the river that we are bordering on the way there and back. Then we move to the most famous glacier in Patagonia, the Perito Moreno. Unique for its beauty and imposing. We make an unmissable navigation that goes along its northern front and the area of the rupture. Finally, we disembark at Puerto Moreno and walk along the walkways. We return to the ship and start our way back to the port of Punta Bandera.

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Perito Moreno Glacier

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What people are saying about El Calafate

Overall rating

5.0 / 5

based on 4 reviews

The Perito Moreno glacier was absolutely incredible. We spent hours looking up and down the face from different vistas, hoping to witness the next ice block calving from the main glacier, which occurred with surprising frequency on the day we were there. To top it off we even had a Condor fly over at very close range while we were watching the glacier. Our ride there and back was one time and in a comfortable coach. Our guide, Sebastián, informative, helpful and professional. We could not have asked for anything better.

Perfect sunny day for Perito Moreno Glacier. Well organized tour pick up from hotel. Our guide Rebecca was great very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Driver Diego was also greet very funny and kept bus clean. Great driver. Spoke both English and Spanish. This tour on a sunny day was a highlight of Argentina for sure. Beautiful glacier well worth the trip.

Had a great one of a lifetime experience. The guide was very helpful and also well informed of the glacier and its history. Was very patient as well.

Discovery of the Patagonian steppe by bus and fantastic arrival at Perito Moréno. Unforgettable panoramic view.

suggest to book with local agency. it is much cheaper