Perito Moreno is the glacier you can walk right up to. Its ice front is about five kilometres wide and 70 metres high, and a network of boardwalks on the Magallanes peninsula lets you stand opposite it and watch chunks calve into the lake.
A tiered walkway system on the peninsula gives you viewpoints at several heights directly facing the ice front. This is the free part once you are inside the park.
Short boats run from Bajo de las Sombras to the south face, getting you close to the wall from water level. Booked separately from park entry.
Guided walks on the glacier, from a short mini-trek to the longer Big Ice, run through a single licensed operator with crampons provided.
The park charges a foreigner entry fee at the gate, paid in pesos or by card, and the amount changes often. Boat trips and ice treks are separate bookings and sell out in summer. Confirm current fees and operators on parquesnacionales.gob.ar.
Unlike most large glaciers, you reach this one on a paved road and stand opposite it on a level walkway. No trekking required to see it well.
The boardwalks are walk-in, but the boat trips and ice treks have limited daily places and fill up in the December to February peak.
Wind and low cloud change the experience. A flexible day, ideally more than one, gives you a better chance of clear conditions.
Do I need a guide to see the glacier?
No. The boardwalks are self-guided once you have paid the park entry fee. Guides are only required for the ice treks.
How much is entry?
The park charges a set foreigner entry fee at the gate. The figure is adjusted regularly, so check the official parks site or ask your transfer operator for the current amount.
Can I do the boat trip and boardwalks in one day?
Yes, that is the standard full-day plan from El Calafate. Adding an ice trek makes it a longer day and needs advance booking.
Plan around the weather.
October to April has the longest days and mildest weather. The glacier is there year round, but winter access is limited and cold.
The Perito Moreno Glacier flows off the Southern Patagonian Ice Field into Lago Argentino, in Los Glaciares National Park in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The glacier is known for its accessible ice front, the boardwalk viewpoints on the Magallanes peninsula, and the periodic dramatic rupture of the ice dam it forms against the Magallanes peninsula. Boat trips and guided ice treks operate in the warmer months.
This page is an independent guide for visitors, covering Argentina's national parks administration and any tour operator.
