El Calafate and the Perito Moreno
The base for visiting the Perito Moreno glacier, in Los Glaciares National Park. Park rates are updated each season.
The town and the glacier
El Calafate is a steppe town on the shore of Lake Argentino that lives off one thing, and does it well. About 80 km away is the Perito Moreno, a wall of ice some five kilometres wide that rises around sixty metres above the water and which, unlike almost every glacier on earth, is holding steady.
The walkways face it head on and on several levels, and you end up standing there without speaking, waiting. Because the glacier makes noise: it creaks, it thunders, and then it drops a block into the channel with an impact you feel in your chest. Every so often the ice advances until it touches the Magallanes peninsula, forms a dam that holds back the Brazo Rico, and then bursts in a collapse that draws people from all over the world.
Entry to Los Glaciares National Park
- $50,000 for non-resident foreigners and $25,000 for Argentines. Santa Cruz residents pay $8,000.
- Prices are updated each season. They are paid at the entrance or online.
Walking on the glacier (minitrekking)
- The excursion is sold per person, with optional transfer from El Calafate and a lower rate in low season.
- The park entry is usually paid separately.
- Age: 8 to 65 years. Not recommended for pregnant women or for people with conditions the effort could worsen, or with limited mobility or coordination.
- What to bring: layered clothing (thermal base layer, warm layer and waterproof windbreaker), gloves, a hat and sunglasses, because the glare off the ice is strong even under clouds. Hiking boots with a good sole. Crampons and a helmet are provided.
What the day is like
You can start from El Calafate if you book the transfer, followed by a short boat crossing to the glacier's base of operations. The transfer is optional and adds to the price.
Places are limited and in high season they sell out weeks ahead.
Verified on 9 Oct 2026