GentlerLanguage
EnglishCurrency
US dollar · $GetYourGuide shows prices in the currency you choose.
Guide · On the ice
Glacier trekking in El Calafate: choosing your ice walk
Walking on a glacier with crampons is the most physical way to meet the ice around El Calafate. Here is how the options differ, what they cost and how to pick the walk that fits your legs and your budget.
Check availabilityfrom $243 · cancellation is free
Editorial team, elcalafateglaciertours.comUpdated October 16, 2026about 6 min to read9 sources
The short version
What walking on a glacier involves
Glacier trekking in El Calafate means strapping crampons to your boots and following a guide across the surface of the ice, between crevasses, sinkholes and blue meltwater channels. The park authority describes ice walks on the Perito Moreno done with crampons and specialised guides, with different walk options to match visitors' fitness.1 You do not need climbing experience; you need steady legs and a willingness to listen.
The first steps feel strange. Crampons bite into the ice with a crunch, and guides teach you to walk with your feet slightly apart and to plant each step firmly. After a few minutes it becomes natural, and you start to look around: ridges of white ice, pools of impossibly blue water and the mountains rising behind the glacier.
Every walk follows the same basic shape: a boat or bus to the start, a briefing, fitting the crampons, time on the ice and the return. What changes between the options is how long you spend on the glacier, how far onto it you go and how demanding the terrain becomes. That is the choice this page helps you make. Read on with your own fitness and interests in mind, and the right walk usually becomes obvious.
Your day
How an ice walk day runs
-
Early
Pickup in town
Pickup is included on this page's listing.
-
Arrival
Briefing
Guides explain the route and the rules.
-
Before the ice
Crampons on
Fitted by specialised guides.1
-
On the glacier
The walk
Ridges, sinkholes and blue meltwater.
-
Late afternoon
Back to town
The listing runs 10 hours in total.
The short walk and the long one
The ice walks on offer come in a short kind and a long kind. The shorter one, usually called Minitrekking, keeps to the edge of the glacier. One listing for it starts from $450, lasts 9 to 10 hours door to door and is rated 4.70 from 47 reviews. The time on the ice is a fraction of that; the rest is transport, the boat crossing and the walkways.
The longer walk, known as Big Ice, heads deeper onto the glacier. A Big Ice listing starts from $459 for 7.5 to 12 hours, rated 4.81 from 32 reviews. Another Big Ice tour from El Calafate starts from $588 for 12 hours, with groups capped at 10 walkers, rated 4.89 from 53 reviews.
Both walks take place on the Perito Moreno, which you reach by road and boat from El Calafate. If you are deciding purely between those two, think about stamina first: the long walk is a real day of effort on uneven ice, while the short walk leaves energy for an evening in town.
Options
Ice walks and glacier hikes from El Calafate
| Trip | Type | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minitrekking | Short ice walk | 9 - 10 hrs | from $450 |
| Big Ice | Long ice walk | 7.5 - 12 hrs | from $459 |
| Big Ice, small group | Long ice walk | 12 hrs | from $588 |
| Ice trekking day | Full day | 10 hrs | from $520 |
| Trekking and cruise | Ice walk and boat | 5 - 11 hrs | from $399 |
| Glaciers and waterfalls | Boat and hike | 10 hrs | from $262 |
From-prices per person that change with the date; durations include transport.
Compared
Pick your ice walk
Gentler
Most demanding
This page's pickDecision helper
Which ice walk suits you?
Tap the line that fits
Minitrekking
The shorter walk at the edge of the glacier.
Big Ice
The long walk deep onto the glacier.
Big Ice, small group
Limited to 10 participants.
Trekking and cruise
Rated 4.81 from 852 reviews.
North arm hikes
Estancia Cristina adds trekking to a boat trip.3
There are different walking options, according to the physical abilities of the visitors.
The full-day ice trekking listing
The listing this page recommends is a full-day ice trekking trip from El Calafate. It starts from $520, lasts 10 hours, includes pickup and a live guide in Spanish and English, and is rated 4.53 from 125 reviews; you can still cancel at no cost until a day (24 hours) before.
A popular alternative combines trekking with a cruise: one listing starts from $399 for 5 to 11 hours, rated 4.81 from 852 reviews, with a small group option. It is the most reviewed of the ice walks in the table on this page, which gives you plenty of recent experiences to read before you book.
Whatever you choose, read the listing's own conditions carefully before you pay. Ice walks set limits on age and fitness, and some ask about health conditions. Those rules exist for good reasons on uneven, slippery ground, and guides apply them on the day.
Checklist
What to wear on the ice
01
Clothing
- Warm layers and a windproof jacket
- Waterproof trousers if you have them
- Gloves and a warm hat
- Ankle-high hiking boots
02
In your bag
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Water and snacks
- A strap for your phone or camera
Cost calculator
What an ice walk costs your group
Tap an ice walk and enter how many are coming; the page adds up their from-prices.
People
Total from$1,040
each from $520
Check availabilityfree cancellationCruise and trek sums start from the lowest GetYourGuide fare per person, converted by the ECB reference rate; the checkout page shows what you will actually pay.
Video
GLACIER DAY HIKE | EL CALAFATE | PATAGONIA | ARGENTINA
Until you tap play, the video stays unloaded.
Hiking near the ice on the north arm
Not every glacier day has to be on crampons. On the north arm of Lago Argentino, the Estancia Cristina programs combine a boat trip through the Upsala arm, with views of the glacier, with trekking, horse riding, 4x4 and fishing.3 The Mirador del Glaciar Upsala trip from El Calafate is sold from $370 for 11 hours, rated 4.84 from 21 reviews.
Another option pairs a boat trip with a hike to waterfalls and glaciers, from $262 for 10 hours, rated 5.00 from 10 reviews. These trips trade the crunch of crampons for forest trails and viewpoints, and they suit you if you want a full day outdoors without the technical feel of an ice walk.
The all glaciers cruise also includes a walk: this site's tour lands at the Spegazzini base with its refuge, walkways and the Agostini viewpoint. It is gentle, and the tour is listed as wheelchair accessible, which makes it the easiest way on this page to stand on land in front of a big ice front.
Ice and trails around El Chaltén
Further north, El Chaltén is the base for the park's northern zone. Solo Patagonia calls the Viedma the largest glacier in the park, and its boats sail to the Viedma front for travelers staying in El Chaltén.4 If your trip includes El Chaltén, ask locally about ice walks on the Viedma; they are run from the village rather than from El Calafate.
El Chaltén's classic hikes are not on ice, but they lead to glacier views. The walk to Laguna Torre takes 3 to 4 hours each way and is 18 km round trip.5 The trail to Laguna de los Tres, the viewpoint closest to Fitz Roy, covers 25 km in total and takes 8 to 9 hours.6
Combining both towns gives you the full range: an ice walk or boat day from El Calafate, then a couple of days of trails in the north. Our guide to how many days you need shows how to fit them together without rushing the long bus ride between the two.
Fitness and how hard the day feels
Ice walks are less about speed than balance. You walk slowly, often uphill and downhill over short rises, with stops while the guide checks the route. A reasonably fit adult who walks regularly will cope with the short walk easily; the long walk asks more of your knees and your concentration.
Think honestly about your stamina at the end of a long day. Even the short walk sits inside a day of 9 to 10 hours. Early starts, wind on the boat and hours outdoors add up. If you are traveling with someone less fit, choose the gentlest option you would both enjoy rather than splitting up. Pack light for the day, and keep one dry layer in a plastic bag inside your daypack: a warm, dry fleece on the bus back after hours in the wind feels like a luxury, and it costs you nothing to carry.
Listen to the briefing, keep your gloves on and follow the guide's line exactly. Crevasses and sinkholes are part of a living glacier, and guides choose the route with care each day. Respecting their instructions is what makes these walks safe and enjoyable.
When to go and what to wear on the ice
The park recommends visiting between September and April.2 In January, the warmest month, average daily highs in El Calafate reach 20.2 °C and lows 7.6 °C, while October brings highs of 14.5 °C.7 On the ice itself it feels colder, especially in wind.
West and southwest winds prevail in El Calafate, and in summer they are more frequent and stronger.8 The park calls a light waterproof windbreaker the best friend of every visitor to Patagonia.9 Wear layers, waterproof trousers if you have them, gloves and a warm hat, and bring sunglasses with good protection.
Sturdy, ankle-high hiking boots work best with crampons. Pack water, snacks and sunscreen, since sunlight reflects strongly off the ice. Leave bulky bags behind and keep your phone or camera on a strap: dropping it into a crevasse is a mistake you only make once.
Book your boat day
Icebergs and the Spegazzini are waiting on the north arm.
Hold a seat today, pay closer to the date, and cancel for free until a day before.
You ask,we answer.
Do I need experience to walk on a glacier?
No. Guides fit the crampons and choose walks to match fitness.1
Which walk is shorter?
Minitrekking. One listing runs 9 to 10 hours door to door, from $450.
How much is a Big Ice day?
From $459. One Big Ice listing runs 7.5 to 12 hours.
Is there a small group option?
Yes. One Big Ice listing limits groups to 10 participants.
Can I hike without crampons?
Yes, on the north arm. Estancia Cristina programs add trekking to a boat trip.3
What should I wear?
Layers and a windbreaker. The park calls a light waterproof windbreaker a visitor's best friend.9
When is the season?
September to April. That is the season the park recommends.2
Sources
What this guide is based on
- 1Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentina)Actividades↩
- 2Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentina)Panorámica↩
- 3Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentina)Actividades↩
- 4Solo PatagoniaSolo Patagonia↩
- 5Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentina)Actividades↩
- 6Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentina)Actividades↩
- 7↩
- 8Secretaría de Turismo de El CalafateConsejos Prácticos para El Calafate↩
- 9Administración de Parques Nacionales (Argentina)Panorámica↩
Keep reading
