Minitrekking on Perito Moreno Glacier Review: Complete Guide

El Calafate is likely the town you flew into when venturing to El Chalten. This town has more amenities (and wifi) than El Chalten does. Many use this as their home base to visit and minitrekking on Perito Moreno glacier.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something you shouldn’t miss when visiting El Calafate. If you don’t like the itinerary or don’t want to spend the money, there are other cheaper options to have still the chance to view this massive glacier!

In this guide, I’ll go over all the details about what to expect when minitrekking on Perito Moreno glacier.

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What Does Minitrekking on Perito Moreno Involve?

Mini Trekking is expensive, especially for those who are budgeting or attempting to do so in Patagonia.

It’s something that you should make a decision on before arriving here in El Calafate. I think it’s totally worth the money as you most likely won’t get this opportunity again.

It’s a full-day activity but below are some of the things you can expect to do:

• Hotel Pickup
• Lunch at the Mirador de Perito Moreno Glacier
• Ferry near the Glacier to the mini trekking camp
• Minitrekking on Perito Moreno and drinking whiskey

What is the difference Between Minitrekking and Big Ice?

We chose the mini trekking excursion over the Big Ice mainly because of the money. But if you’re up for an even bigger adventure, Big Ice might be for you.

Big Ice is pretty similar to the itinerary of mini trekking, except you get more time on the glacier. This allows you to see how large Perito Moreno truly is.

Since it’s more hiking on the glacier, naturally, this excursion will be more taxing than the regular mini trekking.

The reviews for Big Ice are exceptional and you won’t be disappointed if you want to make the extra bucks for more adventure!

Where is the Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier is located around 80km or 50 miles west of El Calafate. This town is where most people base themselves when planning on visiting this glacier.

This glacier is located inside the Los Glaciers National Park and unlike the section in El Chalten, you have to pay an entrance fee here.

The section where Perito Moreno glacier is part of the southern Patagonian ice field, which feeds a lot of Argentina and Chile.

El Calafate differs from towns like Bariloche and El Chalten. Travelers come here for one main reason and it’s this glacier.

El Calafate to Perito Moreno

Getting to El Calafate is rather straightforward. There’s an airport right outside of town that has flights from many of the major cities in Argentina.

If you’re for an even bigger adventure, then it’s possible to take buses from towns like Bariloche and Buenos Aires. These are extremely long bus rides and can be broken up if desired.

We took a bus to El Chalten as well as to Puerto Natales in Chile.

• If you want to visit Perito Moreno on your own, you can visit the bus terminal in El Calafate. Look for the Perito Moreno at one of the desks.

• There are a few buses but a popular company is called CalTur. The price to get there is $40,000 Pesos (Feb. 2024). The bus ride is an hour and a half.

• Before arriving at the glacier, the bus will stop at the entrance. This is where you’ll purchase your ticket. You can either book one online or purchase one there.

• There were reports that they only took cash, but they were accepting credit cards when we went in December of 2023.

Things to Know

Many people travel from El Calafate to Puerto Natales to hike the O or W trek, which is a popular route in Patagonia.

If you’re interested in minitrekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, the company will send you details about the excursion.

But if you’re like me and would like to know beforehand what to expect and other things to know, I’m here for you.

Things to Bring

Minitrekking on Perito Moreno glacier is not a normal experience and shouldn’t be compared to others as such.

Hielo & Adventura has a list of items they recommend you bring and they are as follows:

• Hiking Boots
• Sun Screen
• Patagonia Down Sweater
• Snacks
• Wool Gloves and Hat

What Tour Companies Are the Best

So, only one company has the official license to guide mini trekking on the Perito Moreno glacier, and that company is Hielo & Aventura.

There might be other 3rd party tour companies but all of the operations run through them. This is for mini trekking or Big Ice only. There are multiple tour companies that will take you to the park but won’t take you on the glacier.

This company was extremely professional in everything they did and this helped the tour to feel like it was worth the money.

Other Hikes in Patagonia You’d Enjoy

• Laguna Torre
• Chorrillo del Salto
• Laguna de los Tres
• Mirador de los Condores

How Much Does Minitrekking on Perito Moreno Cost?

The prices might confuse you if you haven’t traveled to Argentina recently. Don’t check Google for the price conversion because it’s slightly off due to inflation and the blue rate.

Currently, the cost of mini trekking on Perito Moreno is 250k pesos. The price of that can vary from day to day, but it’s around $250 to $275.

If you have any questions about the money, they have a really good team, and you can WhatsApp them with any questions you have.

Minitrekking on Perito Moreno Itinerary & Review

I think the itinerary for this excursion was set up perfectly.

We didn’t have to wake up too early, had lunch at a good time, spent a lot of time near and on the glacier, and got home when the sun was still out.

Below, I’ll go over the itinerary for mini trekking on Perito Moreno in detail and my thoughts.

Hotel Pickup

I must preface that our itinerary could be slightly different than others. Our time was pushed back a few hours because of the conditions. This can happen due to the nature of the activity.

We got picked up from our Airbnb around 8 or 9 in the morning. They picked us up for our Full-day Minitrekking Tour on Perito Moreno in a really comfortable shuttle van.

We were the last ones to be picked up, so from there, we started the 90-minute journey to the Los Glaciares National Park.

On our way there, we stopped at another viewpoint of a different glacier. When entering the park, you’ll either need to purchase a ticket there or buy one online.

The entrance ticket cost is currently $12,000 Pesos (February 2024), but this number can change by the time you visit.

Visit Mirador Perito Moreno and Eat Lunch

After we entered the park, we headed to the Perito Moreno viewpoint. There’s a small restaurant where you can order drinks, food, and coffee. There’s also a bathroom!

We were dropped off and given around an hour to walk around the platform, eat lunch, and take plenty of photos of Perito Moreno glacier.

We decided to purchase the bagged lunch through the company as it made everything easier. The lunch was packed with a ton of goodies and we enjoyed it!

You’ll have the option of choosing what type of sandwich you want, and it also comes with a salad, fruit, and other snacks.

Ferry Ride

After eating lunch and taking as many photos as possible of the glacier, it was time to head back to the shuttle van. It was time for us to get ready for what we’d all been waiting for.

The van drove us to the Puerto Bajo Sombras dock, where we were loaded onto the boat. This boat ride was magical as we started to head closer and closer to the glacier.

We were allowed to go to the boat’s top and feel the wind as we approached the massive Perito Moreno glacier.

Gear Up

Our wonderful expert mountain guides greeted us as we arrived at the base camp for Hielo & Adventura. They were truly sensational. They knew how to work with a large group, especially with some people who might be too excited.

From this dock, we walked for about 15 minutes over to a spot closer to the glacier, where we put our crampons on.

I’ve worn crampons before, but these were very generic and old feeling, which makes sense. They couldn’t spend a lot of money for hundreds of these, but they certainly felt clunky.

Walk along the Perito Moreno Glacier

Now, it was time for the fun part! The glacier meets the land at a certain section, and this is where we were easily able to get onto the glacier.

We followed in a single-file line behind our guides on a pre-determined trail. There were also multiple moments where we stopped to take photos and even try some of the water!

There were multiple instances where we got to look down a tunnel where water was funneling through. Being able to see the vastness of this glacier and how far down it goes was mind-blowing to me.

Drink Glacier Whiskey

It’s probably not much of a surprise, but the last thing you do before heading back to the lodge is drink whiskey with glacier ice!

I absolutely loved this part of the tour; it was surreal to experience. The ice and water have basically no taste to them because there aren’t any minerals in them.

We were also treated to some chocolate, which was a nice touch. After about 20 minutes, we started to hike back to the lodge.

Is Minitrekking on Perito Moreno Worth It?

Mini trekking on Perito Moreno glacier was well worth the money, in my opinion! I know the price tag can scare a few people off.

If you’re planning a trip to Patagonia, I’d suggest putting money off to the side specifically for this excursion. I don’t think anyone in our group had a bad time.

Is Minitrekking on Perito Moreno Glacier Safe?

Absolutely! I felt safe the entire time while trekking on the glacier. The mountain guides are truly experts on the ice and know what they are doing.

Each group has multiple guides, which helps make everything run smoothly.

Best Places to Stay in El Calafate, Argentina

• Posada Karut Josh: If you’re looking for a beautiful, affordable hotel, look no further than the Posada Karut Josh!
• America Del Sur Calafate Hostel: Believe it or not, there are still cheap hostels in El Calafate and America del Sur is one of the best ones! You simply can’t beat the views here.
• Destino Calafate: This is another affordable hotel option in El Calafate and is located near downtown but far enough away that it’ll be quiet.

Final Thoughts

I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t keen on mini trekking due to the price point. I thought it wouldn’t be worth the money, and with how expensive Patagonia can be, it was better to save it. With that being said, I’m so glad that I was able to go on this excursion. It was truly one of the highlights of our time down in Patagonia. I highly suggest anyone who has the means to make this trip save up enough to go mini trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier!