The Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate
How to get from El Calafate to the Perito Moreno Glacier: a guided day, the regular buses, a private car or your own, the walkways' hours and trails, and what each tour price leaves out.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is 76.6 km by road from El Calafate, about 1 hour 32 minutes by car; the park authority gives 80 km. You can go on a guided day with hotel pickup, on a regular bus from the town’s bus terminal, in a private car with a driver, or in your own car. Whichever you choose, the park fee is extra: ARS 50,000 a day on the general rate (APN, from 1 June 2026). For most first visits the guided day is the simplest. Info de Ushuaia’s Guided Tour of the National Park + Perito Moreno Glacier + Boat Cruise (optional) is from US$48 on promotion, usually US$60 a person (checked November 2026) for the walkways without the boat.
The calendar shows two options: the walkways day, and the same day with a one-hour boat trip past the glacier’s northern wall, which cost US$100 to US$125 on the dates we read. Starts were at 9:00 AM or 12:00 PM. You can reserve now, pay later and cancel free until 24 hours before.
Four ways to go
| Guided day | Regular bus | Private car and driver | Your own car | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From El Calafate | Hotel pickup | The bus terminal, Antoine de Saint Exupery 87 | Your address in town | Wherever you start |
| Guide | Yes | No | A driver, no guide | No |
| Cost | From US$48 on promotion, usually US$60 a person (checked November 2026) | Ask the companies at the terminal | From US$330 for up to four (checked November 2026) | Fuel, and the hire |
| Park fee | Extra | Extra | Extra | Extra |
The municipality lists five companies running regular buses from the terminal to the glacier: Cal-Tur, Taqsa, Chaltén Travel, Always Glaciers and Andesmar. It prints no timetable or fare, so ask at their boxes in the terminal.
Which to book
Book whichever fits your day:
Guided Tour of the National Park + Perito Moreno Glacier + Boat Cruise (optional)
Info de Ushuaia: hotel pickup, a guide on the road and on the walkways, 8 hours in all. The from-price is the walkways without the boat; the boat option cost US$100 to US$125 on the dates we read. Park fee extra.
Check dates →El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise
Patagonia Dreams: up to 4 hours on the walkways, with a 10:00 AM or 12:00 PM start on the dates we read. The boat option cost US$156 to US$173. Park fee extra.
See the day →Perito Moreno Glacier: Private Trip from El Calafate
Patagonia Executive Travel: a private car and driver for up to four, pickup at your El Calafate address, about 3 hours of free time on the walkways. No guide, no boat. Park fee extra.
See the car →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Driving yourself
The road is RP 11, west from El Calafate along Lago Argentino to the park gate and on to the glacier. The APN’s rules for drivers in the park: a speed limit of 40 km/h, no drones, no pets. In winter, studded tyres or approved chains are compulsory on the park roads, and the municipality tells drivers of hired cars the same. Pay the fee at the gate by card or in pesos, or buy it online before you go.
Mind the hours. The Mitre to Perito Moreno corridor is open for entry from 8:00 to 18:00 from 1 September to 30 April, with visitors allowed to stay until 20:00, and from 9:00 to 16:00 from 1 May to 31 August, stay until 18:00 (APN).
At the walkways
The walkways are a network of metal paths and balconies facing the glacier’s front. The APN’s map lists six trails:
| Trail | Length | Time | APN’s rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sendero de los Témpanos | 150 m | 10 minutes | Very easy |
| Sendero accesible | 565 m | 30 minutes | Very easy |
| Sendero del bosque | 570 m | 1 hour | Medium |
| Sendero central | 600 m | 1 hour | Easy |
| Sendero inferior | 1,100 m | 2 hours | Hard |
| Sendero de la costa | 1,117 m | 1 hour 30 minutes | Medium |
APN walkways map, 2024 edition, read November 2026.
The floor is metal grating, so the APN advises walking shoes that hold the ankle. The handrails are safety barriers: climbing or crossing them is forbidden, because falling ice throws splinters tens of metres. Patagonia Dreams’ cheapest option gives up to 4 hours on the walkways; Patagonia Executive Travel’s private car about 3.
What a guided day leaves out
Every guided day on this site leaves out the park fee, and most leave out lunch: the restaurants in the park are the alternative. The boat is a second option on most days, not part of the from-price. Of Info de Ushuaia’s 350 most recent reviews (the oldest dated 25 April 2026), one (9 September 2026) calls the day “essentially a ride service to the park with some commentary and then free time to use the walk ways”. That is a fair summary of the product. If you want a guide talking all day, or a walk on the ice, that is a different trip: Hielo y Aventura runs the ice treks under the park’s concession, and its Mini-Trek is from US$346 (checked November 2026).
More from El Calafate
Tours from El Calafate with Open Dates
Glacier days, boats and treks from El Calafate with live availability. What is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
A Guided Day to the Walkways
Info de Ushuaia: hotel pickup in El Calafate, a guide on the road and on the walkways, and a one-hour boat trip on the dearer option. The park fee is paid separately.
Check dates