Why book the Mini-Trekking
Why book the Mini-Trekking
You are actually walking on the glacier
This is not a viewing-platform booking — crampons go on your own boots and you spend around an hour walking the ice itself, past crevasses, small melt lagoons and seracs, with a mountain guide reading the terrain ahead of you the whole way.
Hielo & Aventura is the only operator
Every ice-trekking tour on Perito Moreno, from every seller, runs through Hielo & Aventura — the sole company licensed to put guided groups on this glacier's ice. Booking through GetYourGuide does not change who is holding the rope; it changes how easily you can compare, cancel and pay.
A shorter, gentler version of Big Ice
Hielo & Aventura also runs a longer, harder trek called Big Ice, with several hours of technical terrain and a stricter fitness bar. Mini-Trekking is the accessible version — roughly an hour on flatter ice near the glacier's edge, open from age eight, which is why it is the tour most first-time visitors book.
The whisky is real, and lunch is yours to bring
The trek includes the tour's best-known ritual: a toast of whisky poured over glacier ice. After the walk back through Magellanic forest there's a hot drink and a small souvenir before the boat. Meals are not included, so pack your own food in El Calafate before the pickup.
The ice, in order
The ice, in order
Six stages, from a morning hotel pickup in El Calafate to the boardwalks facing the front wall. Times below are approximate, built from the operator's own stage lengths rather than a published minute-by-minute schedule.
- ~8:30am El Calafate
Hotel pickup
Pickup from your hotel's front desk in El Calafate starts from about 8:30am, and the route can take up to 45 minutes depending on where you're staying. Apartments and places off the route are given the nearest meeting point instead.
- ~10:15am Bajo de las Sombras
The port, at km 70.9
About an hour and a half by bus from El Calafate along Provincial Route 11 to the port of Bajo de las Sombras, on the shore of Brazo Rico — the arm of Lake Argentino the glacier's south face empties into.
- ~10:30am Brazo Rico
Twenty minutes by boat
A short crossing of Brazo Rico brings you to the far shore, with the glacier's ice front already filling the view — usually your first proper look at the wall you're about to walk beside.
- ~11:15am The moraine edge
Crampons on
A guide talks through the glacier's geology on the short walk from the boat, then fits crampons and helmets before the group steps onto the ice itself.
- ~11:30am–12:30pm On the ice
The walk, and the whisky
About an hour threading between crevasses, small melt lagoons and seracs on the ice near the glacier's edge, with a toast of whisky over glacier ice, then across the moraine and back through the forest, with a hot drink before the boat.
- ~2:30–4:30pm The boardwalks
Facing the front wall
Back across Brazo Rico and, on the transport option, on to the park's own viewing walkways, with time across several trails and balconies looking straight at the ice front — the classic view most Perito Moreno photos are taken from.
Bajo de las Sombras, and getting there
Bajo de las Sombras, and getting there
The whole day happens outside El Calafate itself, inside Los Glaciares National Park — here is where the pieces sit.
Where the boat leaves from
Bajo de las Sombras is a small port on Provincial Route 11, at kilometre 70.9 — about an hour and a half's drive from El Calafate and a few kilometres short of the glacier itself. It exists for exactly this crossing; there is no town there.
The park entrance fee is separate
Hielo & Aventura's tour price does not include the Los Glaciares National Park entrance fee, which is paid at the gate. Budget for it as a separate expense on the day rather than assuming it is bundled into your GetYourGuide booking.
One operator, several sellers
Hielo & Aventura is the only company licensed to run guided ice trekking on Perito Moreno. Whichever site you book through, the guides, the boat and the route are the same — the difference is in price, cancellation terms and how the booking is handled.
If you are travelling independently
Most visitors book the round-trip transport as part of the tour rather than driving themselves to Bajo de las Sombras, since the ice-trekking groups and boat crossings are scheduled around the operator's own bus timetable, not a public one.
The glacier, in pictures
The glacier, in pictures
Perito Moreno's ice front, and the gear and terrain of a trekking day. Some of these are genuine photographs of the glacier; others are representative images of crampons, crevasse ice and a viewing boardwalk — not photographs of this exact tour, guide or group.
Mini-Trekking, Big Ice or boardwalks — what's actually different
Mini-Trekking, Big Ice or boardwalks — what's actually different
| Option | What it includes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-Trekking & cruise | Bus and boat to the glacier, crampons and helmet, about 1 hour on the ice with a whisky toast, and the boardwalks on the transport option | The tour this site is built around — ages 8–65, moderate fitness |
| Big Ice | A longer, harder trek — several hours on more technical ice, in smaller guide groups | Stricter age and fitness rules than Mini-Trekking, priced higher (GYG t913247) |
| Boardwalks & optional boat | A bus tour to the park's viewing walkways, with an optional add-on cruise past the ice front — no crampons, no ice walk | The lowest-cost way to see the glacier close up, 2,739 reviews (GYG t231537) |
| Pair it with the rest of Patagonia | Booked as separate GetYourGuide experiences | El Chaltén and Ushuaia both sit within reach of an El Calafate base |
Ways to see the glacier
Find a date for the ice
Whether you want ice under your crampons on the Mini-Trekking route or a walk along the viewing boardwalks instead, each option below runs through GetYourGuide's live calendar and prices out in your home currency.
Planning your day on the ice
Planning your day on the ice
Budget for the park fee separately
The Los Glaciares National Park entrance fee is not part of your GetYourGuide price. Bring a card or cash for the gate, and don't assume the tour total is the whole cost of the day.
Layer for a day that starts cold and stays outside
Pickup starts from about 8:30am, and you're outside for most of a ten-hour day, on ice for part of it. Warm, wind-resistant layers and proper walking shoes matter more than what you'd wear to view the glacier from a platform alone.
Book the date before the rest of your Calafate days
Hielo & Aventura runs this as the only licensed operator, so there is no second company to fall back on if your first-choice date is gone. Pick the Mini-Trekking date first and build the rest of your stay around it.
Know which tour you actually booked
Mini-Trekking, Big Ice and the boardwalks-only tour are three different products from the same operator, at three different price points and fitness bars. Check that your GetYourGuide confirmation names the tour you meant to book, especially if you compared listings before paying.
Planning a Perito Moreno trekking day
Planning a Perito Moreno trekking day
Perito Moreno Mini-Trekking, step by step
Pickup from 8:30am, a boat across Brazo Rico, crampons, about an hour on the ice, whisky over glacier ice, then the boardwalks — here's the whole day, in order.
Read more →Which tour to bookMini-Trekking vs Big Ice vs the boardwalks: which Perito Moreno tour to book
Same glacier, same operator, three very different days — here's what actually separates them, beyond the price.
Read more →Practical questionsWhat to wear, and the age and fitness rules for Perito Moreno trekking
The practical questions worth thinking through — who this tour is and isn't for, and how to dress for a day that's cold, then active, then cold again.
Read more →Getting thereGetting to El Calafate, and how the pickup works
From the airport to your hotel lobby for an 8:30am pickup — the practical shape of arriving in El Calafate and getting to the glacier.
Read more →When to goBest months and light for Perito Moreno Mini-Trekking
The tour runs most of the year but skips June entirely — here's how the seasons actually differ for a day built around a morning pickup and about an hour outdoors on ice.
Read more →Around PatagoniaEl Calafate and beyond: fitting in El Chaltén and Ushuaia
The glacier takes one long day. Here's how it sits alongside El Chaltén's trekking and the run down to Ushuaia at the end of the road.
Read more →FAQ
Perito Moreno trekking questions
What is the Perito Moreno Mini-Trekking tour?
It's a guided day trip from El Calafate that takes you by bus and boat to Perito Moreno Glacier, fits you with crampons, and leads you on a walk of about an hour across the ice itself, with a toast of whisky over glacier ice, then back through the forest. With the transport option, the day also includes time at the park's viewing boardwalks facing the ice front. It's run by Hielo & Aventura, the only operator licensed for ice trekking on this glacier.
How long does the whole day take?
Door to door it runs around ten hours, from hotel pickup in El Calafate (from about 8:30am) to drop-off back in town; without transport it's about four and a half hours from the port. Of that, roughly an hour is spent actually walking on the ice, with the rest split between the drive, the boat crossing, and time at the boardwalks.
Is there an age limit?
Yes — Mini-Trekking is open to ages 8 to 65 in moderate physical condition. If you're travelling with a child under 8, or want a tougher or gentler alternative, see the comparison with Big Ice and the boardwalks-only tour on this page.
Does the price include the national park entrance fee?
No. The Los Glaciares National Park entrance fee is paid separately, at the gate, and is not part of the GetYourGuide tour price. Budget for it as an extra on the day.
What's the difference between Mini-Trekking, Big Ice and the boardwalks tour?
Mini-Trekking (this tour) is about an hour on the ice with a moderate fitness bar. Big Ice is a longer, more technical trek with stricter age and fitness rules. The boardwalks tour skips the ice walk entirely — it's a bus trip to the park's viewing walkways, with an optional boat add-on, and no crampons. All three are run by Hielo & Aventura and bookable on GetYourGuide.
What should I wear?
Warm, wind-resistant layers and sturdy, comfortable walking shoes — you're outside for most of a ten-hour day, including time on ice. Crampons are provided and fitted over your own boots, so bring shoes that fit that description rather than anything highly technical.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes — you can cancel up to 24 hours before start time for a full refund. GetYourGuide shows the exact terms for your specific departure before checkout.