Part 1: Glacier trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier

Prepare to experience a one of a kind adventure trekking on the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier, located in the Glaciers National Park. The UNESCO declared this site a natural heritage in 1981 because it harbors the longest existing glaciers outside of Antarctica (covering 75.3 square miles or 195 square kilometers). You will have your own private vehicle for the transfers and the assistance of a private guide for the visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier.

After 1 hour and forty minutes we arrive to "Bajo las Sombras"  (beneath the Shadows) port.

We prepare for a 15 minutes sailing bordering  the south wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier, in the Rico branch of Argentino Lake. You will admire it's 262 feet (80 meters) height, which is only 1/7 of it's total height! The full height of the south wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier is approximately 1834 feet (560 meters). An iceberg only displays 1/10 to 1/7 of its entire mass above the water, being the biggest portion of these "ice giants" under water.

After crossing to the opposite shore, our guides who are specialized in glaciology, will welcome you. Groups of 10 to 15 travelers are defined. Our guide will give you an informative explanation about Glaciers and an introductory lesson to glacier trekking. We will provided with snow treads (sort of crampons) that the guides will attach to your boots or trekking shoes. Although it is not strictly necessary, if you request them, our guide will provide you with pickets (poles) to make your trek over the glacier easier.
This trek lasts about an hour and a half, and it doesn’t have any serious difficulty. The crampons are specially designed to make you fell as stable on ice as you would be walking without them on a regular not slippery surface. Remember that this activity was designed and planned for beginners with no experience at all, not for experts. Moreover, strict and high security measures are involved throughout all the activity.
Unfortunately this tour cannot be done by people who have problems with motor skills.
The glacier trekking experiencetakes 1 hour and 40 minutes and it is 1 mile long(1 kilometer and 600 meters), so it is not a very demanding activity.

As we plod along the Perito Moreno Glacier we discover cracks and notice the different shapes that the glacier adopts because of climactic factors, as well as the distinct tones and colors of the ice itself. These latter can range from an intense white to a dark blue. These color changes are due to the pressure of different layers of ice, a pressure that over the course of thousands of years changes the tonality of the ice. By analyzing their colors, scientists can determine the ice age.

After this pleasant outing on Patagonian ice we will engage in a short trekking in a Magellan forest, which will take you to a splendid lookout station situated above the forest. Here you will have lunch while you admire the Perito Moreno Glacier right in front of you!.

We recommend preparing your lunch at the hotel or local food shops during the day before the tour because there are no places to buy food at the glacier refuge. The hotels and local food shops are used to prepare lunch boxes, which are of very good quality. They cost approximately from US$ 15 to US$ 30 depending on the type of lunch box.

After lunch we will cross Argentino Lake again until arriving back to the initial port. However, on the way back our boat will stop 985 feet (300 meters) away from the south wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier so you can take beautiful pictures of this amazing and unique natural attraction. This transfer back to port takes 30 minutes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Duration: Half day

Guide: shared English/Spanish speaking guide

Transfer: group vehicle + group motorboat. This tour is done during the same day as the Perito Moreno Glacier Panoramic Boardwalks.

Includes: transfer + guide + entrance fee to Glaciers National Park (does not include lunch)

Part 2: Visit to panoramic boardwalks which overlook the might Perito Moreno Glacier

After enjoying the trekking on the Perito Moreno glacier we will head to the panoramic boardwalks that overlook the Perito Moreno Glacier.

There are 7 different strategically located panoramic balconies, with distances ranging from 460 to 2100 feet (140 to 640 meters) from the starting point of the trail. Each balcony is situated at a different height and distance relative to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Except the trail to the southern balcony which implies going down a long descendant path, all the trails have an easy level of difficulty, but all balconies are worth seeing because each of them will provide you a different and unique view of this spectacular glacier.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few active glaciers in the world. Every now and then its 197 feet (60 meters) face casts off entire walls or chunks of ice that fall into the waters of the Brazo Rico or the "Canal de los Tempanos" (Iceberg Channel), and then float along the channel towards the main body of the Argentino lake. Smaller sections break off constantly. Once you’ve heard the crackle of breaking ice and seen the immense sheets of ice walls plunging precipitously into the waters, you’ll realize that you’re witnessing one of the most impressive spectacles in the World and a must-see attraction of a life time.

The Breaking of Perito Moreno Glacier

The phenomenon known as "the breaking of the glacier" happens when the front of the glacier reaches the Magallanes Peninsula closing the water passage towards the Iceberg Channel originating a natural dam which stops the flow of the water from the Rico arm to El Canal de los Témpanos. Therefore the waters in the Rico Arm begin to raise their level pressing against and eroding the ice that starts to weaken, and water starts to filter through. The first ice detachments take place, increasing with the water flow, until a tunnel is formed. Finally, the tunnel falls in a wonderful spectacle separating Perito Moreno Glacier from the Magallanes Peninsula. The volume of water passing through during major breaks has reached 26.000 yd3 (20.000 m3) per second.

From the catwalks you will  notice the different shapes the glacier adopts because of climactic factors, as well as the distinct tones and colors of the ice itself.

We will then return to our hotel in El Calafate.

Difficulty: Easy

Duration: one and a half hours

Guide: no guide

Transfer: shared vehicle - approximate traveled distance: 100 miles (160 kilometers). This tour is done during the same day as the Multiadventure on the Perito Moreno Glacier.

You will be taken in the morning to Puerto Bandera (Port of the Flag) to board our boat that'll take you into the North Arm of Lake Argentino to navigate among icebergs and to the front of the imposing Upsala Glacier.

You will enjoy being at the exclusive VIP section of the boat. This section is located above the boat standard section, has a privileged view, much more ample and comfortable seats, and an exclusive assistance for the VIP guests.

The Upsala Glacier is the largest glacier within the continental patagonic ice, even though it has suffered severe losses during the last years. It owes its name to the Swedish city of Upsala, which university promoted the first glaciology studies in the area. The height of its walls range from 197 to 262 feet (60-80 meters) and its surface is of 232 square miles (595 km2), it is 37 miles long (60 km), and 3-4 miles wide (5-7 km). The total basin surface of this glacier is of 390 square miles (1000 km2). The dept of the lake at the front of the glacier is of about 3280 feet (1000 meters).

From there you will continue on the Onelli Channel and you will disembark in Onelli Bay. Landing in Onelli Bay you find ourselves surrounded by forests. A typical patagonic forest where "lenga" and "guindo" are generally covered of "usnea" (lichens), commonly called "old man's beard". Crossing the forest, through approximately 872 yards (800 meters), we reach Onelli Lagoon, where glaciers Onelli (45 km2/18 square miles), Bolado (16 km2/6 square miles) and Agassiz (31 km2/12 square miles) meet. This lagoon is usually full with icebergs, detachments of ice from the glaciers.

Upon finalizing the crossing of the forest you will see the Onelli Lagoon where you will visualize the Onelli, Bolado and Heim Glaciers.

At noon you will have free time for lunch. Then you will embark and navigate towards the Spegazzini Channel, to see the Seco, Spegazzini and Heim South Glaciers.

The Spegazzini glacier was named after the botanist Carlos Spegazzini who made the first studies of the local flora. This glacier has a surface of 26 square miles (66 km2) and it is 15.5 miles long (25 km), and 1 mile wide (1.6 km). The height of its front (262-443 feet/80-135 meters) is an outstanding characteristic. It is the highest glacier within the National Park.

The Seco Glacier's surface is of 1.5 square mile (4 km2) and clearly shows the receding process of a glacier.

By the end of the afternoon you will return to Puerto Bandera (Flag Port).  If  conditions aren't favorable to enter the Onelli area, you will disembark at Puesto de Vacas, a beautiful site where we you will see a shelter formerly used by expeditions to the Continental Ice Cap.

Important: when very large icebergs are present on the navigation route, the access to the Upsala Glacier area or to disembark in the Onelli bay is not possible. In these situations the tour is changed and instead of visiting theses areas, a navigation next to the Perito Moreno Glacier is added. When it is not possible to disembark for lunch in Onelli bay, you will have to take a lunch box to have lunch on the boat.

Difficulty: low

Duration: full day

Transfer: vehicle and motorboat (in VIP section). The VIP section is located above the standard section, has a privileged view, much more ample and comfortable seats, and an exclusive assistance for the VIP guests.

Includes: transfers +  entrance ticket to Glaciers National Park