What to expect from Big Ice Perito Moreno
Big Ice Perito Moreno is a guided glacier trek for visitors prepared for a long day on foot. The municipal itinerary begins at Bajo de las Sombras, where a boat crosses the lake before the route continues towards the glacier. A long approach over the moraine precedes the time on the ice. Mountain guides accompany the ice group and technical equipment is used for the glacier section.
The descriptions of a tour can refer to several different clocks: the crossing, the approach, the time on the ice and the full excursion. They are useful for different decisions. The time spent walking on ice tells you about the activity itself; the total day also depends on whether road transport from El Calafate is part of the option.
Our picks: Big Ice
Our take: Choose a trek with optional transfers or a trip with hotel transfers included. The alternative with navigation specifies its ice and forest walking times.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Big Ice hike with glacier navigation
- Crampons for walking on ice
- Bilingual guide
- Navigation in front of the Glacier
The hike includes 3 hours 30 minutes on ice and a four-hour forest walk. Transfers and walkways depend on your option; the departure time is confirmed the day before.
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Big Ice with hotel transfers
- Transfers from/to hotels
- Bilingual mountain guides
Check availability for your travel dates. Park admission and port taxes are extra.
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Guided Big Ice glacier hike
- Boat cruise
- Trekking guide
- Technical equipment for glacier trekking
Transfers to the park and walkways are optional. Park admission is extra.
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Compare guided ice walks and the transport options that take you to the starting point.
The approach and the ice
In the municipal description, the crossing from Bajo de las Sombras takes around 20 minutes. The approach across the moraine takes approximately two hours, followed by around three hours on the ice. Those figures describe that particular itinerary and should not be substituted for the timings of every offer. On the glacier, participants use crampons, a helmet and a harness under the direction of the mountain guides.
The municipal programme describes groups of no more than ten participants with two mountain guides for the ice section. That number refers to the group on the ice, not to the capacity of a vehicle or boat. Ice is a changing environment, so the route and formations encountered during the walk are part of the experience rather than fixed sights to expect at a particular point.
One listed option describes three and a half hours on ice and four hours walking through forest. These are activity components, not the full duration of the excursion. Read the itinerary as a whole to understand what the day involves, including getting to the harbour and returning afterwards.
Transport and time at the walkways
The municipality describes a programme of approximately twelve hours with transfer, including around one hour at the walkways. Its harbour-based programme is approximately seven and a half hours from and back to the port. A harbour duration is not the same as a hotel-to-hotel day: the journey from El Calafate needs to fit around it.
Some booking options include a transfer while others leave the road journey to you. A walkway visit can also depend on the option selected. The transport guide explains the road from El Calafate, while the walkway guide covers the viewpoint paths. Park admission is a separate part of the budget; see the entrance fee guide for the applicable categories.
Season and physical demands
Big Ice involves a sustained approach and a guided walk on uneven ice. It is described as physically demanding. A comparison published on 28 October 2026 gave an age range of 18 to 50 and a season from 15 September to 30 April. The municipal description states that the activity starts in September and operates when safety conditions allow. Conditions and eligibility matter to the choice of date as well as to the choice of activity.
Hielo y Aventura is the concessionaire listed by the national park administration for Minitrekking and Big Ice. The complete current health conditions should be obtained with the selected activity. Wear suitable layers for changing conditions and consider the walking involved before choosing a long ice programme.
Big Ice or Minitrekking?
A shorter Minitrekking glacier hike is another guided way onto the ice. The two activities have different approaches and ice times; a shorter name does not mean that the walk is an ordinary stroll. If a viewpoint visit is your priority, the walkways offer a separate way to see the glacier without joining an ice trek.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the approach?
The municipal Big Ice description gives approximately two hours over the moraine before the glacier section.
How long is spent on the ice?
The municipal itinerary describes around three hours. Another listed option gives a different ice time, so use the selected itinerary.
Is transport included?
Transport depends on the option. The municipal description distinguishes a transfer day from the shorter harbour-based programme.
Is the park entrance included?
Allow for the park entrance separately when planning the excursion.