Mini trekking Perito Moreno is super fun and worthy of your time and money. Combine a little adrenaline with stunning nature and amazing views, and you got yourself a perfect outing.
What to expect from this El Calafate glacier tour?
Well, you spend approximately 1,5 hours on the glacier but the entire excursion lasts a full day. That’s because you also get to visit a few extra stops along the way. Plus you get some free time to walk around the viewing platforms which offer spectacular perspectives of Perito Moreno glacier!
Get your camera’s ready for some amazing picture opportunities!
Mini Trekking Perito Moreno
So we decided to do the mini trekking hike.
You can choose to do this tour with or without a sightseeing cruise in front of the ice wall. We skipped the cruise and spent the extra time walking the viewing platforms to peacefully take in the scenery. Whatever option you choose, you can’t loose.
Now, what does your day look like?
Here follows the itinerary of the Perito Moreno Mini trekking:
Pick up in El Calafate
Early in the morning, we got picked up from our accommodation in El Calafate town.
A small bus picks up other travelers along the way and takes us to a larger bus, where all the small buses meet up.
Expect for this part to last 1 hour or longer.
Scenic drive to the National Park
This trip is fun and scenic!
After leaving the town of El Calafate, you get some beautiful sights on Lake Argentina, which has an interesting shade of blue.
About half way through this drive, you reach the entrance to the Perito Moreno National Park, where you have to pay the entrance fee. For some reason, this entrance fee is never included in the tour price.
The second part of the drive is also pretty scenic, as the road takes you along a beautiful part of the lake.
Our bus driver is certainly enthusiastic enough to make an effort for us. He slows down before we get to see the Perito Moreno glacier, puts a disk on with a majestic classical song and waits until the song has built up enough to be worthy of the view to come.
Then he moves on and the massive glacier rolls into view.
Applause!
Great effort of this guy.
He definitely loves his job and made the experience great for us.
Duration: 1h30 min
Entrance fee: 800 ARS – 16/17€
Getting to the Mini Trekking starting point
The bus drops you off at a small port, where you get to board a ship to take you near the glacier.
Even though you get good views of the glacier, this is not what people call ‘the scenic cruise’.
This boat trip only takes you across the water to where your hike will soon begin.
Once you reach the other side, you can leave your extra luggage in a large cabin/restaurant. In this place you get ready to start hiking the Magellanic forest.
Make sure to take a few handy things:
- hiking shoes
- sun glasses
- some water
- your camera
The hike through the forest is short and fun. It takes around 20 minutes.
Put on your crampons
Right before you reach the actual ice mass, you get to a smal cabin. This hut is bulking with crampons in all different sizes.
The crampons fit around your shoe and someone puts them on for you.
So you can expect to wait a while until everyone is wearing them and is ready for take off.
Make sure that the crampons fit well before leaving.
Walking on ice!
Now that everyone is ready to start the exploration, you’re off onto the ice.
Follow the leader and prepare for some out-of-this world views!
Everyone has to walk in a line until you reach a part on the glacier where you get a few minutes to explore.
You’ll notice some scary deep gaps in between the pieces of ice. The only thing I could think was: if I slide into one of these, I’ll disappear forever… or until this piece of ice breaks off into the lake!
The feeling of walking on this glacier and the views we get along the way are priceless. This time we chose the easy-access tour which took us on an easy walk on the first 20 meters of the glacier. The group mostly existed of families with children and people from various ages who just want to have a fun experience without too much effort.
If we ever go back to Perito Moreno, we’ll be sure to take the die-hard tour that goes to another part of the glacier and looks even more spectacular. (See the Big Ice Tour)
Nevertheless, this tour was amazing too and it feels like a once in a lifetime experience.
During our visit the sky was deep blue and so were the little pools of water that collected on the ice. At the end of the tour, we were treated to a glass of whiskey on the rocks, with glacier ice of course.
The viewpoints
After the excitement of the Perito Moreno glacier hike, we left our crampons behind and walked back to the forest lodge to pick up our stuff.
The same or a similar boat took us back to the other side of the water, where the bus was waiting for us.
Our driver took us to the part of the National Park where you can also get by public transportation.
The viewing platforms are nicely laid out on the hillside in front of the location where the glacier hits the lake. So, it’s a great place to wait for the chunks of ice to drop. It is rather difficult to catch this phenomenon on picture though.
You get quite a spectacular view on the glacier from the many viewpoints and walkways on this side of the bay.
We had an hour or two to explore this side of the glacier before we were expected to get back on the bus.
Big ice vs mini trekking. Which Perito Moreno Glacier hike should you choose?
You got two major options for hiking the glacier. Both options also include a visit to the regular sightseeing platforms and a few scenic stops on the way to the glacier.
We already discussed the Perito Moreno mini trekking. The more hard-core option is to do the Perito Moreno Big Ice hike.
What is the difference between both hikes?
In short:
Mini Trekking Perito Moreno Hike
The mini trekking consists of a 1,5 hour walk over a small part of the glacier.
It’s not a difficult hike and it can actually be done with children and seniors.
It’s fun to do and accessible.
If you never hiked a glacier before, choose this one.
Big Ice Perito Moreno Hike
The Big Ice looks exciting and daunting… and it probably is!
The tour takes you much further onto the glacier and it lasts over 9 hours.
You first hike alongside the glacier, before heading onto the ice.
In total, you spend around 4 hours on the ice and get to see some marvellous iced landscapes.
You have to be between 18 to 50 years old to do this hike. You’re expected to be in good physical shape too.
So, the conclusion is that the big ice is just a little more hardcore and if you have hiking experience, feel free to check out this tour!
Conclusion - Perito Moreno mini trekking
In conclusion, we loved our time on the glacier and the mini trekking was an amazing experience. We are all warmed up to go for the Big Ice trekking the next time.
If you decide to venture out to El Calafate and Perito Moreno, we definitely recommend walking on top of the glacier. Check out this packing list for trekking in Argentina before you head off!
But if you have no intend to do either the Big Ice or the Mini Trekking, it’s also possible to visit the viewing platforms on your own, without a tour.
During our travels in Argentina, we decided to visit Perito Moreno and we stayed in El Calafate for a couple of days.
Maybe you’re wondering what more is there to do in El Calafate besides walking on ice?
A lot more actually! We listed the top 8 things to do in El Calafate so take your pick or do them all! Have a great time in Argentina! And don’t be shy to tell us about your experience there!
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