The 12 Best Boat Tours in El Calafate

1.Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,586 reviews · 8 hours · from $80Our pick

Travel from El Calafate to Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park with hotel pickup and a Spanish-English guide. You get about three hours for the boardwalks, plus an optional one-hour boat ride to the ice wall. Guides such as Tobias, Noela, and Sebastian have been praised for clear explanations and smooth transport.

“We had a great tour around the Perito Moreno glacier. The guide was very knowledgeable and explained a lot during the trip there. We got picked up on time and then got transferred to the bus that would take us to the park. The boat ride was fun, but it was super busy and crowded, so much so that it sometimes was hard to find a place outside the boat to view the glacier. You then get some free time to explore the walkways and gawk at the glaciers, which was great.”

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2.Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking Tour and Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 805 reviews · 5 - 11 hours · from $396

Walk for about an hour on Perito Moreno Glacier with crampons, cross Brazo Rico by boat, and explore the forest and boardwalks of Los Glaciares National Park. English and Spanish guides lead small groups, with names such as Mariana, Marcelo, and Nicolas praised for clear instruction and patient support.

“Excellent excursion! From custom pick up from our accommodations to a nice, smaller-sized group, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We initially wanted to do the Big Ice tour but were disqualified from it due to age. We were disappointed, but in all honesty, this one was the perfect amount time on the glacier (~1 hour). We wouldn’t have wanted to be on it for much longer but all in all enjoyed around 3 hours close to the glacier where we could watch it calving from near the glacier hike start area. Fantastic job by our guides…..thank you for an amazing day!”

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3.Glaciers Gourmet Experience – Full Day Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 285 reviews · 8 hours - 750 minutes · from $225

Spend a full day aboard Cruceros Marpatag’s comfortable catamaran, sailing from La Soledad Port through Los Glaciares National Park. A bilingual guide explains the ice and wildlife as you view Seco, Heim, Spegazzini, Upsala, Bertracchi, and Perito Moreno Glaciers. Choose hotel transport and either a gourmet meal or lunchbox.

“Was a wonderful day exploring all the glaciers! Was nice having the private balcony and not having to be in a loud environment”

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4.All Glaciers Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 263 reviews · from $255

Leave El Calafate around 7:00 AM for Punta Bandera Port and sail through Argentino Lake to the Upsala and Spegazzini channels. See four glaciers, walk 300 meters to Spegazzini Refuge, and choose a 700-meter forest trail. English and Spanish guides, hotel pickup, and an optional lunch upgrade are available.

“Good communication from patagonia dreams about pick up. I booked the captains club which was a private (16seats) in front with the captain and included food and drinks and a guide. If you can spare the extra $ I definitely recommend. Relaxing day viewing the glaciers and a iceberg.”

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5.Gourmet Glacier Cruise & Footbridges of Perito Moreno

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 102 reviews · 12 hours · from $276

From El Calafate, cruise Lake Argentino past Upsala and hanging glaciers, walk for 30 minutes at Las Vacas Post, then visit Perito Moreno’s footbridges. English and Spanish guides lead the 12-hour outing. The María Turquesa Cruise offers clean, comfortable viewing areas, with optional lunch boxes and footbridge access.

“The cruise was well-organized and informative! I really appreciated the cleanliness of the ship and friendliness of the crew. The glaciers were gorgeous and two of them only visible by boat, aka: this tour.”

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6.Perito Moreno boat tour from El Calafate: Glaciares Gourmet

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 94 reviews · 10 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $245

Spend 10 to 12 hours on Lake Argentino viewing Upsala, Heim, Seco, Spegazzini, and Perito Moreno glaciers from a large catamaran. Choose hotel transfers, a standard lunchbox or premium meal, and an optional stop at the Perito Moreno boardwalks. Guides speak Spanish and English.

“This was a fabulous experience. The tour was very well run, seeing 5 glaciers from the lake was spectacular.”

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7.Moreno Glacier: Tour from El Calafate with tour guide, walkways, and boat ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews

Travel from El Calafate to Perito Moreno Glacier with a Spanish and English guide, free time on the park walkways, and a one-hour boat ride beside the ice. The small-group minibus carries up to 15 people. Plan on about nine hours, bring warm layers, and budget separately for the National Park entrance fee.

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8.Perito Moreno Glacier, Boat Cruise & Glaciarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 49 reviews · 2 days · from $136

Start with hotel pickup, 4 kilometers of glacier walkways, and a one-hour boat ride within 300 meters of Perito Moreno’s north wall. The next day, visit Glaciarium Museum. English and Spanish guides are available. Lunch and the national park entrance fee cost extra.

“Really enjoyed the boat trip and seeing the glacier close up was incredible. The coach was uncomfortable, no provision for families to sit together. The sound system didn’t work, so couldn’t hear commentary”

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9.Perito Moreno Glacier Experience with Boat Navigation !!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $135Top rated

Travel from your hotel in El Calafate to Los Glaciares National Park for about four hours at the Perito Moreno Glacier walkways. The tour lasts roughly seven hours, uses an air-conditioned vehicle, and includes insurance and reduced-mobility access. The title refers to boat navigation, but the supplied details do not clearly confirm a boat ride, so check before booking.

“Beautiful glacier. Well organized trip with nice tour guide. Enough time to take photos. Pasarela was the best thing for me. Walking a bit to get close to the glacier. Hear when the glacier is moving and cracking. Weather was also good. If it is rainy, then you don't enjoy the trip that much.”

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10.Lake Argentino Upsala Channel Glaciers Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 18 reviews · 9h 30m · from $305

Spend about nine and a half hours sailing Lake Argentino from Punta Bandera, with hotel pickup from El Calafate. Cruise past icebergs toward Upsala Glacier, then see Seco, South Heim, Peineta, and Spegazzini glaciers. English and Spanish guides accompany you, with standard and Captains Club cabins plus an optional lunch stop at Spegazzini Base.

“L’excursió va ser increïble. Com a únic punt de millora: reduir el temps destinat a fer fotos i incrementar l’estada al refugi per poder gaudir més de la natura.”

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11.Glacier Cruise & Trekking at Estancia Cristina

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 5 reviews · 12 hours · from $342

Spend 12 hours sailing Lago Argentino among icebergs, viewing the distant face of Upsala Glacier, then walking from Estancia Cristina to the Caterina River and chapel. A guide in English, Spanish, or Portuguese leads the day. Lunch and hotel pickup are included, but the National Park fee costs about $45 extra.

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12.Spegazzini and Upsala Glaciers Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviews · from $275

From El Calafate, you’ll ride to Puerto Bandera and board a modern catamaran for a full day on Lake Argentino. Expect icebergs at Upsala, a panoramic view of Spegazzini Glacier, and a 300-meter accessible trail to Spegazzini Refuge. Hotel pickup, English and Spanish service, and return transport are included. Lunch and the park fee cost extra.

“The trip was more about promoting photographer’s pictures than about telling us about the trip. The photographer would not let us stand in front of the glacier because he had to click pictures of ppl who paid them to get the package. That’s unfair to the people who didn’t pay the package and were denied the prime spot to click pictures. Also they need English translation to everything they say in Spanish. Very little information. The glacier was really good. So do the trip but with better company who is not promoting their photographer.”

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