Big Ice Perito Moreno from El Calafate - Longest glacier trek
Description
This one-day tour is one of the most incredible experiences that can enjoy in the Perito Moreno Glacier. In Howlanders we are travelers too, so let us explain to you why this must be your next adventure. During the Big Ice tour, you will step on the Perito Moreno Glacier ice for 3,5 hours, using crampons and all the equipment. Incredible blue lagoons, impressive caves, and its awe-inspiring ice is waiting for you. It’s an extremely unique sensation that we would love to share with you. If it sounds like a bit too much for you, have a look at the "Minitrekking Perito Moreno - Ice hiking from El Calafate" ;)
Tour Options
Itinerary
If you select the "tour with pick up" option, you will be picked up from your hotel or a nearby meeting point at 6:45 am. You will head to Los Glaciares National Park. During the trip, the guide will talk about flora, fauna, the history of the park, glacier phenomena... a master class! You will arrive at the glacier walkways, the different itineraries will be explained to you and you will have one hour to walk them at your own pace. You will join the group again to head to Puerto Bajo las Sombras.
Once at the port, we will meet you with the rest of the group. If you book the option "tour without pick up" your tour will start at this point. You will embark and for 20 minutes you will navigate the Rico Lake until you reach the opposite shore, always with the Perito Moreno Glacier wall in the background. When you disembark, the team of mountain guides will be waiting for you. You will receive a safety briefing and an explanation of the experience you are about to live and let's get started!
The trekking will start with a 2-hour walk along the glacier moraine. At this point, you will be equipped with via ferrata equipment to ensure your safety, although you will always walk on a wide and well-prepared trail. Along the route, the glacier will always be on your right-hand side, and little by little you will enter the valley and the forest. At one point, the trail descends to the glacier and you will finally touch the ice, and this is where the ice trekking begins!
The guides will help you put on your crampons. You will practice a little and when the group is ready you will start to go into the ice of the glacier. During the following 3 hours, the guides will explain the different formations that you will find on the glacier. There is no set route on the ice, the glacier is alive and constantly changing, so each day the guide customizes the route to see all possible formations and enjoy the experience to the fullest. - You will stop for half an hour in a cozy place and have lunch with the rest of the group.
You will start your way back over the ice to the place where we put on your crampons, take them off, and finally get out of the glacier ice. You will return the same way, return the material and have some free time in the cafeteria before boarding again. Hot coffee in a cozy place with privileged views, what more could you ask for after the effort? You will board again and while enjoying the views of the south face of the Perito Moreno Glacier the crew will offer you a whiskey on ice from the glacier itself. Cheers!
End of the Perito Moreno Glacier Big Ice Trek: If you book the tour with the option "tour without pick up" your tour will end here, in Puerto Bajo las Sombras, the same place where it started and where you will park your vehicle. // Return to El Calafate: If you have booked the tour with the option "tour with pick up" the transportation will be waiting for you to take you back to your accommodation in El Calafate, where you will arrive at approximately 7:00 pm.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The tour has different departure times, from 7 AM to 3 PM. The day before, the guide will contact you to let you know the starting time of the tour and the exact pickup time in case you have selected this option. Pickup at any accommodation in El Calafate (please let us know the address or the name of the accommodation). If you are staying in an Airbnb, a meeting point will be indicated since pick-up is not possible in lodgings without reception service.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- Age restriction, travelers under 18 years old and over 50 years old can not make the tour due to governement policy
Reviews(5)
excellent experience from start to finish. Tamara excellent in the first part of the trip. When we arrived on the other side of the shore and to start the journey in the forest and on the ice we met Gabriel and Joaquin, excellent guides. Very attentive to what the group was needing, they took us to stunning places. We were very grateful for the good vibes, the knowledge they provided us at every turn. The whole experience is a 100!
¡Muchas gracias por tus amables palabras y nos alegra que hayas disfrutado tu experiencia con nuestros guias! Agradecemos tus comentarios y esperamos darte la bienvenida nuevamente para otra aventura inolvidable. Saludos cordiales, El equipo de Howlanders
The Glacier walk was a fantastic experience! The walk to get to the ice takes some time, but the guides and the Big Ice team were friendly and helpful throughout the journey. They were particularly helpful when crossing some more difficult sections on the glacier. The other element which I enjoyed was that they were always on the look out for interesting view points on the Glacier. The wind was intense, but we couldn't change that so we powered through.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! The Howlanders Team is thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the glacier walk and felt supported throughout the journey. We’re glad our guides could assist on the more challenging sections and point out the best viewpoints on the glacier. Despite the wind, it sounds like you had an unforgettable adventure! We hope to welcome you on another Howlanders experience soon.
Second time I'm going. Ice and Adventure guides always 10 and attentive to everything. The route changes according to the state of the group and the dynamics of the glacier. Expensive but worth it. Demanding. See medical record to compile before paying.
El equipo de Howlanders.com te agradece tu amable comentario. Esperamos verte de nuevo!
The Big Ice Tour itself is amazing, I just want to point out that it is unclear to me exactly what Howlanders is. Hielo Y Aventura is the local tour operator, for Big Ice and Minitrecking so you are better off working with them directly to book glacier tours. I initially booked through Howlanders and then got a cancellation and was able to rebook with H&A for the same date. Some of this complexity is due to the ever changing exchange rates. Just know that if you use a provider who is not H&A they are just an agency and may not be able to provide direct feedback to help with your booking. Best approach is to try to communicate with H&A using Whatsapp.
Dear Brian, Thank you for sharing your comments. We are sorry to hear that the experience did not live up to your expectations. We have checked and did not see that you had any communication with our team, but if you did and it was not helpful we would like you to write to us at comments@howlanders.com with more details or any other comments, concerns or suggestions you would like to share. We would love to improve your experience and satisfaction by booking with Howlanders.
