Full-Day Cruise to Upsala, Spegazzini & Moreno Glaciers– MarPatag
Description
This full-day cruise by MarPatag offers the most complete navigation in Los Glaciares National Park, visiting the Upsala, Spegazzini, and Perito Moreno glaciers in one day. Sail aboard a modern vessel with panoramic windows and outdoor decks for continuous glacier views. Enjoy personalized service, onboard commentary, and the option to upgrade to a gourmet lunch for a memorable Patagonian experience. Unlike other tours, this route includes the Icebergs Channel and the north face of the Perito Moreno Glacier, making it the most comprehensive cruise from El Calafate. Passengers can also disembark at Puerto Moreno to explore the walkways overlooking the Perito Moreno Glacier, adding a unique land perspective to the experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Upsala Glacier Viewpoint – Lake Argentino, El Calafate Begin the navigation along the North Arm of Lake Argentino to admire panoramic views of the Upsala Glacier and its massive icebergs floating in the surrounding waters. Although the glacier front is now distant due to natural retreat, the sight of the huge ice floes offers a spectacular first glimpse of the Patagonian ice field. Duration: 1 hour – Admission included
Spegazzini Channel and Glacier – Los Glaciares National Park Continue sailing through the Spegazzini Channel, surrounded by steep cliffs and waterfalls, until reaching the imposing Spegazzini Glacier, the tallest in Los Glaciares National Park (approximately 135 m high). The ship approaches the glacier’s wall for an unforgettable close-up view of its deep blue hues and cracking ice. Duration: 2 hours – Admission included
Icebergs Channel & Perito Moreno Glacier (North Face) – Los Glaciares National Park Sail through the Icebergs Channel (Canal de los Témpanos) surrounded by floating icebergs and turquoise waters, on the way to the north face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Admire one of the most famous glaciers in the world, known for its impressive stability and the constant calving of ice blocks that crash into the lake. The ship slows down near the glacier front, allowing time for photos and a full appreciation of its grandeur. Duration: 2 hours – Admission included Disembarkation at Puerto Moreno followed by a transfer to the walkways, where you’ll enjoy 1 hour and 30 minutes exploring the different balconies and trails overlooking the Perito Moreno Glacier. After the visit, return to El Calafate by bus.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hotel pickup starts at 7:30 a.m. from selected accommodations in El Calafate. Please wait in your hotel lobby 10 minutes before the scheduled pickup time. As this is a regular shared service, the pickup route may take up to 30 minutes, depending on your hotel’s location and its position on the pickup route. Important: For those wishing to access the Perito Moreno Glacier walkways, this optional service must be booked at the same time as the tour purchase. Once the reservation is confirmed, it cannot be added at a later stage. If you are staying at a private address or Airbnb, a nearby and easily identifiable meeting point will be arranged for you after booking. The exact pickup time and location will be confirmed once your reservation is processed. Child Discount Policy Child pricing applies only upon presentation of a valid ID showing date of birth. A copy or photo of the document may be requested prior to the activity for age verification. If proper documentation is not provided, the fare difference to the adult rate must be paid.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- To apply discounts for minors, please attach photos of the passport showing the date of birth.
Reviews(9)
Talking to other travellers, we were advised to book this all-day excursion, rather than any of the shorter Perito Merino trips offered by other companies, and we were so glad we did. Very comfortable boat, air conditioning, huge windows, lots of outdoor viewing areas, and friendly and efficient staff. We spent a significant amount of time at Perito Moreno itself, and witnessed quite a large calving. Things to consider: We didn't see anyone who seemed impressed with the optional lunch boxes - definitely worth doing what most people did and bring your own food and drinks - all seats have large tables. Some passengers paid extra for the option to disembark at Perito Moreno, visit the board walks, a DC then get transported to the start - crazy decision in my opinion - the boardwalks are much too far away from the glacier, and after we had dropped them off, the boat went back to take another full length sail past the glacier, witnessing a significant calving. The small print says that the trip might have to miss the Spegazzini Glacier under certainconditiins, and there would be no refund - I suspect that the 'certain conditions' are more frequent than they make out. However, a wonderful trip, and definitely worth doing.
Dear Peter, Thank you very much for sharing your experience and for highlighting the comfort of the vessel, the professionalism of the crew, and the impressive calving you were able to witness. We would like to clarify a few points that may be helpful for future travelers. The Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalks are the most iconic and emblematic site within the National Park, offering a unique panoramic experience from land with multiple viewing levels and perspectives. For this reason, many visitors choose to combine the navigation with a visit to the boardwalks in order to enjoy a more complete glacier experience. Regarding the optional lunch boxes, they are entirely voluntary and have been very positively rated by numerous travelers over the years, particularly for their quality and convenience during the excursion. As for the Spegazzini Glacier, we would like to provide full reassurance: in the past five years, the visit to Spegazzini has never been canceled. The note in the terms and conditions refers strictly to standard safety and navigation protocols, which are included as a precaution, but in practice this part of the itinerary has not been canceled. We truly appreciate your feedback and are very pleased to know that overall you had a wonderful experience and found the excursion definitely worth doing. Kind regards,
It is beautiful, nothing to add to the majestic Lake Argentino with its glaciers. Well organized and comfortable, the guides explain perfectly everything one should know. I don’t know if it’s a review but the whole trip insists on the theme of the photographers and the photos and the prices and they reiterate it and sincerely tire. Taking that out, all out of 10
Gracias, Linda, por tomarte el tiempo de compartir tu experiencia y por tus amables palabras sobre la organización y el trabajo de nuestros guías. Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste del majestuoso Lago Argentino y sus glaciares. Agradecemos también tu observación sobre la insistencia de los fotógrafos; comprendemos que puede resultar reiterativo y la tendremos muy en cuenta para seguir mejorando la experiencia a bordo. Esperamos volver a recibirte pronto en la Patagonia para seguir compartiendo paisajes únicos. Un cordial saludo, Equipo de Salum Tour & Travel
Beautiful excursion, the views are amazing. We chose to include the food in the excursion but you can also take your food to the shelter, the wonderful landscapes!
muchas gracias por tus comentarios y por haber disfrutado de nuestros Glaciares
The good: a) The Spegazzini glacier and its surroundings. b) the refuge in Spegazzini, comfortable for lunch. You can bring food and drinks or buy food there, reasonable prices. c) The walkway with viewpoints from the port to the refuge, with a good view and a lot of information about what was seen d) Fast transfer from Calafate and boarding/disembarkation The bad: a) You cannot navigate to Upsala Glacier because it is unstable/dangerous. In our case it couldn't even be seen from a distance due to fog/rain. Decline and loss of time in navigation. b) The engine on boat #1 broke and boat #2 had to tow it to the Spegazzini shelter. Waste of time for passengers Recommendation to the tour operator (Patagonia only): just visit the Spegazzini and lunch, it would be a cheaper tour and also the entire day would not be used for 1 excursion.
muchas gracias por su comentario. Lamentablemente ya no se puede llegar hasta el la pared de hielo del Upsala precisamente por la inestabilidad de los desprendimientos de su frente, sin embargo en dias donde el clima lo permite llegar hasta la barrera de hielo es muy interesante. saludos cordiales
Impressive and recommended place. It is advisable to take the excursion with the company in free time within El Calafate. If you do not have a reservation, there are several companies that offer the tour in the city on Libertador Avenue. The glacier is indescribable, if you come to observe and get to know them, the tour and navigation are definitely worth it. If you like photography, bring two batteries.
Unique experience, the place is wonderful and the refuge too. We stopped for lunch and a snack, we just admired the beauty of the glaciers, the comfortable boat with a bar available or you could bring your own drinks and food. As for the agency that took us, I honestly don't recommend it (Solo Patagonia), they are punctual, the bus is comfortable but the guide Marisa is extremely unfriendly, not making the slightest effort to interact and speaking in Spanish very quickly, knowing that there were Brazilians, on the way back we ended up in doubt about the bus because it arrived after the passengers, anyway, I didn't like it
This tour looks great on paper. You get to explore some fine scenery. But it is a cruise type outing and not an actual tour like you get at Perito Moreno. The objective is to sell things. First, it’s a premium package with unlimited food and drink and access to an upper deck. Second, you go to their restaurant and gift shop. Third, they have photographs on board trying to sell photo packages. Fifth, they try to sell you drinks with ice from an iceberg. Avoid at all costs. They don’t tell you what it is until it’s too late.
Thank you very much Mark for your rating. We understand that you have chosen the wrong excursion for your expectations, this excursion has been done for many years and has always been offered and provided in the same way. I hope you liked Calafate and our Glaciers. best regards
