Rental Car This guide
Total freedom to do it your way
Standing around 60 metres (197 feet) tall at its front, Perito Moreno is one of the most impressive glaciers in the world. Located a short drive from El Calafate in southern Patagonia, this ice giant covers around 254 square kilometres (98 sq mi), making it larger than the city of Buenos Aires. The glacier is one of the most active in the world, creating dramatic cracking sounds and causing large chunks of ice to break off and crash into the water, which can often be seen from the nearby viewing platforms.
The guide below covers everything you need to know about visiting Perito Moreno without a tour and organising the day yourself. It is based on the exact trip I did from El Calafate and includes all the practical information you need before going, as well as what to expect once you reach the glacier.
Perito Moreno Route Map
Hover the trail to explore
Tap the trail to explore
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The Perito Moreno Day Trip
A few ways to make the trip
To reach Perito Moreno without a tour guide, you can either rent a car or use the scheduled bus. Renting a car only becomes beneficial once you have 2 or more people due to the price.
Scheduled Bus
Simple option if you don’t want to drive
If you would prefer to book a tour to Perito Moreno or organise your rental car in advance, use the links below to get everything sorted before you arrive in El Calafate.
All the details you need to skip the tour group
El Calafate → Perito Moreno
~1.5 hrs drive
80 km (50 mi)
The easiest and cheapest way to reach Perito Moreno is to rent a car from El Calafate, as long as you have two or more people. After shopping around at the time, I found that Hertz offered the best-priced cars, so that is who I went with. I recommend booking your car a couple of days in advance as they can book out, especially during peak seasons.
What Do You Need to Collect Your Car?
To collect my car, I needed my passport, a physical driving licence and a physical credit card in the renter’s name. Although I wasn’t asked for my international driver’s licence, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to bring it along if you have one.
On the actual day, it is worth getting to Hertz around 15–30 minutes before their advertised opening time. The office can quickly become chaotic with people collecting cars for the day and others returning them from the previous day, so being near the front of the queue means you can get everything sorted without losing too much time.
To get to the glacier, simply type Perito Moreno into your maps and it should take you straight to the car park. The drive from El Calafate to Perito Moreno is very straightforward, and the 80 km (50-mile) journey should take no longer than 90 minutes. After leaving El Calafate, you will be driving along classic wide Patagonian roads, with mountains in the distance that gradually become taller as you get closer to Los Glaciares National Park.
Buy Your Park Ticket
Along the way, you will reach the entrance to Los Glaciares National Park, where you will need to buy your entrance ticket. General admission is currently ARS 50,000 per person, and tickets can be bought online through the official website or at the park entrance. If you buy your ticket at the entrance, both cash and card are accepted.
After passing through the park entrance, continue along RP11 until you reach the glacier and follow the signs towards the lower car park. This is where most private vehicles are directed, while the upper parking area is mainly reserved for visitors with reduced mobility and other priority access.
Perito Moreno Glacier Boardwalk
4.5 km (2.8 mi)
~2–2.5 hrs
Once you find a parking spot, I would recommend making your way to the bottom of the boardwalk, towards the top of the lower car park, and then slowly working your way back up in a counterclockwise direction. The views gradually become more impressive as you start to face the glacier front on. And yes, if you didn’t already know, the path around Perito Moreno is a boardwalk, making it feel much more like a sightseeing walk than a hike.
Along the way, there are plenty of observation spots with benches, and I would recommend stopping at them as often as possible. Perito Moreno is one of the world’s most active glaciers and is constantly creeping forward. This results in thunderous cracking sounds and large chunks of ice crashing into the water from around 30 metres (98 feet) above, exposing the fresh cobalt-blue ice underneath. I would allow around 2–2.5 hours to properly explore the boardwalks, depending on how often you stop.
If you want to do more than just walk the boardwalks, there are also a few organised activities around Perito Moreno, including boat trips, kayaking and guided glacier trekking. These require separate bookings and can be organised once you are there. I have covered each option in more detail in the Things to Do at Perito Moreno section if you want to add something extra to your visit.
Perito Moreno is one of the most popular day trips in Patagonia, so the main viewpoints and boardwalks can get very busy with tour groups. This is where having your own car is a big advantage, as it gives you the freedom to arrive before the larger groups and leave whenever you are ready.
Perito Moreno → El Calafate
~1.5 hrs drive
80 km (50 mi)
Once you have finished at the glacier, getting back to El Calafate is as simple as retracing the same route along RP11. From there, you can just sit back and enjoy the Patagonian scenery on the drive back into town.
Returning Your Rental Car
Hertz allows after-hours returns, so you can drop the car back that same evening and leave the keys in the return box. It saves you dealing with the morning rush again. Just don’t forget to fuel up before returning it.
Perito Moreno is a very unique day trip, giving you the chance to get up close to one of the world’s most active glaciers. Despite how popular it is, this is definitely something I would recommend adding to your Patagonia itinerary, especially if you can find a small group of people to go with. It is also a nice change from the typical Patagonia adventure of overnight hiking in the wilderness.
El Calafate
Back from the Glacier? Sleep Here.
More than just the boardwalks
If you are looking to do something a little more thrilling than simply walking the boardwalks and observing the glacier from a distance, there are a few ways to get much closer. Boat trips, kayaking and guided glacier walks are all available around Perito Moreno, depending on how you want to experience the glacier.
What it actually costs
Visiting Perito Moreno is not the cheapest day trip in Patagonia, especially once you factor in transport and the park entrance fee. Below is exactly what I spent visiting without a tour.
Total cost per person
Self-guided day trip from El Calafate
~$60
Item
ARS
USD
-
$ 34,000 $23Car rentalPer person, based on three people sharing the cost
-
$ 50,000 $33Entrance ticket
-
$ 6,000 $4FuelPer person, based on three people sharing the cost
Conversions are approximate and update daily. Check the live rate before you travel.
Easier to pull off than you think
El Calafate is one of the main tourist hubs in southern Patagonia, so getting there is relatively straightforward. The best option depends on where you are coming from, so use the routes below to compare journey times and typical fares.
FromHowTravel timeTypical fare
El Chaltén
BusDirect, 3 operators daily
3 hrs
From ARS 50,000
Buenos Aires
FlightDirect, several flights daily
3.5 hrs
From US$80
Puerto Natales (Chile)
BusDirect, Chile border crossing
6 hrs
From US$36
Ushuaia
BusChange at Río Gallegos, border & ferry
Around 20 hrs
From ARS 175,000
Bariloche
BusDirect, one bus a day
Around 30 hrs
From ARS 320,000
The best time to visit Perito Moreno generally lines up with Argentina’s warmer summer months, although the glacier can be visited year-round. Use the cards below to help decide which time of year suits your trip best.
★ Best Time to Go
October–November & March–April
Shoulder season- Fewer tour groups than the peak December–February period, especially earlier in spring and later in autumn.
- Long enough daylight hours to comfortably visit the glacier and explore the boardwalks without rushing.
- Temperatures are cooler than midsummer, so you will still need warm layers and a windproof jacket.
- November can be particularly windy around El Calafate and Perito Moreno, so be prepared for strong Patagonian winds.
- March and April bring autumn colours around the glacier, although conditions can become wetter as the season progresses.
Peak Summer
December–February
Warmest & busiest- The warmest and most reliable time of year for visiting, with long daylight hours and generally better conditions for spending a few hours outside at the glacier.
- Expect the biggest crowds of the year, especially around the main boardwalk viewpoints and during the middle of the day.
- December can still be very windy, so you will want a windproof outer layer even if the forecast looks mild.
- Longer days make it easier to arrive early or stay later and avoid some of the busiest tour-group periods.
- The best time to see large sections of ice break away from the glacier.
Quietest Time to Visit
June–August
Winter, coldest months- Much quieter than the summer months, with fewer tour groups around the boardwalks and viewpoints.
- Expect proper winter conditions, with snow possible throughout this period and average temperatures in El Calafate around -2°C (28°F).
- If you are driving yourself, snow and ice can affect the roads. The national park requires approved chains or studded tyres during winter conditions.
- Winter gives the area a completely different look, with snow around the mountains and forest.
Perito Moreno can be visited year-round, but the access hours change between summer and winter. Keep in mind that the last entry time is earlier than the time you actually need to leave the glacier.
Summer hours
–
- Entry hours
- –
- Leave by
Winter hours
–
- Entry hours
- –
- Leave by
Perito Moreno is one of the most visited places in Patagonia, so the glacier area has all the basic facilities you need for a comfortable visit.
Food & drink
- Restaurant and snack bar
- Potable water
- Sheltered eating area if you bring your own food
Visitor services & access
- Toilets
- Souvenir shop
- Wi-Fi at the restaurant
- Accessible boardwalks and ramps
The stuff you'll actually need
You really don’t need to carry much for a day trip to Perito Moreno. Below is everything I would bring with me for the day.
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