Perito Moreno Kayak Experience
Glaciar Perito Moreno, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, El Calafate
A different way to meet Patagonia's most famous glacier: from the water. This kayak excursion paddles the Témpanos Channel at the foot of the Perito Moreno Glacier, weaving between drifting icebergs with the glacier's towering south face as a backdrop. It's not about spectacle, it's about getting close — quietly, at paddle's pace — to one of the most extraordinary ice walls on earth.
At a Glance | |
Total tour duration from El Calafate | Approx. 10 hrs (7:30 AM pickup – 5:30 PM return) |
Transfer from El Calafate to the glacier (round trip) | Approx. 5 hrs |
Time kayaking among the icebergs | 1.5 hrs |
Time at the glacier's viewing walkways | Approx. 2 hrs |
Season | Year-round, except June and July |
Difficulty | Moderate (no previous kayak experience required) |
The day begins with an early pickup from your hotel in El Calafate at 7:30 AM, for the drive into Los Glaciares National Park along the shore of Lago Argentino. Along the way, your guide shares insight into the park's glacial history and the ever-shifting ice of the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Around mid-morning, the group arrives at the kayak base on the Témpanos Channel, right in front of the glacier's south face. Here, guides fit each paddler with a dry suit, boots, and a life vest, and give a full safety briefing before setting off in double kayaks — no previous kayak experience is required, and the excursion is open to travelers aged 14 and up, in groups of up to 20 paddlers a day.
The next hour and a half is spent paddling among the icebergs calved from the glacier, weaving through drifting blocks of blue ice with the towering wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier as a backdrop — one of the closest, most intimate perspectives of the glacier that Los Glaciares National Park has to offer.
Back on shore, a hot snack and warm drinks help paddlers warm up before continuing on to the glacier's viewing walkways, where there's about two hours to explore the panoramic platforms at your own pace, taking in the glacier from multiple vantage points as chunks of ice calve into Lago Argentino below.
The excursion closes with the drive back to El Calafate, arriving at your hotel in the late afternoon — a full day, door to door, combining the thrill of paddling next to glacial ice with the comfort of private transportation and professional guiding throughout.
