The Perito Moreno Boat Without a Tour
Taking the Perito Moreno boat on your own: the boat-only tickets, the road to Bajo de las Sombras and the walkways port, the park gate and its hours, and what each ticket leaves out.
Yes, you can take the boat without a tour: the boat-only tickets include no transport, so you drive, or come on a walkways tour, and meet the boat at its port. The north-wall boats leave from Puerto F. P. Moreno, at the foot of the walkways, about 76.6 km by road from the centre of El Calafate; the south-face boats from Bajo de las Sombras, about 71.1 km. On the way you pass the park’s Rio Mitre gate and pay the entrance. Hielo y Aventura S.A’s Blue Safari is built for this: its from-price, US$117 (checked November 2026), is the 3-hour version from the Bajo de las Sombras port, with no transport.
Choose “Sail and Walk Alongside the Perito Moreno Glacier” for the version from the port. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.
The boat-only tickets
| Ticket | Port | Price a person | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perito Moreno Glacier Boat Tour (Southern Spirit Lago Argentino) | Puerto F. P. Moreno | From US$50 | 1 hour along the north wall; several departures a day |
| Nautical Safari (Hielo y Aventura S.A) | Bajo de las Sombras | From US$67 | 1 hour on the south face; confirmed within 48 hours |
| Perito Moreno Glacier 1-Hour Boat Tour (Bross Travel) | Puerto Moreno or Bajo de las Sombras | US$73.90 north, US$76.80 south | Check in 20 minutes before; changes up to 1 hour 30 minutes before the boat |
| Blue Safari (Hielo y Aventura S.A) | Bajo de las Sombras | From US$117 | 3 hours: boat, shore walk, the south face |
GetYourGuide prices, checked November 2026; Bross Travel's and the Blue Safari’s on 3 December 2026, 20 January and 27 March 2027.
None includes the park entrance or the road. Book Bross Travel's boat only with a car or a walkways visit already arranged: no public transport runs to its port.
The road and the gate
From El Calafate it is one road west, Ruta Provincial 11. We measured about 71.1 km by road from the town centre to the Bajo de las Sombras landing, about 79 minutes, and about 76.6 km to the walkways car park, about 92 minutes; the landing is 6.1 km short of the car park. The Administracion de Parques Nacionales gives 80 km from El Calafate to the glacier.
The park’s Rio Mitre gate is on this road, and it keeps hours: from 1 September to 30 April you can enter from 8:00 to 18:00 and stay until 20:00; from 1 May to 31 August, enter from 9:00 to 16:00 and stay until 18:00. The entrance is ARS 50,000 a day at the general rate from 1 June 2026, by card or in pesos at the gate, or online; a second day within 72 hours costs half.
On the day
- Arrive early. Check in at least 20 minutes before on Bross Travel's boat; a boat that has left does not wait.
- Fit the boat around the walkways. The north-wall boat leaves from below the walkways, so it can sit in the middle of your visit; the south-face boats need the short drive back to Bajo de las Sombras.
- Bring cash and food. Food is not included on any of the boats, and the Blue Safari’s what-to-bring list includes cash.
- No boat of your own. The park does not allow private, recreational or sport boats of any kind on its lake arms, Lago Roca apart (APN Resolution 13/2002), so the commercial boats are the only way onto the water here.
More from El Calafate
Perito Moreno Tours with Open Dates
Glacier days, boats and walks from El Calafate with live availability. What is included, pickup and the cancellation terms show before you book.
The Boat and a Walk, from the Port
Hielo y Aventura S.A's Blue Safari from Bajo de las Sombras: the 3-hour option has no transport, so it fits a day by car. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates