One of my favorite days on my Chile trip from about a year ago was sailing through the fjords of Chilean Patagonia to see the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. This year, when I saw that I was able to have a similar experience on the Argentinian side, I quickly jumped at the idea and booked a tour. This time, the tour was to sail to Spegazzini and Upsala Glaciers on Lago Argentino in the Los Glaciares National Park. This post is a review of my experience and what you can expect on this Todo Glaciares tour.
This is an independant review and all thoughts are my own. This post is not sponsored by Solo Patagonia.
Overview
The Todo Glaciares Tour is one of the best things you can do in the city of El Calafate in Patagonia. Patagonia is home to the second largest non-polar ice fields in the world and therefore has quite a number of glaciers that you can see and visit. A day sailing to see these glaciers is usually a fun and relaxing day and is something the entire family can enjoy! The boat will stop at interesting sites and for photo opportunity along the way. Depending on the weather (in other words, the crazy Patagonian winds), they may even let you stand outside for parts of the navigation.
While Spegazzini and Upsala are the two main glaciers highlighted on this tour, you will also see several other glaciers along the way.
How to Book the Tour
There are a few providers who offer the Todo Glaciares Tour. Almost all the itineraries and experiences are similar. I went with Solo Patagonia. During the warmer months, this company has two navigations per day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. I opted for the afternoon navigation as I was flying into El Calafate that morning.
Below are the timings for the two navigations. Keep in mind that the place of boarding is 45 minutes from El Calafate and therefore, if you are opting to be picked-up, your tour start time will be much earlier.
Understanding Extras
The Todo Glaciares Tour starts at Puerto Punta Bandera. As I mentioned above, this location is 45 minutes from the town of El Calafate and you will need your own transportation to get there. If you do not have your own transportation, then you can add a hotel pick-up to your booking for an additional charge.
Captain’s Club
The Captain’s Club gets you a seat at the top of the boat. Since there is only limited space on top, you will have less crowds than at the regular deck. The Captain’s Club boasts of personalized service during your navigation. Additionally, it also offers food and drinks (including alcohol) service during the navigation and a 3 course meal once at the base of the Spegazzini glacier. Captain’s Club usually sells out and is best booked when you book the tour. IF they do have space available, you maybe able to book this the day-of but of course it is subject to availability.
You can also add the 3 course meal without being a part of the Captain’s Club.
Additionally, the tour offers professional photography. There were lots of people who opted for this service. If interested, you can book it once on the boat.
What’s Not Included
For those who do not opt for the Captain’s Club or who do not purchase the 3 course meal, food is not included in the tour (more on this below). Also, you will have to buy an entry ticket to the Los Glaciares National Park. You can do this on the park’s website, or you can do it in person at Punta Bandera. I bought mine online and honestly, there was no difference or advantage to this. I still had to go to the ticket counter and exchange my printed copy for a official ticket. If you are visiting Perito Moreno the next day, hold on to this ticket as you can get a 50% discount on your ticket the next day (has to be 2 consecutive days).
The Experience
I opted for the hotel pick-up in El Calafate and was picked up during the specified time. From there we drove to Puerto Punta Bandera in a big bus. The views on the way were stunning as you drive along Lago Argentino. Sit on the right side of the bus if you can.
After arriving at the port, we exchanged our home printed park tickets for the actual ticket and made our way to the boat. Once on the boat, I was ushered into my seat. Having done a similar experience on the Chilean side, I asked if I could sit at the back of the boat (near the windows) and they gladly granted my request. I got to sit with a family from Brazil, who warmly welcomed me into their space.
Sailing
Once we started sailing, the official photographer gave us some tips for photographing the glaciers and also went over the photography package available. The head guide gave us a wonderful explanation of the day’s events and this area in general. After a few minutes, we were allowed to go out of the cabin and into the open air. The turquoise waters of Lake Argentino and the surrounding mountains were truly spectacular.
The Route
The map below shows the route that we took. On our Todo Glaciares Tour, we visited the Spegazzini Glacier first. You might have the reversed itinerary but rest assured the stops are the same.
Todo Glaciares
Our first glacier was the Seco Glacier. We got some time to admire this glacier and take plenty of pictures before we proceeded to Spegazzini. On the way to Spegazzini, we saw plenty of icebergs bobbing up and down in the water. Overall the views were just so hard to describe in words. I felt so grateful to be seeing what I was seeing.
One thing to note during the navigation if you are outside is to hold on to everything! My sunglasses flew off my face!! Honestly, I should have known better, having dealt with Patagonian winds in Chile a year before.
Lunch at Refugio Spegazzini
We docked near the Spegazzini Glacier for lunch and walked about 300 meters to the lunch spot. There were so many amazing places to take pictures in those 300 meters that it took me a while to actually make it to the refugio. The refugio had a beautiful dining hall with massive glass windows overlooking the Spegazzini and Heim Glaciers.
You have a few options for lunch. You can buy things like sandwiches and empanadas at the refugio, you can pay for the 3 course meal that is offered or you can bring your own lunch. Bringing your own lunch is ideal if you want to have a picnic by the banks of Lago Argentino.
The refugio also has bathroom facilities and a gift shop.
After I finished lunch, I made my way to the banks of the lake to admire the Heim Glacier a little closer. One thing I loved about this tour is how we were never rushed and had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves and most importantly, take loads of pictures.
Continuting the Todo Glaciares Tour
After lunch, we made our way back to the boat to get up, close and personal with Spegazzini and the Peineta Glacier, just above Spegazzini. We stopped here for a long time and the captain turned the boat around several times so that everyone got a good view of the glaciers. We heard the glacier moan, groan and crack a few times. Seeing the ice, break and fall into the water, was quite the spectacle.
After admiring Spegazzini, we made our way to Upsala. Upsala is a much bigger glacier and we didn’t get too close to it. In the last 50 years, Upsala has lost 14 KM of length but is still quite a show. Our guide told us that pilots who go to Antarctica, learn to land on Upsala. Around Upsala were massive icebergs that were floating away. We stopped at one that was half the size of our boat! Here too we had plenty of time to take pictures and admire what we were seeing.
My favorite part was when the boat crew “caught” a small chunk of an iceberg and used the ice for drinks! It was fun to see them get it out of the water.
From Upsala, we sailed back to Punta Bandera and were then shuttled back to our respective hotels. Having caught the 4 AM flight to El Calafate that morning, I used that time sailing back to the port to take a nice nap!
Final Thoughts on the Todo Glaciares Tour
From the very start (even before I booked the tour), Solo Patagonia was so easy to deal with. I messaged them via WhatsApp and they promptly answered all my questions. Once I booked the tour, they sent an email with all the details and then a second email the day before the tour. All the staff on the boat were extremely friendly and nice. I truly had a great day touring the Todo Glaciares.
If you have also booked an outing to see the Perito Moreno Glacier and are wondering if there maybe overlap or repetition, there really isn’t any! These are two very different tours and are both amazing!
My one criticism of the Todo Glaciares Tour is that the 2nd navigation is called a “Sunset Tour”, however we did not navigate during the sunset. We disembarked around 8 PM when the sun was still high up in the sky. Now, granted I visited on the day of the summer solstice and the sun did not set until past 10 PM. Perhaps, there is a better chance of catching the sunset during the shoulder months of October and April.
What to Pack
Ah Patagonia! Where you will experience all 4 seasons not in a day but within minutes!
- Layers
- A windproof Jacket – wearing a jacket with a diver’s style hood is a game changer for the Patagonian winds
- Good non-slip shoes for walking on deck of the boat
- Lunch if you are not opting for the 3 course menu or money to buy lunch
- Sunscreen
- Polarized sunglasses
- A camera or a phone with a good camera (trust me, you will want to take close up shots of the glacier)
Did you find this post useful? Please let me know by liking/commenting below or sharing this post on social media! Thank you!!
Pin this post for later!
See HERE for more things to do in El Calafate!
4 comments
Hi! I’m wondering about the gift shop on the tour – does it take cards or should we bring cash? We’re only in Argentina for 2 days, so trying to limit the amount of cash we take out in Buenos Aires
Hello! they take cards!
Very helpful blog, thank you very much. If we take the Perito Moreno mini trekking tour on the following day, do we still have to buy the ticket for Perito Moreno separately (or buy the two day promotional pass on first day to get 50% discount on the second day ticket)?
Yeah, I think you can do that or hold on to the ticket from day 1 and show it on day 2. I would just ask when you’re buying the ticket on day 1 just to be sure.