Full Day Gourmet Glacier Tour: Upsala and Spegazzini

Ice, water, and a very early start. This full-day cruise from El Calafate takes you across Lake Argentino to the Spegazzini and Upsala channels, with hanging glaciers, floating ice, a short forest walk, and time in front of Spegazzini Glacier. I love the mix of boat scenery and a guided walk, and I like that roundtrip hotel transport is included. The main caution is simple: Perito Moreno Glacier is not part of this tour, despite confusion reported by two customers who expected it.

At $440 per person, this is a serious spend for an 8 to 9-hour outing. You also need to add the $12 Los Glaciares National Park fee, and lunch is optional rather than automatically included in the advertised price. Read the exact tour title and inclusions before paying, then confirm your hotel and send your passport as requested.

Key points to know before booking

• Spegazzini is the main visual prize: You get close to Argentina’s highest glacier front in the national park, rising about 135 meters above the lake.
• Upsala is viewed from a distance: Ice floes can block the route, so the glacier is seen from roughly 15 kilometers away rather than approached closely.
• A 30-minute forest walk breaks up the cruise: At Puesto de Las Vacas, you leave the boat for a short walk through Patagonian Andean forest and along beaches.
• Perito Moreno is not included: Book a separate excursion if that glacier is your priority.
• Lunch costs extra: Bring your own food or select the option with lunch when booking. Clarify this before departure.
• The group may be large: The stated maximum is 120 people, so this is not a small private boat trip.

What this glacier day actually covers

This outing is a navigation day on Lake Argentino, not a road trip to the famous Perito Moreno viewing walkways. That distinction matters. The tour heads toward the northern channels of the lake, where the experience depends on open water, ice conditions, and the shifting views from the boat.

Your day begins around 7:00 a.m. with pickup from most El Calafate hotels that have a front desk. The coach then travels about 47 kilometers to Punta Banderas port. The boat is scheduled to leave at 9:00 a.m., so the early pickup gives you time for the transfer and boarding.

I like this arrangement because transport is handled from start to finish. You do not need to find the port on your own or arrange a taxi back after a long day on the water. The tradeoff is that roughly two hours of the outing can be tied to hotel pickups, road travel, port procedures, and the return transfer.

The guide service is bilingual, with English offered, and insurance is included. The advertised group limit is 120 people. That is a sizeable boat group, so expect a shared sightseeing experience rather than quiet personal guiding throughout the day.

The ride from El Calafate to Punta Banderas

The first hour is not the star of the tour, but it is useful. You leave El Calafate early and travel to Punta Banderas, the port for the Lake Argentino cruise. Pickup is available from hotels with reception, but not from the airport or Airbnb properties.

If your accommodation has no front desk, the operator says it will give you a nearby meeting point. After booking, contact the company through WhatsApp with the name of your hotel. This is not a minor detail. A missed pickup can put the whole day at risk, especially since the boat departure is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.

The timing also explains why the tour can feel shorter than the headline duration. The full day is listed as about 8 to 9 hours, but the actual cruise and shore time are mixed with hotel transfers. One unhappy customer described about three hours spent on pickup and drop-off and roughly five hours cruising. That is a useful warning: count the full transport day, not just the time looking at glaciers.

Spegazzini Channel brings the closest glacier views

After setting out through the northern part of Lake Argentino, the boat heads toward the Spegazzini Channel. The route includes views of hanging glaciers such as Seco, Heim Sur, and Peinetta before reaching Puesto de Las Vacas.

This section gives the cruise variety. You are not simply facing one wall of ice for hours. You move through channels framed by mountains and see several glaciers that hang from higher ground. Their shapes and positions change as the boat turns, so keep your camera ready rather than waiting for one single photo stop.

At Puesto de Las Vacas, you get off the boat for a 30-minute walk. The route passes through Patagonian Andean forest and along beaches. That short walk is one of the tour’s better design choices. After several hours seated on a boat, even half an hour on land helps you reset your legs and see the area from a different height.

Do not expect a demanding hike. The supplied details describe it as a 30-minute walk, not a long trek. Still, wear shoes suitable for uneven outdoor ground and bring a jacket. Patagonia can feel cold on the water, and the tour lasts most of the day.

Spegazzini Glacier is the day’s big close-up

After the walk, you return to the boat and continue toward the front of Spegazzini Glacier. The glacier rises about 135 meters above the lake level, or approximately 440 feet. That vertical scale is the detail that gives this stop its impact.

The boat pauses so you can take photographs and spend time looking at the glacier in silence. This is likely to be the emotional high point of the outing. Spegazzini is not presented as a quick pass-by. The plan allows time to contemplate the ice front and absorb the scale of the setting.

I like that the schedule includes a quiet viewing period rather than treating the glacier as a background for hurried snapshots. On a large shared boat, silence may be more aspirational than guaranteed, but the pause still gives you a chance to put your phone down for a moment.

Lunch takes place while the boat continues. You can bring your own food, or choose the booking option that includes lunch. The base tour price does not include lunch, so check the selected category carefully. One customer became confused after being told lunch was not included, then discovered that a meal had been arranged under the booking. That story points to a practical fix: ask in writing what your exact reservation includes, where lunch is served, and whether you need to bring anything.

Upsala Glacier is impressive, but viewed from afar

The cruise then passes through the Upsala Channel. Ice floes decorate the route, and some are described as three times the size and volume of the boat. That makes the passage itself part of the attraction, not merely a way to reach the glacier.

Upsala Glacier is the third-largest glacier in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. You view it from about 15 kilometers away. This is important when setting expectations. Spegazzini offers the closer glacier-front experience. Upsala offers a wide, distant view shaped by floating ice and open water.

Ice conditions can affect the route. The description does not promise a landing at Upsala or a close approach to its face. You should book this excursion for the overall navigation through the channel and the chance to see Upsala from a distance, not for a guaranteed close-up.

The Upsala section is listed as about three hours. That is a long time on the boat, but the changing ice floes and channel views give the ride a clear purpose. If you dislike long cruises, this may feel slow. If you enjoy watching nature unfold without a packed schedule, the time on the water is part of the value.

What $440 gets you, and what it does not

The listed cost is $440 per person. That includes roundtrip transport from an eligible El Calafate hotel, the navigation, a professional bilingual guide, and insurance. The national park entrance fee, listed at $12 per person, is extra. Lunch is also extra unless you select the lunch option.

At that price, I would expect the glacier cruise to be the central reason for booking, not a bargain day trip. You are paying for a full boat excursion into remote channels, hotel transfers, and organized access to both Spegazzini and Upsala. The value improves if you want both the boat experience and the short walk, and if arranging transport yourself would be difficult.

The value drops if you mainly want Perito Moreno Glacier. You will not see it on this route. Two customers complained that they had expected Perito Moreno and discovered too late that they had booked a different category. The operator’s response was that a more complete and more expensive tour includes Perito Moreno, while this one does not.

That confusion is the biggest booking risk. Do not rely on a general phrase such as gourmet glacier tour or on a photo showing several glaciers. Look for the exact named stops: Spegazzini and Upsala. If Perito Moreno is essential, ask the provider to confirm in writing that it is included before you pay.

There is also a major price discrepancy in the supplied customer comments. One person reported paying $261 through a booking platform and compared it with a lower direct price of $149 for what they understood to be the same basic outing. That does not prove the services were identical, but it does justify checking the exact operator, category, lunch inclusion, park fee, and cancellation terms. At $440, comparison shopping is sensible.

Group size, guide support, and the booking details that matter

The tour is offered in English and includes a bilingual guide. That should help with explanations during the cruise and with meeting instructions at Puesto de Las Vacas. The listing does not provide a guide’s name, so you cannot choose a particular guide in advance.

The maximum group size is stated as 120 people. One complaint described an even larger mass operation involving passengers from several providers, but the formal capacity given for this experience is 120. Either way, you should picture a busy shared excursion with many people taking photos at the same time.

Confirmation is normally sent at booking. If you book within 12 hours of departure, confirmation may arrive later and remains subject to availability. The operator also requires your passport after booking to confirm your place. Send it promptly through the requested contact channel, and use WhatsApp to provide your hotel details.

Pickup is available from most hotels in El Calafate if they have a reception desk. Airport and Airbnb pickups are specifically excluded. Argentinians should also note that the peso price does not include taxes.

The cancellation rule is friendly if your plans are firm enough to decide early. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Who will enjoy this cruise most

I would recommend this tour to you if you want a full day focused on glacier scenery and prefer having transport arranged from your hotel. It suits people who enjoy several hours on a boat, value a short walk as a break, and want both a close Spegazzini view and a distant Upsala view.

It also works well if you want an English-speaking guide and do not want to coordinate Punta Banderas transport yourself. Most people can participate, according to the supplied information, though the tour details do not provide a more specific accessibility description.

I would hesitate if your top goal is Perito Moreno. Book the correct Perito Moreno excursion instead, or arrange enough time in El Calafate to do both. I would also hesitate if $440 feels high for a shared boat day, especially once the park fee and lunch are added.

Pack warm layers, food if you are not buying lunch, and enough battery power for a long day of photos. Keep your reservation details handy, confirm the hotel pickup, and make sure the email or WhatsApp message clearly states which glacier category you bought.

Should you book the Upsala and Spegazzini day?

Book it if you specifically want Spegazzini’s towering ice front, Upsala’s ice-filled channel, and a short Patagonian forest walk in one organized day. The scenery sounds strong, and the route offers more variety than a simple point-to-point cruise.

Do not book it as a substitute for Perito Moreno, and do not assume lunch or the park fee is included. At $440, I would only commit after confirming the exact route, meal plan, pickup point, and final price. If those details match your plans, this can be a memorable glacier day. If they do not, the high cost and large-group format may leave you feeling you paid for the wrong experience.

FAQ

Where does the Full Day Gourmet Glacier Tour begin?

The tour begins with pickup in El Calafate, followed by transport to Punta Banderas port, about 47 kilometers away.

What time does pickup start?

The stated start time is 7:00 a.m. The boat is scheduled to leave Punta Banderas at 9:00 a.m.

Which glaciers does this tour visit?

The route includes the Spegazzini Channel and the Upsala Channel. It includes close viewing of Spegazzini Glacier and a view of Upsala Glacier from about 15 kilometers away.

Is Perito Moreno Glacier included?

No. Perito Moreno Glacier is not included in this Upsala and Spegazzini tour. A more complete tour category may include it, so confirm the exact product before booking.

Is lunch included in the price?

Lunch is not included in the base price. You can bring your own food or choose the booking option that includes lunch.

Is the national park entrance fee included?

No. The Los Glaciares National Park admission fee is listed as $12 per person and must be paid separately.

Is hotel pickup available?

Pickup and drop-off are available from most hotels in El Calafate if they have a front desk. Airport and Airbnb pickup are not available.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. A professional bilingual guide is included, and the experience is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not eligible for a refund.