Practical questions
What to wear, and the age and fitness rules for Perito Moreno trekking
The practical questions the listing states but doesn't explain — who this tour is and isn't for, and how to dress for a day that's cold, then active, then cold again.
See Perito Moreno trekking tickets on GetYourGuide ↗Quick answers
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Age range | 10 to 65 years old |
| Fitness level | Moderate — no technical climbing experience needed |
| Footwear | Sturdy walking shoes; crampons fit over them |
| Medical conditions | Flag them when you book, not on the day |
| Weather | Layer — cold morning, active midday, cold again on the boat |
The age rule, and why it exists
Mini-Trekking is open to travellers aged 10 to 65. The lower bound reflects the coordination and stamina needed to walk safely in crampons over uneven ice for ninety minutes as part of a moving group, rather than at a child's own pace. If you're travelling with a younger child, the boardwalks tour covers the same glacier and view without any age cutoff — a more realistic option than trying to talk your way past the rule at the port.
What 'moderate fitness' actually means
You don't need hiking or mountaineering experience, but you do need to be comfortable walking continuously for an hour and a half on uneven, slippery terrain, keeping pace with a guided group rather than resting whenever you choose. If that description makes you hesitate, the boardwalks tour is genuinely a better fit than pushing through Mini-Trekking and having a difficult day on the ice.
Dressing for a ten-hour day that includes ice
The day moves through several different conditions: a cold, possibly pre-dawn pickup, an open-air boat crossing, an active ninety minutes on the ice where you'll warm up, and a return boat trip and boardwalk stretch where you'll cool down again. Layers you can add and remove work far better than one heavy coat — a wind-resistant outer layer, a warm mid layer, and something breathable underneath is the standard advice for this specific combination of activity and exposure.
Footwear and the crampons
Crampons are provided by the operator and fit over your own shoes, so bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes rather than anything highly technical or, at the other extreme, sandals or thin-soled trainers. Ankle support helps on uneven ice, but you don't need dedicated mountaineering boots for this specific tour — that's more a Big Ice consideration.
Medical conditions and what to flag before you book
This is a moderately active tour on uneven ice, and conditions affecting balance, cardiovascular fitness or respiratory function are relevant to whether it's a safe day for you. Rather than guess or self-diagnose against a list, flag any medical condition to the operator when you book — that gives them time to advise properly, instead of a difficult conversation at Bajo de las Sombras on the morning of your tour.
If you don't meet the age or fitness bar
If you're travelling with a child under 10, or an adult over 65, or simply aren't confident about ninety minutes of continuous walking on uneven ice, the straightforward answer is not to push for an exception at the port — it's to book the boardwalks tour instead. It visits the same glacier, from viewing platforms with no age cutoff and no fitness requirement beyond ordinary walking, at a fraction of the price, and it's a genuinely good day out in its own right rather than a consolation prize. Families sometimes split up for the day — some members doing Mini-Trekking while others take the boardwalks tour and meet up afterwards — which works because both tours operate from broadly the same area and timeframe. Whichever way you go, the point is matching the tour to the traveller rather than the traveller to the tour.
Gloves, sunglasses and the small stuff
Beyond the big layering decision, a few smaller items make a real difference on the ice: gloves (the boat crossing and the ice walk are both colder than standing at the boardwalks), sunglasses or glacier glasses for the glare off the ice even under cloud, and a hat that won't blow off in the wind that regularly picks up over Lago Argentino. None of this is specialist mountaineering kit — it's closer to what you'd pack for a cold, bright day hike — but people who arrive dressed only for a bus tour and a viewing platform tend to be the ones who cut their ninety minutes on the ice short.