As a traveller feels compelled to write about chasing after aurora borealis in Iceland, haggling while sipping tea in Morocco, and "how they do things over there" in Japan, a traveller also cannot resist chattering about the inflation and the costs when writing about Argentina.

A discussion about the inflation and the costs also inevitably requires a writer to disclose when they travelled to Argentina, which for this writer was in March 2025.

My review about Los Glaciares will focus specifically on the Perito Moreno Glacier and the Laguana de los Tres hike with an unhealthy dose of discussion about costs. Perhaps we can count the number of times that I mention costs in this review.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Broadly speaking, there are three ways to experience the Perito Moreno Glacier, i.e., (1) view it from the 4.7 km-long walkways, (2) go trekking on the Glacier, and (3) a boat tour. There is an entrance fee (mention #1) to the National Park, which was 45,000 Argentine Pesos (ARS) or 58.58 Canadian Dollars (CAD) - according to my credit card statement - when I visited.

The walkways are very well executed, and there are five walkway trails: Sendero Accessible, Sendero Central, Sendero de La Costa, Sendero Inferior, and Sendero del Bosque. I walked all the trails, except for Sendero del Bosque, which was closed.

You get very good views of the Glacier from the walkways. Although I would not say the various lookouts had dramatically different views of the Glacier from each other, the views were different enough to make walking each trail worth it. You don't need to do both Sendero Accessible and Sendero Central, however, because they both cover the same angle of the Glacier.

I would have loved to have also trekked on the Glacier itself, but the cost (mention #2) of the trek was a whopping $400,000 ARS, which was approximately $524 CAD. Although the price can be slightly lower depending on the season, I just could not justify this price range. Since I made that decision, I can't tell you whatever the trekking experience is worth the price. I should also note that cost of the park fee is not included in the excursion costs.

I did, however, choose the cheapest boat tour option available, which was the one-hour boat tour on the Moreno Spirit. The cost of the boat tour (mention #3) was $60,000 ARS or $78.62 CAD.

Moreno Spirit's departure point is within the National Park, near the Sendero de La Costa trailhead, which was convenient.

By taking the boat tour, you see the Glacier closer than you would from the walkways, but I would not describe it as a vastly different experience. As a way of illustration, for me, taking the Niagara Falls' Maid of the Mist boat tour or hiking down the Grand Canyon gave me very different and amazing perspectives of these natural wonders than from seeing them from a lookout. The boat tour of the Perito Moreno Glacier did not give me similar emotions. Having said so, I did enjoy the narrated boat tour, and I would not discourage anyone from it, especially if the cost is not a concern (mention #4).

Laguna de los Tres Hike

There are many hiking trails in El Chalten, and the most popular hike by far is the Laguna de los Tres.

You have to pay the $45,000 ARS fee to hike any of the trails in the National Park. If you had paid the park fee in the previous 72 hours, then the price (mention #5) is halved to $22,500 ARS. Meaning, if you recently visited the Glacier, then you can save some money when hiking the Laguna de los Tres trail.

I should clarify that the $45,000 ARS or $22,500 ARS fee is not per trail, but per day. So, in theory, you can hike multiple trails on the same day without incurring additional costs (mention #6). However, considering that Laguna de los Tres is a rigorous 7-10 hours return hike, practically speaking, you are only going to do one hike that day.

If you want to visit the Glacier on one day, then get to El Chalten for two days of hiking, a three-day park pass will knock you back $90,000 ARS (mention #7).

So, is Laguna de los Tres hike worth the cost? Yes, assuming that the weather is agreeable. You have a wonderful vista for the entire duration of the hike, and I found it even more memorable than the Glacier. It's definitely a rough slog uphill, but you don't need any technical skills.

At the end of the rough slog uphill, you will have an extraordinary view of the granite Mount Fitz Roy and Laguna de los Tres. By this point of the hike, you may be willing to sacrifice your thighs to the Mountain Gods and just roll down the mountain. However, I encourage you to find just a bit more energy and climb to the ridge overlooking Laguna Sucia.

The only negative aspect of this trail other than the cost (mention #8) is that you won't find any solitude on the trail. Laguna de los Tres is an incredibly popular hike, and you will be sharing the experience with a lot of people.

The only time I found some solitude was when the trail split briefly near Laguna Capri. It appeared that most hikers chose to take the path leading to Laguna Capri. I would take the other path, which leads to great views of Mount Fitz Roy (photo) . You can always take the path to Laguna Capri on your way back to the trailhead.

Conclusion

Once you add other expenses such as transportation (buses are expensive in Patagonia), it can be costly to explore Los Glaciares. However, there is no denying that it's beautiful. I hope you can enjoy your time there, so that you too can tell people about the price of everything.