Perito Moreno Glacier hosts moonlit visits on 24 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 13:02 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
A moonlit night programme at the Perito Moreno Glacier (Glaciar Perito Moreno) is scheduled for 24 and 25 October 2026 near El Calafate, Argentina. The programme will reopen the glacier walkways after dark for authorised groups, subject to operational, weather and safety conditions.
Moonlit visits begin at Perito Moreno Glacier on 24 October
The planned 2026-2027 programme includes two October sessions, on the nights of 24 to 25 October and 25 to 26 October 2026. Further sessions are listed for 23 and 24 November, 22 and 23 December, 20 and 21 March 2027, and 19 and 20 April 2027.
The programme is known as Moreno under the moonlight in local reporting. The October programme dates were reported on 10 September 2026. A separate report also describes the sessions as authorised night walks on the park walkways and links the calendar with travel agencies in El Calafate.
The planned entrance period is from 10pm to 11.30pm, while visitors may remain in the walkway sector until 3am. The arrangement is not a general night opening of the national park.
Why the moonlit programme fits this glacier landscape
The night sessions focus on the front of the glacier, where ice regularly calves into Lake Argentino. The UNESCO description records the glacier as part of Los Glaciares National Park and identifies the lake, the ice front and the continuing movement of the glacier as defining features of the protected landscape.
Los Glaciares National Park lies in the south-west of Santa Cruz Province and covers 600,000 hectares as a national park and reserve. Its World Heritage property was inscribed in 1981. The glacier front can reach 60 metres in height, according to UNESCO's description of Los Glaciares.
The programme therefore changes the viewing conditions without changing the protected setting. A daytime visit presents the ice against the lake and mountain landscape, while the scheduled October sessions place the same walkways within a limited, moonlit access period.
Authorised guides set the conditions for night access
Only authorised operators may conduct the excursions in the walkway area. Each group may contain up to 24 passengers and must have a qualified guide, with an assistant also permitted.
Guides must carry a VHF radio and first-aid kit, while guides and assistants must wear reflective vests. Visitors must bring a torch and printed proof of access to the protected area. Alcohol is prohibited on the walkways during the visit.
Visiting Perito Moreno Glacier: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The first planned sessions run from the night of 24 October to 25 October 2026 and from the night of 25 October to 26 October 2026 at the glacier walkways.
- Night access is limited rather than general: entry to the Rio Mitre corridor is planned between 10pm and 11.30pm, with visitors leaving the walkway area by 3am.
- The glacier is in Los Glaciares National Park, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, with El Calafate serving as the administrative town for the park.
- The terrain is a walkway landscape beside a moving glacier and lake, and the night programme requires visitors to carry a torch.
- The official language is Spanish and the national currency is the Argentine peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Perito Moreno Glacier
When do moonlit visits take place at Perito Moreno Glacier?
The first planned sessions are on the nights of 24 to 25 October and 25 to 26 October 2026. Later sessions are scheduled between November 2026 and April 2027.
What is Perito Moreno Glacier?
It is a moving glacier in Los Glaciares National Park that calves ice into Lake Argentino. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage property in Argentina.
Where is Perito Moreno Glacier and how do you get there?
The glacier is in Santa Cruz Province in Argentine Patagonia, while El Calafate is the park's administrative town. The night programme requires an authorised operator and a qualified guide.
