Guided climbs · Aconcagua, 6,961 m
Guided Aconcagua climbs, compared
Twelve sellers, three weeks, $6,895 to $9,995 for a standard team climb. Almost none of those prices include the park permit, which operators' own estimates put at $600 to $1,585, payable in US cash and never refunded.
Start here
What kind of trip do you want?
Copied from each company’s own pages on Oct 22, 2026. Every “See dates” button opens the page we used. Where a page says which season a price is for, we show it. Prices change; the operator’s page wins if it disagrees with this one.
Free · no guide
Climb Aconcagua yourself
Everything above is for hiring a guide. If you have the skills, this is what you need to do it on your own, free. Facts come from the summit’s own page on PeakSeeker, with sources.
- Normal route
- Normal Route (Ruta Normal) from Plaza de Mulas base camp
- Grade
- Non-technical trekking route in typical conditions (no ropes/technical gear required)
- How long
- 19-21 day expedition including acclimatization; summit day 8-12 hours from high camp
- Best season
- December-February (Southern Hemisphere summer)
- Permits
- A paid entrance permit from Mendoza Province's Parque Provincial Aconcagua authority is required for all climbers and trekkers.
- Start from
- Plaza de Mulas Base Camp, 14,337 ft (4,370 m)
- Climb from there
- 8,501 ft (2,591 m) of ascent
- Getting there
- Climbers fly into Mendoza, then drive to Los Horcones or Punta de Vacas and trek one to three days to reach Plaza de Mulas or Plaza Argentina base camp. Nearest airport: Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport, Mendoza (about 8 km from the city center).
- Hazards
- Severe altitude (summit pressure ~40% of sea level), extreme wind, cold-weather injury; overall summit success rate is estimated at only 30-40%
- Gear
- No technical climbing gear is required on the Normal Route in typical conditions, but a full high-altitude clothing system (down suit or equivalent, mountaineering boots) and strong wind protection are essential; trekking poles and gaiters help on scree, and mules are commonly hired to carry gear to Plaza de Mulas or Plaza Argentina base camp.
Normal Route (Ruta Normal, Northwest side)
Line from OpenStreetMap; profile approximate. Map and GPX download →
Sources: aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar ↗mendoza.gov.ar ↗elsol.com.ar ↗losandes.com.ar ↗
Read this before you pay a deposit
Add the permit before you compare anything. Only Alpenglow even hints it is included; everyone else bills it separately, and their own estimates span $600 (CTSS) to $1,585 (Alpenglow). Mountain Trip and RMI both say about $1,500 for high season. Bring it in clean US cash, and know that the park never refunds it.
The standard three-week climb clusters tightly: $6,895 (57hours) to $9,995 (CTSS). Argentine INKA sits at $7,260–$7,480, barely under Alpine Ascents' $7,800. The real outlier is Mountain Trip at $8,300 with porters included, when RMI quotes about $1,800 for a porter on top of its $9,800.
Speed ascents are where prices stop making sense side by side: Alpine Ascents charges only $700 more ($8,500) for a 14-day trip, while CTSS wants $12,995, Adventure Consultants $15,750 and Alpenglow $20,500. Alpenglow's figure includes a month in a hypoxic tent at home and helicopter support, so read what you get, not the day count.
Alpine Ascents runs its Vacas Valley route at the same $7,800 as its Normal Route, for two more days and a quieter approach. If you are choosing between their two, the traverse is the better value.
Deposits run $700 (Alpine Ascents) to $2,250 (Madison), and the usual refund wall is 120 days out. Alpine Ascents is the only one here publishing a partial (50%) refund inside it, from 90 to 119 days; RMI says it makes no exceptions at all.
Prerequisites are all over the map: Madison asks only for trekking or backpacking experience, RMI wants time above 14,000 ft and crampon skills. The cheaper Normal Route is not technical, but 6,961 m is. Don't take the lowest bar as advice.
- Permit fees are not refunded under any circumstance. Foreigners on a summit or long-trek permit must also carry evacuation and rescue insurance. aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar ↗
- Permits are issued through the Aconpass system, with each visitor registered individually with supporting documents. For 2025–26 the province ran a discounted early sale from July 15 to August 29. mendoza.gov.ar ↗
- For 2026–27 Mendoza newspaper El Sol reported an early-sale Ascent permit via Horcones of USD 950 for foreigners, on sale until September 30 and sold at that wholesale price only through the park's licensed concession companies. We did not find the official decree. elsol.com.ar ↗
- The 2025–26 season ran November 1 to April 30, 2026. Fees that season ran from ARS 10,000 for a day visit to more than USD 2,000 for an ascent with overnight stays. losandes.com.ar ↗
- Permits for the Vacas Valley routes (Polish Traverse, False Polish, Polish Glacier) cost more than the Normal Route permit, and high season (December 15 to January 31) costs more than the shoulders. grajales.net ↗
The companies
Alpine Ascents International
- Based
- Seattle, WA
- Programs
- 3
- Deposit
- $700 deposit, which includes a $300 non-refundable registration fee. Balance due 120 days before departure; miss it and you risk losing the place without a refund of the deposit.
- Refunds
- 120+ days out: everything back except the registration fee. 90–119 days: 50% back, less the registration fee. Inside 89 days: nothing. Trip-cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.
Policy from: alpineascents.com, alpineascents.com
Mountain Madness
- Based
- Seattle, WA
- Programs
- 1
- Private
- Scheduled team runs with 4 to 10 climbers. Single-room supplement $900.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Mountain Madness ↗Policy from: mountainmadness.com
RMI Expeditions
- Based
- Ashford, WA
- Programs
- 1
- Deposit
- $1,500 per person, non-refundable and non-transferable.
- Refunds
- Cancel 120 or more days out and you forfeit the deposit; later than that, no refund. RMI says it makes no exceptions. No refund if weather ends the program early. Insurance covering cancellation, interruption, medical and evacuation is required.
Policy from: rmiguides.com, rmiguides.com
International Mountain Guides
- Based
- Ashford, WA
- Programs
- 1
- Deposit
- $1,500 non-refundable application fee, credited to the program price. Balance due 120 days before departure (2026 trip PDF).
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit IMG ↗Policy from: mountainguides.com, mountainguides.com
Madison Mountaineering
- Based
- Seattle, WA
- Programs
- 1
- Deposit
- $2,250. Balance due 120 days before departure unless stated otherwise.
- Refunds
- Leave an active expedition for any reason and you get no refund. A pre-departure cancellation schedule was not found. Trip-cancellation insurance is highly recommended.
Policy from: madisonmountaineering.com
Alpenglow Expeditions
- Based
- Olympic Valley, CA
- Programs
- 1
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Alpenglow ↗Policy from: alpenglowexpeditions.com, alpenglowexpeditions.com
Adventure Consultants
- Based
- Wanaka, New Zealand
- Programs
- 2
- Deposit
- US$1,000, non-refundable. Card payments carry a 3% fee.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Adventure Consultants ↗Policy from: adventureconsultants.com, adventureconsultants.com
Climbing the Seven Summits
- Programs
- 3
- Deposit
- A 2018 page asks for 25% of the program fee as the initial deposit. Current terms not confirmed.
- Private
- Private and custom Aconcagua climbs are offered; no price published. The 360 Executive Climb ($18,995) is the premium scheduled option.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit CTSS ↗Policy from: climbingthesevensummits.com, climbingthesevensummits.com, climbingthesevensummits.com
Mountain Trip
- Based
- Telluride, CO
- Programs
- 1
- Deposit
- $1,500, of which $750 is a non-refundable administration fee. Final payment due 120 days before the team meeting day.
- Refunds
- Cancel 120 or more days out and you get everything back except the $750 administration fee. Inside 120 days: not stated on the page we read.
Policy from: mountaintrip.com
INKA Expediciones
- Based
- Mendoza, Argentina
- Programs
- 3
- Private
- Private expeditions offered. An older page quoted US$5,450 per person for a group of 3–5 booked before Aug 31, 2024; no current private price found.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit INKA ↗Policy from: inkaexpediciones.com, inkaexpediciones.com, inkaexpediciones.com
Grajales Expeditions
- Based
- Mendoza, Argentina
- Programs
- 3
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Grajales ↗Policy from: grajales.net, grajales.net, grajales.net
57hours (booking platform)
- Programs
- 2
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit 57hours ↗Policy from: 57hours.com, 57hours.com
Get an email when bookings open
We’ll email you when next season’s dates and prices are posted.
Before and after the trip
Most programs start in Mendoza, Argentina. Lodging is extra on nearly all of them.
Aconcagua on PeakSeeker → routes, live summit weather and permits.
More comparisons
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Sources
- aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar/ticket/aconcagua/regulacionesIngles.php
- mendoza.gov.ar/prensa/ya-esta-habilitada-la-venta-anticipada-de-permisos-para-la-temporada-2025-2026-del-parque-provincial-aconcagua/
- elsol.com.ar/mendoza/aconcagua-habilito-la-venta-anticipada-de-permisos-precios-y-requisitos/
- losandes.com.ar/sociedad/parque-aconcagua-estos-son-los-precios-y-las-reglas-que-fijo-el-gobierno-la-temporada-2025-2026-n5968388
- grajales.net/en/aconcagua-climbing-permit/
- alpineascents.com/climbs/aconcagua/price-schedule/
- alpineascents.com/climbs/aconcagua/
- mountainmadness.com/trips/aconcagua-climb-expedition
- rmiguides.com/aconcagua
- rmiguides.com/aconcagua/itinerary
- mountainguides.com/pdf/Aconcagua.pdf
- mountainguides.com/aconcagua-faq.shtml
- madisonmountaineering.com/expedition/aconcagua/
- alpenglowexpeditions.com/expedition/aconcagua-rapid-ascent
- alpenglowexpeditions.com/blog/why-our-aconcagua-rapid-ascent-costs-more
- adventureconsultants.com/files/Trip-Notes-Rest-of-the-World/Aconcagua-Trip-Notes-2026-27.pdf
- adventureconsultants.com/expeditions/seven-summits/aconcagua
- climbingthesevensummits.com/aconcagua-climb/
- climbingthesevensummits.com/aconcagua-climb/private-climbs/
- climbingthesevensummits.com/aconcagua-permits/
- mountaintrip.com/international/aconcagua/
- inkaexpediciones.com/aconcagua-season-2026-27/
- inkaexpediciones.com/aconcagua-expeditions-packages/
- inkaexpediciones.com/private-expeditions-best-price/
- grajales.net/en/aconcagua-normal-route/
- grajales.net/en/aconcagua-polish-traverse/
- grajales.net/en/faq_and_tips/
- 57hours.com/adventure/aconcagua-trekking-climb/
- 57hours.com/adventure/aconcagua-polish-glacier-climbing/
- Each climb’s own page, linked from its “See dates” button.