11 Penguin Tours in Punta Arenas to Plan a Trip Around

1.Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 611 reviews · 5 hours · from $150Our pick

From Punta Arenas, travel by bus and boat to Magdalena Island for a guided one-hour walk beside wild Magellanic penguins. If weather allows, continue to Marta Island for sea lions and seabirds. English and Spanish guides, coffee, and the island entry fee are included. Expect wind, waves, and an early start.

“Sunny day, not so windy. Perfect for walking and take pictures. Guide was a very knowledgeable person. Service was perfect overall.”

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2.Full-Day Whales, Penguins, and Glaciers Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 325 reviews · 14 hours · from $365Top rated

Leave Punta Arenas before dawn for a full day with Solo Expediciones. A one-hour coach ride leads to a modern boat and a long voyage through the Strait of Magellan to Cape Froward and Francisco Coloane Marine Park. Look for humpback whales, Magellanic penguins, sea lions, dolphins, birds, waterfalls, and glaciers. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and hot drinks are included.

“You see amazing things in one day. The cost is really high but worth it in my opinion. With this price I would expect it to have less persons as a limit. Food is not good but average to cover your daily hunger. The stuff is nice 👌”

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3.Full Day Tierra del Fuego & King Penguins

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 179 reviews · 15 hours · from $110Best value

Spend about 15 hours crossing the Strait of Magellan, visiting Porvenir, and watching King Penguins at their only South American colony. Guides such as Christian, Alvaro, Katherine, and Valentina add useful stories about Selknam culture, wildlife, and local history. Expect long van rides, changing weather, and extra cash for meals and park entry.

“Christopher (driver) and Christian (guide) are a great team. They readily share their knowledge and do their best to maximize what you see. While it was a long day, it was well worth it.”

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4.Navigation Magdalena Island and Marta

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 164 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $140

Leave Punta Arenas at 6:30 a.m. for Laredo Bay, then cross the Strait of Magellan by boat to Isla Magdalena and Isla Marta. Walk among Magellanic penguins, watch sea lions and Imperial Cormorants, and keep an eye out for dolphins and whales. Guides such as Sebastian and Rafael add useful detail along the way.

“Wonderful adventure with great knowledge and friendly staff. Very organized, expect to be cold and somewhat wet depending on the weather that day. Fun adventure with memorable moments with sea lions and lots and lots of penguins.”

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5.Walk alongside Penguins on Magdalene Island and navigate Marta Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 116 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $140

Leave Punta Arenas early for Isla Magdalena, where you spend about an hour walking a marked path among Magellanic penguins. Then circle Isla Marta by boat to see sea lions, cormorants, petrels, and possible dolphins or whales. Guides such as Sebastian and Rafael explain the wildlife in English and Spanish. Expect wind, cold, and possible rough water.

“This tour was as advertised. We took a 45 minute ride to the pier, followed by a 45 minute boat ride to Magdalena Island, and then a ride by Marta Island to watch the Sea Lions and Seals. The staff was absolutely terrific, gave our kids small penguin souvenirs and drinks upon return from the island. All the knowledge about the animals and the surroundings were delivered in both English and Spanish. It is a must do if you are in Punta Arenas. Our bus was a bit late to arrive on the day”

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6.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 107 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $160

Meet at 6:30 a.m. in Punta Arenas for a minivan transfer and boat ride to Magdalena Island. Walk a marked trail among wild Magellanic penguins, visit the lighthouse, and look for dolphins. Weather permitting, the boat also passes Isla Marta for sea lions and elephant seals. Guides such as Rodrigo and Sebastian lead the wildlife walk.

“Good excursion on Magdelena Island. Plenty of time for pics. Marta island is really a bust as you are too far from the island to get an idea of the size of the sea lions. Plus between the boat rocking, and everyone jockeying for position, pics are dismal. Strongly suggest you ask people to stay in their first seat throughout the boat excursion. I don't want to fight for my place to sit everytime on the boat....some people lack basic courtesy.”

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7.Magdalena Island Navigation & Penguin Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 73 reviews · 5 hours · from $209

Spend about five hours sailing from Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island, then walk for roughly one hour beside Magellanic penguins in the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument. A bilingual guide shares information in English and Spanish, while the crossing may bring sightings of dolphins, whales, gulls, cormorants, and albatrosses.

“The island and the penguins were great but the trip was terrible. First off since it was advertised as shore excursion we assumed that we would have transportation. Nope After having their information translated by a taxi man we found out that we needed to take a taxi to the car ferry port We did get there on time but no one was there to help us. Someone else told us what to do. The car ferry cost $50 the taxi costs $10 and we paid $230 for what????? Don't waste your money.”

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8.King Penguin Nature Reserve – Tierra del Fuego Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 73 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $148

Leave Punta Arenas around 5:00 a.m. for a full-day trip to Tierra del Fuego’s King Penguin Nature Reserve. A bilingual guide such as Atma, José, Alberto or Gabriel leads the journey by air-conditioned vehicle and ferry. Expect roughly 14 hours, a reserve fee of CLP 17,000, extra lunch costs, cold wind, and about an hour near the penguins.

“José was an excellent guide - funny, personable, knowledgeable and overall very welcoming. I also appreciated that he helped take photographs of the penguins through the monocular! I would absolutely take more tours with him! It is a long day, but there’s so much to see and experience. I went on this tour for the penguins, but I also wanted to see other wildlife and learn more about the area/region. I thought this was absolutely worth the day-trip! Notes for travelers: bring binoculars, it definitely elevates the experience. I dressed in layers, and was grateful I included extra socks in my layers!”

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9.King Penguin Park and Tierra del Fuego Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 67 reviews · 14 hours · from $180

From Punta Arenas, join a small bilingual group with guides such as Atma and Hernandez for a full day in Tierra del Fuego. Ride the ferry, visit Porvenir, spend about 1 to 1.5 hours at King Penguin Park, and stop at Cerro Sombrero and San Gregorio Estancia. Expect beautiful scenery, real Patagonian weather, and many hours on the road.

“Honestly, the reviews of this trip do not do it justice. Of course this is a long day, penguins live in the wilderness, and therefore it takes time to get to their natural habit - it's a privilege to visit and there is a reason why we're seeing them here and not in a zoo! Atma and Hernandez were amazing with communicating the realities of the landscape and wind on Tierra del Fuego and how that might impact the timings of our trip, however everything went very smoothly. The ferry on the way there is two hours but it's comfortable and you can buy snacks and coffee, and the mini-bus…”

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10.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 62 reviews · 5 hours · from $160

Travel from Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island by coach and catamaran, then walk for about an hour among Magellanic penguins. A guide speaks Spanish and English, and the visit includes the lighthouse, an interpretation center, island access, and tea or coffee. Bring ID, warm layers, sunglasses, and a camera.

“bereits im Bus ein paar Informationen zu Land und Leuten wäre sehr interessant gewesen. Auch auf dem Katamaran gab es nur wiederkehrende Verhaltensregeln bei den Pinguinen.”

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11.Magdalena Island: Walk with the penguins

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 17 reviews · from $170

Sail from Punta Arenas’s Prat Pier to Magdalena Island on a catamaran, with a bilingual English and Spanish guide. After a 90-minute crossing, walk an 800-meter path past thousands of Magellanic penguins, cormorants, and gulls to a 1902 lighthouse. Dolphins and whales may appear en route.

“Der Spaziergang auf der Insel mit den Pinguinen war wunderschön. Die fast 1-stündige Wartezeit nach dem Einchecken wäre bestimmt vermeidbar.”

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