The 13 Best Punta Tombo Penguin Tours

1.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 439 reviews · 5 hours · from $180Our pick

Sail five hours from Ushuaia on a heated, wheelchair-accessible catamaran with Spanish and English guiding, audio options, and onboard snacks. You will circle Bird Island, Sea Lion Island, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse before reaching Martillo Island, where Magellanic and Gentoo penguins gather near the shore.

“Fun and well-organised excursion to see sea lions, cormorants and penguins from up close. We were very lucky and even saw a humpback whale. The only negative/annoying part of this journey were two ladies of the organising agency who took pictures of the passengers. We wanted to enjoy the beautiful animals and they were shouting for people to make room in order for them to take there pics which could then be bought. Very annoying. Otherwise everything was great (even the coffee on board!).”

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2.Catamaran Sailing to Penguin Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 436 reviews · 5h 30m · from $92

Spend 330 minutes on a guided catamaran from Ushuaia, watching sea lions, cormorants, the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Magellanic and Gentoo penguins at Martillo Island. Guides speak English and Spanish. You stay aboard throughout, with a café, bathrooms, and outdoor viewing decks.

“Good activity overall to see the sea lions and penguins. The boat gets really close to them so it’s perfect for pictures. The boat itself is clean, modern and spacious, with a café on board. There’s seating upstairs and downstairs which is comfortable, and outside space to view at the stops. Staff all super friendly. -Downside is the price was expensive for what it was. -There could have been another stop, maybe at a local fisherman’s village on the way back, as the way back was long. -Could not hear what the tour guide was saying over the microphone, sharing history etc with us. It seemed only one speaker out…”

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3.Beagle Channel and Penguin Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 318 reviews · 5 hours · from $178

Sail for about five hours from Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel, stopping near Bird Island, Sea Lions Island, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Martillo Island. Guides speak English and Spanish, and guide David has been praised for clear explanations. Penguins stay onshore, but the boat gets close for photos.

“Great trip and a bucket list must do. We had an additional sighting of a Humpback Whale so extra bonus. No issues at all”

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4.Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel and Penguins in Isla Martillo

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 124 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $240

Board a large catamaran at Ushuaia’s tourist port for a 5 to 6 hour Beagle Channel cruise. A bilingual guide covers wildlife and local history while you view sea lions, seabirds, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Magellanic and Gentoo penguins from the boat, with no island landing.

“It's exactly like described. The crew was highly competent and friendly. The tour departed and came back as planned.”

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5.Martillo Island: Boat Trip to the Penguin Colony & Beagle Channel

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 108 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $177

Spend about five hours on a catamaran from Ushuaia, cruising the Beagle Channel past sea lions, cormorants, mountains, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse before viewing Magellanic penguins at Martillo Island. You stay aboard the boat, so bring warm layers and a camera with zoom.

“This was a really good tour and my partner and I really enjoyed the tour. The people were super friendly and there is plenty of time to see all the islands, the nice scenery and the penguins. I would definitely recommend this tour to everyone.Now, I booked this tour through viator, that they use Tangol and then Tangol is using the local company Catamaranes Canoeros. Catamaranes Canoeros have a facebook channel and they sell this tour for $2360 Argentinian Dollars (equivalent of £49 pounds) as of the beginning of 2019. So if you book from here, you pay £20 more and when I tried to get the lower price guarantee…”

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6.Beagle Channel Boat Tour and Penguin Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 86 reviews · 9h 30m · from $449

Spend a full day from Ushuaia combining a Beagle Channel catamaran cruise with a guided walk among Magellanic and Gentoo penguins on Martillo Island. English and Spanish guides, including experienced naturalists such as Fabricio, lead the outing. The order depends on availability.

“The tour guides are so professional and the penguins are so cute ! The tour worths the money!”

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7.Navigate through the Beagle Channel: Seal, Bird & Penguin Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 84 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $158

Join a bilingual Spanish-English crew aboard a heated catamaran from Ushuaia. Cruise past sea lion and bird colonies, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Gable Island, and the Chilean coast before watching Magellanic penguins from the boat at Martillo Island.

“The boat circled POI well and theOA kept us up to date, not always clear out on deck. The photographers were discreet but handy.”

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8.Penguin walk in Ushuaia + navigation option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $291

Travel from Ushuaia to Harberton Ranch, then cross the Beagle Channel for a guided walk on Martillo Island. Expect close views of Magellanic and Gentoo penguins, bilingual guiding, a marine museum, and changeable Patagonian weather. Guides may include Pablo, Paulo, Julie, Tom, or Natalie.

“Great time, very cool to experience, Fabricio was a great guide, very knowledgeable and a great personality and attitude.”

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9.Cruise Shore Excursion Punta Tombo with Boxlunch from Pto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $120Top rated

Travel from Puerto Madryn’s cruise pier to Punta Tombo, South America’s largest Magellanic penguin reserve. You’ll spend about two hours on the 1.5-kilometer path, with guides such as Mariana, Marcela, Roy, or Pitu sharing wildlife facts. A box lunch is included, but the park fee costs about $20 extra.

“March 2024 Tour was ok, but very disappointed as to the amount of penguins we saw! Expected to see the largest colony in the world! If this is not the time of year then this tour should not be sold!”

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10.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 55 reviews · 5 hours · from $177

Sail from Ushuaia for five hours through the Beagle Channel, passing sea lions, cormorants, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and the SS Monte Cervantes wreck site before reaching Martillo Island. An English or Spanish guide explains the wildlife, history, and penguin colony. Hotel pickup is optional.

“Catamarano stra colmo di gente . As ogni attrattiva da vedere ci si ammassava fuori e se eri dietro non vedevi assolutamente nulla e la gente non si spostava. Siamo arrivati dai pinguini prima di tutte le altre barche e nonostante questo la nostra si é fermata dove c’erano solo una decina di pinguini mentre il “gruppo super grande “ non siamo riusciti a vederlo nemmeno ha fatto un giro per poter mostrare anche a chi non ha visto nulla. In prezzo assurdo si quasi 169€ a persona ! I peggio spesi. Sxonsiglko !!!meglio barca piccola”

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11.Shore Excursion Punta Tombo cruise passengers Puerto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $125

Travel from Puerto Madryn’s cruise pier in an air-conditioned vehicle to Punta Tombo, home to thousands of Magellanic penguins. You’ll walk near nesting birds, look for guanacos and Patagonian hares, enjoy a box lunch, and possibly stop at a giant dinosaur replica and in town.

“Fun and pleasant for all ages and physical capacities. Ride to rookery is long and monotonous but bus was comfortable enough to nap or read and penguin payoff was worth it”

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12.Punta Tombo Walking Among Penguins Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 46 reviews · 10 hours · from $120

From Puerto Madryn, you travel 180 km to Punta Tombo and follow a 3 km path through a breeding colony of Magellanic penguins. English and Spanish guides, hotel pickup, and air-conditioned transport are included. Choose a Trelew museum, Gaiman, or Playa Union dolphin watching as your optional extra.

“it was great. both guide and driver were passionate about the tour”

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13.Punta Tombo Tour, the Penguin Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 46 reviews · 9 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $90Best value

Spend a full day traveling from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo, where Magellanic penguins nest from September to April. Your guide explains Patagonia’s wildlife, while the reserve’s marked paths bring you close to penguins, elephant seals, foxes, and ostriches. Optional stops may include Gaiman or a dolphin boat ride.

“Expérience incroyable ! Au plus proche pour observer les pingouins et les guanacos. Je recommande ! :)”

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