Chile · PENGUIN COLONY TOURS
Magellanic penguins nest in the Strait of Magellan from roughly November to March, and king penguins hold a small colony on Tierra del Fuego year-round. These 15 crossings are compared on season, sailing time, wind cancellation policy and price.
Walk among Magellanic penguins, watch sea lions, and cruise the Strait of Magellan on a weather-dependent half-day tour from Punta Arenas.
“Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable guides made the experience special”
Review of Punta Arenas’ 14-hour whale, penguin, and glacier cruise, with practical advice on cost, seasickness, food, clothing, and value.
“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 👌”
Review of Punta Arenas’ Tierra del Fuego tour, with King Penguins, ferry rides, Porvenir, costs, long drives, and practical tips.
“The port police closed the port for arrivals, but the guide did an excellent job of organizing the overnight stay and meals on the island and assisting the tourist with communication.”
Visit Magdalena and Marta Islands from Punta Arenas for Magellanic penguins, sea lions, seabirds, and a fast-paced Strait of Magellan boat trip.
“Absolutely wonderful!! We had calm waters and a beautiful day(we were lucky). Due to other reviews, I scheduled in an extra day for our trip in case of bad weather…our original date was canceled and they put us on the next days tour. Tip: schedule an extra day into your trip!”
Walk among Magellanic penguins on Isla Magdalena, circle Isla Marta for sea lions and birds, and enjoy a half-day boat trip from Punta Arenas.
“Scenery and wildlife were wonderful. Boat was new and comfortable. Check-in process as well as more space at office for the vol7me of people would be good.”
Review of Punta Arenas’ Magdalena Island penguin tour, with Marta Island sea lions, boat conditions, timing, price, and cruise-day advice.
“We were advised, when we showed up for ticketing, that there was no possibility that the tour would return before our 3:00 all aboard deadline. Since we didn't want our ship to leave without us, we didn't take the tour. There was nothing in any of the promotional materials that indicated the length of the tour, nor were we asked, when we originally booked, what time we had to return to our ship. Neither Viator nor the tour provider will recompense the cost of the tour, which was nearly $480 CAD for the two of us. Because the tour actually returned at 2:30, apparently we should have taken the chance.…”
See thousands of Magellanic penguins on Magdalena Island from Punta Arenas, with Strait of Magellan views, guides, snacks, and sea lions.
“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.”
Walk among Magellanic penguins on Magdalena Island from Punta Arenas, with a bilingual boat tour, wildlife viewing, and practical meeting-point tips.
“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.”
Review of the King Penguin Reserve from Punta Arenas, including ferries, ranches, wildlife, costs, timing, and practical advice for a long day.
“I highly recommend the tour. It is a long day (about 14 hours) but seeing the penguins at the reserve was a wonderful experience. Our guide was fantastic and we made several other fun stops along the way. The penguin reserve is very well-managed, and they have scopes that allow you to see the penguins even closer. The lunch was fantastic - one of the best most authentic meals I had in Chile.”
See king penguins in Tierra del Fuego, cross the Magellan Strait, visit Porvenir, and explore remote Patagonia on a very long full-day tour.
“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…”
See thousands of Magellanic penguins on a five-hour boat trip from Punta Arenas, with Strait of Magellan views and a walk on Magdalena Island.
“Seeing the wildlife was definitely the highlight! I felt the ticket venue and the checking in process could be improved. The tiny area where people were waiting in to check in, was sooo crowded and overflowing that when it was announced that people could begin the check in process, it was chaotic. I’m sure the overflow of people outside didn’t even realize the check in had started. The wait time for loading was long and there was no communication about where we were being taken once we were underway. Despite these shortcomings, the excursion was well worth doing! We thoroughly enjoyed watching the penguins!!”
Review of a Valparaíso day tour with wild penguins, sea lions, Chilean lunch, paragliding views, and beginner-friendly sandboarding.
“Wildlife on steroids…penguins, sea lions, dolphins and more. Jimmy put together a wonderful program for us with tons of wildlife, awesome food, and great conversation about life in Chile. On top of all that, there were opportunities to sand board and parasail! What a wonderful, truly memorable day!”
Review of the King Penguin and Tierra del Fuego tour from Punta Arenas, with ferry times, costs, penguin viewing, food, weather tips, and honest advice.
“What an experience. I didnt realize I booked the 6-8 hour tour. But so happy I did. Food point were great, the ferry through the Straight of Magellan and seeing the penguins were amazing. If you are in this region of the world, do NOT miss this. It was fantastic.”
See Humboldt penguins, Chile’s Pacific coast, Valparaiso, and enjoy empanadas on a private day trip from Santiago.
“We had an excellent experience. Our guide made us feel comfortable and is knowledgeable. Boat ride was an adventure. We saw many penguins and took great pictures. Great way to see the coast of Chile!”
Review of Santiago’s penguin, sea lion, sandboarding, picnic, wine, and optional paragliding day trip to Chile’s Pacific coast.
“What an awesome adventure! On this tour, you get to see and do a lot of various things! We started out in a local fisherman's market and got to see Sea Lions. From here, we left and went on a boat to see penguins. There were many to see among different birds. Additionally, we got some yummy empanadas for lunch and had the chance to go Paragliding. I was lucky enough to do it with a professional on Chile's Red Bull team! This was the highlight for me! I asked him to do some tricks, and he did! It was so fun! Afterwards we did the sand boarding which was…”
The desert, the vineyards, the lakes and the ice, and the best day in each.
