The 15 Best Penguin Tours in Argentina

Ushuaia: Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran - Starting at Ushuaia’s tourist dock

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

Cruise Ushuaia’s Beagle Channel to see sea lions, seabirds, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and penguins at Martillo Island.

“Really fun way to get up close to the penguins. Also saw other sea life -- sea lions and various birds -- but the penguins are the main show. The scenery is spectacular and the guide was knowledgeable and informative. Her English was good and she was very attentive. Don't miss this if you are in Ushuaia.”

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Ushuaia: Catamaran Sailing to Penguin Island

2.Catamaran Sailing to Penguin Island

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

Sail the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia to see sea lions, cormorants, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Magellanic and Gentoo penguins.

“We achieved the goal of seen penguins and sea lions. The guide provided very good information, perhaps can give more info throughout the trip.”

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Ushuaia: Beagle Channel and Penguin Island

3.Beagle Channel and Penguin Island

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

Cruise Ushuaia’s Beagle Channel to see sea lions, penguins, seabirds, mountains, and the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse from a comfortable catamaran.

“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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Shore Tours Punta Tombo Cruise Ship Passengers Puerto Madryn

4.Shore Tours Punta Tombo Cruise Ship Passengers Puerto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 169 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $120Top rated

Walk among thousands of Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo on a port-friendly Puerto Madryn shore tour with lunch included.

“It was a wonderful day. The penguin sanctuary was the highlight! Walking among them for 2 hours and watching them in their habitat was amazing. The quick tour of Puerto Madryn was great too”

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Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel and Penguins in Isla Martillo

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

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

Sail Ushuaia’s Beagle Channel to sea lions, seabirds, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and penguins at Isla Martillo on a practical half-day catamaran tour.

“Just absolutely gorgeous sites and wildlife! This trip was so worth it and sunny day to boot! Do it!”

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

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

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

Cruise the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia to Martillo Island for penguins, sea lions, seabirds, mountain views, and lighthouse photos.

“We just came back several hours ago from the tour. The Penguins were so charming and friendly. There is no Ushuaia without seeing the penguins. The boat approaches closest possible to watch them and to take close pictures. On the other hand, due to the strong wind and tide, the return trip to town of Ushuaia was very rough. More than half were caught sea sick, and the journey was very long. However, the attitude and service of the staffs were very kind and attentive to take care of the person who felt sick. It was an unforgettable journey to mark a end of year of 2023 at the end…”

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Beagle Channel Cruises, Boat Trips in Ushuaia, Cruises & Boat Tours, Penguin Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Ushuaia Tours

Ushuaia: Beagle Channel Boat Tour and Penguin Experience

7.Beagle Channel Boat Tour and Penguin Experience

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

Cruise Ushuaia’s Beagle Channel, walk among wild penguins on Martillo Island, and explore Tierra del Fuego in one long, memorable day.

“We absolutely loved this experience! A must see if you are visiting Ushuaia. Our tour guide for the penguin excursion, Fabricio, was fantastic! We enjoyed the boat cruise as well, there were some lovely spots to view sea lions and the scenery all around is gorgeous. The only thing good to know is that we went on a Tuesday when the ranch was closed, and our initial itinerary in our booking had included a stop for food at Puerto Almanza which never happened, so we were not properly prepared with food for the first half of the day.”

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

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

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

Cruise Ushuaia’s Beagle Channel to see sea lions, cormorants, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Magellanic penguins near Martillo Island.

“The boat experience is ok-this lighthouse/island is really pretty small-even though it looks so much bigger in photos. Expected to be bigger considering ships that come through here. They do get you up close to island to take plenty of photos and then again when go to penguins. We had done another tour in Chile where we walked around with the penguins so this was a bit of a let down. Again, they do stay long enough for you to take photos-they are adorable. We took the extended tour of the Estancia Harberton and so glad we did. The Marine animal museum is an excellent display of the marine animals…”

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Penguin walk in Ushuaia + navigation option

9.Penguin walk in Ushuaia + navigation option

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

Walk among wild penguins on Martillo Island from Ushuaia, with a Beagle Channel boat ride, ranch visit, and practical cost advice.

“We loved getting to walk among the penguins -- even a king penguin made an appearance while we were there! This is the only tour where you can be on the island with the penguins. When we were there, we saw several of the boat tours pull up where you can observe from the boat only; trust me, it won't do the experience justice. This tour will sell out so book early! Its worth it.”

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Cruise Shore Excursion Punta Tombo with Boxlunch from Pto Madryn

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

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

See thousands of Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo on a cruise-friendly day trip from Puerto Madryn with lunch, transport, and guide included.

“Roy was a very knowledgeable guide. He gave us the history of the area, explained where we were going and took great care of us. The experience was great.”

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From Ushuaia: Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

11.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

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

Review of Ushuaia’s 5-hour catamaran to Martillo Island, with penguins, sea lions, seabirds, mountain views, costs, tips, and drawbacks.

“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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Shore Excursion Punta Tombo cruise passengers Puerto Madryn

12.Shore Excursion Punta Tombo cruise passengers Puerto Madryn

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

Review of Punta Tombo from Puerto Madryn, with penguins, guanacos, lunch, cruise timing advice, price details, and practical tips.

“Excellent tour, well organised. Great guide and driver. Great to see so much varied wildlife, but the penguins stole the show!”

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Puerto Madryn: Punta Tombo Walking Among Penguins Experience

13.Punta Tombo Walking Among Penguins Experience

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

Walk among Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo on a 10-hour Puerto Madryn tour with hotel pickup, guides, and optional extras.

“Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. Our guide Max was excellent, very knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic. The driver was also great, very professional. Seeing penguins and elephant seals in their natural habitat was a lot of fun and definitely the highlight of the tour. The only downside is that prices for this type of activity are generally high, which is not specific to this tour.”

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From Puerto Madryn: Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip

14.Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 41 reviews · 10 hours · from $198

Review of Puerto Madryn’s 10-hour Península Valdés tour, with Magellanic penguins, sea lions, wildlife, guide tips, costs, and practical advice.

“This was a really tour! I was picked up (almost) on time, only four people on the trip and the guide excellent. Very knowledgeable, friendly and competent. The wildlife at Punta Norte and the San Lorenzo penguin colony simply awesome!! The only thing that I didn't like was the price. This albeit fantastic tour cost as much as my rental car for a 4 day period. That doesn't make sense.”

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