The 14 Best Penguin Tours in Argentina

1.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Catamaran Sailing to Penguin Island

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

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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”

Check availability →Read our full review

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”

Check availability →Read our full review

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!”

Check availability →Read our full review

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…”

Check availability →Read our full review

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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…”

Check availability →Read our full review

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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”

Check availability →Read our full review

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!”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Puerto Madryn Shore Excursion: Private Day Trip to Punta Tombo Penguin Colony

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $339

Review of Puerto Madryn’s private Punta Tombo penguin trip, with practical advice on timing, costs, guides, transport, and what to expect.

“Amazing and very enjoyable trip! Well worth the price. We got there before the crowds and were back in plenty of time before the ship sailed. Our driver spoke english and was able to tell us all about the areas we passed through on our way to Punta Tombo.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Shore Excursion Peninsula Valdes or Punta Tombo – Private Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $580

Compare Peninsula Valdes and Punta Tombo on a private Puerto Madryn tour with penguins, marine wildlife, flexible routing, and practical cruise tips.

“Max, our guide was great, but our tour was greatly shortened & altered because of a 3 1/2 hr late docking because of high winds. Max did a good job with what he was given. We did not make to Point Valdes because of time constraints.”

Check availability →Read our full review