Punta Arenas Birdwatching Tours: Our Top 9

1.Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island

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

From Punta Arenas, ride to Laredo Bay and cross the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island. You get about an hour on foot near wild Magellanic penguins, then cruise past Marta Island’s sea lions if weather allows. Guides such as Sebastian and Rafael lead in English and Spanish. Coffee, island entry, transfers, and wildlife viewing are included.

“Penguins everywhere! Hot drinks and cookies provided on the boat. Split us up into smaller groups. Lovely walk around to see all the penguins.”

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 325 reviews · 14 hours · from $365Best reviewed

Travel by coach from Punta Arenas to the Strait of Magellan, then spend about 12 hours aboard a comfortable vessel near Cape Froward and Francisco Coloane Marine Park. Watch for humpback whales, Magellanic penguins, sea lions, dolphins, birds, waterfalls, and glaciers. English and Spanish guides, meals, snacks, and hot drinks are included.

“Wonderful experience, the boat was super comfortable with heating on. The food was okay. The experience and the views are just incredible!”

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3.Full Day Tierra del Fuego & King Penguins

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 179 reviews · 15 hours · from $110Cheapest here

Travel from Punta Arenas to Tierra del Fuego by ferry, visit Porvenir, and spend about an hour at the King Penguin Natural Reserve. Guides such as Christian, Alvaro, Katherine, and Valentina explain local wildlife, Selk’nam culture, and island history in English or Spanish. Expect a long day, several hours in a minibus, changing weather, and meals and park entry paid separately.

“The King Penguins were amazing to see and up fairly close to the viewing area. Katherine our guide was lovely, as was Robert, our driver.”

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

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

Start early in central Punta Arenas, ride by coach and boat to Isla Magdalena, then spend an hour walking near Magellanic penguins. Circle Isla Marta for sea lions and seabirds, with possible dolphins or whale blows. Guides such as Sebastian and Rafael lead in English and Spanish. Hot drinks are served on the return boat.

“Excellent tour to experience part of the Patagonian nature. Enjoyed the boat ride to the islands of Marta and Magdalena where you will meet their beautiful fauna .”

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5.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

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

Start at 6:30 am in Punta Arenas, ride a minivan to the pier, and cross the Strait of Magellan by boat to Magdalena Island. You get about an hour on the island, with guides such as Rodrigo or Sebastian explaining penguin behavior, burrows, and breeding cycles. Weather permitting, the return includes Isla Marta and its sea lions.

“Fantastic! The boat ride was excellent and being among the Magellana Penguins was GREAT! The excursion was as described.”

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6.Magdalena Island Navigation & Penguin Walk

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

Take a five-hour boat trip from Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island, home to Magellanic penguins and other seabirds. A bilingual guide explains the wildlife in English and Spanish, then you get about an hour to walk near the colony. Choose carefully between the 7 AM, 10 AM, and 1:30 PM departures, since each uses a different meeting point.

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7.King Penguin Nature Reserve – Tierra del Fuego Island

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

Travel from Punta Arenas across the Strait of Magellan to Tierra del Fuego Island and the King Penguin Nature Reserve. Expect a 14-hour day, bilingual guiding, two ferry crossings, long drives, and one hour near the penguin colony. Guides such as Atma, José, Juan, and Gabriel have earned praise, but ferry schedules and weather can change the plan.

“Small day trip down to the southern tip. Was a fantastic day, however very cold and windy. The boat on the way back is very slow, and at night so not a lot to do.”

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8.King Penguin Park and Tierra del Fuego Trip

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

You’ll travel from Punta Arenas with a bilingual guide, crossing the Magellan Strait to Tierra del Fuego, visiting Porvenir, Cerro Sombrero, San Gregorio Estancia, and Parque Pingüino Rey. Guides Atma and Hernandez have helped explain the region’s wind, history, and changing ferry schedule. Expect a long but rewarding day with about 1 to 1.5 hours at the penguin reserve.

“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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9.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

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

From Punta Arenas, you’ll ride a bus to the pier, then take a catamaran across the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island. Spend about an hour walking near thousands of Magellanic penguins, visit the lighthouse interpretation center, and return by boat. English and Spanish guides, tea, coffee, park entry, and pier transfers are included.

“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!!”

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