Recently Viewed
Penguin Colony Tour: Beagle Channel Adventure
4.2
114 Ratings
Ushuaia
Embark on a half-day boat trip from Ushuaia to visit a massive penguin colony. Discover the social behavior of these fascinating animals and explore the city’s highlights from the Beagle Channel.
Embark on a half-day boat trip from Ushuaia to visit a massive penguin colony. Discover the social behavior of these fascinating animals and explore the city’s highlights from the Beagle Channel.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Tourist Port - The tour begins at the Canoeros ticket office situated at the Touristic Port of Ushuaia.
Here, participants will receive all necessary instructions to board the Catamaran. - Canal Beagle - As the vessel departs from the shore, passengers will enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the entire city and its key landmarks, along with…
- Tourist Port - The tour begins at the Canoeros ticket office situated at the Touristic Port of Ushuaia.
Here, participants will receive all necessary instructions to board the Catamaran.
- Canal Beagle - As the vessel departs from the shore, passengers will enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the entire city and its key landmarks, along with a stunning blend of sea and mountains, featuring Montes Olivia, Cinco Hermanos, Las Fique and Tunnel Estancias, and the Encajonado River.
- Isla Bridges - The journey continues around Isla de los Pájaros, where visitors can observe the birds of Tierra del Fuego, including Skuas, Black-browed Albatrosses, Steam Ducks, Cauquenes, Cook Seagulls, and Gray Seagulls. The tour also includes Isla de los Lobos, home to sea lions with one and two hairs. Both islands are part of the Bridges archipelago.
- Faro Les Eclaireurs - The ship navigates to the center of the Beagle Channel, heading southwest to reach Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Upon arrival, guests can admire colonies of Imperial Cormorants and Rocky Cormorants, and hear the tale of the SS Monte Cervantes’ wreck in 1930.
- Isla Martillo - The tour proceeds eastward, offering spectacular views of the channel and surrounding mountains. From the Argentinian coast, Puerto Almanza is visible, and from the Chilean coast, the Puerto Williams Naval Base can be seen, followed by Isla Martillo.
The Catamaran will pause to allow observation of the Magellanic Penguins that nest during the summer season.
- Ushuaia - Concluding the journey, travelers will be captivated by the view of the mountain range encircling the city of Ushuaia and the magnificent natural beauty that envelops it.
What's Included
- Local Professional Tour Guide
- Boarding Tax Fee
- 5-hour boat navigation
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Local Professional Tour Guide
- Boarding Tax Fee
- 5-hour boat navigation
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
Additional Information
Visit one of the biggest penguin colonies in the world and learn more about this incredibly social animal during a 5-hour tour. Take a boat trip to the penguin colony, accompanied by a professional local guide, and discover the city’s highlights from the river while navigating on the Beagle Channel towards the Penguin Colony.
Learn more about this…
Visit one of the biggest penguin colonies in the world and learn more about this incredibly social animal during a 5-hour tour. Take a boat trip to the penguin colony, accompanied by a professional local guide, and discover the city’s highlights from the river while navigating on the Beagle Channel towards the Penguin Colony.
Learn more about this animals and get as close as possible to them, listen to your guides recommendations and get some historical facts about Ushuaia.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Not suitable for cruise passengers
- It does not include walking among the penguins.
- For bromatological reasons it is forbidden to enter the catamaran with external foodstuffs.
Location
Av. Prefectura Naval Argentina 470
Avenida Prefectura Naval Argentina
Travelers must be present 30 minutes before the scheduled time at the meeting point: Canoero box office in order to exchange tickets.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.2
(114 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Scott_t
Feb 26, 2026
Penguins make people happy - Excellent 5 hour tour of the Beagle Canal and Oenguin Island, the staff was fluent in English. Remember Penguins make people happy !
Review provided by Viator
Tourist483160
Feb 24, 2026
Great time! - What a fun experience. We saw many different types of whales, sea lions, many different types of birds (including Magellenic, Gentoo penguins of course), etc. The captain did a great job at positioning the boat to see the animals but it didn’t feel like we were being overly aggressive / invading their territory. I also appreciated the guide’s information - so knowledgeable and provided all of the information in Spanish and English which was an impressive feat (learned so much). He did a great job at rotating people so everyone could enjoy the penguins. It was a great experience. I would definitely do it again if I have the fortune of returning to Ushuaia!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek03405187119
Feb 24, 2026
Superb excursion to Martillo Island - Superb Excursion on board a comfortable catamaran. Nice service. numerous stops lighthouse, island birds, penguins 👍 perfect timing, the captain leaves us all the time needed for photos. Had the chance to see the whales.Very nice experience in Ushuaia, to do!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martin_b
Feb 18, 2026
You shouldn't miss it - Wonderful. Exactly as it was promised. We saw a lot of penguins, very up close. In addition to the penguins (<3), there were sea lions, cormorans, and other species. All very close. The ride was very pleasant, the catamaran is very comfortable, and the staff was really nice. The guide talked about every site we passed, giving very interesting insights. The food onboard was good enough
Review provided by Viator
Diane
Feb 17, 2026
Ushuaia Penguin rookery - ⸻
We went on a large, very comfortable catamaran carrying around 200–300 people. The journey out to Isla Martillo was calm and incredibly scenic. Along the way, we saw sea lions, Imperial cormorants, and a stunning lighthouse standing proudly against the landscape.
One of the absolute highlights was spotting about eight sei whales — such an unforgettable sight!
When we arrived at the penguin rookery, we were delighted to see both Magellanic and Gentoo penguins. They were absolutely gorgeous. The rookery was huge, and we were able to spend at least 45 minutes observing their behaviour up close, which made the experience even more special.
The trip out and back was smooth, the scenery was breathtaking, and the entire day was simply beautiful. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Happyenglistraveller
Feb 1, 2026
Penguins, seal and whales - what more could you ask for?! - An excellent and well organised tour. The boat was comfortable and it was great to see the penguins. But the team pulled out all the stops and span the boat around when a whale was spotted. They also ensured all sides of the boat got to see the wildlife. A great afternoon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Liana
Jan 25, 2026
Wonderful walk! - An unforgettable tour on a super comfortable catamaran that has a snack bar with various snack options and two bathrooms. The boat arrives very close to the island where the cormorans are, the lighthouse, where the sea lions are also, and finally, Martillo Island, where the penguins are.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ciulio76
Jan 11, 2026
Unique in the world - One of the few islands on the planet where you can get off and walk BETWEEN penguins. Reachable from ushuaia with a Co olessiov tragutto of a couple of hours ?maxchina +zodiac). Absolutely to do once in a lifetime
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claire_q
Dec 14, 2025
A Beautiful and Responsible Way to See the Penguins - This was a lovely and memorable experience, and one I would absolutely recommend.
Seeing the penguins in their natural habitat was a real highlight. We observed them from the boat, which felt respectful and in line with responsible tourism practices. It was disappointing to see another tour operator arrive and walk on the island itself — I really hope this is something that will be restricted or stopped in the near future, as watching wildlife without disturbing it is so important.
The scenery along the Beagle Channel was stunning, and the overall experience was smooth, well organised, and easy to enjoy. Everything ran on time and the crew were professional and friendly.
One aspect I found a little strange was at the end of the return journey. Throughout the day, all commentary had been interpreted into English, which I appreciated and expected as part of the tour. However, towards the end, the guide gave a long explanation in Spanish and then asked whether it was necessary to interpret it into English. The decision was left to the Spanish-speaking guests downstairs, who said it wasn’t necessary. As someone who doesn’t speak Spanish and was sitting upstairs, this felt awkward — especially since the microphone could be heard throughout the boat. I had paid for an English-interpreted tour, so this information was clearly intended for everyone. To the guide’s credit, he later came upstairs and checked individually, and when I said yes, he did provide the English interpretation. Still, it felt unnecessary and a little discourteous to ask in the first place.
Food options at the onboard bar are fairly limited, but I was able to get a glass of wine and a basic sandwich, which was perfectly fine for the duration of the tour.
Overall, this was a beautiful, responsible, and well-run experience, and I’m very glad I did it. With consistent English interpretation throughout, it would be excellent.
.
Review provided by Viator
Peiin_p
Jan 7, 2026
Too much commercialization - Tour is nice, but when you arrive at the time to take photos, who bought a package of professional photos have priority to take a photo and we asked for an agent (who was already waiting outside and catching all the wind) and finally asked to open a space to take a photo ! I didn't find it legal.... Maybe you can already leave a surrounded corner ready for it ! ...
Review provided by Viator
