The 13 Best Punta Arenas Tours & Excursions

1.Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island

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

Walk among Magellanic penguins, watch sea lions and spot dolphins on a five-hour boat tour from Punta Arenas to Magdalena and Marta Islands.

“The boat ride was good, just a little crowded. Maybe have a few less people on the boat, six to one seat area the way they were set up was a bit . awkward. I loved the guide, Raphael! He was informative and took the time to explain everything and came to each group of seats to talk and ask if we had questions. The other crew members were good too! Loved seeing the penguins!”

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

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

Review of Punta Arenas’ 14-hour whale, penguin, and glacier cruise, with route details, food notes, seasickness advice, and value tips.

“It is not often we tell ourselves that an excursion is worth the cost DURING the excursion. You meet the bus near the center of punta arenas. The transport and boat were very nice, well staffed, bilingual, and other than the coffee being a bit too sweet we had no complaints. We had a perfect weather day and saw waterfalls, glaciers, lots of humpback whales, seal lions and penguins. The glacier ice whisky was an awesome touch (even watching the crew capture mini-icebergs off the glacier was fun). Everyone enjoyed this outing thoroughly. Highly recommend this excursion—one of our favorite ones ever!”

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3.Full Day Tierra del Fuego & King Penguins

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

See King Penguins in Tierra del Fuego, cross the Strait of Magellan, and explore Porvenir on a long but memorable day from Punta Arenas.

“Christopher (driver) and Christian (guide) are a great team. They readily share their knowledge and do their best to maximize what you see. While it was a long day, it was well worth it.”

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4.Navigation Magdalena Island and Marta

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 164 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $140

Review of Solo Expediciones’ Magdalena and Marta island tour from Punta Arenas, with penguins, sea lions, boat details, costs, and practical tips.

“Fabulous trip on a perfect day. Great site to see the penguins on their island. A unique experience.”

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5.Full-Day Torres del Paine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 131 reviews · 16 hours · from $106Best value

Review of the 16-hour Torres del Paine tour from Punta Arenas, with Milodon Cave, Grey Beach, waterfalls, lakes, and practical booking tips.

“The experience was outstanding, and mostly due to Camila, our guide, who was super cheerful, knowledgeable, and found the way to keep the group happy despite the unpredictable weather of the area. We had all 4 seasons within 4 hours, including light snow! Camila made sure to connect with each and everyone of us, shared stories, technical and geological facts (we had 2 geologists + 2 chemists in the group making questions). Hernando also did his part keeping us safe, and even cleaning the window in between stops so we could take clear pictures from inside the van. Incredible nature + outstanding guides = perfect day!”

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

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

Walk among 50,000 Magellanic penguins, circle Marta Island, and spot sea lions, seabirds, dolphins, and whales from Punta Arenas.

“We loveed visiting the Magdalenda island and walking between penguins. You get to see them very close, it’a definitely worth paying a visit. Also, observing sealions and seals from the distance was very cool, plus our tour guides were also spectacular. Hot drink in the middle was a nice surprise! 10/10 would go again!”

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7.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

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

See thousands of Magellanic penguins on a boat trip from Punta Arenas, with Strait of Magellan views, expert guides, and sea lions.

“Amazing penguin viewing. Great trip out to the island. Had to skip the second island and cut things short for weather, but so glad we went anyway. Memorable trip! Get the hot chocolate and drink it BEFORE the boat starts moving again!”

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8.Private Torres del Paine & Milodon, departing from Punta Arenas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 12 to 14 hours (approx.) · from $554.17Top rated

Review of the private Torres del Paine and Milodon tour from Punta Arenas, covering sights, timing, guides, value, transport, and practical tips.

“Gerardo was prompt in informing us of what we will need prior to the trip, prompt in arriving at the hotel on time. Took his time telling us about the area, it’s history, and ensuring we got to see all that we could at Torres. We went in the dead of winter and the roads were icy but Maricio was an excellent driver and kept us safe through out the trip. Highly recommend you use Gerardo and team for your Patagonia adventures.”

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9.Full Day Torres del Paine + Milodon Cave

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 73 reviews · 14 hours · from $152

Review of the 14-hour Torres del Paine and Milodon Cave tour from Punta Arenas, with route details, costs, walks, guides, and practical tips.

“Atma was my tour guide for both Torres del Paine and Cabo Virgenes tours. Excellent tour guide.”

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10.Magdalena Island Navigation & Penguin Walk

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

Walk among Magellanic penguins on Magdalena Island from Punta Arenas, with a bilingual boat tour, wildlife sightings, and practical port 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.”

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11.King Penguin Nature Reserve – Tierra del Fuego Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 73 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $148.50

Review of the King Penguin Nature Reserve tour from Punta Arenas, with ferry rides, Tierra del Fuego scenery, costs, timing, wildlife, and practical tips.

“this tour is a long tour . the king penguins are amazing. you should be prepared to spend a night in island . It happened to us as bad weather caused the ferry to be cancelled . please dont plan any activity the next day”

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12.King Penguin Park and Tierra del Fuego Trip

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

Review of Punta Arenas’ King Penguin Park tour, with ferry tips, Tierra del Fuego stops, costs, timing, and who should book.

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

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

Sail from Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island for an hour among thousands of Magellanic penguins, with a Strait of Magellan boat trip 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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