4.7
4.7
4.3
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews
Punta Arenas penguin tour reviews average 4.2–4.7 out of 5 across more than 1,300 verified GetYourGuide reviews of seven tours. Guides score highest; value for money and check-in score lowest.
- 1,355verified reviews
- 7tours compared
- 4.2–4.7average rating
- 4.4–4.9guide scores
Updated Nov 2026 · Reviews checked Nov 2026
Quick answer
Guests love how close the Magdalena penguins come and rate the guides highly. The repeated complaints are slow check-in at 6:00, rough water and, on king penguin days, the hours on the road.
- Highest rated: the morning and afternoon catamarans, 4.7 each.
- Most reviewed: the Magdalena + Marta morning, 718 reviews at 4.6.
- Most common complaint: schedule changes after wind.
- King penguin guests’ warning: 15 hours for one at the colony.
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews by Tour
Six tours have enough reviews to compare, and the gap between them is small: 4.2 to 4.7. Guide scores separate them more than the overall rating — from 4.4 on the budget king penguin day to 4.9 on the morning catamaran. Value for money is the lowest sub-score on every tour.
Sort by
MagdalenaMorning catamaran
4.9
4.6
4.3
MagdalenaAfternoon catamaran
4.8
4.7
4.3
MagdalenaThree-departure ferry
4.7
4.7
4.1
King penguinsClassic king penguin day
4.6
4.6
4.4
King penguinsSmall-group king penguin day
4.7
4.5
4.3
King penguinsBudget king penguin day
4.4
4.5
4.2
Tours with fewer than 10 reviews are left out of the table. The whales and glaciers cruise (4.8, 394 reviews) is not a penguin tour and is shown separately on the home page.
Source: GetYourGuide listings, checked Nov 2026
What Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews Praise and Warn About
Read across about fifty recent long reviews, the praise is about people and penguins and the complaints are about logistics. Nobody complains about the birds; the low scores come from queues, wind and expectations about distance on the king penguin day.
Guests praise
Close penguins on Magdalena
“literally everywhere, super close, unbothered” is typical of 2025–26 reviews.
Guides
Named guides and crew are praised on every tour; two reviews describe crews helping wheelchair users.
Care for the animals
Guests notice the rangers’ rules and the small groups at the king penguin reserve.
Extras on the way
Dolphins, sea lions and even whales from the boats; guanacos and rheas on Tierra del Fuego.
Guests warn
Check-in
Queues of 30–90 minutes at the 6:00–6:30 check-in on two Magdalena tours.
Wind
Sailings rescheduled, Isla Marta skipped without a refund, rough returns with seasickness.
One hour only
Rangers keep groups moving; some guests felt hurried.
Long day
On king penguin tours, 14–16 hours and birds 20–100 m away.
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Half Day Reviews
Half-day Magdalena tours score 4.4–4.7, and their reviews describe the same morning: an early start, a cold crossing and an hour that passes too fast. Guests on the larger boats mention crowds; guests on the morning tour with Isla Marta often say the sea lions were a highlight in their own right.
4.6935 reviews
across four Magdalena tours
across four Magdalena tours
Source: verified GetYourGuide reviews, checked Nov 2026 · sub-ratings of the most reviewed tour
“The organisation was excellent, we transferred to the catamaran in a very comfortable coach and embarkation was smooth. Once onboard the guidance from Jocelyn and her crew was excellent. They were friendly and informative and I felt that safety was of the highest priority. Walking with the penguins was a wonderful experience.”
Paula · Portugal
“The penguins were so cute and the sea lions were breath taking. The boat journey was a bit rocky but we always felt safe. You get a hot drink and snack on the way back. However, I feel over £110pp is a lot of money for a 5 hour tour from 6am to 11am — you watch the sea lions for 10/15mins from a far distance on the boat and then do an hours walk around the penguin island.”
Emilie · United Kingdom
“The agency provided us with transport and 3 bottles of water. The boat was full, but you could move outside to watch the Strait of Magellan, were able to see dolphins and whales. The guides gave us a very detailed explanation of Magdalena Island. The tour itself only lasts 1 hour on the island. It is really amazing to be so close to the penguins.”
Zarine · France
“Unique visit to a penguin sanctuary is hard to match. The time on the island was about right but perhaps could have been 30 minutes longer. 4 hours of riding on the ferry is a stiff price to pay for 1 hour on the land but there is no other way to do it. Ferry ride was much more luxurious than expected with airline type seats and interesting content on video monitors.”
Frank · United States
1 / 4 · swipe for more
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews for the King Penguin Day
King penguin reviews split on one question: was one hour at the colony worth fifteen hours away? Guests who came for the species say yes; guests who had already been to Isla Magdalena often say they would not repeat it. Nearly all praise the guides and drivers.
“The penguin reserve is exactly that and not a zoo. The animals are living in the wild and there are only 15 humans per hour that are allowed to visit them. And yes, when you are having bad luck, they are far away. If you are really into seeing the king penguins it is an awesome experience.”
Yannik · Germany
“We were lucky and had the penguins at about 20 m distance. But it can happen that you are 50 or even more meters away and the penguins become very small. You spend your whole day in a bus with 2 ferry transfers. We visited Magdalena Island the day before, there you get closer to the smaller penguins and have only 4 hours of transportation.”
Patrick · Switzerland
“Of course this is a long day, penguins live in the wilderness, and therefore it takes time to get to their natural habitat. The guide and driver were amazing with communicating the realities of the landscape and wind on Tierra del Fuego. The ferry on the way there is two hours but it's comfortable and you can buy snacks and coffee.”
Isabel · United Kingdom
1 / 3 · swipe for more
Source: verified GetYourGuide reviews, checked Nov 2026
Check datesPunta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews on Reddit and Forums
Travellers on forums and blogs give the same advice as the reviews: go to Isla Magdalena first, book early in your stay, and bring seasickness tablets. We could not open Reddit threads for this guide, so these points come from Tripadvisor and Fodor’s forum threads, recent travel blogs and verified GetYourGuide reviews.
Forum threads about Punta Arenas are often 6–14 years old. Prices, operators and Seno Otway advice in them are out of date; only the evergreen advice is kept here.
- Book an early dayWind cancels sailings; a spare day saves the trip.
- Expect a rough crossingTake a tablet before boarding, even if you rarely get sick.
- Dress for windLayers, windproof, hat — the island has no shelter.
- Magdalena before king penguinsMore birds, closer, in a third of the time.
- Isla Marta is from the boatSea lions are watched offshore, and the stop is skipped in waves.
- The ferry is the cheaper wayCLP 96,000 and about 2 h each way, from Tres Puentes.
- Skip Otway adviceThe colony and visitor site are closed. Instead: afternoon catamaran.
Sources: Tripadvisor Punta Arenas forum · Fodor’s Travel Talk · meganstarr.com (2025–26) · verified GetYourGuide reviews, checked Nov 2026
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews — Check Dates for the Most Reviewed Tour
The tour guests book most — 4.6 from 718 reviews, from $160 per person.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; a weather cancellation gets a new date or a refund.
Live dates and seats from GetYourGuide
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Reviews FAQ
Which Punta Arenas penguin tour has the best reviews?
The morning and afternoon catamarans to Isla Magdalena, at 4.7 each with 66 and 73 reviews. The Magdalena + Marta morning tour has more reviews by far — 718 at 4.6 — which makes its score the most reliable.
What do Reddit users say about Punta Arenas penguin tours?
We could not open Reddit for this guide, so we do not quote it. The advice in Tripadvisor and Fodor’s threads, travel blogs and recent reviews is consistent: Isla Magdalena first, an early day of your stay for the booking, and warm, windproof clothes.
Are the bad reviews about the penguins?
Almost never. Low scores on Punta Arenas penguin tours come from check-in queues, schedule changes in wind, crowded boats and, on king penguin days, the length of the trip and the distance to the birds.
Are these reviews real?
Yes — every quote is from a verified GetYourGuide booking, shown with the guest’s first name, country and month. Long reviews are shortened by cutting whole sentences and fixing obvious typos, never by changing what the guest said.
Do reviews say the king penguin tour is worth it?
Mostly yes for travellers who came for the species, and mostly no for those who had already seen penguins on Isla Magdalena. The ratings stay at 4.2–4.5, lower than the Magdalena tours.
What do reviews say about seasickness?
It comes up on windy days on every boat, especially on the return crossing; one guest wrote that many passengers were sick. Crews hand out bags and help, and guests advise taking a tablet before boarding.