Ushuaia Penguin Tour

Yes — but not in town: the colony is on Isla Martillo in the Beagle Channel, ≈85–90 km east of Ushuaia, opposite Estancia Harberton. Magellanic penguins are there from October to March, with the best months November to February; Gentoo penguins stay year-round, according to one operator. You reach the island on a 5-hour catamaran from the pier, a small boat from Puerto Almanza, or a full-day walk tour that lands on the island. The best-value catamaran.

Traveler threads and reviews keep repeating three points. First, the walk on Martillo has a small daily quota and sells out weeks ahead in peak season, so book it as soon as your dates are fixed. Second, walks and Almanza boats start with a bus ride of ≈1.5–2 h each way. Third, wind or a port closure can cancel a sailing; listings then offer a refund or a new date. If the walk is gone, the catamaran is the easy fallback. The most-reviewed catamaran.

November to February is best; the full season runs from October to March, sometimes into early April. Walks on the island run from about 1 October to 31 March. From April onward, boat tours still run, but you'll mainly see Gentoo penguins, which one operator lists year-round. Season dates for 2026-27 haven't been published yet. The month-by-month calendar.

Catamarans start at $110–115 per person, small boats from Puerto Almanza at $123.50–320, and summer walks among the penguins at $530–549 (a winter Gentoo landing from $450) on GetYourGuide, as of 14 October 2026. Walking costs roughly four to five times the catamaran price. Some extras sit outside the ticket: Harberton entry on the boat-plus-walk day and, at one catamaran operator, a cash port fee. Every price compared.

Walk if you want the closest encounter and can spend $530+ and 7–10 hours; take a boat if you want half a day for $110–165. The walk gives 1 hour on marked paths with ≈20 people on the island at a time. Boats don't land, but small boats from Puerto Almanza get close to the shore from the water. The all-inclusive walk.

Yes, on most tours. Piratour, the walk operator, lists ages 0–2 as free and a child rate for ages 3–11. The accessible catamaran lists infant seats and stroller access; it asks for a passport or ID photo to apply child discounts. The canoe and Gable Island day doesn't allow children under 5 in the canoe. No minimum age for the walk is published in the listings used on this site. The accessible catamaran.

Rarely: only a handful of King penguins turn up occasionally on Martillo, so no Martillo tour can promise them. Magellanic and Gentoo penguins are the species you will reliably see. King penguins live at a separate reserve, a ≈12-hour day trip that this site doesn't cover. The species on Martillo.

Yes, photos are allowed on Martillo; flash and drones are not. The well-known "no photos of penguins" rule belongs to the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island in Australia, not to Ushuaia. On the walk, you stay on marked paths with the guide and keep ≈3 m from the birds. On the big catamarans, travelers report that crews rotate the boat so both sides get a view. The boat-plus-walk day.

Yes, if you choose a 5-hour catamaran from the tourist pier; the walks run 7–10 hours. The best-value catamaran sails in the morning and in the afternoon. One full-day tour, the canoe and Gable Island day, states that cruise passengers can't join. Check your all-aboard time against the sailing before you book. The best-value catamaran.

Walk tours pass through Estancia Harberton, and Harberton is closed on Tuesdays. It also closes on 25 December and 1 January; one operator lists 25 December to 2 January. Boat tours from the Ushuaia pier don't stop at Harberton, so a catamaran is the Tuesday alternative. The Canoero catamaran.

You get a refund or a new date. Listings for the main catamarans say that if a sailing is canceled for bad weather or a port closure, you can take a full refund or rebook, subject to availability. The captain may also change the order of stops. Book early in your stay to keep a spare day. The most-reviewed catamaran.

Isla Martillo is ≈85–90 km east of Ushuaia. By road, it's RN3 then Ruta J, ≈1.5–2 h each way to Estancia Harberton, followed by a 15-minute speedboat crossing for walkers. By water, the catamarans sail ≈80 km along the Beagle Channel to reach the island. The walk day, step by step.

No. Only one operator, Piratour, is authorized to land and walk on Martillo, and walkers stay with the guide on marked paths. Every other tour, including all catamarans, watches from the water. Book a walk tour well ahead in peak season. The all-inclusive walk.

It depends on the wind: two of the main catamaran listings say they're not suitable for people prone to seasickness, and the walks include water time too. The Almanza crab-lunch tour has ≈1.5 hours of sailing in a 7.5-hour day, with the rest by road and on land. The Almanza crab-lunch tour.