Updated Oct 2026 · Prices checked Oct 2026
The best Chile penguin tour for most people is the Magdalena Island boat trip from Punta Arenas — 5 hours, from $155, walking a trail through a Magellanic colony (Oct–Mar). King penguins in Tierra del Fuego take 14–15 hours, from $108.
Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island
2 mwalk · 2 m on the colony trailA marked trail runs through the colony; birds cross it and you keep 2 m.
CLP 17,000 per adult, paid at the park, on a 14–15 h day.
The reserve near La Serena and Cachagua have penguins in every month; the south runs October to March.
Cachagua with horseback riding from Papudo, or free from the beach with binoculars.
Keep a spare day in Punta Arenas and book the boat early in your stay.
Source · GetYourGuide listings, 28 penguin tours · park fee from Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey (2025 table) · checked Oct 2026
Five places, five distances
The best place to see penguins in Chile is Magdalena Island, because it is the only one where you walk among them. The other four open places trade distance for something else: king penguins, two species together, or penguins all year. Seno Otway, the old colony near Punta Arenas, is closed to tours. Pick by how close you want to be, then by the city you are in.
1 / 501Oct–MarMagellanic · 4 toursFrom Punta Arenas
The one place in Chile where you walk a trail through the colony.
2 mwalk among them
1 / 502Limited daysKing · 6 toursFrom Punta Arenas
King penguins from a hide, paid for with a very long day.
30–50 mfrom a hide
03Mid-Oct–MarTwo species · 1 tourFrom Castro
Magellanic and Humboldt penguins on the same islets, from a small boat.
~50 mfrom a boat, no landing
1 / 504All yearHumboldt · 4 toursFrom La Serena
Penguins all year, dolphins, and a landing on Isla Damas.
50 mboat around Isla Choros
1 / 505All yearHumboldt · 10 tours
06Photo: Magdalena IslandClosedMagellanic · 0 toursFrom Punta Arenas
The colony about 65 km north of Punta Arenas has been closed for years; local operators list the trip as no longer running.
not offeredclosed to toursPunta Arenas
Closed to tours · not offered
Source · GetYourGuide, 28 penguin tours across six places · "from" prices and ratings checked Oct 2026 · rating = the place's top tour
Four ways to watch — one tour each
Decide how close you want to be, and the tour follows: walking at 2 m, a hide at 30–50 m, a boat at about 50 m, or a beach at about 100 m. Walking on Magdalena is the closest and the shortest day. The hide means king penguins and a 14–15 h trip. Boats and beaches suit Chiloé and the central coast.
Our pickWalk among them
2 mwalk among themFor couples, families and cruise stops: the colony trail, then sea lions at Isla Marta from the boat. 5 h · Oct–Mar.
4.6 (709) GetYourGuide
From a hide
30–50 mfrom a hideFor a sight you cannot get elsewhere in South America: the only stable king penguin colony open to visitors in Chile. 15 h, with a ferry across the Strait of Magellan.
4.5 (272) GetYourGuide
From a boat
~50 mfrom a boatFor two species at once: Magellanic and Humboldt penguins nest on the same islets. 6 h from Castro, about 2 h drive and a 30-minute boat trip, no landing.
5.0 (13) GetYourGuide
From the beach
~100 mfrom the beachFor a day from Santiago in any month: reviewers describe a walk to a penguin viewpoint, a horse ride on the coast and lunch. Full day.
4.9 (57) GetYourGuide
Source · GetYourGuide, ratings and "from" prices checked Oct 2026 · distances from CONAF and Sernapesca rules and operator descriptions
All Magdalena Island tours land at the same colony, give you about 1 hour on the same trail and keep the same 2 m rule — they differ by boat, start time and price. Take the speedboat for the most reviews and the Marta sea lions, the catamaran for the best rating, or the fast ferry for an afternoon start. Each includes the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument entry.
1 / 4Speedboat about 50 min each way, after a 30-min bus to Laredo pier; 30 min at Isla Marta from the boat. Start 6:30 at José Nogueira 1255, ends at Plaza de Armas.
2 mwalk among them5 h
1 / 4Catamaran about 45 min, after a 30-min bus from the office. Start 6:30 at José Nogueira 1255, with a transfer to your hotel at the end.
2 mwalk among them5 h
1 / 3Fast ferry; one reviewer counted about 4 hours on the water for 1 hour ashore. Start 6:00 or 12:30 from Muelle Prat, or 10:00 from Tres Puentes terminal for cruise passengers.
2 mwalk among them5 hA fourth tour is new on GetYourGuide, with no reviews yet: the new Magdalena boat tour costs from $155 per person from the pier, or $195 with hotel pickup and a snack, at 6:00 or 12:30. It runs 1 Oct–31 Mar and asks for passport details at booking.
Source · GetYourGuide listings, Oct 2026 · boat type and inclusions as each listing states them
Ten tours that really differ
Of ten Chile penguin tours that really differ, the Magdalena speedboat is the best fit for most people: the closest view, a 5-hour day and the most reviews. The lowest price is Cachagua at $93, the lowest-priced king penguins $108. The whale cruise is listed for honesty — penguins are a side sight there, and one April guest saw none.
King park entry: CLP 17,000 (≈$18) per adult, paid at the park. The Puñihuil and La Serena tours need at least 2 travelers. Source · GetYourGuide, ratings, review counts and "from" prices, checked Oct 2026 · Chiloé and La Serena prices are per person at 2 travelers
Live dates for the three most-booked Chile penguin tours
Travelers rate these Chile penguin tours 4.6 out of 5 on average, across 1,745 GetYourGuide reviews of the ten tours compared, weighted by review count. Praise centers on walking beside the birds and on the guides. The warnings repeat too: the king penguin day is long, the hide is farther away than the Magdalena trail, and late in the season there are fewer birds.
1,745 GetYourGuide reviews of the 10 tours, weighted · 709 on the speedboat
Average of 1,745 GetYourGuide reviews across the 10 tours compared, weighted by review count.
Verified GetYourGuide bookings · tap a card to open that tour
We had a brilliant time. 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, especially when we went up to the top deck. Walking with the penguins was a wonderful experience. It is managed very well with respect for the penguins and the natural environment being paramount.
It's a really interesting tour and a unique opportunity to see the penguins of this species, as well as animals on the road like guanacos, foxes, birds, and dolphins. But the tour is pretty tiring. It's about 7 hours of travel time in the van in total. And about 2.5 hours on the ferry. And we couldn't get as close to the penguins as we did on Isla Magdalena.
A brilliant day trip - we were very lucky with the weather (April). The ferry trip across the Strait was really scenic, the stop at the restaurant in Porvenir was perfectly timed. We stopped and saw dolphins and loads of llamas en route. The penguin reserve was amazing - can't recommend it enough. There were only about 100 on site at this time of year, but the staff were really knowledgeable and made it an unforgettable experience.
Penguins! This isn't really a trip trip - you just head to the departure point and then get ferried across to the island. The guide is really good at providing info and making sure nobody steps out of line but it's mostly just managing safety and shuttling people to the island. After that it's all about the penguins. If you're excited about the thought of seeing penguins in their natural habitat - you won't be disappointed by doing this trip!
This was a great day out from Santiago. We enjoyed going for a walk to see the Penguins, lunch on the Ocean and then a horse ride along the coast. The whole day is very well organised starting from the communication the day before with pick up time. The guide Juan was exceptional, and we had a lovely driver. The tour is also very well priced.
Incredible staff. Amazing crew members and super nice boat. This tour is a well oiled machine. We didn't get to see penguins, but were visiting during the shoulder season and understand there is no guarantee with wildlife. Tons of sightings of whales and the glacier was stunning.
Source · GetYourGuide verified-booking reviews, read Oct 2026 · reviewers' own words, emoji removed, cut only at sentence ends
The honest answer
Yes — if you pick by how close you get and how long a day you will accept.
A Chile penguin tour is worth it on those terms. Magdalena gives you penguins at 2 m for 5 hours and from $155. King penguins cost a 14–15 h day for about an hour at a hide. If penguins are the point, skip the whale cruise, where they are only a side sight.
Source · GetYourGuide "from" prices and the Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey fee table (2025), checked Oct 2026 · CLP converted at about CLP 960 = $1
Magdalena · 2 m on the trail15 h too long for kings?Magdalena gets you to 2 m in 5 h — compare the three boats
Only in Santiago, or no boat?The Cachagua islet is about 100 m off the beach — free with binoculars, or by tour from $93
Only free June–September?Humboldt penguins near La Serena are there all year — Humboldt reserve
Seno Otway on your list?Closed to tours for years. Magdalena is the colony near Punta Arenas now.
When the penguins are there
The best time to see penguins in Chile is December and January, when Magdalena and Puñihuil have chicks and the most birds. The southern season runs October to March; the king park opens roughly October to May on limited days. From June to September the south is closed, but Humboldt penguins at Cachagua and the reserve near La Serena stay all year.
Your travel month
“We were there in the middle of February and there were not so many of them compared to the numbers could be seen in December - January.”
Valeri · Canada · March 2026 · Magdalena & Marta speedboat
Exact dates live in the booking widget; seasons shift a little every year. Seno Otway is closed in every month — go to Magdalena Island. Source · CONAF Los Pingüinos brochure (2026), Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey (2025), chile.travel, operator season notes and GetYourGuide listings, checked Oct 2026
Three species — count the chest bands
Penguins in Chile come in three species you can visit: Magellanic, king and Humboldt. Chile has 9 of the world's 18 species, but the other six live in the far south or Antarctica and are not sold as day tours. Look at the chest first: two black bands means Magellanic, one band in an inverted U means Humboldt, and no band means king.
Two black lines across the white chest
No black band
One black band forming an inverted U
Two species in one place. At Puñihuil on Chiloé, Magellanic and Humboldt penguins nest side by side on the same islets — chile.travel calls it one of the few places where both breed. You watch from a small boat about 50 m away, mid-October to March.
~50 mfrom a boat · 6 h from Castro · no landingSource · chile.travel (2023), CONAF brochure (2026), Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey, IUCN via Greenpeace Chile
Put two places in one trip
The easiest way to combine Chile penguin tours is two days in Punta Arenas: Magdalena first, king penguins the next day, from $279 for both plus the park fee. From Santiago, one day covers the Cachagua coast. From Puerto Varas, Chiloé's Puñihuil islets make a long day trip. Always put the boat trip first, so wind leaves you a day to retry.
Wind, layers, 2 meters
Every Chile penguin tour has the same four things to sort out before you go: a windproof layer, the distance rules, a plan for wind cancellations, and a day length your children can handle. In Punta Arenas the spring and summer days run about 5–15 °C with constant wind, so dress for the boat deck even in January.
Any penguin tour, any month.
Guides enforce them on every tour.
Wind can stop the boats. Keep a spare day.
Wind and the maritime authority can stop boats to Magdalena, across the Strait and at Puñihuil, and closures are hard to predict — no source publishes how often it happens. Book the boat early in your stay and keep a spare day.
The length of the day matters more than the distance. Easiest first.
Minimum ages on the GetYourGuide listings are not stated by the operators in our data — check the tour page.
Source · CONAF brochure (2026), Sernapesca (2020), CONAF drone rule (2023), operator terms and the Pingüino Rey fee table, checked Oct 2026
Six places, north to south
Where to see penguins in Chile, north to south: the Humboldt reserve near La Serena, Cachagua near Santiago, Puñihuil on Chiloé, and Magdalena Island and the king penguin park from Punta Arenas. Seno Otway, also near Punta Arenas, is closed. Every open place has GetYourGuide tours, and each starts from one city.
Penguin places in Chile, north to south
Numbers match the list · grey dots are the start cities · the inset shows Punta Arenas area · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Open in Google Maps
From La Serena, 115–120 km north to Punta de Choros; boats circle Isla Choros and land for 1 hour on Isla Damas when conditions and landing days allow.
La Serena · boats round Isla Choros · 10–12 h 50 mfrom a boatFrom Santiago (160 km, about 2.5 h) or Valparaíso (about 90 min to Zapallar); the islet is about 100 m off Playa Grande.
Santiago, Valparaíso · islet ~100 m off the beach 50–100 mboat or beach25–28 km from Ancud, about 1 h from Castro; small boats leave from Puñihuil cove.
Castro, Ancud · small boat to the islets ~50 mfrom a boatAbout 35 km from Punta Arenas in the Strait of Magellan, only by boat.
Punta Arenas · by boat only, 35 km 2 mwalk among themFerry from Punta Arenas to Porvenir (about 2 h), then 115 km by road to Bahía Inútil.
Punta Arenas · ferry to Porvenir · 115 km 30–50 mfrom a hideAbout 65 km north of Punta Arenas; closed to tours for years.
Closed to tours for years · go to Magdalena Closed · not offeredSource · chile.travel, CONAF, operator descriptions, checked Oct 2026
Questions, answered
The questions travelers ask most about Chile penguin tours come down to place, season, price and wind. In short: walk among penguins on Magdalena from October to March, go north for Humboldt penguins in any month, budget $93–180 for most days, and keep a spare day for the boats.
Book our pick · $160Magdalena Island near Punta Arenas, because it is the only place in Chile where you walk a marked trail through a penguin colony. A tour takes 5 hours and costs from $155 per person, October to March.
Chile penguin season in the south runs October to March, with the most birds in December and January. In the north, Humboldt penguins at Cachagua and the reserve near La Serena are there all year.
Yes, in the north. Magdalena and the king park are closed June to September, but Humboldt penguins stay at Cachagua and the Humboldt reserve all year, with fewer of them close to the boats from May to September.
Yes, at Cachagua, 160 km from Santiago. Humboldt penguins nest on an islet about 100 m off the beach; watch free with binoculars or join a day tour from $93.
For most people the Magdalena & Marta speedboat tour: 5 hours, from $160, ★4.6 from 709 reviews. Choose the king penguin day only if you can give it 14–15 hours.
The ten Chile penguin tours we compare cost from $93 (Cachagua) to $365 (the whale cruise); private boats near Santiago cost more. Magdalena costs $155–180, and the king penguin days $108–163 plus CLP 17,000 (≈$18) park entry.
No. On Magdalena you keep at least 2 m and must not touch or follow the birds; harassing or feeding penguins is illegal in Chile.
The park is not open all year: it runs roughly October to May on limited days and is closed June to September. Exact days for 2026–27 are not published yet, so check dates in the booking widget.
No. Every source we found says the Seno Otway colony has been closed to tours for years, and local operators list it as not running. Magdalena Island is the colony to visit from Punta Arenas.
Yes, boat tours can be stopped by wind or by the maritime authority, especially to Magdalena. Book early in your stay, keep a spare day, and read the cancellation terms on the listing.
Yes; Magdalena (5 h) and the Cachagua beach are the easiest. The king penguin day takes 14–15 hours, and minimum ages are not stated on most listings.
Yes in high season. Magdalena has limited daily places with certified guides, the king park works with timed slots that must be booked in advance, and Puñihuil boats are best booked ahead December to February.
A windproof, waterproof jacket over warm layers, with a hat, gloves and closed shoes. Spring and summer days at Magdalena run about 5–15 °C with constant wind.
Yes, if you are in Punta Arenas from October to March: you walk among Magellanic penguins at 2 m for about 1 hour on a 5-hour trip. One fast ferry reviewer called 4 hours on the water a stiff price for 1 hour ashore, so choose the speedboat if that worries you.
Yes, at Puñihuil on Chiloé, where Magellanic and Humboldt penguins nest on the same islets. You watch from a small boat about 50 m away, mid-October to March.
Ready? Walk with them.
If you book one of the Chile penguin tours, make it the Magdalena & Marta speedboat from Punta Arenas. It is the only way to walk among penguins in Chile, takes 5 hours, includes the island entry and costs from $160 per person, with 709 reviews at ★4.6. For other places and dates, the live GetYourGuide widget lists every penguin tour in Chile.
Our pick · Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island · live dates and prices
Our pick · Magdalena walkfrom $160 · ★ 4.6 (709)
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