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Ushuaia penguin tour price, from catamaran to walk
A morning on a catamaran or a full day on foot among the birds: Ushuaia penguin tour prices span a wide range. Here is what each type of trip costs, what the price covers and what your whole group will pay.
Check availabilityfrom $115 · cancellation is free
Editorial team, ushuaia-penguin-tour.comUpdated October 16, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes1 sources
Quick answer
- 01Lowest
- Catamaran trips to the colony start from $115, including this site's tour.
- 02Mid-range
- Several boat trips to the colony start from $165.
- 03Full day
- The Almanza and crab route day starts from $250.
- 04Top end
- Walking among the penguins on Martillo starts from $530.
- 05Extras
- On this site's tour, food, drinks and the trip to the pier are not included.
What a penguin trip from Ushuaia costs
Penguin trips from Ushuaia fall into a handful of clear price bands, and the band tells you a lot about the day you get. At the bottom are the big catamarans that sail from the tourist pier to Martillo Island and back. In the middle are smaller boats, trips with pickup and routes that start from Puerto Almanza. At the top are long days with canoeing, private touches or a landing on the island.
Every figure on this page is a from-price per person taken from the listings on GetYourGuide. The real price for your date can be higher, depending on the season and the seats left, and the page converts every amount into the currency you choose at the top. Use the prices to compare like with like rather than to budget to the last cent.
Two questions decide most of the cost. Do you want to land on the island or watch from a boat, and how much of the day do you want to spend on the trip? Answer those first and the right price band usually picks itself. The calculator further down then gives you the total for your group, and the table lists every trip with its length, so you can see at a glance what each extra hour on the water costs.
The classic catamaran: the entry price
The tour sold on this site is the classic way to see the colony at the lowest price. The catamaran trip to Martillo Island starts from $115, takes about 5.5 hours and is rated 4.51 from 553 reviews. For that you get the boat trip along the Beagle Channel, the lighthouse, the wildlife islands and a live guide in English and Spanish.
Another catamaran listing sits at the same level. The penguin watching tour by catamaran also starts from $115, lasts 5 hours, is rated 4.52 from 454 reviews and includes an audio guide. Both are close in price and length: choose by the departure time that suits you and the details that matter to you, such as the guide or accessibility.
The catamaran on this site has practical extras worth knowing about. It is wheelchair accessible, and you can cancel for free up to 24 hours in advance or reserve now and pay later. In a place where wind can close the port, that flexibility is worth more than a small price difference.
Time on the trip
How long each type of trip takes
hours
Price list
Penguin tours from Ushuaia by from-price
| Trip | Style | Duration | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| This site's catamaran | Boat from the pier | 5.5 hrs | from $115 |
| Penguin watching by catamaran | Boat from the pier | 5 hrs | from $115 |
| Beagle Channel and Penguin Island | Boat | 5 hrs | from $165 |
| Almanza and the colony | Small boat | 4 hrs | from $165 |
| Catamaran with pickup option | Boat | 5 hrs | from $228 |
| Almanza and the crab route | Full day | 7.5 hrs | from $250 |
| Sailing to the colony | Sailing boat | 6 hrs | from $260 |
| Gable Island and canoeing | Small group | 9 hrs | from $375 |
| Walk among the penguins | Landing | 10 hrs | from $530 |
All figures are per-person from-prices; your date and the seats still free set the real one.
Price bands
Three price bands compared
Budget
Mid-range
PremiumDecision helper
Which price band fits your trip?
Tap what matters most to you
This site's catamaran
From $115 for about 5.5 hours.
The Almanza boat
Limited to 8 participants, from $165.
The crab route day
Pickup is included, from $250.
The canoe day
Gable Island and canoeing, from $375.
The Martillo walk
From $530, non-refundable.
Mid-range boat trips and the Almanza route
One step up, several listings start from $165. The Beagle Channel and Penguin Island trip lasts 5 hours, is rated 4.58 from 356 reviews and is wheelchair accessible. The Beagle Channel penguin colony tour also lasts 5 hours and is rated 4.60 from 19 reviews. These cost a little more than the big catamarans and offer a similar route.
The Almanza option at the same price works differently. It runs about 4 hours, starts from the small harbour of Almanza and is limited to 8 participants, with a guide in Spanish. If you prefer a small group and a short crossing, that is the price of it. A catamaran tour with optional pickup starts from $228 for 5 hours.
Sailing boats are another choice in this range. A sailing trip on the Beagle Channel to the penguin colony starts from $260 and lasts 6 hours. Read its terms carefully: free cancellation on that listing ends 3 days before the trip, not 24 hours ahead as on this site's tour.
Checklist
In the price or extra?
01
Included on this tour
- Catamaran trip to Martillo Island
- Live guide in English and Spanish
- Wheelchair accessible boat
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
02
Plan for extra
- Getting to the tourist pier
- Coffee and snacks on board
- Warm clothes if you arrive unprepared
Cost calculator
What the penguins cost your group
Penguin trip plus headcount gives your group's from-price total.
People
Total from$230
per guest from $115
Check availabilityfree cancellationPenguin trip prices here are GetYourGuide's lowest per-person rates, shown in your currency at the European Central Bank rate; checkout states the real total.
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Full days, canoes and the walk
At the upper end the trips become full-day adventures. The day that combines Puerto Almanza, the crab route and penguin watching starts from $250, lasts 7.5 hours, includes pickup and is rated 4.85 from 67 reviews. A day with Gable Island, the penguin colony and canoeing starts from $375 and lasts 9 hours, with no more than 10 participants.
A longer Beagle Channel boat tour with a penguin experience starts from $494 and lasts 9.5 hours. These days suit travelers who want to fill a whole day with the channel, the wildlife and some activity of their own, rather than spend a morning on a big boat.
The walk on Martillo Island is the top of the range. The full-day tour that lands you among the penguins starts from $530, lasts 10 hours and is non-refundable. When you work out the price of a penguin island tour from Ushuaia, this is the one where you pay for access as much as for transport: the landing runs under a single concession.1
What is included, and what costs extra
Read the inclusions before you compare totals, because they explain much of the price gap. On this site's catamaran the price covers the boat trip and the live guide. Food and drinks are not included, and neither is getting to the tourist pier.
On the longer trips more is often built in. The Almanza and crab route day includes pickup, and the canoe day does too. Small details like these change the real cost of a day, especially for families who would otherwise need taxis at both ends: compare what you get and not only the number on the screen.
Cancellation terms also belong in the price comparison. On this site's tour, cancelling is free until 24 hours ahead. The walking tour is non-refundable, and the sailing trip only refunds up to 3 days ahead. If your dates are uncertain, the flexible option can be the cheaper one in the end.
Working out the cost for your group
Penguin tours are priced per person, so the total grows quickly for a family or a group of friends. The calculator below multiplies the from-price of the trip you choose by the number of people. Use it to see whether a premium day is worth it for the whole group or whether the catamaran plus a separate outing makes more sense.
A useful trick is to compare the cost per hour. A catamaran morning of about 5.5 hours from $115 is very good value for what you see. A full day of 10 hours on the walk from $530 costs far more per hour, but buys an experience the boats cannot give you.
Whatever you book, add a buffer for coffee and snacks on board, warm clothes if you arrive unprepared, and a taxi on a rainy day. The penguins themselves are free to watch once you are out there, and on a clear day the views of the channel, the snow on the peaks and the light on the water are a bonus that no price list shows. Book early in the high season, when departures can fill up, and keep the cheaper trip in mind as a fallback if your first choice is full.
Book your trip
The penguins of Martillo are waiting on the channel.
Hold a seat today and settle the bill later; changing your mind costs nothing until a day before you sail.
You ask,we answer.
What is the cheapest penguin tour in Ushuaia?
A catamaran trip. Catamarans to the colony start from $115, including this site's tour.
How much does the penguin walk cost?
From $530 per person. That is the from-price of the full-day walking tour, which is non-refundable.
Are food and drinks included?
Not on this site's tour. Food, drinks and getting to the pier are not part of the price.
Can I cancel for free?
On this tour, yes. Up to 24 hours in advance, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Are there small group trips?
Yes, from Almanza. One boat trip from Almanza is limited to 8 participants, from $165.
Is pickup included?
On some full days. The Almanza and crab route day includes pickup.
Why are prices shown as from-prices?
They change with the date. The real price depends on the season and the seats left on your day.
Sources
Sources and evidence
- 1Estancia HarbertonActivities↩
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