Navigate through the Beagle Channel: Seal, Bird & Penguin Islands
Ushuaia, Argentina
- 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Sail the Beagle Channel and enjoy panoramic views of Patagonia's coastline away from the land-based crowds on this full-day exploration of the waters of Tierra del Fuego. Leaving from Ushuaia, sail past several islands in the channel to admire the native plant and animal life, including sea lions and penguins.
- Your local captain takes you to hidden gems and spots you’d otherwise miss
- See unique species of sea lions observing their permanent habitat
- Choose whether to soak up the sun from the top deck or stay cozy inside
- Enjoy the view of penguins in the beach of Martillo island
What's Included
- Catamaran with heating and bathrooms
- Bilingual guide in Spanish and English
- Port fee
- Food, beverages and other services not especified
- Transfer from the hotel to the pier and vice versa
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Tolkeyen Patagonia Turismo - MuelleAv. Prefectura Naval Argentina, V9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Please go to the Tolkeyen Office at the tourist pier. Address: Av. Prefectura Naval s/n. Directions: Once you get to the port, please head to the Tolkeyen stand. You must present your ID.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Once you board your sturdy, comfortable sailing vessel, leave the urban bustle of Ushaia behind and head through the Beagle Channel, which boasts another kind of din: the barking of sea lions and the squawking of penguins. On this full-day sailing trip led by expert guides, meander through the islands of the Alicia Archipelago and come face to face with the area's prolific bird life, including steamer ducks, scua gulls, cormorants and black browed albatross.
Visit Seal Island in the Les Eclaireurs Archipelago, home to two species of vocal, playful sea lions, before taking a peek at the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Cruise between Chile and Argentina, visiting Williams Port and Port Almanza. Entering McKinley Pass, you'll head straight for Martillo Island and a large colony of native Magellanic penguins.
Visit Seal Island in the Les Eclaireurs Archipelago, home to two species of vocal, playful sea lions, before taking a peek at the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Cruise between Chile and Argentina, visiting Williams Port and Port Almanza. Entering McKinley Pass, you'll head straight for Martillo Island and a large colony of native Magellanic penguins.
1
Canal Beagle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Isla Los Lobos
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Isla de Los Pajaros
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Faro Les Eclaireurs
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Gable Island
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Isla Martillo
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour is accessible for people with reduced mobility, as the points visited have access ramps and wheelchair storage. We also have adapted restrooms, and we have trained staff to provide advice and assistance to people with reduced mobility.
- All descriptions and itineraries are illustrative only: activity times, order of activities, and attractions visited may vary depending on the captain's assessment and weather conditions.
- The descent to Karelo Island is subject to weather conditions and the captain's assessment.
- The type of boat will be subject to the company's internal procedures.
- We recommend bringing a coat, hat, gloves, and a waterproof jacket. In summer, we recommend bringing sunglasses and sunscreen.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Alfred_G
A very pleasant experience. We also enjoyed talking to the couple that shared the table with us. It was beautiful.
Reviews
4.0
based on 85 reviews
Pam_C, Feb 2026
This tour slows down and stops to take photos of the birds and lighthouse before arriving at the penguins. Guide narration in English and Spanish which tells all about the Beagle channel. Bar in board for snacks and coffee. The travel time is about 3 hours out and back but lovely scenery to enjoy. Plenty of time to take photos of sea lions and penguins as long as you are happy to squeeze yourself inbetween the selfie takers.
Alfred_G, Feb 2026
A very pleasant experience. We also enjoyed talking to the couple that shared the table with us. It was beautiful.
Marion_R, Jan 2026
When we arrived at the gray line office, we were told we should not take the tour as it would not get us back to the ship on time. Very disappointed, we took instead a shorter tour of the bagel channel and did not see any penguins. This was a much cheaper excursion and we are entitled to a refund.
NitinSingh, Dec 2025
Great experience, boat starts from a very convenient location opposite hotel albatross. On Tim departure, great staff and good drinks on the boat. They get within 3 meters of the penguins
jananddianne, Jul 2024
The boat circled POI well and theOA kept us up to date, not always clear out on deck. The photographers were discreet but handy.
Steve_N, Feb 2024
The boat was well equipped and comfortable with indoor and outdoor seating/viewing and terrific snack option’s available. Beautiful scenery and seeing the lighthouse, seals and MANY penguins were a highlight. The tour delivered on its purpose!
Roksana_M, Dec 2023
The tour was cancelled with no prior notice. Even though the tour operator authorised a refund to Viator, they are refusing to give us our money back. Awful rip off.
8brooklane, Feb 2023
DON'T MISS THIS! It is a long trip, but really worth while. You travel all the way from Ushuaia down the Beagle Channel to almost the Atlantic Ocean. On the way there are several stops to see wildlife and the lighthouse. You do not get off but the boat takes you right up close. Then you travel to Estancia Harberton which is very interesting. A bus ride back gives you addition viewing of the landscape. Tremendous tour!
Ingrid_P, Dec 2022
This tour pretty much covered everything there is to see in Ushuaia! The boat ride was crowded, yet overall comfortable. We only got a short glimpse of the small penguins, and sea lions, and did not stop at all by the little towns they mentioned in the description. The lighthouse was small...not much to it. Getting photos of anything significant was a challenge from any part of the big boat, mainly due to the crowd, so paying the US$15 for your personal photos to be taken by the "professionals" was well-worth it! The Harberton stop (which is at an additional cost)was interesting. The food was really delicious and healthy! We did find it expensive, but there was no other option if you wanted a restaurant. The tour at Harberton may be very long and tiring if you are older or not as energetic, as the tour includes a mammal museum of fossils (which we were unaware of), AND you end up leaving the boat and having to drive back to town in a bus for another couple of hours (which was not made clear to us in the description either)! The views of the channel were amazing, especially due to the unique rough waters, wind and chill in the air of the End of the World! It will for sure be an unforgettable memory for us always! (PS you can get a stamp on your passport on the boat, for a small optional tip at the coffee/concession stand, which had great fresh coffee and goodies at a low cost).
nathan_l, Nov 2022
very enjoyable tour,although the visit to Harberon Ranch, was of much less interest, I would skip it.
MCW, Feb 2020
Nice trip down the Beagle Channel with good insights delivered in both English and Spanish. The trip to the Estancia is more interesting than I expected and gave lots of good information on the plants and animals I would see over the following days in and around Ushuaia.
OnAir740376, Dec 2019
It was the worst tour ever.
We took a boat for 3 hours to take a tour.
But we missed to get off the boat. Because their English was horrible.
All instructions were in Spanish. They spoke English as well, but it was horrible and we couldn't understand.
So we couldn't take a tour, we waste time and money. That's all.
Belal M, Apr 2018
A great experience! Even if you are going to Antartica, this tour adds another dimension to your experience. And if you are not going to Antartica, this tour is a must.
Daniel_B, Mar 2018
Saw cormorants, penguins and seals during the Channel cruise. Wish we could have spent more time with the penguins and actually set foot on the island with them. I'm sure they don't allow this since people would tend to touch and feed them, but being up close to them would be incredible. Other than that, the Beagle Channel cruise was very easy. The boat is a large motor-driven catamaran with plenty of indoor seating or deck access if you prefer.
Regina B, Mar 2018
Estancia Harberton was only ok. Wish had there had been signs in English for the trees, etc.
Rob L, Feb 2018
Good information, nice vieuws. Harberton was realy nice, bus drive back with nice vieuws. Sea lions, only about 20, penguins were cuit.
Thomas W, Jan 2018
Not as fascinating as one would expect. Once you get to the estancia, there's not much to do. Still worth checking out.
jwsbro, Dec 2017
I highly recommend the whole day tour including the Beagle Canal boat ride then disembarking in Hamerton Hatbor. The Estancia estate tour included all sorts of historical and nature related facts. The tea house offered tasty confections and the marine museum tour was enjoyable and very interesting!
Oswaldo, Dec 2017
Excellent way to spend your day. Watching the penguins was very entertaining. The Estancia Harberton harbours a museum worth visiting. The guides were also very knowledgeable. As a bonus we got to see the snow at the end of the tour upon arriving into Ushuaia.
David G, Mar 2017
Good for seeing lots of sea bird life, but a long, uneventful boat ride. Est Harberton is interesting, particularly the marine mammal museum, which is very impressive.
Karen_W, Feb 2017
The boat experience is ok-this lighthouse/island is really pretty small-even though it looks so much bigger in photos. Expected to be bigger considering ships that come through here. They do get you up close to island to take plenty of photos and then again when go to penguins. We had done another tour in Chile where we walked around with the penguins so this was a bit of a let down. Again, they do stay long enough for you to take photos-they are adorable.
We took the extended tour of the Estancia Harberton and so glad we did. The Marine animal museum is an excellent display of the marine animals life size murals and their actual skeletons next to the paintings. Guide informative as well. We were two of 4 English speakers so had small group tour. One smart Argentine who knew English joined our group for the small group experience.
There is a small restaraunt-food ok-but hit the spot and they work to serve you quickly so can get on with tour. Also-they take any currency.
The tour of the Estancia was fascinating-how built, how came about, family still living working there. Again, guide was very informative, fun and knew excellent English. Can't think of her name--sorry-but young, funny and excellent.
Ride back to Ushuaia is by bus-down gravel roads but scenic drive through forest, etc.
Ryan T, Feb 2017
We enjoyed the trip, though it was a long ride between stops 1-1.5 hours - but was well worth the trip. You'll need cash for the boat, it was very cold outside and everyone was getting hot chocolate. The boat pulls up very close to the rocks and island to see the sea lions and penguins. The stop at Estancia Harberton was very nice as well, make sure you bring cash for lunch.
Lise_J, Feb 2017
Be sure you have arranged transport to the marina as hotel pickup isn't included. It was fantastic to be so close to the cormorants, sea lions and penguins...they put the catamaran right on the sand and the penguins were on the beach and swimming around the boat. We got lucky too and saw a pair of King penguins, not very common there. The estancia was interesting, though I thought it was a working one when I booked that part of the trip, but it's been a tourist destination since the 1990s when a big snow storm killed most of the areas sheep and that estancia decided to go all tourist. The restaurant on the estancia is good- the stew was delicious, but a bit pricey.
frank_m, Dec 2016
Who goes to Ushuaia and passes up the opportunity of seeing penguins? If you are going to Antarctica you can pass on this but for those of us who didn't its worth just seeing the penguins. The optional part is the second part with the estancia. You get to tour an estancia from that was founded by a local. You also tour the facilities of fossils from local sea mammals and have time for lunch. Feel free to bring your own lunch. Or they should consider changing tour to include lunch.
Grace M, Dec 2016
Great little trip. You see seals, penguins, bunch of birds, great views. The guide is very knowledgeable. The tour of the homestead is interesting. They have a restaurant there which serves a nice lunch. Not included in the tour price. Generally a good day.
Toby B, Nov 2016
great lunch, smooth pick up and very informed guide pointing out the varied and beautiful landscape of Tierra del Fuego
Tyng C, Apr 2016
It was well organised and we thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the farm
Geert V, Jan 2016
Good. Nice views, Estancia Harberton is an interesting place.
Greavesie, Dec 2015
Excellent day. It is a l,ong day, so value for money. The boat trip is long so plenty of time to appreciate the amazing views. The highlight was seeing the penguins in their natural habitat.
Ruben, Mar 2015
It was ok, but after reading everything we really thought we were getting to walk with the penguins. However, we could only see them from the boat. Yes, really close, but from the boat; so at the end it was a bit disappointing.
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Navigate through the Beagle Channel: Seal, Bird & Penguin Islands
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