The 15-hour day to the king penguins of Tierra del Fuego
Two tours from Punta Arenas cross the Strait of Magellan to the king penguins of Tierra del Fuego, and both take most of a day. You get about an hour at the colony, seen from a distance, for a fare between ~$119 and ~$140. Below, how the two days differ and what they leave out.
Why the king penguins take a whole day
The king penguins live on the far side of the Strait of Magellan, on the island of Tierra del Fuego. Getting there from Punta Arenas means a ferry each way plus hours on rural roads, so both tours fill the day from early morning until late evening.
The reward is a small colony at the King Penguin reserve, Parque Pingüino Rey, which Go Patagonia's listing calls the only king penguin colony in South America. You watch the birds for about an hour and spend most of the rest in a vehicle or on deck.
Only the emperor penguin outgrows the king, which stands well above the Magellanics of Magdalena and wears orange patches on its head and neck. If you are still choosing between them, our comparison of the two species sets them side by side.
Go Patagonia's 15-hour loop
Go Patagonia's full day at ~$119 is the cheaper of the two and the more reviewed, 4.5 from 200+ reviews on GetYourGuide. It starts with a hotel pickup and a ferry of about 2 hours across the strait to Bahía Chilota.
Bahía Chilota sits beside Porvenir, a small town founded in 1894 and one of two places where the group may stop for lunch. From there the van heads to the reserve, where the listing allows about an hour with the penguins.
The way home takes a different road past Cerro Sombrero, the other possible lunch stop. A short ferry of about 30 minutes carries you back over the strait, and an estancia photo stop breaks up the long drive to Punta Arenas.
The downside is the ratio, since fifteen hours buy about one hour at the colony. Whether the reserve entry is in the fare is not clear from the listing, so check the listing before you book.
Caminos Tours with no more than 13
Caminos Tours' small-group day at ~$140 caps the group at 13 people and collects you at 7:00 am from hotels in the urban area. It scores 4.5 from 72 reviews on GetYourGuide, a smaller base than Go Patagonia's.
The price covers the ferry and boat tickets plus ground transport on the island. A bilingual guide comes along, but food does not. Pack a lunch or a solid snack before pickup.
On top of the fare, the reserve charges 18,000 Chilean pesos at the gate, which you can pay by card or in cash. The return runs via Punta Delgada, at the narrowest point of the strait, so the second crossing is a short one.
Between the two days the gap in fare is small once you add the entry fee to the Caminos price. What you pay extra for is a van of 13 instead of a bigger group, and a pickup time stated on the listing.
A smaller group at the colony
Caminos keeps the van to 13 people and picks you up at your hotel at 7:00 am. Budget for the reserve entry and a packed lunch on top of the fare.
At the reserve, from a distance
Do not expect the close encounters of Magdalena Island. At the reserve the king penguins stand on the open steppe and visitors watch from a distance, which is why reviewers tell others to bring binoculars or a long lens.
Numbers change through the year. One reviewer counted about 100 birds in April, and neither listing promises a figure, so picture a small colony and a distant view. Our season guide covers the timing on both sides of the strait.
A phone camera will show a row of upright shapes with orange patches. If photos matter, pack the longest lens you own and a pair of binoculars to pass around.
Cash for lunch and the bill for the day
Neither tour puts a meal in the price. On Go Patagonia's day you buy lunch in Porvenir or Cerro Sombrero and pay in cash, so carry Chilean pesos from the city.
Card signal can fail out on the island, which makes cash the safer plan for the reserve fee too, even on the Caminos day where cards are accepted. Our full price comparison adds these extras to all five tours.
Pack snacks and warm layers whichever tour you pick, because the wind on the ferry deck bites even in summer. Our guide to dressing for the wind covers what to bring for a long day outdoors.
If the ferry does not sail
Wind on the strait can stop the ferries as well as the penguin boats. If weather cancels the crossing, Go Patagonia's listing offers your money back or a new date, and names a changed route as a third choice.
Both king penguin tours cancel free up to 24 hours before departure. Since the wind can also move a Magdalena boat, read our notes on cancelled crossings before you fix the order of your days.
Who should make the trip
- Travelers who have seen Magellanic penguins elsewhere and want a different species
- Photographers with a long lens and patience for hours of road
- Anyone with a spare day after Magdalena, as in our two-day plan
- People who enjoy the empty landscapes of the Fuegian steppe for their own sake
Skip it if you have one free day or travel with small children. The Magdalena boats give you far more penguins for far less time. Our speedboat and catamaran comparison helps you choose one.