The 14 Best Boat Tours in Ushuaia

1.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 439 reviews · 5 hours · from $180Our pick

5-hour catamaran cruise from Ushuaia to penguin colony Martillo Island, plus sea lions, seabirds, and the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse story.

“The best tour I've ever done! I did the 3pm tour, but I would recommend getting there earlier (like 2:15) to secure a good seat, although you will probably be on the deck for the more exciting parts. I went on this tour during whale migration season and we were lucky enough to see 7 whales throughout the trip! The sea lions and penguins were also super cute. If you are going in the colder months, definitely layer, the wind was definitely strong and made me wish i had more layers at times. Overall, one of my favorite experiences I've had and I highly recommend!”

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2.Catamaran Sailing to Penguin Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 436 reviews · 5h 30m · from $92

Cruise the Beagle Channel on a comfy catamaran from Ushuaia, then see sea lions and penguins on Martillo Island.

“We shall whales, pinquins, sealions and the special birds. They have a lot of information and the ride was really pleasant, could really recommend since it’s also a really good price deal!”

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3.Beagle Channel & Sea Wolves Island Catamaran Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 433 reviews · 2h 30m · from $115

Ushuaia Beagle Channel catamaran for 150 minutes, Bird and Sea Lion islands, Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, and Yamana conchero.

“Excellent tour across the Beagle Channel with views of Penguin & Seal colonies. We did spot a couple of Whales as well. Sufficient time to take pictures from the boat. I feel that the tour photographers can be improved as there were many redundant & not so pleasing pictures taken in a short span of time. Also downlaoding the pictures fron the drive link can be a headache post tour.”

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4.Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel and Penguins in Isla Martillo

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 124 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $240

Beagle Channel catamaran to Isla Martillo penguins and sea lions, Faro Les Eclaireurs lighthouse views, bilingual guide.

“An excellent excursion. We saw everything we were promised in the excursion offering. The catamaran was extremely comfortable and warm. The outside viewing areas were small for the number of patrons but we were able to see what we wanted to see eventually. A humpback whale made an unexpected appearance and the driver made a quick (and safe) U-turn so all of the patrons could get a good view. Excellent attention to customer satisfaction. We got up close to the land points where the penguins and sea lions were resting and got great views and pictures. The only downside was finding the tour operator onshore. The instructions we received were…”

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5.Martillo Island: Boat Trip to the Penguin Colony & Beagle Channel

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 108 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $177

A 5-hour catamaran cruise from Ushuaia to the Martillo Island penguin colony, with Beagle Channel wildlife stops and lighthouse stories.

“Excellent views of seals, cormorants, and penguins. The boat ride is long, 5hr, but comfortable. The bilingual explanations are informative.”

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6.Beagle Channel Boat Tour and Penguin Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 86 reviews · 9h 30m · from $449

Full-day Beagle Channel catamaran cruise plus a guided one-hour Martillo penguin walk from Ushuaia, with bilingual guides and transfers.

“Fabricio was a awesome guide. He was informative, friendly, and explained everything clearly. His love of nature was so apparent. He was very easy to talk to and I look forward to future tours with him”

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7.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 55 reviews · 5 hours · from $177

5-hour catamaran cruise from Ushuaia to Martillo Island for Magellanic penguins, Beagle Channel wildlife, and historic stops.

“Catamarano stra colmo di gente . As ogni attrattiva da vedere ci si ammassava fuori e se eri dietro non vedevi assolutamente nulla e la gente non si spostava. Siamo arrivati dai pinguini prima di tutte le altre barche e nonostante questo la nostra si é fermata dove c’erano solo una decina di pinguini mentre il “gruppo super grande “ non siamo riusciti a vederlo nemmeno ha fatto un giro per poter mostrare anche a chi non ha visto nulla. In prezzo assurdo si quasi 169€ a persona ! I peggio spesi. Sxonsiglko !!!meglio barca piccola”

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8.Beagle Channel Catamaran Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 51 reviews · 3 hours · from $107

3-hour Ushuaia catamaran cruise in the Beagle Channel: Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, wildlife spotting, and the SS Monte Cervantes story.

“Hermosa experiencia, la guía exelente, el catamarán muy cómodo y muy buen trato por parte de todo el personal.”

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9.Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $75Best value

Sail the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia on a comfy 3-hour catamaran with wildlife stops, the Faro Les Eclaireurs photo, and island walks.

“Excellent service, a trip to remember for a lifetime. Spectacular views, dazzling landscapes, where you can appreciate the mountain range and the native fauna.Auto-translated”

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10.Beagle Channel Catamaran Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 2h 30m · from $78

Heated catamaran from Ushuaia to Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, sea lions, cormorants, and a Bridges Island viewpoint hike.

“En promotion cette activité vaut le détour. L’observation de la faune local est très agréable et accompagnée d’explications intéressantes du guide à bord”

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11.Canoero Catamarans: Isla de los Lobos, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and Pingüinera tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 31 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $185

4.5-hour catamaran from Ushuaia to Martillo Island, bird islets, and Les Eclaireurs lighthouse for penguins and seabirds.

“Very good company representative who walked us to the catamaran. They wee extremely helpful in risking our paperwork and getting us on board”

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12.Excursion through the Beagle Channel on a Tango Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $80Top rated

4-hour Beagle Channel cruise from Ushuaia on a Tango Yacht, with birding, sea lions, and a short Isla Bridges walk.

“The tour takes you through the Beagle Channel and to the iconic lighthouse with sea lions, with stops at an island to view birds on the way, and an island for a walkabout with views on the way back. You'll see birds throughout, and we even saw a penguin en route. Beautiful views, guides did a great job. The smaller boat size allows a better view. The drinks on board were an added bonus.”

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13.Sailing Beagle Channel to the Penguin Colony

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14 reviews · 6 hours · from $205

Sail the Beagle Channel in Tierra del Fuego, spot sea lions and seabirds, stop at Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, then view Magellanic penguins near Martillo Island.

“Vraiment parfait pour pouvoir voir un maximum d’animaux tout en naviguant. A faite absolument !”

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14.Glacial Cruise: Expedition from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $4,660

5-day expedition cruise from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas with Zodiac landings, Cape Horn, glacier hikes, penguins, open bar, and meals.

“This is a great short cruise, for anyone who wishes to see, and understand the fjords and the archipelago of Patagonia. If you sail from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, the first day is a hike and Zodiak visit to see the penguins. The second day is all about glaciers with glacier alley, south of the Darwin range. The third day the objective is to disembark at Cape Horn, but this is only possible, if the weather permits.”

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