Península Valdés Tours: The 13 We Recommend

1.Cruise Shore Excursion Peninsula Valdes – Pto Madryn – Patagonia – Argentina

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 111 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $95Our pick

Travel from Puerto Madryn into Peninsula Valdes with an English-speaking guide such as Carolina, Mary, or Santiago. Expect a small air-conditioned vehicle, box lunch, an interpretation center, penguins, elephant seals, guanacos, and possible sea lions. The day lasts about seven hours, with long stretches on gravel roads and wildlife sightings that can vary sharply by season.

“It was 200 km drive one way and other for 200 km drive home. We saw a lot of penguins and sea lions but they’re all quite a distance away. Only one penguin was up where we were 15 feet away.TOMBA area would be better on the Valdez peninsula. They saw much more than we did.”

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2.Valdes Peninsula: Full Day with Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 98 reviews · from $298

Leave Puerto Madryn early for a full day in the Valdés Peninsula Protected Natural Area. Ride a boat from Puerto Pirámides for southern right whale watching from June to November, or see sea lions and cormorants from December to March. An English and Spanish-speaking guide leads the small group, limited to 10 people.

“It was amazing! We saw so many whales, rabbits, penguines and sea lions 😍 The tour is very expensive but worth the money when you can see all the animals from Valdez.”

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3.Puerto Madryn: Snorkeling Trip with Sea Lions

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 81 reviews · 2h 30m · from $150

From Puerto Madryn, ride by boat to Punta Loma Nature Reserve, pass Paraná Beach and its Spanish shipwreck, then spend about 40 minutes snorkeling beside wild sea lions. Guides speak Spanish, English, and Italian. Equipment, hot drinks, and optional hotel transport are included.

“Amazing morning snorkelling with sea lions, guides and boat captain were amazing and so knowledgeable. We got to interact with loads of sea lions, once in a lifetime experience and we won’t forget it! They provide all the kit and you can rent a dry suit if you need. They also took videos and photos on a go pro which you can buy after! Thanks again it was amazing :)”

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4.Cruise Shore Excursion Punta Tombo with Boxlunch from Pto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $120Top rated

From Puerto Madryn’s cruise pier, ride by car, van, or minibus to Punta Tombo, South America’s largest Magellanic penguin reserve. You’ll walk a 1.5-kilometer route through the Patagonian steppe to the coast, with at least two hours among penguin nests. Guides such as Mariana, Roy, Pitu, and Marcela have helped make the long ride engaging.

“March 2024 Tour was ok, but very disappointed as to the amount of penguins we saw! Expected to see the largest colony in the world! If this is not the time of year then this tour should not be sold!”

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5.3 hour 4×4 tour around Puerto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $100

This 3 to 4 hour tour takes you from Puerto Madryn along beaches, dunes, rocky tracks, Punta Loma Reserve, Playa Paraná, and Cerro Avanzado in a Land Rover Defender. Guides such as Eduardo, Ed, Cynthia, and Augusto combine off-road driving with local stories, sea-lion viewing, native plants, and coffee or tea by the shore.

“Wonderful tour! Edu was so personable. He was able to communicate well in English. We enjoyed our experience.”

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6.Peninsula Valdes Tour with Optional Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $157

Spend about 12 hours exploring Peninsula Valdes from Puerto Madryn with hotel pickup, a bilingual guide, and a small group of up to 20. See penguins, sea lions, elephant seals, guanacos, rheas, and other wildlife. Add a two-hour whale-watching boat trip from Puerto Piramides, conditions permitting.

“It is a great experience but requires a lot of time to travel along the bad roads in the area. Still worth it.Auto-translated”

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7.Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience – optional Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $115

Travel from Puerto Madryn into Peninsula Valdés with a bilingual guide and a group of no more than 15. Visit Puerto Pirámides, watch for guanacos and rheas across the steppe, and see elephant seals at Caleta Valdés or wildlife at Punta Norte. Whale watching from Puerto Pirámides is optional from June through December.

“do this tour if you really have a lot of free time. the nature is beautiful, and other than that, nothing to see / do here”

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8.Shore Excursion Punta Tombo cruise passengers Puerto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $125

Travel from Puerto Madryn’s pier to Punta Tombo in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English and Spanish-speaking guide. You’ll spend 1.5 to 2 hours near thousands of Magellanic penguins, with chances to spot guanacos and Patagonian hares. Lunch, water, and an optional dinosaur stop are included, but park admission costs extra.

“Well organized-small group size-well versed English speaking guide. Left early (before cruise ship buses)- had plenty of time in the rookery and timely return back to ship. Would recommend this tour to any cruise ship guests.”

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9.Puerto Madryn: Punta Tombo Walking Among Penguins Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 46 reviews · 10 hours · from $120

Travel from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo for a guided 3-kilometer walk among Magellanic penguins during breeding season. English and Spanish guides, hotel pickup, and air-conditioned transport are included. Guides such as Max and Mariana have led recent departures. Lunch, park entry, and optional dolphin watching or museum visits cost extra.

“it was great. both guide and driver were passionate about the tour”

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10.Punta Tombo Tour, the Penguin Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 46 reviews · 9 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $90Best value

Spend up to 11 hours traveling from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo, home to tens of thousands of Magellanic penguins from September to April. An air-conditioned vehicle, guide, hotel pickup, and return transfer are included. Some departures also add elephant seals, Gaiman, or Welsh tea for an extra fee.

“This was a great tour in general. There was some confusion in the organization somewhere as a guide/driver showed up at our place a day early! We scrambled and headed out. It was a bit tight in the car with five people but the tour itself was great. Our driver and guide was very knowledgeable and gave us a lot of interesting information. There was plenty of time to explore, enjoy the environment and take photos. We then enjoyed a little tour and tea in Gaiman. There were lots of leftover goodies that they packaged up for us to take back. Definitely a worthwhile excursion.”

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11.Cruise Shore Excursion Ea San Lorenzo Peninsula Valdes – Patagonia – Argentina

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $159

Travel from Puerto Madryn to Peninsula Valdes with a small group, stopping at San Lorenzo’s huge Magellanic penguin rookery and Punta Norte’s sea lions and elephant seals. Guides such as Beto, Martin, Fernando, and Lucia add local insight. Expect about seven hours, long gravel-road stretches, and extra entrance fees.

“This is a perfect tour for solo and couples travelers who want to avoid crowds and see elephant seals, sea lions, penguins and other local wildlife plus enjoy a fantastic Argentine lunch featuring lamb and wine. The trade off is the tour is a bit pricey and you will spend approximately 3-4 hours, much of it on gravel roads. For me this was all well worth it, and my guide, Fernando, was excellent.”

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12.From Puerto Madryn: Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 41 reviews · 10 hours · from $198

Spend 10 hours exploring Península Valdés with a bilingual guide, visiting San Lorenzo’s Magellanic penguin colony, Punta Norte seals, and the Carlos Ameghino center. Guides such as Alex, Esteban, and Martin have led highly praised trips. Whale watching from Puerto Pirámides is optional from September to November.

“I booked that tour with an awareness that I might not get as close as I want because, yes, it is animals. And September is not yet the time for many penguins; they are starting to arrive. But the advantage was that the number of tourists was deficient, so I was with two others and the driver alone on the beach, getting together with dozens of penguins. It's worth the money and the time! I wrote a blog article about this trip: https://worldoftoto.de/trips/puertomadryn/ Regards Toto”

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13.Punta Tombo Shore Excursion w/box Lunch(Shared tour for cruises)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 40 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $135

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo, where boardwalks lead through a large Magellanic penguin colony. Guides such as Mariana, Claudia, Ariana, and Nico explain breeding, chicks, migration, and local wildlife. The shared tour lasts about seven hours, includes lunch, and carries up to 17 people.

“I did enjoy it and feel that the trip worths the money. I am glad that I went, making it a highlight for my cruise trip.”

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