Whale Watching Tours in South America: 5 Weighed Up on Cost and Hours

1.Punta Arenas: Full-Day Whales, Penguins, and Glaciers Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 325 reviews · 14 hours · from $365Our pick

Leave Punta Arenas before dawn for a full day with Solo Expediciones. After a bus ride south, sail through the Strait of Magellan to Cape Froward and Francisco Coloane Marine Park. Look for humpback whales, Magellanic penguins, sea lions, dolphins, birds, waterfalls, and glaciers from a modern, heated boat with bilingual guides, meals, and hot drinks.

“Wonderful experience, the boat was super comfortable with heating on. The food was okay. The experience and the views are just incredible!”

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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.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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4.Full Day Peninsula Valdes Experience – optional Whale Watching

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

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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5.Bahía Málaga: Humpback Whale Watching in Cali – Colombia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · 18 hours (approx.) · from $459

Leave Cali at 4:30 am for Buenaventura and the Colombian Pacific. Continue by boat to Juanchaco in Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park for seafood, local culture, and humpback whale watching. The 18-hour trip includes meals, bilingual guides, insurance, dock fees, and roundtrip transport, but not hotel pickup.

“Unfortunately, the trip is not worth 500 euros by a long shot. Maybe 500.000 COP. The boat trip is done with normal means of transport like all other tourists. We saw many whales, but the trip is not suitable for professional photography. The guide and driver were nice people. It is better to book the trip in the country itself. Unfortunately, it is a complete rip-off.”

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