Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego: penguins, the Beagle Channel and the End of the World Train
6 days in Ushuaia: Tierra del Fuego National Park by the End of the World Train, a landing among the penguins of Isla Martillo, the Beagle Channel by boat and the Martial Glacier.
6 days · Round trip from Ushuaia · up to 12 guests
Ushuaia, between the Beagle Channel and the mountains Photo: amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Town_and_mountains_Ushuaia_Argentina_Coral_Prines.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Ushuaia
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Easy to moderate walking on most days: about 6 to 8 km on forest and shore paths in the national park, an hour on foot among the penguins, and one harder morning to the Martial Glacier with roughly 500 m of climbing on a steep, loose trail. Every walking day has an easier option, and day 5 is free.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 720 (estimated price)
- Season
- November to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk among Magellanic and gentoo penguins on Isla Martillo, on the landing run by the one operator licensed to go ashore
- Ride the End of the World Train into Tierra del Fuego National Park, then walk the coast to Lago Roca and Lapataia Bay
- Sail the Beagle Channel past sea lion and cormorant islands to the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse
- Climb above town to the Martial Glacier for the view down over Ushuaia and the channel
- Lunch at Estancia Harberton, the farm Thomas Bridges founded in 1886, and its museum of southern seabirds and whales
- A farewell evening of Fuegian lamb slow-roasted over an open fire
- Five nights in one central hotel, with a free day that doubles as a weather spare for the boats
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 720 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Ushuaia
Ushuaia airport to your hotel in the centre
- Meals on your own
- Stay in Ushuaia
- Drive about 12 min
Fly into Ushuaia (USH), on a peninsula in the Beagle Channel about 5 km from the centre; most guests come from Buenos Aires or straight from El Calafate at the end of a Patagonia trip. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall, and the short ride into town already shows the shape of the place: a strip of houses between the water and a wall of mountains. Your hotel is central, and you stay all five nights.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing and an easy walk along the waterfront and San Martín street, past the tourist pier where the boats leave and the old prison that now holds the Maritime Museum. The guide explains how the week bends around the wind, and which day is kept free as a spare.
Evening
Dinner is your own: centolla, the southern king crab, is the local thing to try.
Included
- Pick-up at Ushuaia airport (USH)
- Briefing with your guide
- Orientation walk along the waterfront and San Martín street
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon briefing, and the evening is yours
Activity: Arrive by about 3 pm to join the briefing and walk; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
The End of the World Train and Tierra del Fuego National Park
Ushuaia to the End of the World station, by train into the park, then Lago Roca and Lapataia Bay
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ushuaia
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A short drive west of town brings us to the End of the World station for the morning train. The narrow-gauge line follows part of the route of the old prison railway, which carried convicts out to cut timber, and the ride of under an hour climbs the Pipo valley past stumps from those years and a stop at the Macarena waterfall before it enters Tierra del Fuego National Park.
Afternoon
From the park station we walk the coastal path, through lenga and coihue forest and along small coves where the sea meets the trees, to Lago Roca, where a sit-down lunch waits by the lake. In the afternoon the van takes us to the boardwalks at Lapataia Bay, where National Route 3 ends more than 3,000 km from Buenos Aires, and to the beaver dams and peat bogs on the way back. We start early so the paths are quiet before the midday tour buses arrive.
Included
- End of the World Train from the End of the World station into the park
- Tierra del Fuego National Park entry
- Guided walk on the coastal path to Lago Roca
- Sit-down lunch in the park
- Lapataia Bay and the end of National Route 3
Easier option: Skip the coastal path: the van takes you from the park station to Lago Roca for lunch, with short boardwalk walks at Laguna Verde and Lapataia.
More active option: Walk the Hito XXIV trail along the shore of Lago Roca towards the Chilean border marker after lunch, about 8 km return on a mostly flat path.
Free time: Back in Ushuaia by late afternoon; the evening is free
Activity: About 6 to 8 km on forest and shore paths, some roots and short climbs. Take a waterproof layer: the coast is often wet and windy.
Estancia Harberton and the penguins of Isla Martillo
Ushuaia east along Route 3 and Route J to Estancia Harberton, by boat to Isla Martillo, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ushuaia
- Drive about 3.5 h
Today is the one most Ushuaia stays sell as an extra. We drive east out of town, over the shoulder of the mountains and down the mostly gravel Route J along the Beagle Channel, about 85 km and an hour and three quarters, past wind-bent trees and quiet bays. From the shore near Estancia Harberton a small boat takes us across to Isla Martillo, where the one operator licensed to land walks small groups among the colony on a marked path. Magellanic penguins nest in burrows here and a smaller group of gentoo penguins stands on the open shore; now and then a king penguin turns up too. The guide keeps us at the distance the rules require, and the hour ashore passes fast.
Afternoon
Back on the mainland we have lunch at Harberton, at the estancia's tearoom (or a packed lunch on the shore if it is not serving that day), on the farm Thomas Bridges founded in 1886, then visit its museum of southern whales, dolphins and seabirds before the drive back.
Included
- Drive along the Beagle Channel on Route J with your guide
- Boat crossing to Isla Martillo
- Penguin landing and guided walk with the licensed operator
- Lunch at Estancia Harberton (tearoom, or a packed lunch)
- The estancia and its museum of marine mammals and birds
Easier option: The walk on Isla Martillo is short and flat; if you prefer not to take the small boat, stay at Harberton for the farm and the museum while the group crosses.
Free time: Evening free in Ushuaia
Activity: The longest drive of the trip, about 3.5 hours in all, split into two legs of under two hours by the landing, lunch and the museum. The landing time and capacity are set by the operator; if wind stops the boat, we move the day to day 5.
The Martial Glacier and the Beagle Channel by boat
Ushuaia up the Martial road to the glacier trail, then the Beagle Channel from the tourist pier
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ushuaia
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
In the morning we drive the few kilometres up the Martial road behind town to the trailhead and climb through lenga forest and then open scree towards the Martial Glacier. It is a short but steep walk, roughly 500 m of climbing, and the reward is behind you as much as ahead: Ushuaia, the channel and the mountains of Chile's Isla Navarino laid out below. The glacier itself has shrunk a lot in recent decades, which the guide uses to explain how this ice has changed.
Afternoon
We are back in town for lunch together at about 1 pm, with time to rest, and at about 3 pm we board a catamaran at the tourist pier for the Beagle Channel. The boat passes Isla de los Lobos, where South American sea lions haul out on the rocks, and the cormorant colony on Isla de los Pájaros, then circles the red and white Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, often mistaken for the lighthouse in Jules Verne's novel, which stands far to the east.
Included
- Guided hike towards the Martial Glacier
- Sit-down lunch in Ushuaia
- Beagle Channel boat: Isla de los Lobos, Isla de los Pájaros and the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse
Easier option: Walk only the lower forest section of the trail with a guide and wait at the trailhead, or spend the morning at the Maritime and Prison Museum in town (entry included).
More active option: Continue past the viewpoint to the foot of the glacier, weather and trail conditions allowing.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: The Martial trail is steep and loose in places, about 3 to 4 hours return with roughly 500 m of climbing. The boat trip is about two and a half to three hours and runs only when the wind allows.
A free day, and a Fuegian lamb farewell
Ushuaia
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Ushuaia
Morning
Day 5 is yours, and it also protects the trip: if wind cancelled the penguin landing or the Beagle Channel boat earlier in the week, the guide moves it here, so a bad morning does not cost you the best part of Tierra del Fuego. If everything has run, sleep in and choose your own pace. Your entry to the Maritime and Prison Museum is included: the old prison, in use until 1947, now holds displays on the convicts who built much of early Ushuaia, on the Yámana people of the channel, and on Antarctic exploration. Other ways to spend the day are a guided hike to Laguna Esmeralda in the valley north of town, a drive inland to the lakes Escondido and Fagnano, or simply coffee and a book with a view of the channel.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner of Fuegian lamb, slow-roasted on an iron cross beside an open fire, the traditional way in this part of Patagonia.
Included
- Maritime and Prison Museum entry
- Farewell dinner of Fuegian lamb roasted over an open fire
Optional experiences
- Guided hike to Laguna Esmeralda (about 9 km return, often muddy)
- Drive to Lago Escondido and Lago Fagnano
More active option: The Laguna Esmeralda hike with a local guide, booked and paid locally if you want it; your guide arranges it the day before.
Free time: The whole day is free until the farewell dinner, unless a boat day needs to move here
Ushuaia and home
Ushuaia to Ushuaia airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 12 min
Morning
A last breakfast with the channel outside the window, and then the morning is free until your airport transfer. Walk the waterfront once more, look into the shops on San Martín street for Fuegian wool and local jams, or sit with a coffee and watch the boats come and go from the pier where the Antarctic expedition ships also tie up in summer. The airport is only about 5 km away, so even a late-morning flight leaves time for a short walk. Your guide checks your flight times on day 5 and sees that the transfer suits each guest; if several of you fly together, you ride together. Many guests fly on to Buenos Aires for a few days in the city, and some come the other way, having started with our Patagonia trip from Punta Arenas to El Calafate. Either way, this is where the trip ends, at the bottom of the Americas.
Included
- Drop-off at Ushuaia airport (USH)
Free time: Morning free until your transfer
Activity: Any flight time works: the airport is about 15 minutes from the hotel. Book a flight after about 11 am if you want a free morning in town.
- Ushuaia5 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Penguins come ashore on Isla Martillo in the southern spring and leave in autumn, so the trip runs November to March. December and January bring up to about 17 hours of daylight; wind is common all season and can cancel boats, which is why day 5 is kept free.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers adding a few days at the far south to a Patagonia trip
- Wildlife lovers who want to walk among penguins rather than see them from a boat
- Walkers who like forest and shore paths more than long mountain treks
- Anyone who wants one hotel and no repacking
Not for you if you want
- Travellers looking for a multi-day trek or a hard summit
- Anyone who needs guaranteed calm seas: wind can move boat days
- A visit to Antarctica: expedition cruises leave from Ushuaia, but this trip stays ashore
- Winter snow sports: this trip runs November to March
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Ushuaia5 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights in Ushuaia in one central hotel, a short walk from the waterfront
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Ushuaia airport (USH)
- A private vehicle and driver for the group for every outing
- The End of the World Train into Tierra del Fuego National Park
- The boat crossing to Isla Martillo
- The Beagle Channel boat from the Ushuaia tourist pier
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with licensed local guides in the national park, on the Martial trail and on the penguin landing
Activities
- Tierra del Fuego National Park entry, with the coastal path, Lago Roca and Lapataia Bay
- The End of the World Train
- The penguin landing on Isla Martillo with the licensed operator
- Estancia Harberton and its museum of marine mammals and birds
- The guided Martial Glacier hike
- The Beagle Channel boat to Isla de los Lobos, Isla de los Pájaros and the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse
- The Maritime and Prison Museum in Ushuaia
Meals
- 5 breakfasts
- 3 lunches: sit-down in the national park and in Ushuaia, and at Estancia Harberton (its tearoom, or a packed lunch)
- A farewell dinner of Fuegian lamb roasted over an open fire
Not included
- Flights to and from Ushuaia
- Visa fees, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Dinners on days 1 to 4
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Laguna Esmeralda hike
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 720 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Five nights in one central Ushuaia hotel, breakfast daily, three lunches, a Fuegian lamb farewell dinner, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan: the End of the World Train, national park entry, the Isla Martillo penguin landing, Estancia Harberton, the Martial Glacier hike, the Beagle Channel boat and the Maritime and Prison Museum.
Do we actually walk among the penguins?
Yes. Only one operator is licensed to land on Isla Martillo, and we book its landing for the group: about an hour ashore on a marked path among Magellanic and gentoo penguins. Places per day are limited, so we reserve them when your departure confirms. Boats that sail from Ushuaia without landing only see the colony from the water.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the whole group fits on one penguin landing, one table at lunch and one van, and everyone can hear the guide on the trail.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 6. Licensed local guides join in Tierra del Fuego National Park, on the Martial trail and on the penguin landing, where park and operator rules require them.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Most days are easy forest and shore walks of up to about 8 km. The Martial Glacier hike on day 4 is the hard one: roughly 500 m of steep, loose climbing over 3 to 4 hours. You can walk only the lower forest section or spend the morning at the museum instead.
What if the weather cancels a boat?
Wind on the Beagle Channel does cancel sailings, so day 5 is kept free as a spare. If the penguin landing or the channel boat is called off, the guide moves it to day 5. If a sailing still cannot run, how the missed activity is refunded is set out in your booking terms.
When is the best time to go?
November to March. Penguins are ashore on Isla Martillo, the landing and the boats run, and daylight reaches about 17 hours around December. Expect cool, changeable weather all season: days of about 8 to 15 °C, wind and showers, with snow still on the peaks.
Can I add this to a Patagonia trip?
Yes, that is what it is designed for. Our Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno and El Chaltén trip ends at El Calafate airport, a short flight from Ushuaia. Book both and we line up the dates; the flight between them is not included, and we tell you which departures connect.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 720 more. Otherwise you pay the same twin-share price as everyone else; ask us whether a room share with another solo guest is possible on your departure.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 7,535 per person sharing. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the same kind of hotel, boats and landing for you.
Do I need a visa for Argentina?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay in Argentina, and neither do most European, UK and Australian travellers. Check the rules for your own passport before you fly, and make sure it is valid for the length of your stay.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and nothing is charged until then. The small group starts from CAD 4,185 per person sharing, with taxes. Once confirmed, we reserve your penguin landing and send the final itinerary.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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