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Pumas, Penguins & Whales; Wildlife Tour

Meet three of Patagonia's most incredible creatures on this fantastic 11 day tour, led by hand-picked specialist wildlife guides and trackers. Spot the elusive puma in Torres del Paine, marvel at breaching humpback whales in remote fjords and hang out on Tierra del Fuego with the only king penguin colony in South America.

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Pumas, Penguins & Whales; Wildlife Tour

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Trip type

Cruise

Trip length

11 Days

From

$8,998

Location

Multi-location

Pumas, Penguins & Whales; Wildlife Tour - 11 Days - $8,998

Trip Summary and Itinerary Map

Day 1: Transfer to Torres del Paine National Park; Hotel El Ovejero

Days 2, 3 & 4: Puma tracking at Amarga Lagoon; Hotel El Ovejero

Day 5: Transfer to Punta Arenas; Hotel Diego de Almagro

Day 6: Tierra del Fuego King Penguin Reserve; Hosteria Yendegaia

Day 7: Porvenir; Ferry to Punta Arenas; Hotel Diego de Almagro

Day 8: Boat trip to Carlos III Island; Eco Camp Carlos III

Day 9: Watching humpback whales; Eco Camp Carlos III

Day 10: Transfer to Punta Arenas; Hotel Diego de Almagro

Day 11: Transfer to Punta Arenas Airport

Start from Punta Arenas and end at Punta Arenas

Landmarks visited on Pumas, Penguins & Whales; Wildlife Tour

Operator's Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Torres del Paine National Park; Hotel Las Torres

After meeting your guide in Punta Arenas, either at your hotel or at the airport, you will be transferred in a private vehicle to the Torres del Paine National Park. During your journey to the park, we'll stop to try to find guanacos, southern grey foxes, and Patagonian skunks while enjoying the first of the southern beech (Nothofagus) forests. In the valleys, we'll be given a geological introduction to the origins of the Torres del Paine – one of the most iconic sights in Patagonia.

Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hotel El Ovejero, or similar, Torres del Paine


Days 2,3 & 4: Puma tracking at Amarga Lagoon; Hotel Las Torres

There will be a busy schedule of dawn 'til dusk searches for pumas in this area. We'll inspect the known puma hunting grounds in the east of the park. The area bounded by the north coast of Lake Sarmiento Lake, Amarga Lagoon and Azul Lagoon is well-known for having one of the largest populations of pumas in the wild.

February through to April is a particularly good time to spot them as the females are actively hunting to provide food for their growing cubs. At this time of year, they are not active just by night, but also during the twilight hours. To see a female puma and her large cubs against this stunning mountain backdrop is one of the most impressive wildlife spectacles. In the company of your guide and puma tracker, you will attempt to spot puma family groups at a respectful distance with the help of binoculars and spotting scopes.

If you have time, you'll also have the chance to look for other mammals including the ubiquitous guanaco, the local Andean deer or huemul, Patagonian hog-nosed skunk and the two canine species present in the park, chilla and culpeo foxes.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hotel El Ovejero, or similar, Torres del Paine


Day 5: Transfer to Punta Arenas; Hotel Diego de Almagro

During the morning we'll continue exploring different areas of the park including Azul Lagoon, on the eastern side of the park, from where we'll have fantastic views. This will be a fitting finale to this part of your adventure.

Later, you'll be transferred to Punta Arenas.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Diego de Almagro or similar, Punta Arenas


Day 6: Tierra del Fuego King Penguin Reserve; Hosteria Yendegaia

We'll start our journey with a private transfer from your hotel to the ferry dock at north of Punta Arenas. At around 9am we'll begin our 2hr crossing of the mythic waters of the Straits of Magellan; these world-famous seaways are very rich in exploration history. Magellan, Drake, Cavendish, Bougainville, Fitz Roy and Darwin, among several other sailors and explorers, surveyed this region, often in extremely harsh and dangerous conditions.

We'll see an interesting array of seabirds, including black-browed albatross, southern giant petrel, southern fulmar, imperial cormorant, dolphin gull and South American tern. We're also highly likely to see interesting marine mammals such as pods of Peale's dolphin and inquisitive South American sea lions.

As soon as we land you will notice that the landscape on this part of Tierra del Fuego is dominated by flat wind-swept steppes, with tussock grasses and low shrubs, and interspersed with rolling hills. After meeting our local guide and driver, we'll stop at the town of Porvenir, visiting a pioneer home, our lovely and cozy hotel, Hosteria Yendegaia. Here we'll have coffee or tea with snacks and will have the opportunity to relax for a short while.

From here we'll drive for approximately 2hrs along the shore of Useless Bay where we can expect to see a huge variety of wildlife including guanaco, southern grey fox, the ubiquitous upland goose, Chilean flamingo and a wide diversity of waterfowl and shorebirds. At sea we might see albatrosses, petrels, gulls and skuas patrolling the choppy waters of the bay.

At King Penguin Park we'll have a short introduction on how best to visit and approach the king penguins. This is a private nature reserve which aims to preserve the small numbers of king penguins that visit the area and even remain here year-round, taking advantage of the excellent feeding opportunities in the surrounding seas. We'll have plenty of opportunity to observe and photograph the penguins from a reasonable distance – the maximum approach distance will be given by the guide and must be respected at all times during your visit.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hosteria Yendegaia or similar, in Porvenir 


Day 7: Porvenir; Ferry to Punta Arenas; Hotel Diego de Almagro

Spend a relaxing morning exploring the surroundings of Porvenir to photograph and learn about the native wildlife and history of this remote region of Patagonia. We'll visit alkaline pools, home to large groups of migratory birds such as sandpipers and plovers, but the goal will be to photograph Chilean flamingos. Later we'll explore the coast to see some of the numerous shipwrecks that have occurred in these seas over the years.

After lunch we'll board the ferry and sail back across the Strait of Magellan to Punta Arenas. By taking the short ferry at Punta Delgada we'll have great chances of seeing the striking Commerson's dolphin, plus other interesting wildlife.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Diego de Almagro or similar, Punta Arenas


Day 8: Boat trip to Carlos III Island; Eco Camp Carlos III

Early in the morning we'll board the motor yacht 'Tana' for a fascinating 8hr journey which starts with us sailing towards the Francisco Coloane Marine Park. This magnificent park protects the marine biodiversity of the western branch of the Strait of Magellan and includes Carlos III Island which harbours a vast and unique biological diversity. This is due, in part, to the mixing of the two oceans (Pacific and Atlantic) which produce the upwelling, the strong winds, the presence of glaciers and the dismembered coastline.

This park is also home to a summer population of humpback whales and occasionally sei whale and orca which use these waters as feeding grounds.

We'll spend the night in comfortable twin-bedded domes at Eco Camp Carlos III at the Biological Station. We'll have shared bathroom facilities at this location.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Eco Camp Carlos III, Carlos III Island


Day 9: Watching humpback whales; Eco Camp Carlos III

Today we'll enjoy 8-10hrs out watching humpback whales, sea lions, fur seals and Magellanic penguins.

We'll start with another humpback whale-watching session aboard our vessel in the morning and if we're lucky, we may see the endemic and scarce Chilean dolphin while sailing these waters.

We'll also visit large breeding colonies of sea lions, fur seals and Magellanic penguins. There will be a lecture by the scientist working on long-term population studies on these whales to explain several tagging and identification techniques. The whole afternoon will be spent watching these whales at close quarters and with no other visitors. This intimate experience will be enhanced by the surrounding beauty of the mountains, glaciers and pristine forests. Please note that wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed but are highly likely during the summer.

We'll spend another night at Eco Camp Carlos III.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Eco Camp Carlos III, Carlos III Island


Day 10: Transfer to Punta Arenas; Hotel Diego de Almagro

After enjoying the diversity of marine mammals and seabirds of this park, it is time to travel back to San Isidro Lodge. Along the 8hr journey we'll discover the rich diversity of seabirds on these seaways – black-browed albatross, southern giant petrel, Chilean skua and cormorants, as well as pods of Peale's dolphin and the ubiquitous South American sea lion.

If there is enough time, we'll take a trip, equipped with magnifying glasses, to discover the lichen- and moss-rich biodiversity of the sub-Antarctic forests.

During the afternoon we will be transferred back to Punta Arenas for an overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Diego de Almagro or similar, Punta Arenas


Day 11: Transfer to Punta Arenas Airport

After breakfast at the hotel, you'll be transferred to Punta Arenas Airport.

Meals: Breakfast

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What our customers think of Pumas, Penguins & Whales; Wildlife Tour

Pumas, Penguins & Whales; Wildlife Tour trips scored 3.4/5 from 6 reviews

Seeing wild pumas

Travelled: February 2024

Rita -

Having pumas walk within 6 feet of me

Travelled: April 2023

Jonathan -

Puma Tracking was an incredible experience. Our guide Matias was a skilled tracker and knew the animals and their behaviors. He was extremely respectful and knowledgeable of land, flora and fauna. Having Petaca and her cubs approach us on her own and accepting us into her world was very moving and humbling.

Travelled: December 2022

Suzanne -

Getting to see pumas up close!

Travelled: April 2022

Marc -

Carlos III island

Travelled: April 2022

Olga -

Having a mother puma and her 2 cups walking 20’ from us ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Travelled: April 2022

Eike -

Review:

Prices, Departures and Inclusions

The 2023/24 season price is from USD $8,998 per person based on two people sharing a room.

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Trips are guaranteed to depart with a minimum of three people. Maximum group size is seven people.

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Book now to guarantee the same price for the 2024-25 season. We expect the operator's final price to be higher when they confirm their new rates in the coming weeks; book before then and we can guarantee you will not pay more for your trip.

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Please get in touch for more details.

2024

2025

Start date Price (pp)
December 2024
12-Dec-2024 $8,998* Provisional Date Enquire
March 2025
7-Mar-2025 $8,998 Provisional Date Enquire
December 2025
11-Dec-2025 $8,998* Provisional Date Enquire

* Note: Prices are per person. Paid in USD ($) - figure above is based on today's exchange rate. Actual cost $8,998

Additional Notes

Single supplement – For solo travellers there is a single supplement of USD $700

Includes

  • Meals: 10 breakfasts, 10 picnic lunches, 8 dinners
  • Drinking water throughout itinerary
  • Accommodation: 8 nights in hotels, 2 nights in Eco Camp (sleeping bags)
  • Private ground transportation during the tour
  • Boat trips to Francisco Coloane Marine Park
  • Two ferry crossings and all park entrance fees

Excludes

  • Meals not included in the itinerary
  • Drinks during lunch or dinner
  • Any extra/optional excursions
  • Personal equipment (see our recommended kit list)
  • Liners for sleeping bags whilst at Eco Camp (optiional)
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Gratuities/tips
  • International and domestic/in-country flights
  • Any visa, passport and vaccination expenses

Questions about this Trip?