Plan your

Trip

How to get there?

We are located in Punta Arenas. It is best to stay here at least 1 night before your trip and ideally the night upon arrival.

Here's how to get to Punta Arenas from different locations:

From Santiago

Daily flights to Punta Arenas airport (3-4 hours). From there to the city center it is only 20 km and you can take shared transfers or taxi.

From Puerto Natales

High frequency of buses or taxis (approx. 3 hours).

From Torres del Paine

Daily buses (am and pm) to Puerto Natales (2 to 3 hours). In Puerto Natales connection to Punta Arenas.

From Ushuaia (ARG)

Two buses a day from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas (12 hours). Some require a connection in Río Grande (ARG).

From El Calafate (ARG)

Two buses a day from El Calafate to Puerto Natales (5 hours). In Puerto Natales there is a connection to Punta Arenas.

What to bring?

For everyone's comfort, we recommend traveling as light as possible on the excursion. Please leave your extra luggage at your accommodation in Punta Arenas if possible.

As the camp is built on wooden walkways and platforms, it is not advisable to bring a suitcase, you will prefer to bring a backpack or bag.

Clothes

Patagonian fjords are characterized by their frequent cold, humid and windy weather - even in summer. You should bring clothing to protect yourself from the cold and rain. We have provided some recommendations above.

Warm, waterproof clothing, ideally in layers
Hat, gloves and scarf
Extra clothes
Sturdy shoes with non-slip soles, ideally waterproof and comfortable
Comfortable shoes for camping weather

Health and hygiene

Sunscreen and sunglasses
Personal hygiene items
Medicines and first aid kit
Possible medications for dizziness

Other

Headlamp
Small daily backpack for excursions
Binoculars
notebook
camera if you have and want

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Will we be picked up at our accommodation or do we have to go to the Whalesound office?

We will pick up passengers at their respective accommodations as long as they are within the city's urban radius. At the end of the trip, we will also drop them off at their respective locations.

I'm traveling alone, do I need to pay for the entire Dome?

By paying the price of a regular tour you are entitled to occupy a bed in a double Dome. Depending on the size of the group and its composition you will have to share the Dome with another passenger or you will be able to be alone. If you want to guarantee being alone you will have to pay for the entire dome, unless there is availability on the trip.

What languages does the guide speak?

Our guides speak English and Spanish. If you need to speak another language, you will have to request it and this will have an extra charge.

What time does the tour depart on the first day?

Pick-up usually starts between 7:00 and 7:30. However, depending on weather conditions we might set sail earlier or even the night before.

The exact time will be confirmed and communicated the day before departure. Please plan your trip to Punta Arenas in advance and check your contact email that was provided to us after booking for any updates.

What time will we be back at the end of the excursion in Punta Arenas?

We are usually back in Punta Arenas between 18:00 and 19:00.

Please plan your departure from the city at least for the following day. For tours of 4 or more days it is better to leave one day to explore the city after the final day of the tour (we may be late in returning in case of bad weather).

paulinehogg8

2024-01-29

Incredible experience seeing so many whales and staying in the eco-camp - everyone was so very helpful and welcoming This trip far exceeded our expectations in every respect. We were collected from our hotel in Punta Arenas and met the rest of the group. Our guide, Connie, explained how we would board MV Tanu and the crew handled all our bags on board and ferried us to the steps in a dinghy. Tanu is like a tardis and appears small from the outside but has lots of room inside to sit at a table to eat, to lie down and sleep, or to sit upstairs looking out of the windows. There is also outside areas to watch wildlife or enjoy the breeze!! We were served lunch on board and were amazed at how good the food was with such limited facilities. The crew could not do enough to make us welcome and comfortable and coffee was permanently available and cakes in the afternoon. When we arrived near Carlos 111 island, there were several humpbacks and various seabirds around which we watched for a while before landing on the island. Everyone one board was very knowledgeable about what we were seeing. The eco pods are incredible structures with log burners inside lit by the crew when we were at dinner and kept the place very toasty and cosy. Dinner was again incredibly good and accompanied by pisco sours and several bottles of wine. We had a wonderful group of people who all got on very well and we just never stopped laughing. The Captain, Simon, did a lot of the cooking and made sure everyone had plenty to eat and drink and were entirely happy. On the middle day, we did not join the group who went to a glacier and penguin colony as well as more whales. We went walking on the island instead and Simon was very helpful in dropping us off and collecting us from a bay nearer where we wanted to walk. The whole trip was wonderful. The only downside was the plumbing on the island which did not always work meaning not only could we not have a hot shower, but could not flush the toilets. But this did not detract from the enjoyment of the whole trip. We will go again.

Rodrigoviajero

2023-07-12

Algo que debes hacer al menos 1 vez en la vida Viajamos junto a mi esposa en el 2010. Todo se combinó para resultar: disponibilidad, tiempo y sobre todo buen clima. Tomamos el programa de 6 días 5 noches, que incluía en esa oportunidad una noche en faro Sn Isidro y las restantes en los domos. La experiencia es algo maravilloso. Vivir en ese ambiente donde todos están en búsqueda de ver esos tremendos y frágiles animales es impagable. Después de 13 años aún tenemos frescos los recuerdos de cada día navegando en búsqueda de las ballenas, cómo se presentaban, cómo se sumergían frente a nosotros es una experiencia que cada vez que tenemos la oportunidad de contarlo rememoramos cada minuto en el campamento. El servicio de los guías, el conocimiento, la camaradería son el agregado que logra que esta experiencia sea algo muy especial.

Thomas Pferdekämper

2023-05-30

Intensives und unvergessliches Meereserlebnis Die Bootsfahrt durch die Magellanstraße und zu den Inseln Carlos III und Santa Ines war ein intensives und unvergessliches Erlebnis. Der enge Kontakt mit den Walen, dem Land und dem Meeresleben machte es zu einem der besten Ausflüge meiner Reise nach Südamerika. Vielen Dank Jonathan & Crew

NCB24

2023-01-25

If you get the chance - do this trip We spent the most amazing three days with Whalesound and their fantastic team Simon, Jonathan, Josselyne, Thierry and Luis. It was the highlight of our trip to Chile. We were blessed with reasonable weather and an incredible number of whale sightings. On two evenings different pairs of whales played alongside our boat for over an hour. They were so close I got a face full of whale blow! They danced in the water performing acrobatics, swam under and around the boat and showed off their flukes. The team are incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about their work and years of experience here helps them find the best sightings. We also saw the glacier up close and heard it creak and crash, saw colonies of sea lions and Magellanic penguins and so many birds. The camp is simple but cosy and the food and wine, and of course pisco sours, delicious. It’s hard to imagine a better experience than this for seeing whales up close and learning about them.

Susanne

2023-01-24

Das ultimative once-in-a-livetime-Erlebnis Wir hatten im Januar 2023 eine wundervolle Tour mit dem Team von whalesound - 3 Tage Magellanstraße, tolle Menschen, sehr viele Wale - teilweise sehr nah - in einer wunderbaren Umgebung. Wir besuchten den St.Inez-Gletscher, sahen sehr viele Tiere und wurden von Jonathan, einem sehr kundigen Meeresbiologen wundervoll begleitet, während Kapitän Simon uns sicher durch die Landschaft fuhr. Das Team ist sehr herzlich, begeistert und begeisternd und richtig gut kochen können sie auch. Die Unterbringung in den Domos, weit abseits jeglicher Zivilisation ist toll. Die Erfahrung war einzigartig und wird uns für immer in nachdrücklicher Erinnerung bleiben. Vielen Dank noch einmal an das Team!

Bjoern H

2022-04-25

A once in a lifetime experience This was a really awesome trip to the Francisco Coloane Marine Parque - we saw a variety of birds, sealions and humpback whales. The crew was extremely motivated and courteous.

Alicia Chapman

2022-01-14

Unforgettable Opportunity to Connect and Support Conservation We spent three days with Whale Sound staying in one of their beautiful eco-domes on Carlos III and cruising around to see humpbacks, sei whales, dolphins, sea lions, and countless rare birds. From being surrounded by so many humpbacks at one point I was spinning in a circle on the deck to try to see them all, to watching huge blocks of ice calve off a glacier and fishing chunks out of the water to chill a New Years toast, the whole experience was magical. The opportunity to review WhaleSound's ID books and assist in their efforts by noting the individual whales we had encountered was an unexpected treat. The staff were incredibly knowledgable and friendly, making sure we stayed well-fed and well-informed. The boat was also very comfortable even when the crossing got a little rough. I highly recommend this tour and supporting the excellent conservation work that the WhaleSound scientists and crew are involved in.

susanL7308PL

2022-01-09

Worth every penny plus some, amazing family trip to see whales This trip was the highlight of our trip to Chile. Seeing whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, penguins, glaciers and more up close was such an amazing adventure for our family. The guide shared so much fascinating information with us as we viewed nature and wildlife, and the captain did an excellent job keeping us safe. He even let our kids pilot the host in a calm area under his supervision which was an incredible treat. The food was fantastic and the staff were amazing. Sleeping in the domes just added to the adventure. If you want to see wildlife in the Magellan Straits and in Francisco Coloane, this is the trip you must do.

Carmen E

2020-04-29

Único e Inolvidable Supimos de esta experiencia por una amiga. Escribimos y logramos un descuento que nos permitió ir. Absolutamente increíble. La observación de ballenas en un paisaje como Magallanes no tiene comparación. Emocionan las ballenas, los bosques milenarios, los pinguinos, lobos, aves, el silencio, las nubes, los glaciares, y mucho más. Una experiencia única que vale la pena vivir. El clima estuvo excelente. La preocupación de los miembros del equipo Whalesound espectacular. Se agradece la oportunidad de haber sido parte de este viaje.

Wolfram Fritsch

2020-01-09

Unvergesslich - absolut empfehlenswert Wir waren samt Kindern drei Tage mit Whalesound unterwegs. In der kleinen Gruppe, von Forschern begleitet und geführt. Wir fühlten uns nie als Touristen sondern wie Teilnehmer einer Expedition. Das nachhaltige Zeltcamp bietet allen Komfort einschliesslich köstlicher Verpflegung und liegt allein auf einer Insel fern aller Zivilisation. Wir sahen Wale, Delfine, Pinguine, Seelöwen, Kondore, Albatrosse u.v.a.m. ausgiebig und aus nächster Nähe. Die Aktivität ist nicht billig und die Überfahrt fordert den Magen, aber es zählt zum Betsen, was ich in den letzten Jahren gemacht habe und ist uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen!