Need advice on Ushuaia shore options

[edgee]

:confused:Would appreciate advice on two options we are considering in Ushuaia.

 

1. Ship tour of Beagle Channel and National Park combination about 7 hours at cost of $167 per person. or

2. Private tour pre arranged with Latitud Ushuaia in a van of just National Park about 5 hours. Opportunity to do some hiking and take train if we wish (probably not.) Cost $147 per person...leaving a little more time to spend in town.

 

 

 

Which is the better alternative? Are we missing a lot if we miss the Beagle Channel cruise? We also realize that if we just do the park we could probably save money with a cab, but cost is not a major factor in this decision for us. Thanks for any advice offered.

 

Edgee

[Waynetor]

We were there last Dec. There was still snow at the higher levels. We did the train tour. It was nice but not that special. Nice views but did not see much wildlife. If you do your first option you will see more sea life like seals and dolphins. Depends on your other ports and what your priorities are. There are small islands that you pass just before the port that have the seals, I was hoping to see them from the ship but even with binoculars from the ship they were to small to see.

[cwn]

As you say you could rent a cab for the park....we did just that ...had a nice tour at our own pace in the AM, took several hours, then booked the BC cruise for their 2PM trip...all on our own when we got to town. You dock right down town. The town is interesting and very walkable also. Can't remember the cruise boat's name, but it departs from near the dock.

[Fattony]

You don't say how much time you'll have. Presumably not enough time to take the only tour that lets you actually walk on the penguin island (goes by bus from Ushuaia to a ranch near the island, and then by Zodiac to the island itself, where you walk with a guide). You'll be seeing the Beagle Channel from your cruise ship so not sure what else you'll see with your tour. Sea lions? Will you go to the penguin island? The small tour boats from Ushuaia that go to see the penguins dock offshore and you look at the penguins from the boat (you don't disembark). I took a bus from Ushuaia to the park and back (the train looked like an amusement park train to me, but some enjoy it). Saw some nice scenery but little wildlife, in the lower area of the park. Some visitors to Ushuaia go a small glacier above the town (combination or bus or taxi and ski lift or walking). We walked through the town (e.g., historic prison, interesting shops and restaurants).

 

If you want to take one of the short boat tours out of Ushuaia, whether to the sea lions or penguins or elsewhere, you should be able to book one from one of the many vendors that have stalls in the port area. Then you could wait to see what the weather is like and what others are doing. You could also download the appropriate chapter from the Lonely Planet book on Argentina (www.lonelyplanet.com-- "Shop" section), which is what I did (I had an extra day in Ushauaia). Offhand, the two tours you quote sound expensive but without knowing the details, or your interests, can't say for sure. December should still be prime time for penguins (I went in early April), so I'd probably shoot for a tour that took me there (even one of the boat tours if there wasn't enough time for the bus/Zodiac option).

[boomerone]

Don't bother with the wildlife tour in the channel. You'll see birds and seals sitting on a rock that at first glance appears to be covered with snow. It's guano and it's gross! Tha'ts about all that can be said about that one. The "Fin Del Mundo" sign downtown is a good spot for a photo.

[Fattony]

Don't bother with the wildlife tour in the channel. You'll see birds and seals sitting on a rock that at first glance appears to be covered with snow. It's guano and it's gross! Tha'ts about all that can be said about that one. The "Fin Del Mundo" sign downtown is a good spot for a photo.

 

This sounds like it refers to the tour that takes you to one of the small islands near Ushuaia, where you can walk around, not the tours that take you close to some of the other islands where there are sea lions (if you don't go ashore, why would you worry about guano-- which I've seen in bird nesting areas around the world), or the ones that go close to the penguin island. There is a small town (Puerto Williams), on the Chilean side of the channel, that is further south than Ushuaia, but Ushuaia claims it's the furthest south city in the world. Plus it gets a lot more tourists than Puerto Wiliams. There is a sign in the national park, close to where the busses stop I believe, that marks the end of the Transamerica Highway. You might want to have King crab in Ushuaia. I didn't, since it cost so much. Had local lamb, instead.

 

Note that Ushauaia's streets can be steep, like San Francisco's, so wear good shoes, and stick to the port area or use a bus or taxis if you have restricted mobility.

[Solarte01]

We are going to be there in January and have booked a pengiun tour through Pira Tours. They go to the island with the penguin rookery and you can actually get off the boat and walk the island (guano and all!). Since our cruise arrival and departure times do not match up with their normal times, they have added a special departure time for us. I believe it is 6 hours on tour for $72 US.