Punta Arenas city tour with Magallanes National Reserve walk

Walk through Punta Arenas from the strait views down to the colonial heart

This tour combines a one-hour walk through Magallanes National Reserve (where native calafate, romerillo and michay shrubs grow alongside roughly 200 species of herbs and plants) with stops at Punta Arenas' key landmarks: the Plaza Muñoz Gamero, Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint overlooking the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego, and the Magallanes Regional Museum housed in the Sara Braun Palace. A guide leads the route in English, Spanish or French, and an air-conditioned vehicle moves between stops. The tour runs roughly four and a half hours and requires a minimum of two passengers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Punta Arenas and Magallanes Reserve

• Walk in Magallanes National Reserve
• Visit Plaza Muñoz Gamero
• Climb Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint
• Tour Sara Braun Palace

The experience

The reserve walk anchors the morning. You spend an hour on a path through native forest where the vegetation shifts with the seasons: spring brings colorful blooms across the herb layer, and the shrubs stay year-round. The guide points out the plants that define Patagonian scrub: calafate (which produces small dark berries), romerillo, michay, and sarsaparilla woven through a carpet of around 200 smaller species. This is not a manicured garden. It is the landscape that covers the region, and the walk lets you stand inside it rather than pass through it on a road.

From there the tour moves into the city proper. Cerro de la Cruz sits at the top of Fagnano street, a short climb that opens a panoramic view across Punta Arenas: the multicolored roofs of the city, the Strait of Magellan stretching toward Tierra del Fuego, Mount Sarmiento in the distance, and a signpost marking distances to cities around the world. Plaza Muñoz Gamero, also called Plaza de Armas, is the formal center of the city and was declared a Typical Zone in 1991. It anchors the grid of colonial streets and faces the Sara Braun Palace, a French-designed mansion built between 1895 and 1905 and now the Magallanes Regional Museum. The palace itself is a historical monument, and the museum holds the city's regional history.

An air-conditioned vehicle carries you between the reserve, the viewpoint and the city stops. Your guide speaks English, Spanish or French and moves at a pace that lets you absorb each location. The whole route takes roughly four and a half hours. Pickup is included if you book a private tour. Regular group tours depart from a central point in the city.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the route.
• live guide in your choice of English, Spanish or French.
• one-hour walk through Magallanes National Reserve with flora and fauna.
• entry to the Magallanes Regional Museum in the Sara Braun Palace.
• stops at Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint and Plaza Muñoz Gamero.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private ToursGuide in English, Spanish or French · 08:30 and 11:00The price depends on the pickup, which is included

Forest Reserve Regular ToursGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30 and 11:00Regular tours lasting 4 hours, using a Sprinter vehicle for 16 passengers; pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 11:00

AgesAdult (18 to 59 years) · Senior (60 to 85 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 13.25

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TOURS PUNTA ARENAS

Is this one for you?Choose the private tour option if you want hotel pickup included and a flexible pace through the reserve and city stops. The regular group tour suits travelers who prefer to meet at a central point and share the experience with other visitors. Either way, the walk through the reserve is the core of the morning, so book this tour if you want to stand inside Patagonian native forest rather than view it from a distance.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What can I see on the one-hour walk through Magallanes National Reserve?

The reserve walk passes through native Patagonian forest where calafate, romerillo, michay and sarsaparilla shrubs grow alongside roughly 200 species of herbs and plants that bloom colorfully in spring. The guide explains the vegetation and the landscape that covers the region.

What is the view like from Cerro de la Cruz?

Cerro de la Cruz sits above the city and opens a panoramic view across Punta Arenas' multicolored roofs, the Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego Island, Mount Sarmiento, and the Brunswick peninsula. A signpost at the viewpoint marks distances to cities around the world.

What is inside the Sara Braun Palace?

The Sara Braun Palace, built between 1895 and 1905 by French architect Numa Mayer and declared a historical monument in 1981, now houses the Magallanes Regional Museum. It faces Plaza Muñoz Gamero in the center of the city.

How does pickup work on this tour?

Private tours include hotel pickup in Punta Arenas. Regular group tours depart from a central meeting point in the city. A minimum of two passengers is required for the tour to run.