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Last updated on March 24, 2026
The Falkland Islands might be the best place in the world to see wildlife, not only for the large number of king penguins, gentoo penguins, rockhoppers, elephant seals and sea lions, but because you are likely to come across massive colonies of them and have them all to yourself for hours, even days.
For that, however, you must pass on traveling to the Falkland Islands on a cruise ship and instead travel there independently.
Due to their remoteness and relatively limited infrastructure, however, it is logistically challenging, and planning must be done several months in advance.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know to travel to the Falkland Islands independently.
You will be interested in: How to travel to Svalbard
In this travel guide to the Falkland Islands, you will find:
📰 Introduction: Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas?
The Falkland Islands are a remote archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 400km off the coast of southern Argentina and 1600km from Antartica.
Despite the isolation, they are inhabited by around 3,500 people, most of whom live in the capital, Stanley. The rest of the population is scattered across the territory in small settlements and farmhouses.
From a political perspective, the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory governed by the United Kingdom, but their sovereignty is disputed by Argentina, which refers to them as the Islas Malvinas.
In fact, all Spanish-speaking people refer to them as the Islas Malvinas.
This dispute dates back to the early 19th century, with the end of Argentina’s colonial period. Until then, Spain controlled the islands and, when Argentina declared independence from Spain in 1816, it considered all these territories part of Argentina, including the islands.
In 1829, Argentina formally established a settlement, but in 1833 the British took over the islands, claiming they had had earlier settlements in the 18th century.
They have been controlling the Falklands ever since.
In 1982, Argentina invaded the islands, triggering a 10-week war with the United Kingdom. British forces eventually regained control and the islands have remained under British administration.
While it’s true that the dispute between Argentina and the UK hasn’t been resolved, the status of the Falkland Islands is unlikely to change because Falklanders are British and want to remain part of the UK, as many have been for generations.
🪪 Do you need a visa for traveling to the Falkland Islands?
For traveling to the UK, an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) has been needed since 2025.
However, although the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, they have their own immigration rules, so the ETA doesn’t apply, and most nationalities can enter the Falklands without a visa.
Upon going through immigration at the airport, you will also get a different passport stamp that features some nice penguins.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you are flying from or to the UK with the RAF flight (see how to get there section), you must apply for an ETA.
It costs £16, it’s valid for 2 years and instructions are on this link.
🚑 Travel insurance
Falkland Islands is an adventurous destination, so we recommend going there with proper travel insurance.
I recommend IATI Insurance because:
- Their backpacker plan covers all types of adventure activities, including trekking
- Very competitive prices
- Readers of this blog can get a 5% exclusive discount
✈️ How to get to the Falkland Islands
You can travel to the Falklands either by plane or on a cruise ship.
Since this guide is dedicated to independent travelers, I’ll only talk about how to get there by flight.
For that, you have 2 options.
There’s no international airport as such in the Falkland Islands. Instead, you fly to Mount Pleasant Airport (MPN), which is a Royal Air Force station located 50km from Stanley.
Flying to the Falkland Islands with LATAM Airlines
LATAM Airlines operates one weekly flight (only on Saturdays) from Santiago via Punta Arenas to Mount Pleasant Airport.
This means that if you want to book a return flight from Santiago, you must stay for at least 1 week, or multiples of a week (2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc.).
Flights with LATAM usually cost around 500 USD return.
Please note that flights with LATAM sell out several weeks in advance, sometimes months during the high season, so do book your flight on time.
Flying to the Falkland Islands with the RAF (Royal Air Force)
The only alternative to the LATAM flight from Chile is taking the RAF flight, departing from the UK twice a week.
Inbound: Flights from the UK to the Falkland Islands depart on Wednesday and Sunday.
Outbound: Flights from the Falkland Islands to the UK depart on Tuesday and Friday.
How to book your flight with RAF
RAF flights are not ordinary flights, but they are operated by the military and typically used to transport army personnel and contractors to British Overseas Territories, except that on certain flights they reserve some seats for civilians.
The departure airport for these flights is RAF Brize Norton, located just 30 km west of Oxford. This is not a regular airport but a proper military base, with all the restrictions and security measures it involves, including check-in closing 3 hours before departure and long waiting times.
Booking an RAF flight takes time.
It’s not something you can look up online and pay for with your card. First, you need to contact the Falkland Islands Government Office located in London.
You need to contact them to first see if there’s availability on your desired dates and, if there is, ask for all the booking information.
After sending them several emails, I never received an answer from them, so instead I gave them a call and got the information right away.
Once you receive all the information and send them the respective booking form, they will send you an invoice with a UK account number where you need to make a regular bank transfer.
A return flight costs £2200, very expensive, I know… but if you live in Europe, you don’t have to fly to Santiago. Plus, it’s an experience that also includes a very random 2-hour stopover in Ascension Island, a tiny island used by the army in the middle of the Atlantic.
After transfering the money, it can take weeks for them to confirm your payment and ticket, unless you chase them, preferably by phone, otherwise you may never get an answer.
Once your payment is confirmed, they will send you a PNR number around 3–4 days before departure.
Now, here comes the funniest part: while RAF flights have a fixed default schedule, they rarely depart on time, and updated times and schedules must be checked through the RAF website.
You need to check it regularly because many updates can be posted at the very last minute.
In my case, for example, the flight was supposed to leave at 11 pm from Brize Norton, but only the night before they posted that it would depart 6 hours earlier, at 5 pm instead. It didn’t affect me because I was already in the UK, but if I had decided to fly from Barcelona to London that morning, I would probably have missed the flight.
You can check their flight updates on this link.
🛬 Flight cancellations due to weather
International flights
International flights to the Falkland Islands get delayed all the time due to strong winds.
These delays affect both LATAM and RAF flights.
The good thing about it, however, is that flights rarely get canceled but rather delayed, sometimes for a few hours, other times for one or two days. RAF flights can also depart earlier. In fact, mine departed from the UK 6 hours earlier and they only informed us about it the night before.
It’s important to take that into consideration, lowering your expectations and assuming that your trip could potentially be shortened by 2 days, but it could also be extended by a few days, even if that means missing your flight connections from Chile or the UK.
For that, make sure your travel insurance has a cancellation policy.
Small regional flights
For moving within the Falklands and traveling to the different islands (see the moving around section), people use small flights that act as an air taxi service.
These flights get delayed all the time too, but usually only for a few hours. They rarely get canceled, only a few times per year, apparently. They also fly even with very strong winds.
The reason they don’t get canceled or delayed by days (while the international flights do) is that all international flights operate from the military airport and, of course, those guys have very strict rules and don’t take any chances.
🌥️ Best time to visit the Falkland Islands
The best time to visit the Falkland Islands is during the summer months, from October to March (southern hemisphere).
Outside of those months, the weather will not only be worse but most wildlife will also be gone, which is the reason why many of the lodges on the islands do close in winter.
However, if you are not interested in wildlife but just in sites related to the 1982 war, the Falklands can be visited all year round.
By the way, the weather in the Falklands is also pretty awful in summer. It’s not particularly cold, but it’s extremely windy, very windy, and that’s the reason many RAF and LATAM flights get canceled.
💰 About money in the Falklands
In the Falkland Islands they use the Falkland Islands Pound.
It’s pegged to the British Pound, except that their notes feature penguins and things like that.
British Pounds are accepted anywhere in the Falklands, but I don’t think the other way around.
Using your card in the Falklands
You can pay by card almost anywhere in the Falklands, even in the remote islands where only a few settlers live.
However, some independent local guides may require payment in cash.
There’s only one ATM in the Falkland Islands, and that’s at the gas station in Stanley, just outside the Lookout Lodge, here.
🛺 How to move around the Falkland Islands
Is there public transportation in the Falkland Islands?
No, there isn’t.
How to take small flights between islands
The best way to experience the Falklands is by traveling to any of their several remote islands, which are only accessed by small flights.
FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Air Service) is, let’s say, the airline flying from Stanley to the different islands, but they don’t operate on a fixed schedule. Instead, they schedule flights based on demand, sort of an aerial taxi.
The day before flying, they take all the bookings and build an itinerary based on the number of passengers and destinations.
This means that you will only find out about your flight schedule the day before. Not only that, but due to weather, the flight is usually delayed, plus it can get canceled as well.
How to book your FIGAS flight
The first thing you need to do is book your accommodation on the respective island. Without permission from the family living on and owning the island, you won’t be allowed to get on the plane.
Some islands have one lodge with a couple of rooms, while other islands have self-catering cabins that can accommodate a few travelers.
For more information on accommodation, check the accommodation section.
Once you book your accommodation, you need to send an email to FIGAS at [email protected]
They usually answer pretty fast, but I recommend you make your booking before getting into the Falklands. In my case, I flew to Saunders and Sea Lion Island, making the respective booking around 15 days before the flying time.
As mentioned, the flight schedule will only be released on the day before and, to make things even more funny and interesting, the schedule will only be posted on their Facebook page.
However, as also highlighted, flights often get delayed so, on your flying day, I recommend calling Stanley Airport for the latest updates.
Your hotel/accommodation can certainly help you with that, since they do that every day for their guests.
A flight ticket to any island costs £288 return; that’s the tourist price, and you can pay by card upon checking in.
Renting a car in the Falkland Islands
In the Falklands, it’s possible to rent a 4WD but, do you really need one?
First of all, know that renting a car is expensive, from £150 a day for the most basic 4WD.
Second of all, the best wildlife spots in mainland Falklands reachable from Stanley are off road and very difficult to get to even with a 4WD; only local, experienced drivers can reach them.
Also, you won’t need a car if you are traveling to the islands.
However, if you have one spare day, renting a car can be handy for doing a loop around the island, visiting the war-related sites at your own pace, and also seeing some bigger settlements such as Goose Green and Darwin.
Here are two car companies that were recommended to me:
🏨 Where to stay in the Falkland Islands
Like pretty much everything else, accommodation in Stanley is pretty expensive and limited, especially on the islands.
Here are the places I stayed, plus a few more recommendations.
Where to stay in Stanley
Stanley has a couple of accommodation options, but most people stay at either of the places below.
Malvina House Hotel. That’s the best hotel in the Falklands, costing around £160 a night, depending on the season, I guess. It’s nothing special, just a nice hotel built in a traditional house. It’s the only accommodation in Stanley that offers free unlimited Wi-Fi.
Lookout Lodge. That’s where I stayed, probably the cheapest accommodation on the island but still £75 a night for a single room with a shared bathroom. Still, the facilities are pretty neat, and it includes a very hearty breakfast. The staff is great, extremely helpful, and you’ll be able to hang out with other travelers.
Where to stay in the islands
All the islands in the Falklands are private land, meaning that they belong to one person or a family, who will typically be the only inhabitants on the whole island.
Therefore, it’s up to them whether you are allowed to enter their island or not, but since most of them offer basic accommodation to travelers, all you need to do to ask for permission is to book a room.
Take into account that the number of travelers who can stay on one island is very limited, and that booking months in advance is highly recommended, especially if you travel there from November to January, the high season.
In order to book accommodation, all you have to do is send an email to the owner of the island, who will let you know about prices and availability.
Prices depend on the type of accommodation, whether it’s self-catering or a proper lodge with services, but for example, one night at the lodge on Sea Lion Island costs £250 per person (all meals included), while a basic self-catering cabin costs £100 per person.
Sea Lion Island
This island has the nicest lodge from all the islands.
It’s expensive, £250 per person for non-Falkland residents, but includes all the meals, plus you are 10 minutes walk from elephant seals colonies, penguins, and a large etcetera.
Saunders Island
Saunders is 30 km in length and, outside of the settlement, where only 4 people live, they have 2 different cabins: The Neck and The Rookery.
Which one should you choose?
I stayed at The Neck. It’s more basic, but it’s more isolated. Plus, if you are into trekking, you can do a 20 km hike (return) to a colony of elephant seals. Also, for rockhoppers and albatross, you need to do a fairly steep hike. The Rookery, on the other hand, is more comfortable and the wildlife is just a short walk from the cabin itself.
The cabin at The Neck costs £100 per person. It has 2 rooms with 4 beds in each, one toilet and a shared space, while The Rookery has just 2 twin rooms and is probably more expensive.
Camping is also allowed at The Neck, but remember it can be very cold and windy.
Other islands where you can stay:
I only went to Saunders and Sea Lion but there are many islands where you can stay, all of them offering unlimited wildlife:
💻 Internet in the Falkland Islands
There’s a problem in the Falkland Islands, which is that they will never manage to get fiber-optic internet since, for that, they would need it to pass through Argentina.
Instead, they need to rely on satellite internet, which is really expensive for such a small population.
That’s the reason why most cafés and hotels in Stanley do charge for Wi-Fi, and it’s not cheap.
For example, at the Lookout Lodge, 24 hours of Wi-Fi cost £30. Take into account that that’s 24 hours of actual internet use. If you aren’t using it, you can log out from the website and then it stops counting.
In the two islands I visited, they had Starlink and they didn’t charge any extra for it.
Either way, visiting the Falkland Islands can be a nice opportunity to disconnect from the internet.
Can I use a UK SIM card or an eSIM?
No, they don’t work. You can buy a local SIM but again, they are super expensive.
📍 Things to do in the Falkland Islands: 7-day itinerary
I spent 8 days in the Falklands, and this is the itinerary I followed (sort of).
Many tourists visiting the Falkland Islands – especially Argentinians and British – are highly interested in war-related sites, which include former battlefields, abandoned military arsenals, cemeteries, etc.
I wasn’t very interested in any of that. I did see some things just because they were on my way, but this itinerary strictly focuses on wildlife.
Therefore, my itinerary won’t include any of the above.
Still, I know that at Lookout Lodge, for example, you can book day tours to visit those places, so they can be perfectly added to the itinerary below for the Falklands.
Map of the places to visit in the Falklands
Day 1. Arrival at Mount Pleasant
Your flight into the Falkland Islands may arrive at any time, so let’s just assume you won’t have much time to do anything on that day.
Immigration can take a while, so does the bus ride into town.
Airport transfer by bus must be booked in advance through Penguin Travel (costs £22). Otherwise, you risk not having a seat and being forced to take a taxi, which will cost £££.
Day 2. Stanley and around
I strongly recommend spending your day in Stanley at the beginning of your trip, not at the end, and the reason is very simple.
Both LATAM and RAF flights get delayed very often, sometimes for 1 or 2 days.
I met a group of tourists who missed their trip to Saunders because their LATAM flight was delayed for 24 hours and they had booked their trip to the island on the second day of their trip.
Anyways, just outside of Stanley, no more than 5–6 km away and easily reachable on foot or by taxi, you will find Gipsy Cove, home to a colony of Magellanic penguins.
Just a few kilometers to the east, there’s Gentoo Penguin Colony.
Tour companies charge a few hundred pounds to take you there, but you seriously don’t need any tour company to go there; you can either go on foot or just take a local taxi.
Stanley itself is all right; it has a few pubs. If you want a very local pub where Falklanders go, I recommend The Rose Bar or Victory Bar.
There are also some museums and war-related memorials along the waterfront, where you will also find the post office and a few souvenir shops.
Day 3. Volunteer Point
Volunteer Point has the largest colony of king penguins in the islands, with hundreds of breeding pairs living on a long white-sand beach.
There are also gentoo and Magellanic penguins.
An interesting fact is that Volunteer Point has only been allowed to be visited since 2020. Before that, the area was all mined.
Important: Make sure you visit Volunteer Point on a non-cruise day. Due to its proximity to Stanley, Volunteer Point is a common day trip for cruise passengers, and you don’t want to be there on those days, not only because of the large number of people, but also because they significantly increase the observing distance with the penguins.
How to get to Volunteer Point
It takes about 2 hours to get to Volunteer Point from Stanley. Google Maps shows a road, but don’t trust that, there’s no proper road. They are building one, but it won’t be finished until 2028.
The road ends at Johnson’s Harbour. After that, it becomes an off-road adventure through very difficult terrain where people get stuck all the time, even with a 4WD. That’s why everyone recommends hiring an experienced local driver. A car usually costs around £300, though it might slightly increase if there are additional passengers. Typically, the tour allows you to stay with the penguins for up to 4 hours. This tour can be easily arranged via The Lookout Lodge.
Day 4, 5. Sea Lion Island
Sea Lion Island is probably the island with the largest concentration of fauna, its highlight being the largest colonies of southern elephant seals, but also gentoo, Magellanic and rockhopper penguins.
If you come in November, during the breeding season for elephant seals, you’ll see them in probably hundreds, with lots of males fighting each other and, if you are lucky, you may get to see killer whales (orcas) approaching the shore to feed on the pups.
Still, I went there during the first week of March and I also got to see loads of huge males fighting each other, so I guess any time between October and March is good.
The island also has the best lodge from all the islands which makes your stay super comfortable.
By the way, once you are on the island, you are free to roam around and discover all the corners of the island on your own.
The lodge requires a minimum stay of 2 nights, and they charge £250 per night per person. On top of that, you’ll also have to pay for your flight. The FIGAS flight costs £288 return.
It’s expensive but I genuinely think that the experience is priceless.
Day 5, 6. Saunders Island and back to Stanley
This was my favorite place in the whole Falklands. It has the largest colony of albatross in the world, but it also has the largest colony of gentoo penguins I ever saw, and also loads of rock hoppers and Megallanic.
If you are into walking, the island is also home to several dozens of elephant seals, which you can reach on a 20km hike return from your cabin.
Saunders is a pretty big island (30km in length) today only inhabited by 4 people.
Accommodation in Saunders is self-catering. You can stay at the settlement (more comfortable I guess, but very far from wildlife), at The Rookery or at The Neck.
The Rookery is a 2-room cabin with twin beds. It’s a 5-minute walk from the main albatross colony, and also very close to the rockhopper penguins.
On the other hand, accommodation at The Neck is a bit rougher, with 2 basic rooms with 4 bunk beds in it and a basic shared space with one bathroom. I was there completely by myself, no other flatmates, so couldn’t have been better. From The Neck, you can get to a colony of albatross and rockhopper penguins, but you need to hike a bit up. You are also very close to a small colony of king penguins and literally hundreds and hundreds of gentoo. The spot where the elephant seals are can only be accessed from The Neck.
It takes nearly 1 hour by car to get from the settlement to any of those 2 cabins. Upon landing in Saunders, your host will take you there. You need to have your own food. If you don’t have any food with you, the family from Saunders sell ready to go meals.
Day 7. Departure
Flights out of the Falklands usually depart in the morning. Make sure to book your bus transfer to the airport either through your hotel or Penguin Travel.
💸 How much does a trip to the Falkland Islands cost?
My trip to the Falkland Islands might easily have been the most expensive trip I have ever taken, but in my opinion, the things I experienced have been absolutely priceless to me.
Spending hours and days, just by yourself, in the wilderness, simply observing thousands of rare animals, that’s something you can’t experience anywhere else.
As a summary for one week of travel in the Falkland Islands, doing the above itinerary:
- Flight with RAF: £2200
- 2 nights at Sea Lion Island: £250*2 = £500
- 2 nights at Saunders Island: £100*2
- 2 regional flights: 288*2 = £576
- 3 nights at Lookout Lodge: 75*3 = £225
- Day tour to Volunteer Point: £300
Total: £4000*
*Note that the LATAM flight costs 500 USD return, so costs could be reduced depending on how you get to Chile.
On top of that, you need to add food expenses, of course, but food prices aren’t very different from the UK, and it just depends on where you go. Alcohol, however, is super cheap, with a pint of beer costing around £3.*
❗More information for traveling in Falkland Islands
📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.
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