Falkland Islands travel guide

Getting there

Flights arrive at Mount Pleasant airport near Stanley, mainly via a weekly service from Chile (Punta Arenas) and an air link from the UK. Many visitors also arrive on expedition cruise ships heading to South Georgia and Antarctica.

Best time to visit: Oct–Mar – southern summer, with long days and penguin breeding season.

Tougher months: May to August – winter is cold, dark and windy, many penguins leave and tourist services are limited.

Weather by month in Stanley

• 14°J●
• 14°F●
• 12°M●
• 9°A●
• 7°M●
• 5°J●
• 4°J●
• 5°A●
• 7°S●
• 9°O●
• 11°N●
• 13°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Atlantic/Stanley. Compare with your local time.

Source and more: Falkland Islands travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Falkland Islands are based around Stanley, Volunteer Point or Sea Lion Island. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$120–180 for a backpacker and US$250–400 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Falkland Islands page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: G. Voltage: 240 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +500.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Stanley (East Falkland · capital): The small, friendly capital with museums, shipwrecks and harbour views.
• Volunteer Point (East Falkland · wildlife): Home to the islands' biggest king penguin colony, reached by 4x4 across open country.
• Sea Lion Island (Outer island · wildlife): A compact island packed with elephant seals, penguins and birds of prey.
• Saunders Island (West · wildlife & history): Albatross and rockhopper colonies plus the site of the early British settlement of Port Egmont.
• Carcass Island (West · island farm): A rat-free island with rich birdlife, beaches and a welcoming farm settlement.
• Gypsy Cove (Near Stanley · coastal walk): A short drive from town to see Magellanic penguins and a sheltered sandy cove.

Things to do

• Visit Volunteer Point. Walk among a large king penguin colony on a white-sand beach on East Falkland.
• Explore Stanley. Stroll past colourful tin-roofed houses, the whalebone arch and Christ Church Cathedral.
• See black-browed albatrosses. Watch thousands of albatrosses nesting beside rockhopper penguins on the cliffs of Saunders or West Point Island.
• Tour the Historic Dockyard Museum. Learn about island life, shipwrecks, natural history and the 1982 conflict.
• Stay on a remote farm. Experience 'camp' life with a stay at a sheep farm settlement on an outer island.
• Watch elephant seals on Sea Lion Island. Spot elephant seals, sea lions and gentoo penguins on this small wildlife-rich island.
• Join a battlefield tour. Visit the hills around Stanley with a local guide who explains the history of 1982.
• Go dolphin spotting. Look out for Commerson's and Peale's dolphins playing in the waves near the coast.

Source: full Falkland Islands guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Falklands lamb – local farm-raised meat
• Patagonian toothfish – rich, white local fish
• Smoko – tea break with homemade cakes
• Diddle-dee jam – jam made from local wild berries

Source: RoamSun Falkland Islands guide

Money and safety

Currency: Falkland Islands pound (FKP). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not expected; small tips for guides are welcome..

Emergency numbers: 999.

• The currency is the Falkland Islands pound, at par with the British pound; sterling is also accepted.
• Cards are accepted in many Stanley businesses, but there are few ATMs, so bring enough cash.
• The islands are very safe, with extremely low crime.
• Driving off-road across camp is common but tricky – travel with experienced local drivers and leave gates as you find them.

Source: RoamSun Falkland Islands facts