Emblematic Antarctica

Day 1: Overnight in Buenos Aires

Today you will make your own way to the group hotel where you will attend a meet and greet. The remainder of the day will be at your leisure to explore the city as you please.

Day 2: Fly to Ushuaia & Embark

You will have an early start this morning as you have an early breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia. From here you will be transferred to the port where you will embark the ship.

Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

Day 3-4: Crossing the Drake Passage

Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the Zodiac outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience. From the ship’s bridge, you will experience exceptional sailing moments before joining the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.

Day 5-10: Antarctic Peninsula

Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.

Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest Zodiac® outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.

Day 11-12: Crossing the Drake Passage

If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

Day 13: Disembark in Ushuaia & Fly to Buenos Aires

This morning you will arrive back in Ushuaia following what is sure to be an unforgettable experience in Antarctica. Following disembarkation you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Buenos Aires.

• Overnight stay in Buenos Aires the day before embarkation
• Transfer from your hotel to the airport on day 2
• Return flights (Buenos Aires / Ushuaia / Buenos Aires) and airport taxes
• Accommodation on board
• Bilingual French/English expedition team
• Activities/shore excursions as specified 
• Lectures and presentations by expedition leaders and naturalist staff 
• Complimentary polar parka for you to keep
• Waterproof boots on loan 
• All meals during the voyage 
• Captain’s welcome cocktail and gala dinner
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages - house wine, champagne and beer
• Park entry fees into protected areas
• Port charges

• International airfares 
• Transfer to Buenos Aires hotel from airport
• Arrival/departure taxes or reciprocity fees, visa fees where applicable 
• Travel insurance
• Gratuities
• Any items not mentioned as included
• Optional activities

*Please note voyages are subject to ice and weather conditions. The itineraries described for expedition voyages illustrate possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed.