On day 3 and again on day 15, you’ll cross the Drake Passage, where the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans converge. From the aft decks, scan the wake for albatross and petrels riding wind currents, and feel the rhythm of the Southern Ocean swell as the vessel steers a historic route first traced by early explorers.

Out here, the air is salt-sharp and the horizon unbroken. Naturalists help you identify wandering albatross, prions and giant petrels, explaining how these birds navigate vast distances. Between wildlife sightings, pause for photos and reflection—the changing sea states and steel-blue light offer an ever-shifting canvas.

From about day 5, conditions permitting, you’ll join expeditionary landings by Zodiac in the South Shetland Islands. Step ashore on ice-fringed beaches as gentoo and chinstrap penguins bustle between colonies, while fur seals and elephant seals haul out on the shoreline. The scent of guano, briny air and the crackle of brash ice set the scene.

Guides outline the archipelago’s geology and ecology, highlighting how currents and krill blooms shape the food web. You’ll pause for photos and reflection beside crystalline bergs and blue-glazed seracs, and, when sea and wind allow, continue exploring by Zodiac among icebergs to watch for humpback and minke whales surfacing in mirrored coves.

On day 6 and again around day 13, the ship threads the Gerlache Strait and Penola Strait, fjord-like channels flanked by ice-cloaked peaks. Stand on deck to watch bergs and bergy bits drift past, their sapphire underbellies glowing in calm water as whales surface in glassy bays.

These waterways bear the names of polar pioneers—Adrien de Gerlache in the north and the vessel Penola used by Charcot’s French expeditions. Naturalists interpret tide, light and weather as you capture mirror-calm reflections and listen for the low thunder of calving ice. It’s a photographer’s dream corridor when the wind lays the sea to rest.

On day 8, conditions allowing, you’ll land at Port Charcot on Booth Island, a natural amphitheater of ice and sculpted bergs. Walk carefully among gentoo penguins as they commute along snowy highways, and feel the quiet punctuated by brays, wing-flaps and the clink of shifting ice.

Guides recount the French Antarctic Expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot (1904–1905), whose wintering here left historic traces and a commemorative cairn. If snow and time permit, follow a gentle ridge for a panoramic viewpoint over the iceberg-dotted bay and Penola Strait, an ideal spot to pause for photos and reflection on the human and natural stories embedded in the landscape.

Around day 9, the ship enters Crystal Sound, a realm of pack ice and tabular bergs where light refracts in turquoise bands. If conditions allow, you’ll cross the Antarctic Circle at 66°33′ south—often marked by a deck gathering to toast the moment and celebrate the latitude few travelers ever reach.

On day 10, continue into Marguerite Bay, a vast embayment famed for sea ice, whale feeding grounds and the history of exploration and science. Your Expedition Team points out distant peaks and former research sites while you watch for humpbacks bubble-feeding and seals hauled out on floes. The scale here—ice shelves, mountains, and deep silence—underscores the raw polar environment.

Throughout the voyage—especially during sea days and evenings—you’ll attend expert-led lectures on geology, glaciology, wildlife behavior and polar history. Marine biologists and historians bring the region to life, linking what you’ve seen on shore to Antarctica’s unique ecosystems and the exploits of explorers from Shackleton to Charcot.

Each night, join the daily recap to review sightings, maps and plans for tomorrow, with practical tips on dressing for landings and photography in polar light. These sessions deepen your understanding, helping you recognize seabirds on the Drake, read sea ice, and make the most of day 5–13’s expedition activities.

When conditions permit between roughly day 5 and day 13, join a small group to paddle sea kayaks among bergs and brash ice. From water level, you’ll hear the crackle of ancient ice, watch penguins porpoising, and feel the stillness of coves where even a whisper carries across glassy water.

Guides equip you with dry suits and coach proper techniques before you slip quietly past sculpted ice and shorelines frequented by seals. This experience is at additional cost, capacity is limited, and sign-up is bookable on tour; departures are strictly weather and safety dependent to protect guests and wildlife alike.

Arrive early to explore Buenos Aires with a guided city tour that surveys Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, the cobbles and cafés of San Telmo, color-splashed La Boca, and elegant Recoleta Cemetery, resting place of Eva Perón. Evenings bring the rhythm of tango and parrillas perfuming the air.

This optional extension sets the tone before day 1, adding architectural depth and local flavor to your journey. It is at additional cost and bookable in advance through our team, who can tailor free time for museums like Teatro Colón or riverside strolls in Puerto Madero.

After disembarking in Ushuaia on day 16 and flying back north, extend your time in Buenos Aires to unwind at your own pace. Stroll Palermo’s leafy parks, browse MALBA’s modern art, wander the restored docks of Puerto Madero, and sample Malbec with expertly grilled steak at classic parrillas.

This post-program is at additional cost and bookable on tour or in advance. Our team can arrange curated walks, museum entries, or a quiet evening in a neighborhood café—a warm counterpoint to the ice and silence of the southern latitudes.

Day 2 begins as you board a charter flight south to Ushuaia, gateway to the White Continent. On arrival beneath the Martial Glacier, you’ll embark your hybrid-powered expedition ship, meet the crew and settle into your cabin before exploring the observation decks and lounges.

In the afternoon, meet your Expedition Team for an introduction to life in the high latitudes and attend a mandatory safety and environmental briefing guided by IAATO protocols. Ushuaia, the spirited capital of Tierra del Fuego, frames the moment with serrated peaks and bracing Patagonian air as the ship prepares to get underway for Antarctica.