Your itinerary
Day 1
Start Ushuaia, Argentina
This quaint city at the southernmost tip of South America is your gateway to Antarctica. The city itself provides a wide range of shops, cafés, gear shops and restaurants to explore before your voyage. Outside the city, snow-capped mountains and hiking in Tierra del Fuego National Park offer ample adventure activities if you enjoy exploring nature.
Day 2
Embarkation day
Embark in the afternoon, with a journey through the picturesque Beagle Channel. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled and be out on deck, as the channel is home to a wide variety of wildlife including seabirds and seals. Rainbows are common here too, creating a great photographic opportunity to kick off the start to your Antarctic adventure.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 3
Cross the Drake Passage
There are few places in the world as evocative as Antarctica. As we approach the white continent, don’t be surprised if you are overcome by excitement and awe. Much of Antarctica is indescribable and can only be fully appreciated through the human eye.
Our first sightings will be from the ship itself. The captain and expedition team keep their eyes out for whales and seabirds, and will alert us to any sightings. Our team of expert lecturers also provide in-depth explanations of the geology, history and wildlife of the region.
Even more exciting are our daily excursions to land. Walking up to a beach dotted with penguins and seals is the most intimate way to experience the unique wildlife of Antarctica. Each landing is different and weather dependent, but every day presents new sightings and photo opportunities. We may take a Zodiac cruise in search of whales and icebergs in Pleneau Island one day, followed by a hike to a chinstrap rookery the next day. From the booming shot of a calving glacier at Petermann Island to the complete silence of night in Antarctica, each day offers exciting opportunities.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 4
Cross the Drake Passage
There are few places in the world as evocative as Antarctica. As we approach the white continent, don’t be surprised if you are overcome by excitement and awe. Much of Antarctica is indescribable and can only be fully appreciated through the human eye.
Our first sightings will be from the ship itself. The captain and expedition team keep their eyes out for whales and seabirds, and will alert us to any sightings. Our team of expert lecturers also provide in-depth explanations of the geology, history and wildlife of the region.
Even more exciting are our daily excursions to land. Walking up to a beach dotted with penguins and seals is the most intimate way to experience the unique wildlife of Antarctica. Each landing is different and weather dependent, but every day presents new sightings and photo opportunities. We may take a Zodiac cruise in search of whales and icebergs in Pleneau Island one day, followed by a hike to a chinstrap rookery the next day. From the booming shot of a calving glacier at Petermann Island to the complete silence of night in Antarctica, each day offers exciting opportunities.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 5
Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands
Icebergs are the first attractions that welcome you to Antarctica. Massive floating bergs become more common as you get closer to land and you catch your first glimpse of the Peninsula, with its grand snow-covered mountains. In addition to spotting icebergs, you’ll likely spot adélie penguins chilling on ice floes and minke or humpback whales feeding and swimming in the frigid waters.
As soon as possible, the Zodiacs will be readied for your first landing in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. Experiencing this immense wilderness up close for the first time can be a numbing experience. The silence is great, the vastness is even greater. Thankfully the noisy locals – penguins and seals – are there to remind you that this wonderful landscape isn’t just a dream.
Your expedition team will monitor the ice and weather conditions to determine which landing sites can be visited. With many sites to choose from, each expedition presents new opportunities for exploring by Zodiac and land. Swimming in Antarctica is perhaps the most adventurous option to tempt you, by taking a Polar plunge in the water at Neko Harbour!
A typical day in this wildlife wonderland will be spent listening to calving glaciers at Petermann Island, watching penguins waddle around a beach, or taking a hike atop a hill for a panoramic view of Port Lockroy. Whatever you prefer, the photographic opportunities are endless.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 6
Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands
Icebergs are the first attractions that welcome you to Antarctica. Massive floating bergs become more common as you get closer to land and you catch your first glimpse of the Peninsula, with its grand snow-covered mountains. In addition to spotting icebergs, you’ll likely spot adélie penguins chilling on ice floes and minke or humpback whales feeding and swimming in the frigid waters.
As soon as possible, the Zodiacs will be readied for your first landing in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. Experiencing this immense wilderness up close for the first time can be a numbing experience. The silence is great, the vastness is even greater. Thankfully the noisy locals – penguins and seals – are there to remind you that this wonderful landscape isn’t just a dream.
Your expedition team will monitor the ice and weather conditions to determine which landing sites can be visited. With many sites to choose from, each expedition presents new opportunities for exploring by Zodiac and land. Swimming in Antarctica is perhaps the most adventurous option to tempt you, by taking a Polar plunge in the water at Neko Harbour!
A typical day in this wildlife wonderland will be spent listening to calving glaciers at Petermann Island, watching penguins waddle around a beach, or taking a hike atop a hill for a panoramic view of Port Lockroy. Whatever you prefer, the photographic opportunities are endless.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 7
Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands
Icebergs are the first attractions that welcome you to Antarctica. Massive floating bergs become more common as you get closer to land and you catch your first glimpse of the Peninsula, with its grand snow-covered mountains. In addition to spotting icebergs, you’ll likely spot adélie penguins chilling on ice floes and minke or humpback whales feeding and swimming in the frigid waters.
As soon as possible, the Zodiacs will be readied for your first landing in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. Experiencing this immense wilderness up close for the first time can be a numbing experience. The silence is great, the vastness is even greater. Thankfully the noisy locals – penguins and seals – are there to remind you that this wonderful landscape isn’t just a dream.
Your expedition team will monitor the ice and weather conditions to determine which landing sites can be visited. With many sites to choose from, each expedition presents new opportunities for exploring by Zodiac and land. Swimming in Antarctica is perhaps the most adventurous option to tempt you, by taking a Polar plunge in the water at Neko Harbour!
A typical day in this wildlife wonderland will be spent listening to calving glaciers at Petermann Island, watching penguins waddle around a beach, or taking a hike atop a hill for a panoramic view of Port Lockroy. Whatever you prefer, the photographic opportunities are endless.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 8
Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands
Icebergs are the first attractions that welcome you to Antarctica. Massive floating bergs become more common as you get closer to land and you catch your first glimpse of the Peninsula, with its grand snow-covered mountains. In addition to spotting icebergs, you’ll likely spot adélie penguins chilling on ice floes and minke or humpback whales feeding and swimming in the frigid waters.
As soon as possible, the Zodiacs will be readied for your first landing in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. Experiencing this immense wilderness up close for the first time can be a numbing experience. The silence is great, the vastness is even greater. Thankfully the noisy locals – penguins and seals – are there to remind you that this wonderful landscape isn’t just a dream.
Your expedition team will monitor the ice and weather conditions to determine which landing sites can be visited. With many sites to choose from, each expedition presents new opportunities for exploring by Zodiac and land. Swimming in Antarctica is perhaps the most adventurous option to tempt you, by taking a Polar plunge in the water at Neko Harbour!
A typical day in this wildlife wonderland will be spent listening to calving glaciers at Petermann Island, watching penguins waddle around a beach, or taking a hike atop a hill for a panoramic view of Port Lockroy. Whatever you prefer, the photographic opportunities are endless.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 9
Disembarkation and fly to Punta Arenas
As the ship turns north, say goodbye to the penguins, as well as many of your shipmates. With only the Drake Passage ahead, you’ll disembark and enjoy a bit of time on King George Island before flying off to Punta Arenas, Chile. Once you’re in Punta Arenas, we transfer you from the airport to your hotel, where you’re free to explore and enjoy a final dinner out.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 10
End Punta Arenas
After breakfast, you are welcome to continue your own travels or make your way to the Punta Arenas airport for your homeward flights.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Food
All meals while on the ship are included.
Typical meals
The ship’s galley offers good-quality service and cuisine throughout, with excellent chefs preparing international menus, including vegetarian dishes. If there is one constant on board, it is that you’ll enjoy delicious meals. While meal times may change due to landings and wildlife sightings, you’ll always be served three well-prepared meals per day. Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this adventure – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared.
Breakfast: Buffet style – unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal.
Lunch: Three-course set meal or the occasional buffet or barbecue.
Dinner: Three courses with a starter of soup, salad or anti-pasto, a choice of three mains with at least one vegetarian and one seafood option and a dessert of sweet pudding or ice cream or fruit, tea and coffee.
Drinks: Complimentary coffee, tea, cocoa and water stations are available around the clock, while soft drinks and juices are available during meals and when the bar is open—all included in the cost of your package. Enjoy complimentary select beer, wines and select cocktails during bar service hours and dinner as part of the “Raise a Glass and Stay Connected Free” program. Premium wines and champagne are available at extra cost and can be billed to your shipboard account. The well-stocked bars on the ship are open late morning, afternoon and evening, though hours may occasionally change to accommodate the expedition schedule.
Beagle Channel Sailaway from Ushuaia
Cruise the famed strait as you cruise the Beagle Channel, flanked by snow-shouldered Fuegian peaks and islets alive with seabirds. Step out on deck to watch for seals and cormorants, and keep an eye out for rainbows arcing over the water when sunlight meets spray—an early reward for photographers.
Named for HMS Beagle, this channel has long linked Patagonia to the Southern Ocean. Passing beacon lights and kelp-fringed shores sets an expeditionary tone before open waters, with the scent of brine and the wind’s hush introducing Antarctica’s scale.
Drake Passage Wildlife Watch & Polar Lectures
Embrace open ocean as you join naturalist-led deck watches for albatross, petrels, and surfacing whales. Between sightings, attend expert presentations on wildlife, exploration history, and ice, building a deeper lens through which to view the White Continent.
Crossing the Antarctic Convergence reveals a living boundary where currents and temperatures shift, drawing nutrient-rich waters and abundant life. Learn why these seas shaped legendary voyages, and pause for photos and reflection each time a vast wingspan skims the swell.
Zodiac Cruise Among Icebergs at Pleneau Island
Slip into sheltered waters as you launch by Zodiac through the labyrinth of the Pleneau Island “iceberg graveyard”. At water level, blue-veined sculptures tower around you; seals may rest on floes while terns trace silver arcs overhead.
Shaped by wind, current, and time, these stranded bergs reveal the architecture of ancient snow. Guides interpret textures, melt pools, and fracture lines, inviting you to pause for photos and reflection amid cathedral-still air and the soft crackle of brash ice.
Shore Landing at Penguin Rookeries
Step ashore to visit chinstrap and gentoo penguin rookeries on beaches dusted with snow and volcanic pebbles. Follow staff-led routes to observe courtship calls, pebble-stealing antics, and fluffy chicks while keeping respectful distances under IAATO guidelines.
These colonies thrive in a realm of ice and light, where katabatic winds carry the echoing cracks of shifting ice. Learn how krill, currents, and sea ice drive penguin life cycles as you frame portraits against white ridgelines and steel-blue sea.
Hike to Panoramic Viewpoints above Port Lockroy Bay
Climb a snow-swept ridge to hike to a ridge above Port Lockroy, where glaciers pour to tidewater and bergs drift past Goudier Island. This vantage frames Port Lockroy—a sheltered bay once central to Antarctic science and maritime history.
Learn how the historic British Base A supported early research and mapping in the mid-20th century, and why today the surrounding gentoo colony is carefully monitored. The scene blends human stories with stark alpine drama—perfect for wide-angle panoramas.
Petermann Island Glacier & Wildlife Encounter
Disembark to explore Petermann Island, home to mixed penguin colonies and skuas patrolling the sky. Find a perch and listen for the boom of calving ice from nearby glaciers while watching for whales spouting offshore between bergs.
Named after a 19th-century German geographer, Petermann’s low dome and rocky coves offer intimate wildlife moments and instructive geology. Guides highlight mosses and lichens, pathways of fresh snowfall, and the delicate web that binds predators, penguins, and planktonic life.
Polar Plunge at Neko Harbour
Brace yourself to take the Polar Plunge in the chill of Neko Harbour, a natural amphitheatre of ice and stone. Under the team’s supervision, dash into the icy Southern Ocean and surface to the roar of glaciers and the cheers of shipmates.
This quick, exhilarating dip is an expedition tradition and a personal milestone. Warm layers and hot drinks await back on board, along with a heady sense of accomplishment and a story to share.
King George Island Walk among Antarctic Research Stations
Go ashore to walk on King George Island, the gateway of the South Shetlands. Stroll gravel tracks skirting Fildes Bay, with views toward Chile’s Eduardo Frei Base and Russia’s Bellingshausen Station, while kelp gulls and sheathbills patrol the shoreline.
This low-lying island reveals Antarctica’s human footprint—airstrips, antennas, and weathered buildings—set against pebble beaches and frost-sculpted mosses. Guides outline international cooperation and seasonal science here before you continue your northbound journey.
Scenic Flight over the Drake Passage to Punta Arenas
Conclude your expedition as you board a charter flight and fly over the Drake Passage, tracing the route of great capes in a fraction of the time. Watch the South Shetland Islands fall away before the ochre plains of Patagonia appear.
This swift aerial crossing links polar silence to Chilean bustle, underscoring Antarctica’s remoteness and scale. Touch down in Punta Arenas with fresh perspective and the rhythm of the Southern Ocean still in your ears.
