Your itinerary
Day 1
Start Ushuaia, Argentina
Your gateway for this expedition is Ushuaia, Argentina. Within the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Ushuaia has a small-town feel yet boasts many shops, museums, cafes and restaurants that you can enjoy before your voyage. If you’re feeling adventurous, the nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park and Martial Glacier offer plenty of outdoor activities, such as hiking.
Day 2
Board the Ocean Explorer
As you embark, the anticipation grows. Trade your land legs for sea legs, meet and greet your fellow travellers and get acquainted with your ship. Since every Antarctic adventure presents new opportunities and experiences, embarkation day is just as exciting for your expedition team as it is for you. On board, your team is there both to ensure your comfort and safety as well as help make your wildlife dreams come true.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 3
Enjoy a day at sea, travelling to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Your days at sea are filled with presentations led by your expedition team on photography, wildlife, glaciology, and history.
In between presentations, spend time on deck looking for wildlife or chatting with your shipmates over a drink at the bar.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 4
Arrive at the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Upon your arrival, your camera gets its first real workout capturing the abundant wildlife and rugged feel of this sub-Antarctic region. The archipelago contains two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, which you explore on daily excursions.
Stanley, also known as Port Stanley, is often a favoured landing site, as the town offers a unique British outpost feel, complete with eclectic charm. You’re free to explore, grab a pint at the local pub or visit the cathedral and museum.
In terms of wildlife, the archipelago is home to Magellanic, gentoo and southern rockhopper penguins. If you’re lucky, you may even spot king penguins here too! Also expect to see black- browed albatross, plus two endemic bird species: the flightless Falkland steamer duck and, possibly, the elusive Cobb’s wren.
Your expert education team enrich your understanding of the local flora and fauna, making the most out of your time in the Falklands.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 5
Arrive at the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Upon your arrival, your camera gets its first real workout capturing the abundant wildlife and rugged feel of this sub-Antarctic region. The archipelago contains two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, which you explore on daily excursions.
Stanley, also known as Port Stanley, is often a favoured landing site, as the town offers a unique British outpost feel, complete with eclectic charm. You’re free to explore, grab a pint at the local pub or visit the cathedral and museum.
In terms of wildlife, the archipelago is home to Magellanic, gentoo and southern rockhopper penguins. If you’re lucky, you may even spot king penguins here too! Also expect to see black- browed albatross, plus two endemic bird species: the flightless Falkland steamer duck and, possibly, the elusive Cobb’s wren.
Your expert education team enrich your understanding of the local flora and fauna, making the most out of your time in the Falklands.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 6
Sail to South Georgia
Sailing southeast to South Georgia, you officially enter Antarctic waters once you cross the Antarctic Convergence, an invisible biological boundary encircling the continent. This meeting of oceans, where the cold Antarctic waters mix with the warmer waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, helps nourish the abundance of krill that attracts whales, seals and birdlife. Your expedition team will notify you when you cross this invisible yet important line and look for the seabirds and marine life that frequent this nutrient-rich area.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 7
Sail to South Georgia
Sailing southeast to South Georgia, you officially enter Antarctic waters once you cross the Antarctic Convergence, an invisible biological boundary encircling the continent. This meeting of oceans, where the cold Antarctic waters mix with the warmer waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, helps nourish the abundance of krill that attracts whales, seals and birdlife. Your expedition team will notify you when you cross this invisible yet important line and look for the seabirds and marine life that frequent this nutrient-rich area.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 8
Explore South Georgia
This remote, mountainous island was a popular stop for many historic Antarctic expeditions and was once known for whale- and seal-hunting. Today, island wildlife populations are rebounding, but you’ll still see remnants of old whaling stations and other abandoned outposts.
One significant and historic site is the grave of the great explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. You can visit his grave at the settlement of Grytviken, which is also home to an old whaling station, plus a museum, gift shop, church and small research station.
Although South Georgia’s history is an important attraction to the island, its incredible densities of wildlife make it truly memorable. Each landing you make on South Georgia, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Southern Sea, opens your eyes to the wondrous lives of new, enthralling creatures.
One day, you may see colonies with hundreds of thousands of pairs of king penguins waddling on shore; the next, you may visit another beach inhabited by hundreds of fur or elephant seals. The grasses, mountains and beaches of South Georgia all play an important role in the breeding and survival of different species on the island. This fragile and interwoven relationship is something your Expedition Team will instil in you during your time here.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 9
Explore South Georgia
This remote, mountainous island was a popular stop for many historic Antarctic expeditions and was once known for whale- and seal-hunting. Today, island wildlife populations are rebounding, but you’ll still see remnants of old whaling stations and other abandoned outposts.
One significant and historic site is the grave of the great explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. You can visit his grave at the settlement of Grytviken, which is also home to an old whaling station, plus a museum, gift shop, church and small research station.
Although South Georgia’s history is an important attraction to the island, its incredible densities of wildlife make it truly memorable. Each landing you make on South Georgia, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Southern Sea, opens your eyes to the wondrous lives of new, enthralling creatures.
One day, you may see colonies with hundreds of thousands of pairs of king penguins waddling on shore; the next, you may visit another beach inhabited by hundreds of fur or elephant seals. The grasses, mountains and beaches of South Georgia all play an important role in the breeding and survival of different species on the island. This fragile and interwoven relationship is something your Expedition Team will instil in you during your time here.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 10
Explore South Georgia
This remote, mountainous island was a popular stop for many historic Antarctic expeditions and was once known for whale- and seal-hunting. Today, island wildlife populations are rebounding, but you’ll still see remnants of old whaling stations and other abandoned outposts.
One significant and historic site is the grave of the great explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. You can visit his grave at the settlement of Grytviken, which is also home to an old whaling station, plus a museum, gift shop, church and small research station.
Although South Georgia’s history is an important attraction to the island, its incredible densities of wildlife make it truly memorable. Each landing you make on South Georgia, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Southern Sea, opens your eyes to the wondrous lives of new, enthralling creatures.
One day, you may see colonies with hundreds of thousands of pairs of king penguins waddling on shore; the next, you may visit another beach inhabited by hundreds of fur or elephant seals. The grasses, mountains and beaches of South Georgia all play an important role in the breeding and survival of different species on the island. This fragile and interwoven relationship is something your Expedition Team will instil in you during your time here.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 11
Explore South Georgia
This remote, mountainous island was a popular stop for many historic Antarctic expeditions and was once known for whale- and seal-hunting. Today, island wildlife populations are rebounding, but you’ll still see remnants of old whaling stations and other abandoned outposts.
One significant and historic site is the grave of the great explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. You can visit his grave at the settlement of Grytviken, which is also home to an old whaling station, plus a museum, gift shop, church and small research station.
Although South Georgia’s history is an important attraction to the island, its incredible densities of wildlife make it truly memorable. Each landing you make on South Georgia, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Southern Sea, opens your eyes to the wondrous lives of new, enthralling creatures.
One day, you may see colonies with hundreds of thousands of pairs of king penguins waddling on shore; the next, you may visit another beach inhabited by hundreds of fur or elephant seals. The grasses, mountains and beaches of South Georgia all play an important role in the breeding and survival of different species on the island. This fragile and interwoven relationship is something your Expedition Team will instil in you during your time here.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 12
Voyage to Antarctica
Say goodbye to the king penguins as you leave for your next destination: Antarctica! Your days at sea are filled with presentations, workshops and social activities led by your expedition team.
If conditions allow, we may attempt landfall on the South Orkney Islands, our first official stop in Antarctica.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 13
Voyage to Antarctica
Say goodbye to the king penguins as you leave for your next destination: Antarctica! Your days at sea are filled with presentations, workshops and social activities led by your expedition team.
If conditions allow, we may attempt landfall on the South Orkney Islands, our first official stop in Antarctica.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 14
South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
The most common reaction upon reaching the Antarctic Continent is a sense of reverence and awe. The experience is beyond words, since few places are as untouched and enduring as Antarctica.
You discover that Antarctica is a land of extremes. At one moment, you’re overcome with a feeling of complete isolation and silence; the next, you’re inspired by nature as a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant blue sea or a curious penguin waddles by to observe the humans.
Your expedition team takes care of you at each excursion, whether you are Zodiac cruising, visiting a historical site or consorting with penguin colonies.
Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins are found here, along with Weddell, fur, crabeater and leopard seals. During Zodiac cruises, keep an eye out for Antarctic whales such as minkes, as you may get a chance for an intimate experience with these majestic animals. Each day and each excursion presents a new collection of creatures to entertain you and keep your camera busy.
As exciting as the Zodiac excursions and landings are, perhaps you’ll treat yourself to an extra-special Antarctic experience by partaking in an optional paddling excursion (extra cost) or cast reason aside and jump into Antarctic waters for the Polar Plunge!
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 15
South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
The most common reaction upon reaching the Antarctic Continent is a sense of reverence and awe. The experience is beyond words, since few places are as untouched and enduring as Antarctica.
You discover that Antarctica is a land of extremes. At one moment, you’re overcome with a feeling of complete isolation and silence; the next, you’re inspired by nature as a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant blue sea or a curious penguin waddles by to observe the humans.
Your expedition team takes care of you at each excursion, whether you are Zodiac cruising, visiting a historical site or consorting with penguin colonies.
Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins are found here, along with Weddell, fur, crabeater and leopard seals. During Zodiac cruises, keep an eye out for Antarctic whales such as minkes, as you may get a chance for an intimate experience with these majestic animals. Each day and each excursion presents a new collection of creatures to entertain you and keep your camera busy.
As exciting as the Zodiac excursions and landings are, perhaps you’ll treat yourself to an extra-special Antarctic experience by partaking in an optional paddling excursion (extra cost) or cast reason aside and jump into Antarctic waters for the Polar Plunge!
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 16
South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
The most common reaction upon reaching the Antarctic Continent is a sense of reverence and awe. The experience is beyond words, since few places are as untouched and enduring as Antarctica.
You discover that Antarctica is a land of extremes. At one moment, you’re overcome with a feeling of complete isolation and silence; the next, you’re inspired by nature as a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant blue sea or a curious penguin waddles by to observe the humans.
Your expedition team takes care of you at each excursion, whether you are Zodiac cruising, visiting a historical site or consorting with penguin colonies.
Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins are found here, along with Weddell, fur, crabeater and leopard seals. During Zodiac cruises, keep an eye out for Antarctic whales such as minkes, as you may get a chance for an intimate experience with these majestic animals. Each day and each excursion presents a new collection of creatures to entertain you and keep your camera busy.
As exciting as the Zodiac excursions and landings are, perhaps you’ll treat yourself to an extra-special Antarctic experience by partaking in an optional paddling excursion (extra cost) or cast reason aside and jump into Antarctic waters for the Polar Plunge!
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 17
South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
The most common reaction upon reaching the Antarctic Continent is a sense of reverence and awe. The experience is beyond words, since few places are as untouched and enduring as Antarctica.
You discover that Antarctica is a land of extremes. At one moment, you’re overcome with a feeling of complete isolation and silence; the next, you’re inspired by nature as a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant blue sea or a curious penguin waddles by to observe the humans.
Your expedition team takes care of you at each excursion, whether you are Zodiac cruising, visiting a historical site or consorting with penguin colonies.
Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins are found here, along with Weddell, fur, crabeater and leopard seals. During Zodiac cruises, keep an eye out for Antarctic whales such as minkes, as you may get a chance for an intimate experience with these majestic animals. Each day and each excursion presents a new collection of creatures to entertain you and keep your camera busy.
As exciting as the Zodiac excursions and landings are, perhaps you’ll treat yourself to an extra-special Antarctic experience by partaking in an optional paddling excursion (extra cost) or cast reason aside and jump into Antarctic waters for the Polar Plunge!
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 18
Cross the Drake Passage
After more than two weeks of endless wildlife encounters, your journey home begins. Crossing the Drake is your unofficial rite of passage, completing your Antarctic adventure. Enjoy your final moments celebrating with your fellow shipmates and savour the silence of the sea as long as you can.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 19
Cross the Drake Passage
After more than two weeks of endless wildlife encounters, your journey home begins. Crossing the Drake is your unofficial rite of passage, completing your Antarctic adventure. Enjoy your final moments celebrating with your fellow shipmates and savour the silence of the sea as long as you can.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 20
End Ushuaia, Argentina
After breakfast aboard the ship, it is time to part ways and say goodbye to your Expedition Team. Airport transfers will be provided for those departing on the first homeward flights. Other guests will be transferred to town.
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.
Stanley Town Walk & Falkland Islands Museum
Explore the Stanley waterfront with a hosted orientation that reveals the town’s colourful cottages, maritime heritage and friendly pubs. Visit the iconic Christ Church Cathedral and Whalebone Arch before delving into the islands’ stories at the Falkland Islands Museum, where exhibits trace natural history, settlement and life at the edge of the South Atlantic.
Absorb the British outpost feel that has shaped Stanley since the 19th century, from shipwreck lore to modern conservation. Expect sea breezes, seabirds circling the harbour and time to browse locally made woollens and handicrafts along the seafront.
Falklands Clifftop Colonies & Rockhopper Penguins
Join a Zodiac landing and walk through tussac grass to clifftops where southern rockhopper penguins vault shoreward and black-browed albatross wheel on the updraft. Hear the surf smash the rocks below while you scan ledges and slopes for nesting pairs and downy chicks.
Learn how wind, ocean and hardy vegetation shape these rookeries and why careful route-marking protects burrows and fragile soils. Photographers love the intimate distances and dramatic tussac grass cliffs; birders can refine ID skills with guidance from the expedition team.
St Andrews Bay King Penguin Colony, South Georgia
Step ashore at St Andrews Bay, home to one of the planet’s largest king penguin colony gatherings—often cited at around 150,000 pairs. The beach hums with life: ochre-streaked sand, glacier-fed streams and a sea of silver-brown chicks beneath snow-clad ridges.
Absorb the chorus of trumpeting adults and the rustle of molting juveniles while naturalists explain breeding cycles and krill-driven food webs. Keep a respectful distance as you frame portraits, the colony stretching to the horizon against glacier-capped mountains.
Grytviken Whaling Station & Shackleton’s Grave
Visit the evocative remains of the Grytviken Whaling Station, where rusted boilers and slipways tell of a bygone industry. Explore the South Georgia Museum and the tidy Norwegian church, set against rugged hills and a sheltered harbour.
Walk to the cemetery to pay respects at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s grave and hear how the Endurance saga and his epic traverse of South Georgia became legends of polar exploration. This is a powerful meeting of human history, stark scenery and wildlife now reclaiming the site.
South Georgia Beaches: Fur & Elephant Seal Haul-outs
Land on wildlife-rich shores where fur seals jostle in the surf and immense southern elephant seals doze in blubbery heaps. Watch pups practice shallow dives while skuas patrol the tideline and penguins commute between rookery and sea.
Guides explain how protection and ecosystem recovery transformed these breeding beaches since the whaling era. Feel the rumble of booming roars, note the size contrast between bulls and pups, and learn safe spacing techniques that keep both animals and visitors calm.
Antarctic Peninsula Zodiac Cruising Among Icebergs
Embark on Zodiac cruising through a maze of sea ice, brash and cerulean icebergs. Drift beneath cliff-like berg faces and along glacier fronts, watching for porpoising penguins, leopard seals hauled out on floes and the spout of a minke whale.
Expedition leaders interpret ice textures, currents and the conditions that sculpt this frozen seascape. Hear the crackle of brash against the hull and the distant rumble of calving glaciers while you capture abstract patterns and mirror-still reflections.
Penguin Colonies of the Antarctic Peninsula: Shore Landing
Step ashore on the White Continent for a guided walk among gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins. Trace flagged routes past pebble nests and pink snowfields as birds shuttle between sea and rookery, their calls echoing across the bay.
Learn about courtship, chick-rearing and vigilant skuas while following strict biosecurity protocols. Pan wide-angle views of ridged ice and alpine peaks, then focus on small moments—stone stealing, careful preening—at the heart of thriving rookeries.
South Shetland Islands Landings & Glacier-fringed Shores
Explore the South Shetland Islands, where tide-scraped beaches meet blue ice and active volcanic landscapes contrast with hanging glaciers. Walk black-sand strands, scan cliff ledges and watch bergy bits roll in the swell.
Guides help spot Weddell and fur seals, penguin rafts and storm petrels quartering the waves. On clear days, mist-shrouded peaks sharpen into a sawtooth skyline, adding dramatic context to wildlife encounters and photographs.
Wildlife Watching at the Antarctic Convergence
Head to the rails as you cross the Antarctic Convergence, the nutrient-rich boundary where cold and warm waters meet. Scan for wandering albatross, giant petrels and prions riding the windlines while guides explain how upwelling fuels the Southern Ocean food web.
Keep binoculars ready for dolphins and the distant blow of a whale. Learn spotting techniques, seabird ID and behaviour cues as the ship traces plankton highways that sustain penguins, seals and baleen giants alike.
Onboard Polar Lectures & Photography Workshops
Deepen your voyage with presentations by our Polar experts on glaciology and wildlife, exploration history and climate. Sessions balance science with storytelling, building a richer sense of place before each landing and Zodiac cruise.
Sharpen your skills in photography workshops and guided seabird identification on deck. Expect practical tips on exposure in snow, focusing through mist and ethical wildlife framing—then apply them immediately amid ice, surf and sky.
Antarctic Paddling Excursion (Optional)
Glide on a guided, small-group optional paddling excursion in stable craft—either sea kayak or sit-on-top—for an intimate perspective on bergy bits, brash ice and quietly cruising seals. Hear only the quiet stroke among ice floes as mountains and glaciers tower around you.
This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with limited spaces and departures dependent on weather and sea state. Expert guides provide gear, safety briefings and coaching to help you paddle comfortably in polar conditions.