HIGHLIGHTS
- Step
ashore on the Antarctic continent to unforgettable vistas, bustling
penguins, swooping skuas and curious seals
- Raise
a glass as you join a small club of people to cross the Antarctic
Circle (conditions permitting)
- Wonder
at the world's largest king penguin rookeries
- Hike
along pebble beaches and climb tussock steps with unexpected wildlife
encounters at every turn
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Jan 30, 2025 | Feb 21, 2025 | 29,819 |
31,495 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Jan 30, 2025 | Feb 21, 2025 | 29,819 |
31,495 |
ITINERARY
Day
1 Arrival airport transfer and overnight in Ushuaia
Arrive
in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora
Expeditions and transferred to your group hotel (preferred flights
only). Upon arrival at your included hotel, kindly remind hotel
check-in staff to provide you with Aurora Expeditions cabin tags.
Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number.
Day
2 Embarkation Day
This
morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags
clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Please take your
cabin luggage down to hotel reception by 8.00 AM. Your luggage will be
collected from your hotel and transferred directly to port for
clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board.
Keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Once
you have checked out of your hotel by 11.00 AM, you have free time
before meeting back in the hotel lobby at 2.00 PM to commence a tour of
Ushuaia.
Ushuaia,
capital of Tierra del Fuego is located at the shores of the Beagle
Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains giving you a unique
landscape in Argentina, which is the combination of mountains, sea,
glaciers and forests.On this half day introductory tour, you will visit
“La Mision” neighbourhood, the old Government
House, and the upper area of the city, which offers beautiful panoramic
views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the excursion you will
see the antique houses that belonged to the first families settled in
Ushuaia. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum
before transferring to the pier for embarkation at approximately 4.00
PM.
After
embarkation, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin
before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from
port, we’ll gather on the deck to commence our adventure with
spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. This evening, get
to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team and crew
at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure to
Antarctica.
(Breakfast
and dinner included. Lunch is at own expense)
Day
3 Drake Passage Crossing
As
we commence our trip across the South Atlantic Ocean towards the
Falklands~Malvinas, we make the most of our time getting comfortable
with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team prepare you for our
first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity
procedures, and start our lecture program to help you learn more about
the region’s history, wildlife and environment. Our wildlife
experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the many
seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels following in
our wake. They rise and fall skilfully, using air currents created by
the ship to gain momentum.
Day
4 Drake Passage & South Shetland Islands
Nearing
the tip of the South Shetland Islands on day four, the excitement is
palpable with everyone converging on the bridge watching for our first
iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below
the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of
floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting
is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. Weather permitting, we may
attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.
Day
5-10 Antarctic Peninsula & Antarctic Circle
It’s
almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica.
Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the
most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you
forever. Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula
and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host
of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will
experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as
busy as you wish. Your experienced expedition team, who have made
countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design
your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the
prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.
We
generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day.
You’ll want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along
spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for
whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you
from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover
historic huts and explore some of our favourite spots along the
peninsula. While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along
pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points
with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you
have chosen an optional activity, you’ll have the option to
do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers
will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters -
conditions permitting!
In
addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise
some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from
the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or
feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make
your way to the bridge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its
splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as
they carve their way from summit to sea, and take a quiet moment to
experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.
On
this voyage, we plan to cross the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line
located at the Antarctic Circle at latitude 66°33' South. This
is certainly a special highlight for everyone, and the moment will be
celebrated with a toast on the deck. You’ve earned some
boasting privileges, joining a small group of lucky adventurers
who’ve made it to this part of the world. As we approach and
cross the circle, you will notice subtle changes in the landscape,
icescape, and also in the distribution of wildlife. The waters at this
time of year are rich with krill and we hope to see plenty of whales -
particularly humpbacks and minkes, and enjoy the spectacle of penguins
feeding their ravenous chicks.
Day
11-12 At Sea
En
route for South Georgia we'll head across the Scotia Sea, following the
route that Shackleton and five of his men took in order to find help
for the rest of their crew. On 24 April, 1916, they piled into the
James Caird, the most seaworthy of their open boats, to attempt this
perilous journey to South Georgia, some 1290 km (802 miles) distant.
Shackleton hoped to reach South Georgia in two weeks. There he would
enlist the help of the whalers to return to Elephant Island and rescue
the men who had been left behind. As excitement builds for South
Georgia, catch up with fellow expeditioners in the bar, keep watch for
wildlife alongside our naturalist from the open bridge, or learn more
of the Shackleton story from our historian.
Day
13-17 South Georgia
As
you near the rugged island of South Georgia, spare a thought for
Captain James Cook, who arrived here in 1775 and believed it to be the
northern tip of a great southern continent! In fact, it is a small
island only 176 km (110 mi) long, but with a 3,000 m (9,842 ft)
snow-capped mountain range, some of the world’s largest
congregations of wildlife and a truly fascinating human history, South
Georgia is an island of incredible riches. On approach, jagged mountain
peaks rise steeply, while seabirds are often spotted soaring around the
ship. You’ll sail down the east coast, taking in the
spectacular glaciated scenery and enjoying a little shelter from the
prevailing westerly winds. This enchanting coastline is yours to
explore!
Your
experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this
area, will use their local knowledge to plan your voyage from day to
day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea
state and wildlife opportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac
excursions twice a day. Make sure you layer up before joining Zodiac
cruises around craggy coves and along the rocky coastline in search of
nesting penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an
eye out for South Georgia’s kelp forests as well - these
remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds
sway back and forth on the water’s surface.
Zodiacs
will also transport you from ship to shore, where you can visit some of
the largest king penguin colonies on earth, take a guided walk among
fur seals and elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and
keep your distance!) and wander along pebbled streams and grassy
glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of South
Georgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to
Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survival is
synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity,
you’ll have the option to do that whenever conditions allow.
In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise
through fjords with towering cliffs of ancient stone, or into deeply
indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to
find a comfy spot in the observation lounge or make your way to the
bridge to enjoy uninterrupted views of South Georgia’s
majestic coast.
Day
18-20 At Sea
Between
South Georgia and the Falklands~Malvinas, you will be entranced by the
ceaseless flight of the many seabirds that follow our wake, skilfully
using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum. On this
leg, we are usually travelling into the prevailing weather so it is
difficult to estimate our arrival time in the Falklands~Malvinas. Our
lecture program will continue and highlight all of the amazing sights
we have witnessed over the past few days. We’ll have ample
time to enjoy the rest of our time observing the sea birds, whale
watching from the bridge, or simply relaxing in the bar with a book. If
time and weather conditions permit, we could pass close to Shag Rocks,
a fascinating group of jagged rocky islets protruding from the sea, in
the proximity of South Georgia.
Day
21 Falklands~Malvinas
The
Falklands~Malvinas comprises two large islands (East and West
Falkland), with over 700 islands scattered off the coast. All but seven
of these are uninhabited, with windswept coastlines, white sand beaches
and crystal clear water. These beautifully barren islands are true
wildlife havens, sheltering an impressive diversity of birdlife,
including the largest black-browed albatross colony on earth. The cold,
nutrient-rich waters surrounding the islands make this a prime location
for spotting marine life. There are many beautiful areas to explore
across the Falklands~Malvinas, each offering a unique perspective on
this magnificent archipelago. Your experienced expedition team, who
have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to
design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on
the prevailing winds, weather and wildlife opportunities.
We
generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Even though
we’re north of the Antarctic Convergence it can be quite
chilly here, so you’ll want to layer up before joining Zodiac
cruises into rocky coves or along sea cliffs, keeping watch for seals,
sea lions, dolphins and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also
transport you from the ship to land, where you may be able to visit
albatross colonies, penguin rookeries and perhaps even have a
traditional English ‘tea and scones’ at a local
cottage.
We
also aim to land in historic Stanley, the capital of the
Falklands~Malvinas. This charming town has a distinctly British
character, with terraced town houses, pioneer cottages and even an
iconic red telephone box! Colourful buildings house cosy cafes, English
pubs, souvenir shops, a post office and the fascinating Historic
Dockyard Museum, with displays on the maritime history of the Falkland
Islands, natural history and links to Antarctica.
Day
22 At Sea
You
may choose to spend the sea days returning to Ushuaia editing your
photos, enjoying the onboard facilities, or listening to an informative
lecture. Celebrate the end of an unforgettable voyage with newfound
friends at a special Captain’s farewell dinner.
Day
23 Disembark Ushuaia
Upon
disembarkation, transfer to Ushuaia airport to continue on your onward
journey.
NOTE:
At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights
departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in
case there are delays.
Sylvia Earle (Luxury Expedition, 126-guests)
Due to sail in October 2021 our new ship honours the highly accomplished marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer, Sylvia Earle. As the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998 - this vessel pays tribute to Sylvia's long standing conservation efforts for marine protected areas and ocean wildlife. Sylvia Earle will be actively involved in the development of her namesake.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Arrival
transfer from airport to hotel on Day 1
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Ushuaia on Day 1
- City
tour in Ushuaia on Day 2 (lunch not included)
- Luggage
transfer from your hotel in Ushuaia to ship on Day 2
- Transfer
from pier to downtown Ushuaia or to airport on Day 23
- On-board
accommodation during voyage including daily cabin service
- All
meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage
- Beer,
house wine and soft drinks with dinner
- Captain’s
Welcome and Farewell reception including four-course dinner, house
cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages
- All
shore excursions and Zodiac cruises
- Educational
lectures and guiding services from expedition team
- Free
access to our onboard doctor for consultations relating to
sea-sickness. A standard fee of US $60.00 (reclaimable through your
travel insurance provider) applies for medical consultations not
related to sea-sickness
- A
3-in-1 waterproof polar expedition jacket
- Complimentary
use of muck boots during the voyage
- Comprehensive
pre-departure information
- Port
surcharges, permits and landing fees
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Sea
Kayaking - USD 1,745
- Snorkelling
- USD 835
- Paddling
- USD 640
