The White Continent With Smithsonian Journeys

HIGHLIGHTS

• A voyage specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers including discussions with experts, transfers before and after your cruise, a pre-cruise hotel night and excursion, and an included activity in each port of call.
• Engaging discussions onboard with Smithsonian Journeys Experts including astrophysicist Michelle Thaller and geologist Wayne Ranney.
• New: explore the magic of Antarctica with a sea kayak adventure. Led by experienced, State-Certified kayak guides, you will skim the water’s surface amid the ice. Full professional equipment is provided, including tandem kayak, carbon paddle, full-body drysuit, lifejacket, AIS beacon. For more information about your kayak tour, please go to the section "PONANT activities" and to book your kayak tour, contact your cruise advisor.
• Outings and shore visits in Zodiac®inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
• Lectures and information sessions hosted by our naturalist-guides, covering wildlife, history, geopolitics, the great explorers, climate, environmental protection…
• Hiking opportunity.
• Visiting research stations and former whaling stations.
• Landscapes: a multitude of drifting icebergs, ice floes, imposing glaciers and tall, snow-covered mountains.
• Wildlife: humpback whales, Gentoo penguins, Adelie penguins, chinstrap penguins, leopard seals, crabeater seals, Weddell seals and numerous sea birds.
• Educational discovery in the respect of environment.
• For your comfort, your cruise package includes an overnight in Buenos Aires the day before embarkation and the flights to/from Ushuaia (for details, see the “Included in your cruise” tab).

ITINERARY

Day 2  Ushuaia

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…

Day3-4 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.  You will experience exceptional sailing moments on board and join the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.

Day5-9 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.

Day10-11 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.

Day12 Ushuaia

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…

WHAT'S INCLUDED

PONANT has organized the following included program for you, which starts the day prior to embarkation.

The day before embarkation – Buenos Aires

• Transfer from Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the Hotel Madero (or similar).
• Meet and greet at the hotel and hospitality desk. Check-in from late morning.
• Lunch and dinner on your own, and time at leisure in the afternoon.
• Overnight at the hotel.

Embarkation Day – Buenos Aires/Ushuaia

• Early morning breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the airport.
• Flight Buenos Aires/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class. Approximate flight duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes.
• Meet and greet at the airport in Ushuaia.
• Lunch at a local restaurant.
• Transfer to the pier to embark the ship.

- 10-night cruise on board L’Austral -

Disembarkation Day – Ushuaia/Buenos Aires

• Disembark and depart for Tierra del Fuego National Park. Created in 1960, the Park, which covers 155,670 acres, is located in the southwest of Tierra del Fuego Province on the Beagle Canal. One of its entry points is about six miles from Ushuaia.
• Mountainous landscapes, lagoons, bogs, and rivers create a picturesque scenery reinforced by the southern position of the park itself. The Darwin Mountains, which represent the southern part of the Andes Mountains, are mainly responsible for the landscape. The Park is only partly accessible to the public, and this tour will provide you with the opportunity to discover the local flora and sub-Antarctic landscapes. If you are lucky, you may encounter beavers, dams, birds, wild orchids, and more. This is a true paradise for nature lovers!
• Transfer to the airport.
• Meet and greet at the airport.
• Flight Ushuaia/Buenos Aires selected by PONANT in economy class. Approximate flight duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes.

Your program includes:

• A program of onboard enrichment provided by three Smithsonian Journeys Experts, polar explorer Ben Saunders, penguin expert Dyan deNapoli, and photographer Jim Preston.
• 1-night accommodation at the Hotel Madero (or similar) the night before embarkation.
• Early check-in available from late morning.
• Hospitality desk at the hotel.
• Round-trip flight Buenos Aires/Ushuaia/Buenos Aires selected by PONANT, in economy class.
• Excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park by coach, including entrance fees.
• Services of English speaking guides during the excursion.
• Meals as mentioned in the program.
• Transfers as mentioned in the program.
• Gratuities for ship crew and for guides and drivers on excursions.

Your program does not include:

• Other meals and services not mentioned in the program.
• Personal expenses (such as laundry, telephone, etc.)

Please note:

• The local currency is the Argentinian Peso. You will be able to make most of your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card, which is accepted in most hotels, shopping centers, and boutiques. You will also be able to retrieve Pesos from ATMs.
• Summer season in Buenos Aires: Temperatures may be very hot but are often between 68 °F (20 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C).
• Summer season in Ushuaia: Temperatures vary between 41 °F (5 °C) and 65 °F (15 °C).
• We recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• This voyage is offered on a space available basis.

Program is subject to change.