HIGHLIGHTS
- The all-new half-circumnavigation of the eastern part of
the Antarctic, an unforgettable trip into the heart of the ice and the
protected zones of the White Continent, between the Pacific, Southern
and Indian Oceans.
- Enjoy the unique experience of sailing along the east coast
of Antarctica and make the most of these moments to observe the endless
variety of forms and states of the ice, in the silence and respect of
the landscapes you travel through.
- Set off on the trail of the great explorers and sailors
like Jules Dumont-d’Urville, Marc Marion Dufresne, James Cook
and Douglas Mawson and relive their legendary sagas.
- AboardLe Commandant Charcot, a polar exploration vessel
opening to the exterior, take time with these unique moments of
exploration and observation, in the silence and respect of fragile
landscapes and encountered species.
- Outings and shore visits in a zodiac inflatable with a
reinforced team of naturalist guides.
- Conferences and information meetings on board with our
passionate experts, specialists in the fauna, flora and history of the
polar regions.
- Varied activities in a winter setting*: hiking or
snowshoeing, shore visit on the ice, polar plunge, kayaking.
- The discovery of the largest polar icecap in the world, the
Inlandsis in East Antarctica, a huge expanse of ice more than 3,000
metres (almost 10,000 feet) deep, where a sense of vastness reigns
supreme.
- The possibility of observing humpback whales, seals, orcas,
various penguins (emperor, Gentoo, Adelie, chinstrap and macaroni), and
light-mantled albatrosses.
- Extend your discovery of the White Continent during a
half-circumnavigation of the southern part. Discover the first part of
this half-circumnavigation of the Antarctic here.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Feb 17, 2026 | Mar 17, 2026 | 64,710 |
66,755 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Feb 17, 2026 | Mar 17, 2026 | 64,710 |
66,755 |
ITINERARY
Day
2 : Hobart, Tasmania
Hobart
occupies a wonderful location at the mouth of the Derwent River,
overseen by majestic Mt Wellington and surrounded by natural bushland.
The Tasmanian capital is Australia's second-oldest city, after Sydney,
and the picturesque waterfront is bordered by 19th-century warehouses
and colonial mansions. Salamanca Place is packed with shops, galleries
and restaurants and the fascinating Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is
a short ferry ride from the quay. Hobart is within easy reach of some
of Tasmania's best-known destinations, from historic Port Arthur and
the rugged Tasman Peninsula to Bruny Island, the Huon and Derwent
Valleys and Mount Field National Park.
Day
3-6 : At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
7-8 : Adélie Land
Adelie
Land covers around 400,000 km2 (around 250,000 square miles) of the
White Continent between the 136th and 142nd meridians longitude East.
These lands claimed by France in Antarctica are home, on Petrel Island,
to Dumont-d’Urville station, which is named after the
eponymous French explorer who investigated the region in 1840. Here,
the few resident scientists share the Antarctic desert with Adelie
penguins, seals and orcas, as well as emperor penguins during the
winter. The extreme climate of this land at the edge of the world,
characterised by its very low temperatures and its violent winds or
blizzards, make it difficult to access its shores, which are protected
by thick ice floe. Be among the rare people to discover this unique
place where you will be captivated by the polar silence and the ice
reflecting the rays of the sun as you experience the Southern
Continent’s powerful fragility.
Day
9 : Magnetic South Pole
The
convergence point for the field lines of the Earth's magnetic field,
the Magnetic South Pole attracts the magnetic needle of the compass.
While the Geographic South Pole is the Earth’s southernmost
fixed point, marking the intersection of the Globe's rotation axis with
the Earth’s surface, the Magnetic South Pole moves over time.
In fact, it is linked to the Earth's magnetic field which originates in
the Earth's outer core, which is made up of molten metal and is subject
to convection movements. It was during the French Dumont
d’Urville expedition to Antarctica, aboard the famous ships
L’Astrolabe and La Zélée, that the
hydrographer and engineer Vincendon-Dumoulin made the first calculation
of the magnetic inclination that enabled him to localise this pole in
1838. Set off in search of the Magnetic South Pole, try to get closer
to it and, if luck allows it, attempt to reach it!
Day
10-11 : Adélie Land
Adelie
Land covers around 400,000 km2 (around 250,000 square miles) of the
White Continent between the 136th and 142nd meridians longitude East.
These lands claimed by France in Antarctica are home, on Petrel Island,
to Dumont-d’Urville station, which is named after the
eponymous French explorer who investigated the region in 1840. Here,
the few resident scientists share the Antarctic desert with Adelie
penguins, seals and orcas, as well as emperor penguins during the
winter. The extreme climate of this land at the edge of the world,
characterised by its very low temperatures and its violent winds or
blizzards, make it difficult to access its shores, which are protected
by thick ice floe. Be among the rare people to discover this unique
place where you will be captivated by the polar silence and the ice
reflecting the rays of the sun as you experience the Southern
Continent’s powerful fragility.
Day
12-13 : Wilkes Land
Aboard
Le Commandant Charcot, follow in the footsteps of the American explorer
Charles Wilkes, during his USS Vincennes expedition undertaken between
1838 and 1842. A veritable mine of information for scientists, this
isolated land - where only moss and lichen have managed to adapt and to
take hold, forming the tundra -, promises a unique moment. Under an
immaculate white coat, a secret world comes to life: from the icy
mountains defying the sky to the vast glaciers, some of which stretch
all the way to the Southern Ocean, and the icebergs drifting silently
through frozen waters. These landscapes, unlike any other, are sure to
captivate you.
Day
14 : Sailing along Shackleton Ice Shelf
During
this unique navigation, suspended in time, admire the fantastic
spectacle of the Shackleton Ice Shelf. In the luxurious comfort of Le
Commandant Charcot, specially designed for polar exploration, the vast
icy expanses of the Antarctic will unfold before your astonished eyes.
The air here is imbued with solemn serenity, only broken by the distant
cracking of icebergs drifting along the shelf. You will perhaps have
the chance to observe the many mammals, such as the whales, seals and
penguins, which prosper in these icy waters.
Day
15-17 : Queen Mary Land
On
the eastern shores of Antarctica, between Cape Filchner and Cape
Hordern, admire the captivating landscapes of Queen Mary Land,
recounting stories of legendary explorations. In the heart of this
region, discovered in 1912, during Douglas Mawson’s Antarctic
expedition, mountains of ice rise like giant sculptures, sparkling
beneath the rays of the southern sun. The glaciers wind their way like
rivers of glass, shaping sumptuous scenery. In this frozen
kingdom, colonies of emperor penguins gather on the shores and leopard
seals bask on the ice floe while whales slip graciously through its
waters.
Day
18-19 : At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
20-21 : French Southern and Antarctic Lands
In
the icy immensity of the Antarctic, between the 37th and 50th parallels
south, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands encompass the largest
emerged lands in the southern Indian Ocean, from the Crozet archipelago
to the Kerguelen Islands. In the wake of the greatest European
explorers, like Julien Crozet, Marc Marion Dufresne or James Cook, who
sought out Terra Australis Incognita, you will explore these volcanic
lands, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In these sanctuaries of
biodiversity which represent unique terrain for scientific research,
majestic icebergs stand like ephemeral sculptures, silent witnesses of
the passing of time, while king penguins or elephant seals, the lords
of these inhospitable lands, populate the beaches with their gigantic
colonies.
Day
22 : At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
23 : French Southern and Antarctic Lands
In
the icy immensity of the Antarctic, between the 37th and 50th parallels
south, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands encompass the largest
emerged lands in the southern Indian Ocean, from the Crozet archipelago
to the Kerguelen Islands. In the wake of the greatest European
explorers, like Julien Crozet, Marc Marion Dufresne or James Cook, who
sought out Terra Australis Incognita, you will explore these volcanic
lands, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In these sanctuaries of
biodiversity which represent unique terrain for scientific research,
majestic icebergs stand like ephemeral sculptures, silent witnesses of
the passing of time, while king penguins or elephant seals, the lords
of these inhospitable lands, populate the beaches with their gigantic
colonies.
Day
24-28 : At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
29 : Cape Town
Dynamic
and peaceful, cosmopolitan and hip, Cape Town offers its visitors a
most unique mix. Here, the locals like to say that their city is
“the quintessential melting pot of South Africa”.
Located in the heart of one of the most beautiful bays in the world and
dominated by the famous Table Mountain, it is graced with extraordinary
landscapes including sheer cliffs that plunge into the Atlantic Ocean
and vast whitesand beaches. We invite you to discover this incredible
city, the South African capital of fashion, the art of living, and
gastronomy. Further on, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve awaits you
and is home to a wide variety of endemic fauna and flora.
Le Commandant Charcot (Luxury Expedition, 270-guests)
Le Commandant-Charcot welcomes you to an intimate and refined atmosphere. Equipped with just 135 staterooms including 31 suites with balconies and outside views, the ship offers outstanding gastronomy in its two restaurants, relaxation in the indoor pool surrounded by its winter garden, relaxation in the well-being area with sauna and Snow Room... Like on a private yacht, each of our guests is unique.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Transfer from airport upon flight arrival.
- 1-night accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before
embarkation.Your hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
- Early check-in available from late morning.
- Hospitality desk at the hotel in Santiago.
- Return flight Santiago/Ushuaia/Santiago selected by PONANT,
in economy class.Seats in business class may be available, please
contact your travel agent.
- Meals as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
- Transfers as mentioned in the programme.
Excluded from the voyage:
- Tips for the local guide.
- Personal expenses.
- Other meals and services not mentioned in the
programme.
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS :
- Hiking Or Snowshoeing
- Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot
