HIGHLIGHTS
- Vast
tabular icebergs pass by in Antarctic Sound
- Retrace
some of Shackleton's and Nordenskoljd's route
- Visit
fascinating fossil fields with an on board paleontologist
- Capture
Antarctic light with polar photography guide
- Delight
in Adelie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins
- Hunting
orcas, feeding humpbacks and slinky minkes
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Mar 06, 2025 | Mar 17, 2025 | 13,386 |
14,295 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Mar 06, 2025 | Mar 17, 2025 | 13,386 |
14,295 |
ITINERARY
Day
1 Arrive in Santiago
Arrive
in Santiago, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora
Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. 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.
Enjoy
free time to explore Santiago at your own pace and discover the
town’s excellent restaurants. Between 5.00-7.00 pm, meet your
fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception and Pre-Embarkation
Briefing. Afterwards, there’s free time to dine at your
leisure. (Dinner not included).
Accommodation: Hotel
Intercontinental Santiago
Day
2 Embarkation in Punta Arenas
After
breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Santiago airport for
your flight to Punta Arenas (flight not included in voyage price). Upon
arriving in Punta Arenas, you’ll be met by a representative
from Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our selected hotel for our
mandatory pre-embarkation health screening and rapid antigen test.
Afterwards, you’ll be transferred to the pier for
embarkation. Once aboard, you’ll have time to settle into
your cabin before our important safety briefings. As the ship pulls
away from port, we’ll gather on the deck to farewell Punta
Arenas and commence our adventure to Antarctica.
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.
Day
3 Chilean Fjords
Sail
along the legendary Beagle Channel and enjoy splendid scenery of fjords
and channels flanked by majestic mountains. Keep watch for the many
seabirds and marine wildlife including dolphins, sea lions and whales
preparing to migrate to Antarctica to fatten up on plentiful krill. In
the evening, we exit Nassau Bay, sail past Cape Horn and prepare to
enter Drake Passage.
Days
4-5 Drake Passage & South Shetland Islands
As
we commence the Drake Passage crossing, 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 Antarctica’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.
Nearing
the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on
day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of
the observation decks, 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.
Days
6-10 Weddell Sea & Antarctic Peninsula West Coast
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 (Captain's call) 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. Take a
quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white
continent.
Central
to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the
Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, the Weddell Sea
certainly is high on the list for most polar adventurers. A small set
of islands standing off to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula
collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the
Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley,
many large tabular bergs escape the Weddell Sea through the Antarctic
Sound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be
great. Fossils are a reminder of a more temperate era –
gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to
stone.
Be
spoiled for wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large
Adélie penguin colony just outside of the Antarctic Sound,
some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island,
where a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with
nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac
cruises or slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak,
keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and out of the water,
where you’re likely to spot humpback, minke and orca whales.
Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during your time in the
Weddell Sea.
Day
11 Fly King George Island to Punta Arenas
As
we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell
Antarctica and our amazing adventure before boarding our flight
(approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes) to Punta Arenas, Chile. On
arrival at the Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to our
group hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel
Dreams del Estrecho
Note: King George
Island is located at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the
South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A
clear sky with perfect visibility is required in order to take off and
land safely. We apologise in advance if you experience any delays.
Day
12 Punta Arenas
After
breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow passengers as we all
continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the
immense power of nature. A transfer to the airport is included in your
voyage fare. (Breakfast included).
Note: It is your
responsibility to check if your government requires you to have a COVID
test prior to boarding an international flight to return to your
country of residence. If this applies to you, then you may be required
to book additional nights after the voyage. Please speak with your
travel agent or with an Aurora Expeditions consultant at least four
weeks prior to departure if you need assistance booking additional
post-voyage arrangements.
Greg Mortimer (Luxury Expedition, 120-guests)
Capable of negotiating the strongest winds and waves, the Greg Mortimer is built to world-class polar standards. It is designed in close consultation with expedition specialists, taking advantage of Auroras more than 25 years of experience.
(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 Santiago on day
1
- Mandatory
pre-embarkation health screening and COVID test on day 2
- Transfer
from hotel to airport in Santiago on day 2
- Transfer
from airport to hotel in Punta Arenas (for COVID testing) on day 2
- Transfer
from hotel to pier in Punta Arenas on day 2
- Charter
flight from King George Island to Punta Arenas on day 11
- Transfer
to group hotel in Punta Arenas on day 11
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Punta Arenas on
day 11
- Transfer
from hotel to airport on day 12
- 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
- All
shore excursions and Zodiac cruises
- Educational
lectures and guiding services from expedition team
- Complimentary
access to onboard expedition doctor and medical clinic (initial
consult)
- 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
Note: A $15 USD per
person per day gratuity for the crew is automatically added to your
onboard account. It is at your discretion if you would like to remove
the tip (or increase/decrease the amount) when you settle your bill. It
is not necessary to tip the expedition team members. This gratuity
amount is included for suites as part of their ‘Suite
Benefits’.
Exclusions
- International
or domestic flights to or within South America, unless specified
- Transfers
not mentioned in the itinerary
- Airport
arrival or departure taxes
- Passport,
visa, reciprocity and vaccination charges
- Travel
insurance or emergency evacuation charges
- Hotels
and meals not included in itinerary
- Optional
excursions not included in the itinerary
- Optional
activity surcharges
- All
items of a personal nature including but not limited to: alcoholic
beverages and soft drinks (outside of dinner service), laundry
services, personal clothing, medical expenses, Wi-Fi, email or phone
charges.
Included
Activities
- Bird
watching
- Lectures
on wildlife, our environment, history and destinations
- Photography
- Polar
plunge
- Trips
ashore
- Walking
- Whale
and mammal spotting
- Zodiac
cruises
Add-on
Activities
- Sea
Kayaking - USD 1,330 per person
- Snorkelling
- USD 675 per person
- Paddling
- USD 640 per person
