Antarctic Express Cruise/Fly

Your Antarctica itinerary begins in the Chilean city of Punta Arenas where, after having arrived independently, a representative will greet you at the airport for your transfer to your hotel for your included overnight stay. An afternoon briefing will take place at the hotel which will offer an insight into what to expect on your expedition, guidelines for visitors to Antarctica and Zodiac boat procedures. In the evening you can enjoy a typical Magellan welcome dinner with your fellow expeditioners before enjoying a good night’s sleep in preparation for the adventures that lie ahead. Many guests choose to arrive in Punta Arenas, the gateway to Patagonia, a day before their tour starts in order to enjoy some of the nearby countryside and national park. If this is something that may be of interest to you please feel free to ask for details and special offers that may be available for extending your stay.

This morning your adventure truly begins, and after breakfast you will transfer to the airport for your flight to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. This scenic 2 hour flight will see you fly across Cape Horn and the famous Drake Passage, and will have you touched down in the heart of Antarctica in next to no time. Upon arrival you will be greeted with the awe-inspiring feeling of the clear Antarctica air filling your lungs and the sense that you have truly arrived in the greatest and most remarkable wilderness on the planet. After an exploration around the area where the Frei Chilean Base and the Bellingshausen Russian Base are located we will make our way to Fildes Bay to hop into Zodiac boats which will take you to your expedition ship for embarkation. As you settle in to your comfortable cabin and explore your new surroundings your ship will begin its sail around the South Shetland Islands. We recommend some time on deck or in the observation lounge for your first spot of iceberg photography and perhaps some whale and Antarctic bird spotting.

Our full day in Antarctica will see us explore around the spectacular South Shetland Islands. We will sail through beautiful ice-filled bays in the company of penguins, seals, whales and myriad seabirds, as well as enjoying a thrilling Zodiac cruise to shore to visit a large penguin colony. The endless Antarctic daylight will allow us to enjoy a full day and evening of exciting exploration to discover what makes this remote wilderness so remarkable. Keep your cameras ready at all times for stunning vistas and unrivalled wildlife encounters.

After your thrilling exploration of Antarctica it will sadly be time to set sail back towards South America, but the adventure is far from over as we cruise into the legendary Drake Passage. As we sail we recommend spending some time on deck with your expert guides to see the myriad of magnificent seabirds that follow the ship and search for whales in the waters below. Your informative lecture and presentation programme will keep you entertained as we cross, and by the morning of day 6 you will awake in full view of the famous Cape Horn! Here we hope to enjoy an exciting landing, weather permitting, to step foot on this famous and rarely visited island.

Returning to the ship in the early afternoon we will continue our sail towards Ushuaia, sailing through the exceptionally scenic Beagle Channel, with a stop at Puerto Williams in Chile, the world’s southernmost town, along the way.

Arrival into the port of Ushuaia, Argentina sadly signals the end of our journey and after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid a fond farewell to your expedition team and new-found friends.