Luxury Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica

Your adventure will start in Montevideo, Uruguay’s vibrant capital city. Having arrived independently you will make you way to the port for embarkation in the afternoon. As you settle in to your luxury ship we will set sail south towards the Falkland Islands.

The next three days will be spent at sea gently sailing south towards the Falkland Islands. Days at sea can be spent relaxing in your comfortable surroundings, availing of the luxury onboard facilities, and enjoying some time on deck searching for whale and seabird sightings including albatrosses and cape petrels.

Your informative and entertaining lecture programme will begin, covering everything from the wildlife and geology of the areas we’ll visit to historical polar explorations, and there will be bio-environmental briefings regarding the rules that must be adhered to during your visit to the wildlife-rich Falklands.

Having arrived along the western coast of the Falklands overnight, this morning the excitement will build as we prepare for the first of many landings of our trip. Our first stop in this scenic and wildlife-rich archipelago will take us through the Woolly Gut strait to arrive at the rarely-visited Grave Cove. Stepping off the boat and on to the white sandy beach you may well be greeted by the Commerson's dolphins that are often found here! More wildlife awaits as we make our way across the grassy dunes to one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies in the area that resides here alongside the famous Falkland Islands sheep. We may also have good chances of spotting sea lions here.

Later in the afternoon we will make our way towards The Neck which connects the two sides of the blustery natural paradise of Saunders Island. Accompanied by your naturalist guides you will go ashore to enjoy a walk along the endless shoreline lapped by turquoise waters where you will be able to spot several bird species. Making our way to the other end of The Neck a walk should reward in the delightful sight of king, southern rockhopper and Magellanic penguins as well as black-browed albatrosses.

The following day we will make our way to the far northeast of the archipelago to visit the ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA)’ of Volunteer Point. A haven for abundant birdlife, Volunteer Point is home to the archipelago’s largest king penguin colony which resides amongst some of the finest scenery you could imagine.

Sailing south towards South Georgia, your informative and entertaining lecture programme will continue, along with bio-environmental briefings for your time on the island. Take some time to relax after a busy day in the Falklands and enjoy some of the fantastic hospitality on board. Some time on deck should reward with multiple seabird sightings and possibly some whale sightings.

We will now spend four exceptionally enjoyable days sailing around the wildlife paradise of South Georgia. We hope to make land at some enchanting landing sites to discover up-close what makes this remote island so remarkable. Millions of penguins, including king penguin colonies numbering up 300,000, crowd the beaches alongside enormous elephant seals, various breeds of seals and abundant seabirds, all surrounded by the most spectacular glacier and mountain scenery imaginable. Places we hope to visit during our time here include Fortuna Bay, Gold Harbour, Salisbury Plain and Grytviken to visit the grave of the legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Over the course of the next few days we will enjoy a gentle sail towards the Antarctic Peninsula. Your lecture programme will continue and there will be briefings around the strict IAATO rules that must be adhered to during your visit to the natural wonderland of Antarctica. There will also be briefings for the Zodiac (small inflatable boat) excursions, and as the icebergs begin to appear on the horizon and we near the mountainous islands of the South Orkneys we will prepare to put these skills into action as we get ready to make our first of many landings in this icy wilderness.

The South Orkney Islands are rarely visited owing to them being more than 85% glaciated and particularly difficult to land on, so this will be a unique experience that you will be sure to remember. The archipelago is composed of four main islands: Coronation Island, Signy Island, Powell Island and Laurie Island, and we will spend some time exploring here in search of sightings of the sizeable leopard seal population that can be found there, along with chinstrap penguins and snow petrels. We will also hope to visit an old scientific station that is still in operation on Laurie Island before sailing on towards the Peninsula.

Your discovery of the magical Antarctic Peninsula begins in earnest and the sheer beauty of this remarkable and remote wilderness wonderland will be sure to astound. As with all Polar expeditions, your exact route and itinerary in Antarctica will be flexible, with your experienced captain and crew charting the best course for unrivalled scenic and wildlife experiences. Each day we will explore by Zodiac boat or on foot around some of the Peninsula’s most impressive landing sites on a constant search for the wildlife that abounds here.

We will search for sightings of numerous breeds of penguins including Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo, whales including minke, humpback and orca, various species of seals and abundant birdlife. You will visit spectacularly scenic bays and harbours, volcanic beaches, research stations and sites of historical significance. Each day will bring a new adventure as you enjoy an exploration of this breathtaking region. Sites you are likely to visit include, but are not limited to, Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay, Port Lockroy and the South Shetland Islands amongst many other places.

Leaving Antarctica in our wake we will now sail into the legendary Drake Passage to make our way to Ushuaia in southern Argentina. Enjoy the final lectures and presentations delivered by your expert team and some final whale watching and birdwatching from the deck. Or simply relax on your luxurious ship and catch your breath after what will have been an incredibly exciting voyage.

Disembark and transfer to the airport for your included flight to Buenos Aires.