Luxury Antarctica & South Georgia

Your adventure will start in Buenos Aires where after having arrived independently you will make your way to your hotel for your included overnight stay. An early check-in is available and the rest of the day is free to spend at your leisure, giving you time to sample some of this incredible city. After breakfast the following morning your transfer will take you to the airport for your included flight to Ushuaia in southern Argentina. The flight will take approximately 3.5 hours and upon arrival in Ushuaia you can choose to either spend some time at leisure, join your fellow passengers for lunch, or join an additional excursion to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. (Please note, Tierra Del Fuego excursion incurs an additional charge and should be booked when you book your cruise).

In the afternoon you will be transferred to the port to begin embarkation. As you settle in to your luxury ship, we will set sail through the scenic Beagle Channel where some time on deck should reward in multiple seabird sightings.

The next two days will be spent at sea sailing through the legendary Drake Passage. These days 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 Antarctic wildlife and geology to historical polar explorations, 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 reach the awe-inspiring Antarctic continent we will prepare to put these skills into action as we get ready to make our first of many landings.

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 a thorough 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 spend two days at sea sailing north 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 few days in Antarctica 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 three 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 you could imagine. 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.

As your thrilling adventure comes to an end you can now spend a relaxing four days at sea sailing towards Montevideo. 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.

Your adventure ends in Montevideo, the beautiful capital city of Uruguay. Disembarkation will begin in the morning. Numerous tour extensions are available so please enquire for details should you wish to extend your stay.