Falkland Islands - Small Group Tour

An overnight flight from Brize Norton departing on the 24th of October will bring you to Mount Pleasant Airport in the Falkland Islands, where you will be met by your Guide for the itinerary and taken to Darwin Lodge. Settle in to your comfortable surroundings and perhaps enjoy a walk around in this beautiful area in search of sightings of the abundant birdlife including the Southern Giant Petrel, the Falklands Steamer Duck and the Falklands Thrush.

Overnight accommodation for 1 night on a full board basis.

On the morning of day 2 you will join the transfer to the Darwin airstrip for your included internal flight to Carcass Island on the north-west of the archipelago. A landscape of large sandy bays, tidal rocks, cliffs and freshwater ponds, the Carcass Island terrain is home to an abundance of flora, with 107 different plant species having been identified. Qualifying as an Important Bird Area, the island is completely free from cats, rats and mice, allowing for ground-nesting birds to thrive here in abundance. On the island you will find several colonies of Gentoo penguins, considerable numbers of Ruddy-headed geese, the rare Striated caracara and it is also an important site for the endemic Cobb’s wren.

During your time here you can also enjoy an included excursion to West Point Island where you can walk or ride to Devil’s Nose, home to large mixed colonies of Black-browed albatrosses, Rockhopper penguins, Turkey vultures, Military starlings, Falklands thrush and Striated caracaras.

3 nights accommodation is provided in the Manager’s House on Carcass Island on a full board basis.

On the morning of day 5 you will join the transfer to the airstrip for your included internal flight to Pebble Island where you will be staying for 3 nights at the Pebble Lodge on a full board basis. Named for the brightly coloured pebbles which adorn the island’s beautiful beaches, the origins of which remain a mystery, Pebble Island is the third largest of the offshore islands of the archipelago.

Home to the largest sand beach in the Falklands, Pebble Island’s pretty landscape features mountain peaks and many large lakes and ponds which attract a wide range of wildfowl and wading birds. The island qualifies as an Important Bird Area and during your time here you can enjoy two full-day tours which will take you all around the island in search, not only of exceptional scenic opportunities, but also of wildlife encounters. Around 40 birds species have been recorded on the island including over 1,000 pairs of Imperial cormorants as well as several large colonies of Gentoo, Megellanic and Southern Rockhopper penguins. There are also good chances of spotting Commerson’s dolphins and the Queen of the Falklands fritillary butterfly which are regularly recorded here.

The next island on our Falklands tour will be Bleaker Island, and on the morning of day 8 you will join your included internal flight and transfer to Cobbs Cottage or Cassard House for a 3 night stay on a full board basis. Contrary to its name the island is far from bleak, and features a varied coastline of low cliffs, sloping bedrock beaches, wide sandy bays and sheltered coves. The island is an important sheep farming area and the excellent pastures are home to a variety of flora.

A full day orientation tour of the island is included as part of your package, although the area is perfect for walking and self-exploration. You can expect to encounter an abundance of birdlife, with the northern end of Sandy Bay and Penguin Hill simply teeming with thousands of pairs of breeding Gentoo penguins. A gentle stroll around the island should also reward with sightings of Magellanic penguins, crested and striated caracaras, Falkland skuas and ruddy-headed geese amongst many others. Take care not to walk too close to the nesting Southern giant petrels!

On day 10 you will take another internal flight from Bleaker Island to Sea Lion Island where you will be staying for 3 nights at the Sea Lion Lodge on a full board basis. Sea Lion Island lies 17km south of mainland East Falkland and is the premier wildlife tourism site in the archipelago. As its name suggests, you can expect to see a number of sea lions hauled out on the shore, and the island is also home to 95% of the Falklands’ southern elephant seal population. You will be visiting during Killer whale season so you can expect to tick these off your bucket list of wildlife viewing experiences too. As well as marine wildlife, as with the majority of the Falkland Islands there are also excellent bird watching opportunities, with the island being home to Gentoo, Magellanic and Southern rockhopper penguins, along with an abundance of ground-nesting birds.

A full island orientation tour is included as part of your package.

As we approach the end of your comprehensive Falkland Islands tour there is time for a final delight as we visit Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. After your internal flight from Sea Lion Island you will transfer by road to the Malvina House Hotel, located just a few minutes’ walk from the historic town centre, for a 3 night stay with breakfasts, packed lunches and dinners included.

Stanley is a charming town which looks very much like a traditional English village, and is a place of great historical interest. There is a harbour, cathedral and a number of welcoming British-style pubs. There is also the fantastic Falkland Islands Museum which is absolutely worth a visit.

On day 14 there will be an included full-day 4x4 excursion (with a packed lunch included) to Volunteer Point to see the largest colony of king penguins on the islands, plus more gentoos and other birds. While you are here you may also wish to visit some of the battlefield sites or take a self-guided Maritime History Trail. During your time in Stanley you can also enjoy an included half day tour to Kidney Cove to see the penguin colonies that make the area their home, as well as possible sightings of dolphins, and an included trip to Kelp Point.

On the morning of Day 16 a transfer will be provided from your hotel to the airport for your flight back to Brize Norton. This is an overnight flight so you will arrive back in the UK the following day.