Luxury Antarctic Peninsula & Circle

Arrive independently and enjoy the highlights of this city at the end of the world. Depending on time, you could take a trip into the Tierra del Fuego National Park and experience the popular train ride and amazing scenery. In the evening, visit one of the local restaurants and enjoy the succulent lamb dishes that make Patagonia famous and soak up the culture of the world’s southernmost city. A one night hotel stay in Ushuaia is included in your voyage price.

Your morning will be free to further explore the city before joining your included transfer to the port to board your luxury expedition ship in the afternoon. Explore your new surroundings and settle in to your cabin as the crew slip the moorings and sail towards the wilderness. As you sail through the scenic Beagle Channel keep an eye out on deck for your first marine mammal sightings, watching the mountains and civilisation fade into the distance behind you, and join your new shipmates at the welcome dinner.

As your ship sails south through the famous Drake Passage you will cross the Antarctic Convergence, the biological boundary of the Southern Ocean, and the ship’s stabilizing fins will provide comfort in the event of rough seas. You can spend time on deck to look for whales and the plentiful seabirds that follow the ship. Keep an eye out for the majestic albatross which are common in these waters. Enjoy an excellent programme of lectures and presentations on the wildlife, geology and history of Antarctica.

Welcome to the land of superlatives…Antarctica! In authentic expedition style your exact itinerary here will be dependent on ice and weather conditions. Each day your experienced captain and expedition leader will choose the very best course in order to take advantage of every wildlife and adventure opportunity available. The long daylight hours offer plenty of flexibility for Zodiac and land excursions to make the most of your time in this magical part of the world.

The Antarctic Peninsula is home to some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, with narrow channels surrounded by towering mountain peaks covered in permanent snow and immense glaciers and icebergs of every size imaginable. It is also home to millions of penguins and other birdlife as well as a variety of whale and seal species, making it a nature lover’s paradise.

Your first stop on your Antarctica adventure is likely to be the South Shetland Islands, the northernmost islands in Antarctica. Likely stops here include Deception Island, where the flooded caldera of an active volcano harbours an abandoned whaling station which you may have the chance to explore.

Your vessel will sail through the vast Gerlache Strait alongside the Peninsula itself and the famous Lemaire Channel, stopping at places such as Paradise Bay, Neko Harbour and Petermann Island to enjoy exciting Zodiac excursions, incomparable photo opportunities and once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. For the adventurous there are kayaking and camping on ice options available and these offer a unique and thrilling way to see the nature and feel the magic of Antarctica up-close. Please note, kayaking and camping incur an additional cost and should be booked in advance.

Having enjoyed an in-depth exploration of the Peninsula area it will be time to set course for the Circle, the ultimate bucket-list experience! We plan to cross 66º South Latitude and celebrate in style as we reach the wild and desolate lands below the circle. There will be time to enjoy an exploration here to see the contrasts from the lands above the circle before sailing back north to make our way back into the Drake Passage.

As your thrilling Antarctica adventure comes to an end it’s time to head back towards Ushuaia as your ship sails northwards through the Drake Passage. Continue your wildlife search as you spend time on deck and enjoy the final presentations and lectures from your onboard team of Antarctica experts. You will be invited to attend a farewell dinner and this is the perfect time to reflect on the unforgettable moments you will have experienced during your expedition.

Arriving back into Ushuaia in the early hours of the morning there will be time for breakfast and a fond farewell to your crew and shipmates before disembarking and joining the group transfer to the airport or to a central downtown location.