Solar Eclipse in Antarctica

Your itinerary begins in unforgettable Buenos Aires, where after having arrived independently, you will transfer to the hotel for your overnight stay. We recommend taking some time to soak up the sights, sounds and delicacies of this splendid city.

Please note, a mandatory transfer package including charter flights and 1 night’s hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires is required for this trip and costs £850.

After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast you will have time for some more exploration of Ushuaia in the morning before joining your group transfer to the port where your polar expedition ship awaits you. Embarkation will begin in the late afternoon and after meeting your expedition team and settling into your comfortable cabin, you can spend some time exploring your new surroundings and watching from deck as we sail through the scenic and historic Beagle Channel and set course for Antarctica!

We will spend 2 days at sea sailing through the famously unpredictable Drake Passage. Over the course of these 2 days there may potentially be some rough waters, but your polar expedition ship has been designed to navigate these waters with ease. We hope for a smooth sailing that will allow us to spend some time on deck enjoying searching for the abundant seabirds that are likely to be following the ship. Your expedition team will begin their exciting programme of informative lectures and presentations covering everything from the wildlife and geology of Antarctica to historic polar exploration. There will also be safety and bio-environmental briefings to prepare you for your time in Antarctica.

After the anticipation of the last two days, your first sight of land in Antarctica will not disappoint, and you will begin to appreciate exactly why these remarkable lands have long captivated the attentions of explorers and intrepid adventurers. A land of extremes, Antarctica is likely to arise almost every type of emotion in you, from the feeling of total isolation amongst the startling imposing landscapes of mountains and icebergs, to the exhilaration of watching the comical antics of the abundance of penguins.

As with all Antarctica expeditions our exact itinerary over the course of the next few days will be flexible and dependent upon weather and ice conditions, with your captain and experienced crew deciding each day on the best course for unrivalled wildlife, scenery and adventure experiences. Each expedition to Antarctica is different and you can be guaranteed of multiple unique, once in a lifetime moments that you will live long in the memory.

Exploring each day by Zodiac boat you will discover multiple bays, channels and landing sites on a constant lookout for wildlife sightings including humpback and minke whales, various southern seal species and, of course, bustling penguin rookeries. One of our favourite places for spotting penguins includes Danco Island where we can enjoy a short hike to visit a large penguin colony which resides high up on a ridge that affords spectacular views of the surrounding pristine landscape. Other sites we expect to visit include Neko Harbour, the Melchior Islands, Port Lockroy and Cuverville Island to name just a few.

During your time in Antarctica you will be invited to enjoy your included unforgettable helicopter flightseeing experience which will take you high above the Peninsula for simply breath-taking views of the icescapes below.

There will ample opportunities for enjoyable hikes and walks throughout our time in Antarctica and the majesty of the Antarctic Peninsula’s mountains will enchant as you scramble up snowy pathways to vantage points offering you 360° views of your surroundings.

Throughout your time here you can enjoy walks along the beaches alongside the penguins, thrilling Zodiac cruises through the crackling sea ice, navigating through mazes of towering icebergs of all shapes and sizes, experience the awesome sights and sounds of calving glaciers including those in Neko Harbour, and fully immerse yourself in all that this wonderful continent has to offer. For the more adventurous we highly recommend a Polar Plunge in the frigid Antarctic waters and there are exciting kayaking and paddling options available too. Please note that these optional activities must be booked in advance.

We will now spend the next couple of days sailing into the Scotia Sea towards South Georgia, with your captain charting course for the perfect position from which to view the Eclipse. Your expert team, including world-renowned eclipse expert Fred Espenak, will deliver presentations and workshops designed to fill you with everything you need to know about Eclipses and prepare you for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Known as “Mr. Eclipse,” Fred is a retired NASA scientist and has participated in 29 eclipse expeditions around the world!

Early morning on the 4th December, with the ship in the optimum position, you can make your way to deck with your provided eclipse glasses to witness this extraordinary, much-awaited moment. There will be much celebration in the air today, topped off with a special evening celebration to commemorate this magical total eclipse as we sail on to our next adventure.

Welcome to the wildlife paradise of South Georgia, where millions of penguins, abundant birdlife, regular sightings of whales and other marine mammals, spectacular scenery and a rich history combine to make one of the world’s most surprising and enchanting destinations. We will spend four days here exploring all that the area has to offer, with the prominent focus being on the astounding array of wildlife and the island’s historical associations.

One of the many places we expect to visit includes Grytviken, an area of significant historical interest and the final resting place of the legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. Here we can spend the day learning about Polar expeditions of the past, paying our respects at Shackleton’s grave, visiting a research station, abandoned whale station and beautiful church, and soaking up the mystical surroundings.

Although South Georgia’s rich history is a huge draw for visitors to this mostly uninhabited island, the abundance of wildlife on display is South Georgia’s crowning glory and the locations we will visit have been selected to provide you with unforgettable up-close wildlife encounters. From Salisbury Plain, home of one of the largest king penguin rookeries on the island, to Gold Harbour where the hanging Bertrab Glacier provides a spectacular backdrop to a hive of activity of king and gentoo penguins squabbling with rowdy elephant and fur seals for prime position along the beaches, this wildlife wonderland will not disappoint.

We recommend arriving here with as much space on your camera as possible as the photographic opportunities are simply endless. The unique Drygalski Fjord with its dramatic peaks rising from the sea is an unforgettable sight, whilst the tens of thousands of breeding pairs of penguins in St Andrew’s Bay is a wildlife spectacle to behold. Throughout your time here your experienced expedition team will offer insights into not only the island’s history and wildlife, but also to the area’s unique geological features which play such an important role in the breeding and survival of the different bird and animal species.

As we leave the South Georgia behind we will head north-west towards the Falklands. We highly recommend spending some time on deck, where the meeting of oceans creates an abundance of krill and marine life that attracts large cetaceans, such as humpback whales, to the area. Your programme of lectures will continue and as we near the Falkland Islands there will be bio-environmental briefings for your time here, including information on how to behave around the various wildlife species you are likely to encounter.

The remote Falklands archipelago consists of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and we will spend two days here exploring as much of this fascinating group of islands as possible. As with all expedition cruising, our exact itinerary will be dictated by sea and ice conditions, with your captain and experienced expedition team choosing the very best course to take advantage of the thrilling wildlife and scenic opportunities available. We will visit the Falklands capital of Stanley, where you can enjoy a stroll around the beautiful waterfront in this quaint town which has a quintessentially British feel. You will have time to visit the town’s museum and church, or enjoy a refreshing drink in one of the friendly local pubs.

Other places we expect to be able to visit during your time here include Carcass Island, New Island and West Point Island amongst others. In all of these locations you can expect to experience a great deal of wildlife encounters, including at least three species of penguins and an abundance of other birdlife including the endemic Cobb’s wren and Falkland’s flightless steamer duck.

Throughout your time in the Falklands your team of lecturers and specialists will accompany you to offer insights into the area’s unique flora and fauna, as well as the island’s well-documented history.

As our unforgettable adventure nears its conclusion, we now spend the day sailing back to Ushuaia with our cameras as full as our hearts. After over two weeks of endless wildlife encounters and thrilling experiences, this will be the perfect time to relax, reminisce and enjoy your last wildlife sightings from deck.

After having sailed through the Beagle Channel overnight you will arrive back into the port of Ushuaia in the early morning, where you will bid a fond farewell to your expedition team and disembark to join your group transfer to the airport for your homeward flights, or to a downtown location should you wish to spend more time in this charming city at the bottom of the world.