HIGHLIGHTS
- Be
awed by the array of wildlife who play and hunt in the Antarctic Sound
- Marvel
at enormous tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea
- Learn
about the incredible fossil-rich volcanic islands from our onboard
palaeontologist
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
Rates are listed per person
|
Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
ITINERARY
Day
1 Arrival airport transfer and overnight in Ushuaia
Arrive
in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora
Expeditions and transferred to your group hotel (preferred flights
only). Upon arrival at your included hotel, kindly remind hotel
check-in staff to provide you with Aurora Expeditions cabin tags.
Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number.
Day
2 Embarkation Day
This
morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags
clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Please take your
cabin luggage down to hotel reception by 8.00 AM. Your luggage will be
collected from your hotel and transferred directly to port for
clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board.
Keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Once
you have checked out of your hotel by 11.00 AM, you have free time
before meeting back in the hotel lobby at 2.00 PM to commence a tour of
Ushuaia.
Ushuaia,
capital of Tierra del Fuego is located at the shores of the Beagle
Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains giving you a unique
landscape in Argentina, which is the combination of mountains, sea,
glaciers and forests. On this
half day introductory tour, you will visit “La
Mision” neighbourhood, the old Government House, and the
upper area of the city, which offers beautiful panoramic views of
Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the
excursion you will see the antique houses that belonged to the first
families settled in Ushuaia. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old
Prison Museum before transferring to the pier for embarkation at
approximately 4.00 PM.
After
embarkation, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin
before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from
port, we’ll gather on the deck to commence our adventure with
spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. This
evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition
team and crew at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling
adventure to Antarctica.
(Breakfast
and dinner included. Lunch is at own expense)
Day
3 Drake Passage Crossing
As
we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time
getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team
prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines
and biosecurity procedures, and start our lecture program to help you
learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and
environment.
Our
wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the
many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels
following in our wake. They rise and fall skilfully, using air currents
created by the ship to gain momentum.
Day
4 Drake Passage & South Shetland Islands
Nearing
the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on
day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of
the observation decks, watching for our first iceberg. The ocean takes
on a whole new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence
and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures.
The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with
you for a lifetime. Weather permitting, we may attempt our first
landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.
Day
5-10 West Antarctic Peninsula & Weddell Sea
It’s
almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica.
Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the
most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you
forever. Once we
arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South
Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices
available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience
approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as
you wish. Your
experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this
area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day,
choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice
conditions and wildlife opportunities.
We
generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day.
You’ll want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along
spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for
whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you
from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover
historic huts and explore some of our favourite spots along the
peninsula. While
ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or
perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains
towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an
optional activity, you’ll have the option to do that whenever
conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the
chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions
permitting!
In
addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise
some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from
the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or
feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make
your way to the bridge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its
splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as
they carve their way from summit to sea, and take a quiet moment to
experience the wonder of this incredible white continent. Central to
the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the
Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, the Weddell Sea
certainly is high on the list for most polar adventurers. A small set
of islands standing off to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula
collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the
Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley,
many large tabular bergs escape the Weddell Sea through the Antarctic
Sound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be
great. Fossils are a reminder of a more temperate era –
gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to
stone.
Be
spoiled for wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large
Adélie penguin colony just outside of the Antarctic Sound,
some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island,
where a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with
nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac
cruises or slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak,
keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and out of the water,
where you’re likely to spot humpback, minke and orca whales.
With good ice and plenty of luck, you may even get close to a
well-known emperor penguin colony. Your camera is sure to get a solid
workout during your time in the Weddell Sea.
Day
11 Fly King George Island to Punta Arenas
As
we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell
Antarctica and our amazing adventure before boarding our flight
(approximately one-and-a half-hours) to Punta Arenas, Chile. On arrival
at the Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to our group hotel.
NOTE:
King George Island is located at the northern tip of the Antarctic
Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote
place on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required in
order to take off and land safely. We apologise in advance if you
experience any delays.
Day
12 Punta Arenas
After
breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers as we all
continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the
immense power of nature (breakfast included).
NOTE: Please advise
your Reservations Consultant or travel agent if you require an airport
transfer, so it can be booked in advance. The departure airport
transfer is not included in your voyage cost and will be at an
additional charge.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Arrival
transfer from airport to hotel on Day 1
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Ushuaia on Day 1
- City
tour in Ushuaia on Day 2 (lunch not included)
- Luggage
transfer from your hotel in Ushuaia to ship on Day 2
- Flight
from King George Island to Punta Arenas on Day 11
- Transfer
to hotel in Punta Arenas on Day 11
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Punta Arenas on
Day 11
- On-board
accommodation during voyage including daily cabin service
- All
meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage
- Beer,
house wine and soft drinks with dinner
- Captain’s
Welcome and Farewell reception including four-course dinner, house
cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages
- All
shore excursions and Zodiac cruises
- Educational
lectures and guiding services from expedition team
- Free
access to our onboard doctor for consultations relating to
sea-sickness. A standard fee of US $60.00 (reclaimable through your
travel insurance provider) applies for medical consultations not
related to sea-sickness
- A
3-in-1 waterproof polar expedition jacket
- Complimentary
use of muck boots during the voyage
- Comprehensive
pre-departure information
- Port
surcharges, permits and landing fees
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Sea
Kayaking: USD 1,260
- Snowshoeing:
USD 640
- Photography:
Free