Antarctica

Today is at leisure to experience this lively city. Browse the boutiques of Calle Florida or visit one of the many renowned art museums. Or perhaps you’ll choose to cross the Argentine Pampas to experience the culture of Argentina’s gauchos at a typical estancia and enjoy a hearty asado lunch – a typical Argentine barbecue.

  Breakfast     High  29  Low  18     Hotel Panamericano

Day 3. Buenos Aires – Ushuaia

This morning you fly to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, situated on the Patagonian peninsula overlooking the historic Beagle Channel. Explore the “Land of Fire” at Tierra del Fuego National Park. Walk the shores of Roca Lake and see evidence of the settlements of the now-extinct Yámana indigenous people, and visit Lapataia Bay where the Panamerican Highway ends.

  Breakfast & Dinner     High  14 Low  5     Alto Andino Hotel

Day 4. Ushuaia – Embark Ship

The morning is yours to enjoy free time in this famous port town before boarding the state-of-the-art MS Fram expedition vessel.

  Breakfast & Dinner     High  24  Low  15     Hurtigruten

Cruise south through the fabled Drake Passage, named for the legendary Sir Francis Drake. Warmer waters of the north meet the colder, denser waters of the south here in the Antarctic Convergence, making the area rich in marine life. Spot whales and sea birds as you begin this voyage of exploration. Experts provide presentations on history, biology and geology throughout your adventure.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner    High  24 Low  15     Hurtigruten

Day 6. The Drake Passage – Antarctica

Arrive in Antarctica – the last great wilderness stretching across ice-covered desert and mountains for over five million square miles. The ethereal beauty and immense scale of the continent is like nowhere else on the planet. Follow in the footsteps of the great explorers…the privilege of witnessing this fragile, remote environment is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner    High  24  Low  15     Hurtigruten

Day 7. Antarctica

The next seven days are filled with discovery! Weather conditions determine each sailing’s final itinerary. Regardless, adventure awaits. First, cruise through the astounding, glacier-lined Lemaire Channel – “Kodak Gap” – and enter the majestic Neumayer Channel with its imposing cliffs. Humpback, Killer and Minke whales – and icebergs – are common sights. PolarCirkel (rugged excursion) boats take you to incredible locations along the Antarctic Peninsula, which could include: • Half Moon Island, a small island in the South Shetland chain boasting mountainous views and a nesting place for Chinstrap penguins, Kelp gulls and Antarctic tern.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner   High  24  Low  15     Hurtigruten

Day 8. Antarctica

Continue your visits by PolarCirkel boats to locations which could include: • Whalers Bay, Deception Island, featuring an active volcanic caldera. Zodiac into Whalers Bay where ruins from a 20th-century whaling station rest ashore. The black volcanic sand and waters upon the beach are warmed by geothermal vents.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner    High  24  Low  15     Hurtigruten

Day 9. Antarctica

Continue your visits by PolarCirkel boats to locations which could include: • Neko Harbour, part of the Antarctic mainland nestled in the fjord-like Andvord Bay, where penguins plus Elephant and Weddel seals are often spotted. • Antarctic Sound & Brown Bluff. Hear the tale of the 1903 Swedish polar expedition which met its fate here at “Iceberg Alley.” At Brown Bluff you may have the chance to stroll the beach with the cute Adélie penguins.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner   High 24 Low  15     Hurtigruten

Day 10. Antarctica

Continue your visits by PolarCirkel boats to locations which could include: • Port Lockroy, a harbour on Goudier Island and former British base, hosting cormorants and surrounded by glaciers and ice shelves. Here you can mail home a postcard with a rare Antarctic stamp! • Wilhelmina Bay, where mountains and high glaciers create dramatic scenery. View the 1915 wreck of the Norwegian ship, Guvernøren.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner     High 24 Low  15     Hurtigruten

Day 11. Antarctica

Continue your visits by PolarCirkel boats to locations which could include: • Yankee Harbour, on the South Shetland Islands, was once the base of operations for early sealers. Today it still provides a natural safe haven for sailors and explorers like you who come to see the large colony of Gentoo penguins.

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner    High 24 Low  15     Hurtigruten