Have questions? We're here.
Penguins in Antarctica

Classic Antarctica - Holiday Edition 2021

Example 19 Day Cruise aboard Silver Wind
Talk with an expert
Build your ideal Antarctica trip. Call 1.406.541.2677
Start Planning My Trip
You can dream of a truly white Christmas this year by casting off to the ends of the Earth. Sail with us to explore the stark, raw beauty of Antarctica and her islands, not to mention her staggering wildlife. Why not change your traditions and experience the rush of setting foot on the rarely explored, sharing the dazzling landscapes with raucous rookeries of penguins and seals. If it’s a change in scenery that you want, then this voyage is it.
Blue ice of AntarcticaIncredible mountains and wildlife at the end of the world.A whale plays near the surface at dusk.UshuaiaPenguins in Antarctica
Highlights
  • Marvel at spectacular icebergs and calving glaciers
  • Enjoy close encounters with gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins
  • Set foot on the magnificent continent and mainland of Antarctica
  • Watch for whales – humpback, minke, orca, pilot, and beaked whales
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
0

Full Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1: Santiago

Arrive at Santiago, Overnight at the Intercontinental Santiago hotel.

Day 2: Punta Arenas | Embark

Welcome to Chile's City at the End of The World – a wind-whipped, fractured land of islands, glacial fjords, and mountains, which drop away towards Antarctica. A hardy city, where the temperature hovers in single figures throughout much of the year, Punta Arenas nevertheless offers a warm welcome and refuge, ahead of - and following - epic adventures and expeditions south across the Drake Passage. Captain Scott stopped here in 1904 – testing the postal service sending 400 letters of his triumphant return - and the city welcomed the rescued Ernest Shackleton and his Endurance crew to these shores in 1916. Punta Arenas is a remote place, but with custom-free status and more than 120,000 people calling it home, it's also surprisingly cosmopolitan. The commercial center of Magallanes Punta Arenas is fueled by Chilean oil and gas - and establishing itself as a global center for Antarctic research, with teams from various countries basing themselves here. The town is built around the Plaza de Armas, its central square - be sure to kiss the toe of the Monumento del Indio Patagon statue, said to guarantee you good luck on your return. Look down across this colorful city, stretching out to meet the waters of the Straits of Magellan, from the viewpoint at Cerro De La Cruz. Natural wonders abound in the region, whether it’s Alberto de Agostini National Park’s glacial sculptures or Torres del Paine National Park’s soaring mountains, rushing waterfalls, and picturesque lakes. Offshore, in the Strait of Magellan, you can find the birdlife sanctuary of Magdalena Island. Hundreds of thousands of penguins march on this uninhabited island, and crowds of cormorants and gulls call out.

Day 3: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Day 4: West Point Island | Saunders Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Meet the rockhopper penguins who scamper and burrow along the coast's boulders, as well as the imperial cormorants who rest here in great numbers. You're also likely to encounter Magellanic penguins during your explorations. Hike the island's quiet landscapes, and look out for endemic plants like Felton's flower carpeting the green interior. Decorated with some of the archipelago's most dramatic scenery, explore this wind-lashed, distant land of soaring cliffs and towering coastal precipices. Cliff Mountain is the island's standout - a towering sandstone monolith and the archipelago's highest cliff, falling away to swirling waves below. Look out to the waters to spot Commerson's dolphins chasing each other around the island's wave-washed footprint. Whales also visit and the fur seals you may spot lounging around West Point Island's inviting shores.

Meet some of the world’s most incredible wildlife on remote Saunders Island. Sitting to the northwest of the Falkland’s archipelago, the British established their first settlement here in 1765, at Port Egmont. Remote, wild, and wonderful, the island now serves as a lush grazing ground for plenty of sheep - but it's a terrific place to encounter far rarer animals - from elephant seals to silvery grebes and peals dolphins. Connected by sinewy links of beach and sandy dunes, which create some of the most dramatic scenery in the Falklands, the archipelago’s fourth biggest island is home to its best birdlife - including a colony of neatly tuxedoed king penguins. Saunders Island's topography tightens at The Neck - where you'll find even more penguin activity. Colonies squark and chatter in huge crowds here, with Gentoo, Rockhopper, and Magellanic penguins dipping into the water and clambering over boulders. A gentle hike to the summit of Mount Richards will take you 457 meters above sea level, offering an expansive overview, from which you can look out across the tips of the moody waves to see Carcass Island and West Point Island emerging. 

Day 5: Stanley

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Tiny Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, seems in many ways like a British village fallen out of the sky. Many homes are painted in bright colors, adding visual appeal to this distant outpost. Not far offshore, the wreck of the Lady Elizabeth is one of the many vessels remaining as a silent testimonial to the region's frequent harsh weather conditions. The islands, also known by their Spanish name of Islas Malvinas, are home to arguably more tuxedo-clad inhabitants of the penguin variety than human residents. Various species, such as Gentoo, Magellanic and the more elusive King penguins, either live here permanently or use the Falklands as a stopover on their migration route. Darwin found the islands' flora and fauna fascinating - no doubt you will, too.

Day 6-7: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Day 8-10: South Georgia

  • Ship
  • 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
South Georgia is a breathtaking destination of towering snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers, and low-lying grasslands that attract an astounding concentration of wildlife. It is possible to find Southern fur seals, Southern elephant seals and a variety of albatross species including Black-browed, Light-mantled Sooty, Grey-headed and the spectacular Wandering Albatross, plus thousands of King and Macaroni Penguins. South Georgia is also linked to the early Antarctic explorers. Captain James Cook first stepped ashore in 1775, but perhaps more famous is Ernest Shackleton’s arrival in 1916 following the sinking of his ship Endurance. Shackleton’s grave and the whaling museum at Grytviken are highlights, as would be a visit to one of the King Penguin colonies at Salisbury Plain or Gold Harbour.

Day 11-12: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring the shore side.

Day 13: Elephant Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Elephant Island is perhaps Antarctica’s best-known location, a promising thrilling adventure, legendary tales, and immaculate Antarctic beauty. The exploits of its early explorers have immortalized this harsh, monochrome island in the tomes of human history. Believed to take its name from the elephant seals that early explorers spotted lolling on its rocks, the volcanic island was not properly explored until 1916 - when Ernest Shackleton and his men were stricken by the weather and sought salvation on its shores. Stranded in this barren land, their story of survival is one of humanity’s most evocative and inspiring accounts. Elephant Island is written deep into the legend of Antarctic exploration, and you’ll discover Shackleton’s tale for yourself as you arrive in the island’s icy realm. The remarkable, slowly flowing Endurance Glacier - which you’ll see on arrival here - takes its name from their ship, 

Day 14: Antarctic Sound

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Few voyages ignite the imagination like a journey down to one of the planet’s most remote, extreme and enchanting wilderness, Antarctica. An adventure in its purest form, only a handful of people will ever be lucky enough to experience the majestic beauty of these monochrome landscapes first-hand. The Antarctic Sound will be one of your first encounters of this whitewash kingdom, located at the northerly tip of the Antarctic Peninsula - which sprawls up like a tentacle towards Tierra del Fuego, South America’s most southerly point, otherwise known as the ‘End of the World’. Taking its name from the first ship to brave the passageway between the peninsular and the Joinville Island groups back in 1902, the Sound is a raw, sensory assault of imposing iceberg slabs, broken away from the disintegrating Larsen Ice Shelf. Come face-to-face with stadium-sized islands of ice and meet the extraordinary birdlife that call this whitewash kingdom home.

Day 15-16: Antarctic Peninsula

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America, reaching a beckoning finger to the adventurous, who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 miles from Tierra del Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases, which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavor, pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife, and the impact humans have on this pristine continent. 

Day 17: South Shetland Islands

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The ice-coated Antarctic Peninsula forms perhaps the most accessible region of mainland Antarctica, lying a mere 480-miles away from South America, across the fabled waters of Drakes Passage. Lying close to the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland Islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, suspending claims on their sovereignty. Several countries maintain research bases here, and with plump elephant seals, and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins also calling the islands home, it can even feel a little crowded at times. King George Island is the largest and most hospitable island, hosting the majority of the research stations - some of which are populated all year-round by tiny, hardy crews. Don’t be fooled though, these islands offer extraordinary adventure in one of the most remote locations on earth.

Day 18-19: Drake Passage

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Sailing the legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough to experience. The southern tip of the Americas already feels like a wild enough environment – but the sensation of watching the distant cliffs of the peninsular known as the ‘End of the World’ fade into the horizon, is one that’s equal parts epic, eerie and magical. Set sail, to slowly drop off the bottom of the map from Cape Horn, and voyage on an expedition down into the icy underworld of Antarctica. The Drake Passage is an extraordinary voyage of romantic ocean-faring legend, as you aim for Antarctica’s icy realm. On arrival, skyscraper-sized icebergs salute you, as you traverse the waters of this continent where snow and ice-dwelling creatures like penguins and whales roam undisturbed. Your first sight of this most unexplored place will most likely be the South Shetland Islands.

Day 20: Punta Arenas | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
Arrive back in Punta Arenas and disembark after breakfast.

You will be provided with a homeward-bound complimentary antigen test and be taken on morning tour of Punta Arenas

Day 21: Santiago

Guest will embark on a charter flight back to Santiago departing Punta Arenas ~1-2PM,  arriving in Santiago around 4:30-5:30PM

Ship/Hotel

Silver Wind

Santiago - Hotels

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$31,400
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Vista Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large picture window providing panoramic ocean views and comfortable sitting area. One bedroom: 240 sq ft / (22 sq m) One bedroom: Suite 738: 325 sq ft / (30 sq m).
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Classic Veranda Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to-ceiling glass doors and comfortable sitting area. One bedroom: 295 sq ft / (27 sq m) including veranda.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Deluxe Verdana Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to-ceiling glass doors and comfortable sitting area. One bedroom: 295 sq ft / (27 sq m) including veranda.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Medallion Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a comfortable sitting area. One-bedroom Suite 741 has a single bedroom and measures 667 sq ft / 62 (sq m.) Two-bedroom Suites 801–804: 441 sq ft / 41 (sq m) including veranda.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Silver Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a comfortable sitting area. One bedroom: 517 sq ft / (54 sq m) including veranda.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Royal Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed; Two-bedroom has additional twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large teak veranda and a separate dining area and bar. Royal Suite - 736 sq ft / (69 sq m) including veranda. Two-bedroom - 1,031 sq ft / (96 square meters) including veranda.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Grand Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed; Two-bedroom has additional twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large teak veranda and a separate dining area and bar. One bedroom: 1,019 sq ft / (95 sq m) including veranda. Two-bedroom - 1,314 sq ft / (122 sq m) plus veranda.
Silver Wind
Select a Date
Owner's Suite
Twin beds or queen-sized bed; Two-bedroom has additional twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large teak veranda and a separate dining area and bar. One-bedroom: 587 sq ft / (55 sq m) including veranda. Two-bedroom - 827 sq ft / (77 sq m) plus veranda.
Included
  • 18 Breakfasts, 16 Lunches, 17 Dinners
  • 20 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Personalized Service with a Butler for all Suites
  • One hour free WIFI per day for all guests. Unlimited free WIFI for guests sailing on select suite categories.
  • In-suite dining and room service
  • Guided Zodiac, land and sea tours, and shoreside activities led by the Expeditions Team
  • Onboard gratuities
  • Beverages in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, select wines and spirits
  • Complimentary transportation into town in most ports
  • Complimentary Parka - available only for the duration of the voyage.
Excluded
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Some champagne, premium wine and spirit selections, caviar, cigarettes and cigars are not included in your fare.
  • Meals ashore
  • Laundry or Valet services
  • Casino gaming

Map

Inquire

* By providing your phone number, you consent to receive direct phone calls or SMS messages from our Trip Planners to get the process started. We do not share your information with third-parties.
Travel Agents

We Love to Talk Travel

Call 1.800.344.6118
or
Chat Now
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor

Antarctica Travel Guide

Favorite Antarctica All Trips

More Reasons

Why Travel With Adventure Life

All News

Recognized By