Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Enjoy the Argentinean leather markets and succulent lamb dishes that make Patagonia famous as you explore the southernmost town in the world. Highlights of Ushuaia include an award-winning museum and trips to nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park and its popular “Train at the End of the World”.
Day 2: Embarkation
Arriving at the ship in the afternoon, you will be greeted by your Expedition Team and ship's officers at a safety and orientation briefing followed by the Captain's welcome dinner. After dinner, relax and take in the mountainous scenery on an early evening sail down the Beagle Channel past Magellanic Penguin, Rock Cormorant, and Sea Lion colonies.
Day 3-4: Drake Passage
Among the wildlife spotting opportunities as you sail south are the Albatrosses, Prions, and Petrels that frequently follow the ship. Your Expedition Team will be out on deck as well, looking for the Whales and Dolphins that may also be seen in the area. Experts will begin the presentations with informative and entertaining lectures on the wildlife, history, and geology of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Helpful briefings on environmental regulations and expedition safety will also be held in the comfortable lecture hall.
Day 5-12: Antarctica including east and west coasts of the Antarctic Peninsula
The land of superlatives, Antarctica! Your Expedition Leader and Captain will create a flexible itinerary based on weather, ice, and opportunity to include as much of the diversity of the Antarctic Peninsula as possible.
Hope to begin with Christmas Eve at Elephant Island, the most notorious island in Antarctic history where 22 bedraggled members of the Endurance expedition lived under two upturned lifeboats for 135 days awaiting the return of their leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton. Weather permitting; attempt a landing at historic Cape Wild, now home to chinstrap penguins and a memorial bust.
Aawake Christmas Day in the astounding ice of the Weddell Sea where the majestic emperor penguin is a likely sighting as you navigate farther south. Huge tabular icebergs calved from the ice shelves of the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula will challenge the limits of your appreciation for nature.
Continue with landings and cruises in the Antarctic Sound. Known as “Iceberg Alley”, the sound is an astonishing assortment of floating ice both large and small as well as a large concentration of Adélie penguins. Hope to visit the Adélies on the Antarctic continent at Brown Bluff or Hope Bay. The 48 kilometer-long (30 mile) waterway is your gateway from the Weddell Sea to the South Shetland Islands and the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The west side features the most scenic bays and channels of the Peninsula with penguin rookeries, seal wallows, bird colonies and whale feeding areas as well as sites of historic and scientific interest. The trip may include picturesque Neko Harbor, sheltered Paradise Harbor, the Humpback Whale favored Wilhelmina Bay, the striking Lemaire Channel, the wildlife-filled Penola Channel, or the majestic Neumayer Channel. You may stop in an active scientific base such as Poland’s Arctowksi or Ukraine’s Vernadskiy as well as an historic base such as U.K.’s Port Lockroy or Wordie House. Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins abound, and Weddell, Crabeater and Elephant Seals are often found hauled out to rest along with the predatory Leopard Seal and the aggressive Antarctic Fur Seal. Minke and Humpback Whales are frequent visitors in the late season and Orca sightings are also common.
New Year’s Eve will be celebrated during your last night among the icebergs as you say good bye to the Deep South.
Day 13-14: Drake Passage
Continue your lecture series and wildlife spotting as you sail back to Ushuaia and reflect on beautiful Antarctica and its fragile future. Arrive at Ushuaia in the early hours of Day 15.
Day 15: Ushuaia / Disembark
Morning disembarkation lets you catch a flight to Buenos Aires or stay in Ushuaia for more sights and adventure.
Dates & Prices
Per person starting at
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The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.