Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands

Day 1 Buenos Aires

Arrive this morning and transfer to the Caesar Park Hotel Buenos Aires, located in the popular Recoleta neighborhood, where immediate check-in has been arranged with time to relax before this afternoon's optional city tour. Meet your fellow adventurers this evening for a welcome cocktail reception.

Day 2 Buenos Aires/Ushuaia, Argentina

Fly to Ushuaia for a traditional Patagonian barbecue. Later, arrive at your ship and settle in for your first night on board.

Day 3 At Sea

As you sail eastward toward the Falkland Islands, your lecturers begin their informal series of enlightening discussions on the flora, fauna and history of the region.

Days 4-5 Falkland Islands

The ship arrives at the Falklands Islands today where you have the opportunity to explore these beautifully unspoiled islands. We plan to visit The Falklands Capital of Stanley. Stanley is a quaint town of small shops, brightly painted houses and friendly locals. You will have the opportunity to choose from one of several sightseeing excursions including a city highlights tour by limo, a walking or a shopping tour in town or a visit to a sheep farm. You can also choose from a few nature-oriented tours including a Falklands birding tour, nature trek or a visit to a gentoo penguin colony in 4x4 vehicles. Alternatively you may choose to spend time on your own exploring the charming town streets with a self-paced audio-tour.

Days 6-7 Cruising the South Atlantic

As we sail towards South Georgia, the lecturers recap the adventures you have experienced in the Falklands and discuss adventures yet to come in South Georgia. The ship passes through nutrient-plentiful waters that create a rich environment for marine mammals and fish. South Georgia rises 10,000 feet out of the Scotia Sea and has a landscape that varies from ice-topped mountains to low-lying grasslands. As the ship approaches the island, its amazing mountain range will come into view and you may be able to spot wildlife from the deck.

Days 8-10 South Georgia

One of the most remote islands in the world, South Georgia provides a spectacular vista. The mountainous rugged interior with fjord-like bays is a geologic continuation of the Andes Chain, carved by more than 150 glaciers. Here, marine life flourishes in astonishing numbers and thousands of penguins inhabit the shorelines in large rookeries.

Photographic opportunities are superb, as penguins parade along the beaches. Seals, elephant seals and seabirds are found in great abundance. Zodiacs take you ashore in small groups to explore the coastlines and photograph wildlife. Stops are dependent upon weather and tide conditions, but we plan to make several stops to experience (in sight, sound and smell), the vast array of wildlife, which inhabits the island. Weather permitting, enjoy a visit to the impressive St. Andrews Bay, home to a vast colony of the stately king penguin. We plan to visit Grytviken, the old whaling station that now boasts a small but incredible natural history museum and you have a chance to send a postcard from this most remote island. The gravesite of Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of the maritime world’s most heroic and remarkable explorers, can also be found at Grytviken.

Days 11-12 Cruising the Scotia Sea

The lecturers recap the adventures you have experienced in South Georgia while the ship sails south and begin their series of presentations on the Antarctic. Join our naturalists and fellow passengers on deck as they search for seabirds and other wildlife.

Days 13-15 Antarctica

Daily programs in Antarctica vary every day, depending upon weather and ice conditions. The excitement of cruising these remote waters with vistas of icebergs, and wildlife in the season of nesting and chick rearing is exceptional.

Your Captain and Expedition Leader determine daily stops, based on their long experience in Antarctica. A typical day, in fair weather conditions, may begin with a landing after breakfast to observe penguins on a snowy isle. You return to the ship for lunch while the ship moves on to a new site.

After lunch you may again board Zodiacs and glide up onto a sheltered beach to discover basking elephant seals or perhaps explore the remnants of a former Antarctic whaling station.

On other days, Zodiac tours may take you searching for remote beaches with chinstrap, gentoo or Adélie penguin colonies. Each day is different in Antarctica and flexibility is the key to your expedition. Our final schedule will be dependent upon weather and wildlife conditions; however we hope to visit sites such as Orne, Pleneau and Goudier Islands as well as Mikkelsen Harbor. We also plan to visit a working research station as well as Deception Island, formed from the caldera of a volcano. Conditions permitting, you will have a chance to take a plunge in the Antarctic Ocean in the thermally-heated waters of Deception Island.

Back on board the Minerva, gather in the lounge prior to dinner for a recap of the day’s adventures. After dinner, in the long twilight of Antarctica, you may enjoy time at leisure on deck for photos in the stunning low-light of the White Continent.

Days 16-17 Drake Passage

You leave the Antarctic Peninsula returning to Ushuaia via the Drake Passage. As you sail northwards the lecturers recap their presentations on the wildlife, history and geology of the White Continent. While cruising through this historic passage, named in honor of Sir Francis Drake's voyage in the 16th century, you may be able to spot marine mammals and seabirds such as albatross from the deck.

Day 18 Ushuaia, Argentina/Buenos Aires

We dock at Ushuaia, where you disembark after breakfast. You will transfer to the airport to board a charter flight to Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Airport where on arrival later this afternoon you transfer to Ezeiza Airport (international airport) where you are assisted in connecting to your international flight.