As the days grow longer, the mountains shed their snowy mantle, king penguins shuffle eggs on their feet, elephant seals pup, and fur seals are rambunctious. Currents of krill sweep up from the Weddell Sea, providing food for one of the greatest wildlife concentrations on the planet. Join this 18-day voyage to immerse yourself in whaling history, visit Shackleton’s grave, and then reverse his route to Elephant Island. Finish off by exploring the spectacular Antarctic Peninsula, photographing penguins, seals, whales and historic sites and hopefully stepping onto the continent itself before crossing Drake Passage to Puerto Williams.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Fly from Santiago or Punta Arenas, Chile, and explore the historic Falkland Islands’ capital, Stanley before embarking Polar Pioneer in the late afternoon.
At sea, albatrosses, giant petrels and tiny Wilson’s storm petrels escort the ship, bound for South Georgia. On-board naturalists and historians enliven the crossing with informative talks. Meanwhile, keep a watchful eye out for seabird-peppered shag rocks.
Spring brings an explosion of life to South Georgia and there is ample time to explore the island’s spectacular northern coast. Visit wildlife havens that include the world’s largest king penguin rookeries, majestic albatross nests, and beaches cluttered with basking elephant seals, feisty fur seals, and penguins. Inspired by Shackleton’s epic, hope to retrace the expedition’s final steps from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.
Crossing the Scotia Sea, watch for seabirds, icebergs, and great whales, including blues, fin and sei. Take some time to reflect on South Georgia and prepare for Antarctica, the next leg of your adventure.
Conditions permitting, approach Cape Wild - a bleak, rocky spit along Elephant Island's dramatic north coast. Join a Zodiac cruise and possibly even step ashore to pay tribute to Shackleton's 22 men who survived 4 months on the island.
Day 12-15: South Shetland Islands / Antarctic Peninsula
Hope to land in the South Shetland Islands before sailing down Gerlache Strait, and awaken to the drama of Antarctica. Encounter pack ice and penguin rookeries which are alive with courtship, mating, and nest-building. Visit historic sites and land on the continent proper.
Return to the realm of the albatross. Enjoy some time to celebrate and reflect as you head north across the Drake Passage.
Day 18: Disembark in Puerto Williams / Fly to Punta Arenas, Chile
1 Breakfast
Dawn greets you in the Beagle Channel. Dock in Puerto Williams before a tour of the town. Board your flight to Punta Arenas to continue your independent homeward journey.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$17,200
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Twin Shared
Twin Shared Cabins have two lower bunks, a desk, small washbasin, ample storage and hanging space and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins.
Notes
Please note that all of Polar Pioneer itineraries are at the mercy of weather conditions and not all landings are guaranteed. These itineraries are flexible and will change voyage to voyage, allowing the best chance to make the most of surprising wildlife displays and unexpected opportunities.
- Rates represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy. Request the Twin or Triple Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
Initial deposit is $2700, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 131 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 131 reviews on
21 hours ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
1 day ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week
Linda Cummings
2 days ago
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!
Hazel Araza
2 days ago
(1) great information on the website and throughout all the "materials." (2) Jane Packer is great: knowledgeable, responsive, takes a personal interest and tone, seems to care about the customer as a person not a sale.
Larry Bethune
2 days ago
great people doing a wonderful job to make our voyages happen.