Have questions? We're here.
Sun shining on the ice

Punta Arenas to Punta Arenas

Example 17 Day Cruise aboard Silver Cloud
Talk with an expert
Build your ideal Antarctica trip. Call 1.406.541.2677
Start Planning My Trip
Irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, Antarctica offers wildlife spotting opportunities like no other place on Earth. Do not miss the chance to spot black-browed albatross and rockhopper penguin colonies that abound the Punta Arenas. With in-depth lectures from expert leaders and Zodiac® landings where possible, this life-changing journey is simply not to be missed.
Rockhopper penguinsBlue ice of AntarcticaAlbatross cruising the Drake Passage to AntarcticaIceberg in AntarcticaSun shining on the ice
Highlights
  • Hike across Coffin Harbour to reach the nesting area of blue-eyed shags
  • Visit Base Almirante Brown, one of many Antarctic research stations
  • Keep an eye out for Adelie and gentoo penguins
  • Sail inside Deception Island's caldera entrance, called Neptune’s Bellows
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: Punta Arenas, Chile | Embark

Embark Silver Cloud, settle in, and attend a mandatory safety drill before leaving port. During the afternoon be introduced to some of the important crew members and your Expedition Team. At sail away bid farewell to the Magallanes Region and take the famous Strait of Magellan, heading for the South Atlantic.

Day 2-4: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
As you set sail on your initial transit, familiarize yourself with your elegant ship and the Expedition Team members. Attend wildlife, geography, and history discussions hosted by your expert naturalists and guest lecturers, preparing you for the exciting adventures that lie ahead.

Day 5-7: South Georgia

  • Ship
  • 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
Charcoal-black mountains ladled with snow, giant glaciers and thriving wildlife combine to make South Georgia one of the great natural islands. Adventure to these far-flung lands - where the animals are in charge and humans come a distant second. Here you'll witness a cacophony of calling birds, natural set pieces like elephant seals clashing and thrashing, and crowds of colorful king penguins stretching out as far as the eye can see. An overseas territory of the UK, these isolated, subantarctic islands once formed a remote whaling center - and you can still visit the former whaling stations. Nowadays the giants of the sea are free to cruise the icy waters uninhibited. 

Written into explorer history due to its links with Ernest Shackleton’s tale of Antarctic exploration, shipwreck, and survival, the Endurance’s crew were saved when he reached the salvation of these shores in 1916 - before returning to collect the remaining sailors from Elephant Island. A museum commemorates the legendary mission, and you can see the memorial to Shackleton that stands over his final resting place on this fabled island. South Georgia’s colonies of king penguins - with vivid bursts of yellow and orange around their necks - stand, squabble and curiously investigate, enjoying the isolated respite of this island. They’re joined by smaller penguin species like Macaroni penguins, and other glorious birdlife like the majestic wandering albatrosses, which you can see gliding on gusts of wind, over the choppy waves.

Day 8-9: Drake Passage

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The Drake Passage has a notorious reputation for its turbulent seas due to the westerly winds and the funnelling effect of the passage. With modern navigational aids and stabilizers, Silver Cloud brings you safely across these southern waters. Spend some time on deck watching the horizon and the variety of seabirds that glide in the air currents of your ship’s wake, such as the wandering albatross, Cape petrels, white-chinned petrels, and sooty shearwaters.

Day 10: Elephant Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
A promising thrilling adventure, legendary tales, and immaculate Antarctic beauty, Elephant Island is perhaps Antarctica’s best-known location. 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. Their story of survival, stranded in this barren land, 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, The Endurance. 

Visit the monument that stands to Shackleton, often surrounded by a migrating crowd of tiny gentoo penguins, at Point Wild - the spot where he and his 28 crew members camped for four and a half months of Antarctic winter. Eventually, Shackleton and a handful of courageous others sailed for South Georgia Island, before returning to secure the rescue of the remaining crew members. Aside from sailing amid breathtaking winter vistas, witnessing incredible fauna and feeling the sheer rush of an adventure to the unknown - one of the true joys of any Antarctic cruise is to follow in the footsteps of the brave explorers who first sought out the alluring nectar of these dangerous, evocative landscapes.

Day 11-13: Antarctic Peninsula

  • Ship
  • 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
While sailing in Antarctica’s vast white wilderness, a flexible itinerary allows you to take advantage of favorable sea and weather conditions. In the true spirit of expedition cruising, each day the Expedition Leader and Captain determine your best course depending on weather, ice conditions, and wildlife you may encounter.
Here are some of the places you may visit:

Brown Bluff, Tabarin Peninsula (a 2,200-foot bluff on the Antarctic continent)
Brown Bluff is an ice-capped, 745-meter-high, flat-topped mountain with a prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock. Adelie and gentoo penguins, kelp gulls, and Cape petrels use the base of Brown Bluff as a breeding area. Birds such as the all-white snow petrel and skuas may be seen from a distance. Weddell seals may be seen basking in the sunlight near the base of a glacier.

Paulet Island
The sight of Adelie penguins covering the entire island is quite amazing. The island is home to 80-90 thousand Adelies that come here to breed. On a nearby hill is a massive colony of blue-eyed shags. Kelp gulls and snowy sheathbills are amongst the birds that also breed on Paulet Island, and Wilson’s storm petrels are regularly seen. Members of a Swedish Antarctic expedition had to over-winter on the island in 1912 after their ship was ship-wrecked. Remnants of their hut still remain and you have to walk past the hut on your way to the island's lake.

Cuverville Island, Errera Channel
The island was discovered by Gerlache’s Belgian Antarctic expedition of 1897–99, and was named for a vice admiral in the French navy. Large, bare rock areas provide nesting sites for gentoo penguins. Snow petrels and Cape petrels also may be seen, whilst Wilson’s storm petrels nest in the higher scree of the island. During Zodiac tours, hauled-out Weddell and Antarctic fur seals are quite often encountered.

Paradise Bay (on the Antarctic Peninsula)
The bay is well named for its spectacular scenery of mountains, glaciers, and icebergs. The Silver Cloud reaches Argentina’s “Base Almirante Brown”, one of many Antarctic research stations. Here, set foot on the mainland of Antarctica. You can also view the wildlife from sea level while cruising in your Zodiacs. Apart from observing nesting shags in the cliffs there is a good chance to see crabeater seals relaxing on ice floes, and you might even locate minke whales.

Neko Harbour (on the Antarctic Peninsula)
Neko Harbour offers a visit to small penguin rookeries, a nice Zodiac cruise in search of whales, and the possibility to hike onto a glacier for spectacular views of the glaciers, the bay, and the ship. The common breeding birds are gentoo penguins, but chinstrap penguins, kelp gulls and skuas can be seen too. Seals are often hauled-out close to the landing site.

Port Lockroy, Goudier Island
The British built a listening station here during WWII, which was later used as a research station in the 1950s and since 1996 as a museum and gift shop and Post Office. While you are inside sending a postcard from this lonely outpost, snowy sheathbills and gentoo penguins roam outside the museum.

Port Foster, Whalers Bay (Deception Island)
Deception Island is an excellent example of a caldera that can be reached from the sea. Sail inside the caldera through a narrow entrance called Neptune’s Bellows. The Geologist might take the opportunity to explain the unique volcanic features of the area, while the Historian introduces you to Deception Island’s interesting history, from whaling to scientific studies. Still visible on the island are the boilers used to make whale oil in the early 1900s.

Day 14: 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 15-16: Drake Passage Return

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Navigating your return through the Drake Passage, watch for seabirds and wildlife you may have missed on the first leg down. Take this opportunity to attend additional presentations offered by the Expedition Team lecturers and to edit the many photos taken as you travel towards Ushuaia.

Day 17: Punta Arenas | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark Silver Cloud.

Ship/Hotel

Silver Cloud

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$18,700
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
Select a Date
Vista Suite
240 ft² / 22m². Decks 4 and 5. Twin beds or queen-sized bed, large picture window with panoramic views, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower.
Select a Date
Veranda Suite
295 ft² / 27 m² including veranda (veranda 49 ft²/ 4.5 m²). Decks 6 and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Some suites accommodate three guests (Suites 505-510 and 605-610). Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower (some w/ tub/shower combination).
Select a Date
Deluxe Veranda Suite
295 ft² / 27 m² including veranda (veranda 49 ft²/ 4.5 m²). Decks 5, 6, and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Some suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, sitting area, and marble bathroom with shower (some w/ tub/shower combination).
Select a Date
Medallion Suite
437 ft² / 40.6 m² including veranda (veranda 81 ft² / 7.6 m²). Decks 5, 6, and 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Medallion Suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with convertible sofa, sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with shower.
Select a Date
Silver Suite
541 ft² / 50 m² including veranda (veranda 92 ft² / 8 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Silver Suites accommodate three guests. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with convertible sofa, sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with shower.
Select a Date
Royal Suite
736 ft² / 69m² including veranda (veranda 126 ft² / 12 m²) for one-bedroom. Two-bedroom adjoining with Veranda suite: 1,031 ft² / 96m² including veranda (veranda 175 ft² / 16.5 m²). Deck 6. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Teak veranda with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
Select a Date
Grand Suite
1,019 ft² / 95 m² including veranda (veranda 145 ft² / 14 m²) for one-bedroom. Two-bedroom adjoining with a Veranda Suite: 1,314 ft² / 122 m² including veranda (veranda 194 ft² / 18.5 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Two teak verandas with patio furniture and floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.
Select a Date
Owner's Suite
One-Bedroom: 587 ft² / 55 m² including veranda (veranda: 89 ft² / 8 m²). Two-Bedroom with adjoining Vista Suite: 827 ft² / 77 m² incl. veranda (veranda: 89 ft² / 8 m²). Deck 7. Twin beds or queen-sized bed. Large teak veranda with floor-to ceiling glass doors, living room with sitting area, dining area, and marble bathroom with tub & separate shower.

Notes

Please note: Fares are capacity controlled, and subject to change at any time without notice. All prices are in US dollars, cruise-only per person based on double occupancy.

A limited number of suites are available for purchase upon request on a single- or third-guest occupancy basis. 
Included
  • 16 Breakfasts, 15 Lunches, 16 Dinners
  • 16 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
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
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

Antarctica Travel Guide

Favorite Antarctica All Trips

More Reasons

Why Travel With Adventure Life

All News

Recognized By