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Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea - Fly/Sail

Punta Arenas to Ushuaia - Example 13 Day Cruise aboard Sylvia Earle
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Embark on a 13-day expedition cruise aboard the Sylvia Earle. Explore the Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea Fly/Sail expedition. Known for its massive icebergs, year-round sea ice, and historical significance in Shackleton's Endurance expedition, the Weddell Sea offers unmatched exploration opportunities. This true Antarctic adventure takes you beyond the west Antarctic Peninsula, aiming to venture east into the Weddell Sea's icy expanse. Encounter the impressive tabular icebergs and navigate through the challenging pack ice, experiencing the raw beauty and wilderness of this remote and awe-inspiring region.
Emperor penguins in Antarctica
Highlights
  • Explore the western Antarctic Peninsula, home to wildlife and landscapes
  • Marvel at enormous tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea
  • Discover penguin colonies at Antarctic Sound, including Adelie and Gentoo
  • Visit historic huts on land, a glimpse into the past of polar exploration
Activity Level: Variable
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive Punta Arenas

Arrive in Punta Arenas, where an Aurora Expeditions representative will transfer you to the hotel. Please ensure your arrival by 2:00 pm to allow time for your essential pre-flight briefings. Depending on weather conditions, you may depart for King George Island on Day 1 instead of Day 2.

Visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm to collect your luggage tags. The team will provide embarkation details, answer any questions, and share information about dining options or nearby stores for last-minute purchases.

Punta Arenas, located by the Straits of Magellan, is rich in cultural heritage, blending influences from English ranchers to Portuguese sailors. The city offers a variety of local and international restaurants (meals at your own expense today).

At 7:00 pm, join a voyage briefing to meet fellow travelers, confirm transfer times, review flight details to King George Island, and discuss IAATO regulations for Antarctic visitors.

Day 2: Fly Punta Arenas to King George Island

This morning, transfer to Punta Arenas airport for your charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica (weather permitting). The flight duration is approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. Upon arrival, your expedition team will greet you and assist with your Zodiac transfer to the vessel. After boarding, you can settle into your cabin before attending the essential safety briefings.

Note: A clear sky with great visibility is required for safe take-off and landing at King George Island. Should the weather be uncooperative at this remote airstrip, flights can be moved earlier, or delayed later.  Historically, 85% of flights occur on the day they are scheduled.  But if this is not possible, the ship operator will follow their established contingency plan, which can be read here

Day 3-10: Weddell Sea & Antarctic Peninsula

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that can stay with you forever.

Once you arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are yours to explore, and you have a host of choices available to you. Because you are so far south, experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.  

Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities.

You generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals, and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs can also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts, and explore some of the favorite spots along the peninsula.

While ashore, aim to stretch your legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you can have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course, keen polar plungers have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! 

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, you may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.  

This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent. 

Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, the Weddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through Antarctic Sound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a more temperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.

You hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony just outside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursions or slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and out of the water, as well as humpback, minke, and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during your time in the Weddell Sea.

Day 11-12: Drake Passage crossing

Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before you re-enter the Drake Passage for your return journey to South America.

With lectures and film presentations to complete the Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about what you have seen and experienced. Hope you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends, and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, and advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.

As you approach the tip of South America, the Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.

Day 12: Disembark Ushuaia

  • 1 Breakfast
During the early morning, you cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into the dock in Ushuaia, where you are free to disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell to your expedition team and fellow passengers as you all continue your onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.

Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel can be arranged exclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 12:30 pm can be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport, those with flights after 12:30 pm can have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and details can be communicated onboard before disembarkation.

Note: After the cruise, it is not recommended to book flights departing Ushuaia before 12:00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays. 

Ship/Hotel

Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Earle Observation Deck
Sylvia Earle Library

Punta Arenas - Hotels

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

  • Dec 20, 2025from $1,960
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Per person starting at
$20,095
Aurora Stateroom Triple
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Aurora Stateroom Triple
22.67m2 (244ft2) - There are two Aurora Stateroom Triple cabins featuring portholes, all with private en-suites. Located on Deck 3, they're close to the mudroom and loading platforms.
Aurora Stateroom Superior
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Aurora Stateroom Superior
19.9m2 - 20.8m2(214.2ft2 - 223.9ft2) - Located on Deck 7, the Staterooms feature french balconies, floor to ceiling windows, en-suite bathrooms and a comfortable desk area. Perfect for polar adventurers who travel with plenty of gear.
Balcony Stateroom C
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Balcony Stateroom C
19.5m2 - 28.7m2 (209.9ft² - 308.9ft2) - 11 Balcony Stateroom C cabins - most economical, fitted with all the necessities and comfortable for up to 2 people. These cabins are scattered throughout Deck 6.
Balcony Stateroom B
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Balcony Stateroom B
19.5m2 - 28.7m2 (209.9ft² - 308.9ft2) - 17 Balcony Stateroom B Cabins - standard cabin, many fitted with interconnecting features making them great for families or groups. These cabins are located at the fore and aft of Deck 4 and 6.
Balcony Stateroom A
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Balcony Stateroom A
19.5m² - 28.7m² (209.9ft² - 308.9ft²)- 23 Balcony Stateroom A cabins - premium cabin, and the most abundant on board. These cabins are located in preferred positions on Deck 4 and 6 which provides easy access between Decks via the internal stairs or elevator.
Balcony Stateroom Superior
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Balcony Stateroom Superior
29.2m2 - 35.2m2 (314.3ft2 - 378.9ft2) - Located on Deck 4 and 6, the Staterooms feature floor to ceiling windows, en-suite bathrooms and a comfortable desk area. Some of these rooms are equipped with wheelchair accessible bathrooms.
Junior Suite
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Junior Suite
Up to 41.6m2 (447.8ft2)- 4 Junior Suites take in some impressive scenery from their vantage points on Deck 7. When you aren't enjoying a landing, you can relax in the suites' separate lounge area, or just watch the world float by from the private balcony.
Captain's Suite
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Captain’s Suite
43.8m2 (471.5 ft2) - Captain's Suite - the largest of all our rooms, will take you to the polar regions in ultimate style and comfort. Complete with large lounge area, balcony, walk-in wardrobe and en-suite, you'll need to get in early to secure this suite.
Included
  • 10 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches, 10 Dinners
  • 11 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Comprehensive pre-departure information
  • Beer, House Wine, and Soft Drinks with Dinner 
  • Educational Lectures and Guiding Services from Expedition Team 
  • Complimentary access to onboard expedition doctor and medical clinic (initial consult)
  • Wifi
  • Port Surcharges, Permits, and Landing Fees
  • Captain's Welcome and Farewell drinks including four-course dinner, house cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages.
  • A 3-in-1 waterproof polar expedition jacket
  • Complimentary use of Muck boots during the voyage
  • All shore excursions and Zodiac cruises
  • All airport transfers mentioned in the itinerary.
  • On-board accommodation during voyage including daily cabin service
  • Charter flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island
  • One night’s hotel accommodation including breakfast, in Punta Arenas on Day 1
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Passport and Applicable Visa Expenses
  • Airport Departure Tax - Airport arrival or departure taxes
  • Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (outside of dinner service), laundry services, personal clothing, medical expenses, or phone charges
  • Hotels and meals not included in itinerary
  • Optional activity surcharges
  • Reciprocity and Vaccination Charges
  • Transfers – unless specified in the itinerary
  • Passengers traveling with Aurora Expeditions are required to be covered by a reputable travel insurance policy that includes baggage loss, cancellation & curtailment of the holiday, medical, accident, and repatriation/emergency evacuation coverage worth at least $250,000 USD.

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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.
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