Circle and Weddell

Having made your way to Ushuaia, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. This evening, enjoy a light refreshment as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception. Afterward, dine at your leisure (dinner not included).  

This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to the port for clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Enjoy free time after check-out, meeting back in the hotel lobby at 2.00 pm to commence a short sightseeing tour of Ushuaia. 
 
Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego is located at the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains giving you a unique landscape in Argentina, which is a combination of mountains, sea, glaciers, and forests. On this brief introductory tour, you will visit the “La Mision” neighborhood, the old Government House, and the upper area of the city, which offers beautiful panoramic views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the excursion, you will see the antique houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum before transferring to the pier for embarkation at approximately 4.00 pm.  

As you commence the Drake Passage crossing, make the most of your time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team prepares you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and starts our lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife, and environment. 

Our wildlife experiences begin as you enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you may enjoy the facilities onboard the vessel including the gym and wellness center, or relax in one of the observation lounges.  

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 will stay with you forever. 
 
Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will 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. 

The waters at this time of year are rich with krill and hope to see plenty of whales - particularly humpbacks and minkes and enjoy the spectacle of penguins feeding their ravenous chicks. 

To be part of a voyage that attempts to explore the remotest and wildest parts of a region that in and of itself is already arguably one of the remotest regions on Earth gives you more than basic bragging rights. As you approach and attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line at latitude of 66° 33’ south, you will notice subtle changes in the landscape, and also in the distribution of wildlife. 

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

With lectures and film presentations to complete our 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. The operator hopes you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends, and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, 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, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting. 

During the early morning, you will cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where you will disembark from approximately 8.00 am. Farewell to your attentive crew, expedition team, and fellow passengers as you all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. A transfer to Ushuaia airport or to your hotel is included in the voyage fare. 
 
Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, the operator does not recommend booking flights departing from Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.