In-depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition

Arrive in Santiago, the lively capital of Chile. Blends colonial history with modern attractions. It’s an ideal starting point for your expedition cruise, featuring important places, great restaurants, and interesting museums. Key sights include Mercado Central, known for its fresh seafood, Plaza de Armas, the city’s historic center, and La Moneda Palace, the seat of government. For a stunning cityscape, visit Sky Costanera, where you can take in panoramic views from 1,000 feet above the ground.

If you want to get to know this exciting city, come a few days early or, take this opportunity to add a Pre-Program.

Your day begins early with a flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, Chile’s southernmost port. Upon arrival, you board your expedition ship, settle into your cabin, and explore the vessel. Your Expedition Team welcomes you and guides you throughout your Antarctic adventure. As your hosts and local experts for the next three weeks, they provide insights and assist you with any questions.

With the course set for the Falkland Islands, soak up the mesmerizing views all around you as you cruise through the Strait of Magellan. You can take in the scenery from the deck, the outdoor hot tub, or the panoramic Explorer Lounge & Bar. 

You can also join the Expedition Team in the onboard Science Center to listen to lectures, participate in Citizen Science projects, and more. Whether it’s marine biology, Antarctic survival, oceanography, or photography, your Expedition Team offers fascinating insights into the places you can see on your journey, and you feed off their enthusiasm.

The Falkland archipelago is filled with seamless horizons and white sands teeming with birdlife. Only the occasional farm dots the landscape. Find grassy hills and wildflowers, in contrast to the vast whiteness of Antarctica to come.  Enjoy a community walk of Stanley, taking in the Jubilee Villas gardens, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Historic Dockyard Museum. Your landings, hikes, and excursions are, as always, guided by the conditions. The plan is to visit albatross and penguin colonies, which are often found sharing space with seals, and get as close as possible without disturbing them.

Sailing from the Falklands, spend two days cruising towards beautiful South Georgia. You can look forward to seeing an archipelago filled with diverse wildlife. Meet up with the Expedition Team as they prepare you for what lies ahead and tell you everything they know about South Georgia, including the area’s wildlife, polar history, geology, glaciology, and stories of Norwegian whalers. Learn how to make your visit as safe and low-impact as possible, and you can join the Citizen Science programs to help collect data for global research projects.

South Georgia’s abundant wildlife has earned it the nickname ‘Serengeti of the Southern Ocean.’. Its unique position free from sea ice makes the island a breeding site for large colonies of penguins, other seabirds, and seals. It’s an Important Bird Area, home to albatrosses, petrels, shags, skuas, and terns.

Spend four days exploring this remarkable area. You can also try to reach Grytviken, the final resting place of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. You are always guided by nature, responding to daily conditions to bring you the best possible experience. 

While your itineraries are always flexible, they’re even more so during peak breeding seasons when the wildlife is most vulnerable to disturbance. When it is safe to do so, you can wildlife watch. When your presence could disturb the animals, you can choose another place to visit, and as always, these decisions are made by your Expedition Team and are based on lifetimes of combined experience in these destinations. Sometimes you land, sometimes you cruise; it’s all part of the adventure!

After visiting the Falklands and South Georgia, take some time while you head towards Antarctica to relax and reflect on your journey so far. 

Antarctica is a continent dedicated to peace, science, and wildlife. As you get closer, the Expedition Team talks about the IAATO environmental guidelines and sustainability rules that you follow when visiting. Leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures.

Nothing prepares you for your first sight of Antarctica’s immense, frozen beauty. Icebergs, sculpted by nature, float in the straits. Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adélie penguins watch erect from the shores. Countless seabirds wheel overhead. Nature is in charge. 

Spend four exciting days exploring several possible landing sites on and around the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Wherever you go and whatever you do, each day offers something different and thrilling. 

You might sail into a flooded volcanic caldera or land in icy bays, where remnants of whaling paraphernalia lie abandoned. You may also get a chance to go kayaking among icebergs and seals or snowshoe to a stunning viewpoint. 

Bird enthusiasts should look skywards for Antarctic seabirds such as skuas, petrels, and terns. Through onboard lectures and onshore talks, you learn more about this precious habitat and how you can all protect it for the future.

As you say goodbye to the frozen continent, MS Fram turns to take you north over the Drake Passage and towards Punta Arenas. This is the perfect time to go through your pictures and relive your experiences in the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. Enjoy the onboard comforts. Relax in the hot tubs or panoramic sauna or unwind in the Explorer Lounge & Bar.   When the Drake Passage is behind you, enter the scenic Beagle Channel, surrounded by mountains plunging straight into the icy water. Watch for Patagonian wildlife as you sail through this wild and remote area.

Your expedition cruise of the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica comes to an end in Punta Arenas. From here, catch a flight back to Santiago de Chile, taking with you a wealth of fantastic memories that no doubt endure. If you're looking to continue your adventure, consider joining one of the optional post-programs!