Ultimate Antarctic Circle Crossing

After a warm airport welcome, transfer to the luxurious Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa. Enjoy time to relax or explore Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city. (If the Arakur is unavailable, stay at another top luxury hotel in Ushuaia.) In the evening, join the optional briefing to meet fellow explorers and address any questions.
 

Spend the morning relaxing at your hotel, visiting a museum, or browsing Ushuaia’s shops before your mid‑afternoon transfer to the ship. The Expedition Team and crew will welcome you aboard and help you settle in, followed by a safety and orientation briefing and the Captain’s Welcome Dinner. Your Antarctic adventure begins.

Join the Polar Experts as they share their vast knowledge of Antarctica, from its enchanting wildlife to its bold history. Participate in pioneering Citizen Science program, or sit back and take in this fabled journey while catching glimpses of rarely-seen wildlife. Keep your binoculars handy to identify the many seabirds that escort your ship as you cross the Antarctic Convergence into Antarctica’s waters and noticeably cooler temperatures.

Over time, the volcanic activity of the South Shetland Islands has created a geology unlike any other. Here, you can expect a spectacular display of mountains, glaciers, and wildlife including Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins; and it’s not uncommon to share the water’s edge with Elephant and Fur seals. Whales are often spotted as well. So, settle into your Zodiacs and kayaks, and spend most of your day exploring. Whether on land or sea, in Zodiac or kayak, be prepared for a fully immersive introduction to this incomparable part of the world.

Heading south across the Bransfield Strait, begin to see the breathtaking outline of the Antarctic Peninsula. Wildlife sightings, including penguins, whales, and fur seals, become more frequent, as do dramatic ice sculptures. Should Antarctica’s unpredictable weather and ice permit, be among the lucky few to cross the Antarctic Circle, where the sun remains in the sky for 20 hours a day. Following a tradition first established by sailors crossing the equator, celebrate the occasion, before heading onward toward any number of historic and rarely visited British Survey bases, after which you turn back north.

Heading north into warmer climes, see less sea ice and more open channels, offering access to islands where you can anticipate any number of wildlife sightings, which could include a variety of seal species, as well as penguin rookeries where the locals will be taking advantage of the rocky shore to build their nesting sites. You can anticipate more whale sightings, as well, as Humpbacks feast on the plentiful krill in these warmer waters. As always, seek out opportunities to stop at several active scientific bases and historic landing sites along the way, as you leave no opportunity unseized upon in your quest to explore the very best of this magical place.

Depart this magical place and make your way north, once again heading across the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage. You have one last hurrah as you celebrate the conclusion of your expedition with a special slideshow and a final meal together.

With huge smiles on weary, content faces, disembark in the morning, letting you catch a flight to Buenos Aires or stay in Ushuaia for more sights and adventure.