Day 1 Santiago, Chile
Arrive in Santiago, you will be met at your hotel by a local representative. Check-in is available from late morning. Enjoy lunch on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon before meeting with your fellow passengers for dinner. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 Fly to Ushuaia, Argentina | Embark
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After breakfast, fly to Ushuaia. You will have the option to transfer to a restaurant for lunch and leisure time or join an optional excursion, at an additional cost, to Tierra del Fuego National Park. At the end of your visit, you will return to Ushuaia and the port, for embarkation on your vessel.
Embark your ship between 4:30 and 5:30 this evening and settle into your cabin.
Day 3 At Sea
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
As Le Soleal cruises these southern waters, familiarize yourself with her amenities and crew.
Day 4 New Island | Grave Cove, Falkland Islands
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago lost at the tip of the South American continent. They are composed of over 700 islets and two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, both declared nature reserves. As Le Soleal finds its way towards New Island, lying in the west of the archipelago, the coastlines, carved by the wind and sea, form numerous isolated inlets with beaches of golden sand. These faraway lands, which once attracted seal and whale hunters, have become the last sanctuary of the elegant black-browed albatross, which glides gracefully through the air against the blue sky, while southern rockhopper penguins and elephant seals bask on the shore.
Later today make your way through the turbulent Woolly Gut Strait and emerge in the stillness of Grave Cove. Located in the northern edge of the Falkland Islands, this bay owes its name to the vestiges of whalers’ graves that overlook the beach. As you step off the boat and onto the white-sand beach, you might find yourself escorted by a few hospitable Commerson's dolphins, elegantly adorned in black and white. A stroll along the grassy dunes leads you to a vast plain of lush green grass, tended by a few sheep. On the other side of the island find one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies in the area. With some luck, also glimpse a sea lion scouring the waves for his next meal.
Day 5-6 At Sea
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Leaving the Falklands, your ship sets out for South Georgia. As you cruise the open water, keep your eyes out for marine mammals or seabirds who play alongside the vessel.
Day 7-9 South Georgia
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Aboard your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula. All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king and Gentoo penguins, elephant seals, fur seals… You might get the chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and the vast plains of Fortuna Bay. If you are fortunate enough to land at Salisbury Plain, you can expect a wonderful spectacle: more than 300,000 king penguins, which you can recognise by the bright orange mark on their head and neck, have taken up residence there.
Day 10 At Sea
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Rest up for the next leg of your voyage as your ship sails further south. Feel the excitement build as you approach the great White Continent.
Day 11-14 Antarctic Peninsula
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you can be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.
Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader suggest Zodiac®outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. Sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.
Day 15 At Sea
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend your last days on board reflecting on your once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Share memories and photos with your fellow travelers or simply relax and take advantage of your ship's amenities before returning home.
Day 16-17 Drake Passage
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to Antarctica. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.
Day 18 Ushuaia, Argentina | Disembark | Fly to Santiago
Following breakfast on board, disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for your included flight to Santiago.
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