Arrive this morning in cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, set on the Rio de la Plata, and check in to the fine Alvear Art Hotel (or similar). In the afternoon, enjoy a guided overview of the city, seeing its Beaux Arts palaces, grand boulevards, and the famous balcony forever associated with Eva Peron. In the early evening gather for an informal reception and a drink at the hotel.

This morning's charter flight brings you over Patagonia before landing in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. If the weather is fine, have a chance to view the spectacular mountains rising out of the Beagle Channel as you enjoy lunch on a catamaran cruise. Then, embark the expedition ship and set sail.

Settle into shipboard life, listening to informal discussions from our naturalist staff to prepare us for the wildness ahead in the Falklands. Spend time on deck and on the bridge, scanning for seabirds, notably the albatross.

Each Falkland Island is a variation on the theme of topographical beauty with white-sand beaches, vaulting cliffs, windswept moors and the sunlit yellows and sage greens of waving tussock grass. While the Falklands boasts a human population (3,000 people in total; 2,500 of whom live in the capital, Stanley) the animals—specifically thousands of irresistible gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, as well as magnificent albatross with 11-foot wingspans and curious fur seals—vastly outnumber them and constitute a major draw for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers. Take your camera and binoculars to walk along beautiful white-sand beaches, meander through tussock grass or sit atop a cliff and ponder the views.

During your days at sea, learn about the fascinating history of Antarctic exploration, as well as the flora, fauna and geology of South Georgia. A lookout is kept to identify the seabirds that follow us: wandering albatross, prions and black-browed albatross.

Explore the spectacular coastline of South Georgia Island. In keeping with the nature of an expedition, your schedule is flexible with opportunities for walking, hiking, kayaking and Zodiac excursions. Leisurely circumnavigating the island, plan to make stops every day including visits to Grytviken, part of the extraordinary story of the Endurance and the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton, as well as Stromness Bay where Shackleton, Tom Crean and Frank Worsley finally reached aid at a whaling station. See huge elephant seals, and, on a single beach, you will visit a vast colony of tens of thousands of king penguins! 

With whales beneath and birds above, head up to the bridge, or spend these days enjoying the ship’s spa, fitness center, library, and observation deck. After time at sea, your journey across the South Atlantic Ocean takes you once more to the island archipelago that teems with nature. Your afternoon visit to Port Stanley offers a chance to see the human face of the islands, to meet the hospitable locals, hoist a drink at a local pub, and stroll around this remote colonial town.

After breakfast, disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for our private charter flight to Santiago or Buenos Aires to connect with your overnight flight home.