South Georgia and Antarctica Shackleton Special Expedition Micro Cruise

Upon arriving at Mount Pleasant Airport, expect a warm greeting from the expedition team. Relax as your luggage is seamlessly transferred directly to the vessel, and enjoy a comfortable charter bus ride into Stanley alongside the crew to make initial introductions. If already staying on the Falklands, simply meet at the local Tourist Office starting at 15:00. The rest of the afternoon is entirely yours to enjoy at a comfortable pace, whether that means exploring the Maritime Museum, taking a scenic waterfront stroll, or sipping a refreshing pint at the Globe. Board the ship by 18:00 to attend the mandatory safety briefings before celebrating the official start of the journey with a welcome cocktail and a delicious dinner.

Rely on the Aureum's wing stabilizers to ensure a smooth crossing while an engaging onboard program captures your attention. Spend the time at sea enjoying polar science lectures, photography workshops, and captivating personal stories shared by the expedition team. On the third day, anticipate crossing the Antarctic Convergence and sailing past Shag Rocks. These jagged, isolated islets teem with seabirds, seals, and whales, marking the very first sight of land since departing the Falklands. From this point, the spectacular destination of South Georgia lies just one day ahead.

The approach takes you past Bird Island, one of the greatest concentrations of nesting wandering albatrosses on earth. Wildlife meets you before the first landing.

King Haakon Bay is where Shackleton's party made landfall after the open-boat crossing from Elephant Island. The bay is remote, rarely visited, and the scale of what happened there settles slowly.

Grytviken is a formal customs stop, and rather more besides. The museum, the abandoned whaling station, and in the cemetery: Shackleton and Wild under simple headstones. You take time here.

The remaining days move between St Andrews Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbor, Cooper Bay, Fortuna Bay and Drygalski Fjord. At Fortuna Bay, the hike toward Stromness follows the final section of the mountain crossing, the ground Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean walked on in 1916 to raise the alarm.

Early morning landings in golden light. King penguin colonies in full courtship. Elephant seal bulls compete on the beaches before fur seal numbers peak later in the season.

Possible locations: Bird Island, Elsehul Bay, King Haakon Bay, St Andrews Bay, Fortuna Bay, Stromness, Salisbury Plain, Cooper Bay, Gold Harbor, Drygalski Fjord, Grytviken, Nordenskjold Glacier, Ocean Harbor.

Aureum turns south-west across the Southern Ocean, retracing the route of the James Caird in reverse. Lectures and workshops continue on board. Time on deck if the weather permits.

On day 11 or 12, you hope to reach Elephant Island — Point Wild specifically, where 22 men waited under two overturned lifeboats for four months while Shackleton sailed to South Georgia for help. You aim to land or conduct a Zodiac cruise, subject to conditions.

South into Antarctic waters. Over four days, Aureum works through narrow channels and hidden bays: the Antarctic Sound, Weddell Sea, Gerlache Strait and Deception Island.

Leopard seals on ice floes. Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie penguins at the nest. The silence of glacial amphitheaters broken by calving ice. For many guests, the moment that defines the entire voyage is stepping ashore on the seventh continent.

November brings Antarctica's early season, largely untrafficked, ice still present in the channels, the white of the peninsula not yet softened by summer. The continent as Shackleton would have known it.

Possible locations: Antarctic Sound, Paulet Island, Weddell Sea, Brown Bluff, Cierva Cove, Trinity Island, Gerlache Strait, Hughes Bay, Wilhelmina Bay, Deception Island.

Cape Horn ahead. The Drake Passage, two days of sailing among the albatrosses with the program continuing as it has throughout: lectures, workshops, time on deck.

Aureum's wing stabilizers hold their value here too. The Drake earns its reputation. The crossing is manageable; what happened here is not.

Following breakfast, and once the vessel has been cleared by the local authorities, disembarkation typically begins from 09:00.

A complimentary transfer will take you to Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa, where a final overnight stay is included as part of your expedition. The remainder of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the hotel's exceptional facilities, including the fitness center, indoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor relaxation pools, outdoor hot tubs, and pool bar. Alternatively, immerse yourself in Patagonia by exploring the scenic walking trails of the Cerro Alarkén Nature Reserve.

After breakfast, a complimentary transfer to Ushuaia Airport is provided according to your flight schedule.

Your expedition comes to an end in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city, concluding an extraordinary journey through South Georgia, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.