Day 1 / Start of the air-cruise

Your journey begins in Ushuaia, Argentina, at the pier. Board your ship in the afternoon and sail along the Beagle Channel towards Puerto Williams, Chile, the southernmost town in the world. Explore the surroundings before setting sail to Cape Horn.

Day 2 / Cape Horn and Drake Passage

After an overnight crossing of Nassau Bay, you awake in full view of the legendary Cape Horn! Weather permitting, board a Zodiac and be one of the few privileged adventurers to step foot on this famous and rarely visited island. Back on board, set sail towards Antarctica and cross the famous passage named in honor of Sir Francis Drake, the great 16th-century British explorer.

Day 3 / Drake Passage

As you sail through the Drake Passage en route to King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands, attend an engaging program of lectures and presentations. In the company of expert guides, watch for wildlife from the lounge or the outside decks. You may spot magnificent seabirds, such as albatrosses and petrels, as well as different species of whales on their way south to Antarctica.

Day 4 / Drake Passage and Antarctica

After crossing the Antarctic Convergence, the environment changes noticeably. Keep your camera ready, as this is the time to watch for the first icebergs and the first sight of Antarctic land. Reaching the South Shetland Islands, sail in ice-filled bays while enjoying the company of seabirds, penguins, seals, and whales. Board a Zodiac for your first memorable shore visit to a penguin colony. Exploration will continue well into the evening taking advantage of the long Antarctic daylight.

Day 5 / Antarctica and scheduled

return flight

Upon reaching King George Island, disembark at Fildes Bay. You then board a vehicle and transfer to the aircraft. Bid farewell to Antarctica as you board the flight back to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for the night. (Note: Meals in Punta Arenas are at your leisure and not included in the program).

Day 6 / End of the air-cruise

After breakfast, transfer to the Punta Arenas airport for your onward flight.

Shore excursions:

Landings will be the primary of objective of our trip, along with Zodiac cruises during our time in Antarctica. Landings will include visiting dense penguin colonies, research stations, trekking opportunities and maybe even the southern most post office in the world! While landings will be the main focus of activity days, weather will ultimately determine how many times we will be able to set foot onshore. While on shore, our guide team will be there to answer any questions you have, point out interesting wildlife, geological features and historical landmarks, as well as keep us safe from any potential hazards in the snow/ice.

Zodiac cruises:

Zodiac cruises are great for observing whales, icebergs, glaciers and penguins who may be out feeding at sea. Your driver will navigate around the area looking for wildlife and beautiful landscapes. By the end of the trip, Zodiac cruises tend to become the crowd favorite because of the vast diversity you get to experience on the cruises. Zodiac cruises are also a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your expedition guides. We all have our expertise, and as you rotate through drivers during the trip, you'll be able to get some one-on-one time with different drivers who love sharing their knowledge with you.

Ship Cruises:

In the event we encounter bad weather and are unable to disembark the ship, we will do what we call an “expedition day ship's cruise". This is when we try to reposition the ship to a more protected location while observing the wildlife and landscape around us. During this reposition, we encourage everyone to bundle up, head outside, and enjoy this scenery. During this time, one of the expedition team specialists will likely offer a presentation related to Antarctica Wildlife, History, conservation or more! If the ship finds a suitable area to conduct off-ship operations, we will try as hard as we can to follow through with operations for the day.

A typical expedition day may look like this:

07:30: Breakfast served in the Dining Room (Deck 3)
08:30: Pre-landing Briefing at Panorama lounge
09:00: Expedition Morning
12:30: Lunch served in the Dining Room (Deck 3)
15:30: Expedition Afternoon
18:15: Happy Hour at the Bar
19:00: Recap and Briefing
19:30: Dinner served in the Dining Room (Deck 3)

* All activities are subject to weather, scheduling and timing.

INCLUSIONS

• Group transfers airport/hotel on Day 1.

• One overnight with breakfast in Punta Arenas at the Cabo de Hornos Hotel or similar, with a welcome dinner including drinks on Day 1.

• One overnight with breakfast in Punta Arenas at the Cabo de Hornos Hotel or similar on the Day of the Scheduled Return Flight from Antarctica.

• Enjoy special access to Explorers House.

• Group transfers airport/hotel on the Day of the Scheduled

• Return Flight from Antarctica, and group transfers hotel/airport on the last day of the air-cruise.

• Flight from Punta Arenas to Frei Station on King George Island and/or vice versa as indicated in the program corresponding to each voyage.

• Ship cruise as indicated in the program corresponding to each voyage.

• Daily buffet breakfast and lunch on board ship offering a wide choice of dishes.

• Daily served dinner on board ship offering a choice of three main courses.

• Wine, beer, juice, and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner on board.

• Coffee, tea, chocolate, cappuccino, water, and snacks on board ship throughout the expedition.

• All guided shore excursions.

• Lectures and entertainment on board.

• Comprehensive pre- and post-voyage information material.

• Loan of waterproof boots for landing in Antarctica.

• IAATO passenger fee.

EXCLUSIONS

• Extra excursions and activities not mentioned in the itinerary

• Single room supplement and stateroom upgrades

• Anything that is not specifically listed under the “Included in the Rate” section. For example: · Accommodation, meals, excursions, and transfers other than those included in the itinerary and the Contingency Plan corresponding to each voyage. Specifically, dinner in Punta Arenas upon return from Antarctica is not included.

• Beverages purchased at the ship’s bar.

• Internet connection on board the ship.

• Personal travel insurance.

• Extra expenses (communication, laundry, souvenirs, etc.).

• Gratuities.

• Visas for Chile and/or Argentina, passport expenses, and any arrival and/or departure tax, if applicable.

• Flights to and from Punta Arenas

Payment can be made via bank transfer.

Payments by credit card can be done via Pay Pal, service fees apply (service fees will be applied on final balance).

The first deposit of $3,000 USD per person is due at the review date of April 30th, 2023

A second deposit of $3,000 USD per person is due on July 15th, 2023

Balance is due 120 days prior to departure by October 11th, 2023