Itinerary

Day 1 - Ushuaia, Argentina
Upon arrival at the Ushuaia airport you are met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore this 'frontier town' at leisure.

Accommodations: Hotel Albatros or similar
Included Meals: none

Day 2 - Embark Antarctic Explorer Cruise
After embarkation in the early afternoon, you will sail down the Beagle Channel. Keep watch on deck for seabirds, penguins and rainbows.

Accommodations: Sea Spirit, Vavliov, Clipper Adventurer, Ocean Nova
Included Meals: dinner

Days 3-4 - Crossing the Drake Passage
Prepare for rough water, but do not be disappointed if your crossing is smooth sailing. The Drake is always changing

Land is usually sighted for the first time late afternoon on Day 4 at the South Shetland Islands, which lie to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Visit vast penguin rookeries, land on beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and observe wallowing southern elephant seals. You may also visit one of the many research bases in the archipelago or look for Antarctica's only two flowering plants, which thrive here during the short southern summer. Often the ship sails through the narrow passage leading into the sunken caldera of Deception Island. Here, if the tide allows, you may dip your toes in the thermal waters of Pendulum Cove.

Accommodations: Sea Spirit, Vavliov, Clipper Adventurer, Ocean Nova
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 5-8 - South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
Many factors play a role in shaping the expedition's progress. We attempt to leave the ship to explore in a range of activity levels at least twice a day. Perhaps, you'll fell salt spray on your face as the Zodiac weaves in and around grounded icebergs in Pleneau Bay. You could scamble to the top of a craggy hill for an unforgettable view of an icy charm near Port Lockroy. You could sit quietly on a pebbled beach to wait for a curious penguin chick to approach or take a plunge into the icy waters of Neko Harbour.

Explore the highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula with adventurers who enjoy camping, kayaking, cross-country skiing, mountaineering and other active pursuits. Over the course of the austral spring and summer, the sun lingers longer and longer, melting snow and ice. Wildlife abounds: chicks hatch and fledge, and pods of whales breach in a deep bay where a calving iceberg has churned up krill, the local delicacy.

The natural cycle of life ensures that every expedition is different. And that every expedition is full of surprises! In Antarctica, silence is so complete that interruptions become indelible memories; noisy penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, the boom and crack of a calving glacier near Petermann Island. Then there is the sound of breathing as your arms pump and your legs power you up an incline on cross-country skis. As you sail from island to shore to bay during four days in the Peninsula, the Expedition Team provides opportunities for contemplation or to test your endurance and to engage your curiosity.

Accommodations: Sea Spirit, Vavliov, Clipper Adventurer, Ocean Nova
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 9-10 - Drake Passage to Ushuaia
Activities during the return voyage depend on the conditions of the Drake. A smooth crossing is a busy crossing.

Accommodations: Sea Spirit, Vavliov, Clipper Adventurer, Ocean Nova
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11 - Ushuaia
Disembark after breakfast and transfer by bus to the Antarctic Unit office located at the entrance to the pier. If you are departing on the morning flight, the transfer continues to the airport.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

More information from AdventureSmith Explorations:

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