Itinerary

Day 1. BUENOS AIRES

Arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel, the deluxe Alvear Palace Hotel, rated the best hotel in South America. Accommodation in a Luxury Suite.
If arriving early enough, today you will enjoy an introductory private city tour with your knowledgeable guide who is also a local of the city. Buenos Aires is perhaps the most cosmopolitan metropolis in South America. Most of the population is of European descent and the city is reminiscent of Paris. It is situated on the Rio de la Plata, and as its name suggests, it is the city of good winds. The tour will include a visit to the Plaza de Mayo, the hub of the city centre and where many public buildings such as the Catedral Metropolitana can be found. At the east end, you will find the Casa Rosada presidential palace with the famous balcony from which Juan and Evita Peron greeted the masses. A visit to The Brighton, a bar and caf� notable, is one of the most stunningly situated restaurants in Buenos Aires for afternoon tea.
Return to your hotel.

Day 2. BUENOS AIRES (All meals)

After breakfast, your private tour of the city continues with a visit to Recoleta, one of the most fashionable areas of the city where you will visit the fine arts museum and the city's gardens of Plaza Alvear and Plaza Francia. You will also visit the famous cemetery where Eve Peron is buried. Enjoy lunch at the La Bourgogne, the only Relais Gourmand in Argentina. The restaurant serves the finest French and international food in the city and Travel & Leisure magazine rated La Bourgogne the number one restaurant in South America, and Wine Spectator gave it the distinction of being one of the "Best Restaurants in the World for Wine Lovers."
In the evening, enjoy a splendid dinner & tango Show at the La Esquina Carlos Gardel, the foremost tango house in Buenos Aires. Seating will be in the VIP Sector with all beverages included.

Day 3. BUENOS AIRES (Breakfast)

A free day at leisure in Buenos Aires.
In the evening, we will provide VIP tickets and roundtrip transfers from your hotel to the famous Opera house, Colon Theatre, the most famous in South America. Home to opera, ballet and concerts.

Day 4. BUENOS AIRES � PAMPAS ESTANCIA (All meals)

After breakfast, private 45 minute road transfer to the beautiful Estancia Villa Maria located in the pampas region and widely regarded as the most distinguished country house in Argentina. Once at the estancia, relax and enjoy the outdoor life, Argentinean style with a wide selection of outdoor pursuits available such as horse riding, polo or just enjoy a leisurely day and indulge in the exclusive spa treatments available.

Day 5. PAMPAS ESTANCIA � IGUAZU FALLS (Breakfast & lunch)

Enjoy a leisurely morning and lunch before return transfer to the airport for the flight to Iguazu. Transfer to your hotel, the Iguazu Grande (or Sheraton Iguazu Hotel if preferred). Accommodation in a suite. Free evening.

Day 6. IGUAZU FALLS (Breakfast)

After breakfast, enjoy a full day visit to the fabulous UNESCO World Heritage Iguazu falls, the most voluminous falls in the world and more than three times the width of the Niagara Falls. The Argentinean side of Iguazu allows for a close appreciation. Set in a subtropical rain forest reserve of over 180,000 hectares, Iguazu is home to jaguar, puma, caiman and over 400 species of bird. The tour will include the Aventura ride, an exhilarating boat ride on the Parana River, heading towards the Iguazu falls themselves. Return to your hotel. Buffet lunch and dinner at the hotel.

Day 7. IGUAZU FALLS (Breakfast)

Today you will cross the border into Brazil for a half day excursion to appreciate a wider view of the falls. The falls lie on the three borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. To complete the tour, you will finish with a magnificent helicopter fly-over tour of the entire Iguazu Falls to appreciate its sheer grandeur and scale. Return to your hotel in Argentina.
(Please note that all US & Canadian citizens require a Brazilian visa for this excursion).

Day 8. IGUAZU FALLS - BUENOS AIRES - USHUAIA (Breakfast)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Buenos Aires and connecting flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, and capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego located on the island of Tierra del Fuego, in the very south of the country. Arrival and transfer to your hotel, Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa.

Day 9. USHUAIA (Breakfast)

This morning you will enjoy a short city tour of the city including the End of the World Museum. Free afternoon in preparation for your cruise to Antarctica.

Day 10. USHUAIA - START OF ANTARCTICA CRUISE (All meals) - Itinerary subject to change.

Transfer to the port and embark on the Deluxe Antarctica Explorer Silver Explorer. (Expedition Highlights include marvelling at spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, setting foot on the continent of Antarctica, encountering gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins, spotting seals such as elephant, Antarctic fur, Weddell, leopard and crabeater, watching for whales such as humpback, minke, orca, pilot, and beaked, identifying seabirds such as snowy sheathbill, Antarctic cormorant, kelp gull, Antarctic tern, cape petrels, wandering albatrosses, southern fulmars, blue eyed shags, southern giant petrels, skuas, black-browed albatrosses, Wilson�s storm-petrels, sooty shearwaters and visiting scientific research stations and historical whaling sites).

You will meet some of your fellow explorers as you become acquainted with the luxurious amenities found on board. This evening, after settling in and setting sail, you will be introduced to your Expedition Team.

Day 11-12. ANTARCTICA CRUISE � DRAKE PASSAGE (All meals)

The Drake Passage has a notorious reputation for its turbulent seas due to the Antarctic Convergence, a natural boundary where cold polar water flows northwards and warmer equatorial water moves southward. When they meet, nutrients are pushed to the surface, often attracting a multitude of seabirds and whales. Spend some time on deck watching the horizon and the variety of seabirds that glide in the air currents of our ship�s wake such as the black-browed albatross, sooty shearwaters and white-chinned petrels. Have your cameras ready to capture the magical colour of a midnight sunset.

As you set sail on your initial transit, familiarize yourself with the elegant Silver Explorer and the welcoming Expedition Team members. Attend wildlife, geography and historical discussions hosted by expert naturalists and guest lecturers that will prepare you for the exciting adventures that lie ahead. When available, visit the Bridge to learn about the instruments and techniques of Antarctic navigation.

Days 13 - Day 17 ANTARCTIC PENINSULA (All meals)

While sailing to Antarctica, every turn can be a new and breath-taking adventure. As the pack ice becomes thicker, it�s apparent to everyone that we are moving closer into Antarctica�s vast white wilderness. Guests find this part of the world irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals. Watch for seals sunbathing on slow-moving ice floes and for humpback, minke, and orca whales to surface from below the frigid waters. Each day we will attempt two Zodiac departures, and, if conditions permit, we will cruise amidst colourful icebergs or step ashore to visit a variety of penguin rookeries and perhaps scientific research stations on complimentary excursions led by our team of natural history experts.

A flexible itinerary allows us to take advantage of favorable ice and weather conditions. In the true spirit of expedition cruising, each day the Expedition Leader and Captain will determine the best course depending on weather, ice conditions and wildlife we may encounter. Here are some of the places we may visit:

Aitcho Islands, South Shetland Islands
As you step off the Zodiac to explore the island, it�s very likely you�ll be greeted by the local penguins. Penguin breeds living here include gentoos and chinstraps. Other annual breeders include the Southern giant petrels.

While heading back to the ship, you may have company as a leopard or southern elephant seal follows alongside your group�s Zodiac.

Brown Bluff, Tabarin Peninsula
Brown Bluff is an ice-capped, 745-metre-high, flat-topped mountain with a prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock.

Adelie and gentoo penguins, kelp gulls, and pintado petrels use this as a breeding area. Birds such as the all-white snow petrel and skuas may be seen from a distance. As you explore the area, a Weddell seal may be seen basking in the sunlight. Wait long enough and you might see the Adelie penguins standing along the rocks finally make their way into the surf.

Cuverville Island, Errera Channel
The island was discovered by Gerlache�s Belgian Antarctic expedition of 1897�99, and was named after a vice admiral in the French navy.

Large, bare rock areas provide nesting sites for gentoo penguins. Snow petrels and pintado petrels also may be seen whilst Wilson�s storm-petrels nest in the higher scree of the island.

During Zodiac tours, hauled-out Weddell and Antarctic fur seals may be seen.

Paradise Bay
The bay is well named for its spectacular scenery of mountains, glaciers and icebergs. From the ship, observe Argentina�s Almirante Brown Station, one of many Antarctic research stations.
Here, you will actually set foot on the continent of Antarctica.

View the wildlife from sea level while cruising in your Zodiac with one of our experienced Expedition Team members. There�s a good chance you�ll come across a crabeater seal relaxing on a nearby ice floe, or if you�re very lucky, you may find your Zodiac surrounded by minke whales.

Paulet Island
As you arrive, you may well be amazed by the sight of Adelie penguins covering the island. The island is home to the 80-90 thousand Adelies that come here to breed. On a nearby hill, view a massive colony of blue eyed shags. Kelp gulls and snowy sheathbills are amongst the birds that breed on Paulet Island, and Wilson�s storm-petrels are regularly seen.

If time permits, take a Zodiac cruise to view impossibly blue icebergs, Crater Lake and the Adelie penguins making themselves at home on the ice floes.

Petermann Island, Wilhelm Archipelago
The island is named after German geographer August Petermann and was first discovered by a German expedition in 1873-74.

Our on-board Geologist will take the opportunity to point out various geological features such as the many basaltic dikes along the shoreline, and the more granite composition of the small summit, where rock surfaces show glacial polish and some glacial grooving.

During our landing, we will be able to observe rookeries of Adelie penguins, gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.

Pleneau Island, Wilhelm Archipelago
Pleneau Island lies at the south end of the Lemaire Channel, and was first explored during Charcot�s 1903�05 French Antarctic Expedition. The island was named for the expedition�s photographer, Paul Pleneau.

Amongst the common breeding birds are Gentoo Penguins, kelp gulls and south polar skuas. See the gentoo penguins during a landing whilst looking out for southern elephant seals that are often hauled-out in wallows.
Enjoy spectacular glacial and ice scenery.
Port Foster, Whalers Bay
Deception Island is home to a collapsed volcano and an excellent example of a �caldera� where it is believed that the volcano�s summit collapsed with one section sinking far enough to allow the sea to flood the interior. We plan to sail inside this breached wall through a narrow entrance called Neptune�s Bellows.

Our resident geologist will take the opportunity to explain the unique volcanic features of the area while our historian will introduce you to the whaling history of Deception Island. It is said that it was from here that Nathaniel Palmer allegedly became the first American to sight the Antarctic continent in 1820 when he stood at Neptune�s Window and looked out across Bransfield Strait.

Still visible on the island are the boilers used to make whale oil in the early 1900s.

Port Lockroy, Goudier Island
Built by the British as a listening station for enemy activities during WWII, then used as a research station in the 1950s, and since 1962 as a museum and gift shop. Snowy sheathbills and gentoo penguins roam outside the museum.
Perhaps sight a whale or two on your Zodiac cruise.

Ukrainian Research Station �Vernadsky�
While on shore, we can tour the museum or stop in their lounge for some light shopping, fun and drinks.

Surrounded by icebergs this is a perfect opportunity for Zodiac cruising and watching the various wildlife. It�s not uncommon to come across one of the world�s top predators, the leopard seal, while navigating through the ice.

Gentoo Penguins, kelp gulls, blue-eyed shags and skuas are amongst the birds that breed here. Weddell Seals are occasionally hauled out and could be seen during a Zodiac cruise.

Days 18 - Day 19 DRAKE PASSAGE (All meals)

Return through the Drake Passage. Spend some time on deck watching the horizon and the variety of seabirds that glide in the air currents of our ship�s wake such as the black-browed albatross, sooty shearwaters and white-chinned petrels. As we sail towards Ushuaia, take this opportunity to attend additional presentations offered by the on-board lecturers and to swap photos with newfound friends as we journey towards Ushuaia.

Day 20. USHUAIA (Breakfast)

After breakfast, disembark the Silver Explorer and transfer to Ushuaia International Airport for your return flight to Buenos Aires and return flight home.

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