14-Day Antarctica Expedition Cruise
Buenos Aires → Ushuaia → Drake Passage → Antarctic Peninsula → South Shetlands → Ushuaia → Buenos Aires
Days
Places
/day avg
Day 1 — Buenos Aires
🏛️ Recoleta Cemetery & MALBA
Visit the ornate mausoleum of Eva Perón at Recoleta Cemetery, then explore Latin American art at MALBA museum.
🏛️ San Telmo Market & Tango
Sunday antiques market in San Telmo's cobblestone streets. Street tango dancers perform at Plaza Dorrego. Buy leather goods and vintage treasures.
🍜 Steak Dinner at Don Julio
Argentina's best parrilla. Dry-aged beef grilled over wood coals, paired with Malbec from Mendoza. Book well ahead.
Day 2 — Fly to Ushuaia & Embark
🚄 Flight to Ushuaia
Fly to the southernmost city in the world. Window seats offer views of Patagonian glaciers and the Beagle Channel.
📍 Ushuaia Waterfront & End of the World Post Office
Explore the colorful waterfront, send a postcard from the southernmost post office, and visit the Maritime Museum in the old prison.
🚄 Board Expedition Ship
Board your expedition vessel in Ushuaia harbor. Safety briefing, cabin assignment, and welcome dinner as the ship heads into the Beagle Channel.
Day 3 — Drake Passage (Day 1)
🌿 Drake Passage Crossing Begins
Enter the Drake Passage — the most powerful convergence of seas on Earth. Wandering albatrosses follow the ship. Take seasickness meds proactively.
🏛️ Polar Lectures: Antarctic History
Onboard lectures by expedition team on Shackleton, Scott, and the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Fascinating preparation for what's ahead.
🌿 Seabird Watching from the Bridge
Open bridge policy lets you watch from the captain's deck. Giant petrels, Cape petrels, and albatrosses ride the winds alongside.
Day 4 — Drake Passage (Day 2)
🌿 Antarctic Convergence Zone
Cross the Antarctic Convergence where cold polar waters meet warmer sub-Antarctic seas. Water temperature drops 5°C — you've entered Antarctic waters.
🏛️ Zodiac & Gear Briefing
Learn zodiac landing procedures, biosecurity protocols (vacuum boots, check pockets), and wildlife approach distances. Essential for responsible visiting.
🌿 First Iceberg Sighting
The first tabular iceberg appears on the horizon — flat-topped, impossibly blue, and massive. The ship slows as Antarctica announces itself.
Day 5 — South Shetland Islands
🌿 Half Moon Island Zodiac Landing
First Antarctic landing! Walk among chinstrap penguins on a crescent-shaped volcanic island. Weddell seals laze on the beach.
🧗 Deception Island Volcanic Caldera
Sail through a narrow gap into the flooded caldera of an active volcano. Land at Whalers Bay among rusting whaling station ruins.
🧗 Polar Plunge!
Strip down and plunge into the Southern Ocean at Deception Island — where volcanic heat warms the beach slightly. Bragging rights for life.
Day 6 — Antarctic Peninsula: Neko Harbour
🌿 Neko Harbour — Continental Antarctica
Step onto the Antarctic continent itself. Gentoo penguins nest on the hillside, and a massive glacier calves icebergs into the harbor behind you.
🌿 Zodiac Cruise Among Icebergs
Zodiac boat cruise through a field of sculpted icebergs. Blue ice caves, leopard seals on floes, and the eerie silence of the Antarctic.
🌿 Whale Watching at Dusk
Humpback whales feed in the nutrient-rich waters. Watch from the ship's deck as they breach, blow, and dive — flukes silhouetted against the midnight sun.
Day 7 — Lemaire Channel & Petermann Island
🌿 Lemaire Channel Transit
Sail through the 'Kodak Gap' — an 11km channel between sheer ice cliffs. One of the most photographed waterways on Earth. Dead calm, mirror reflections.
🌿 Petermann Island Landing
Land among the southernmost gentoo penguin colony. Adélie penguins also nest here. Blue-eyed shags perch on rocky outcrops above.
🧗 Sea Kayaking Among Ice
Optional sea kayaking excursion through brash ice and past icebergs. Paddle in silence broken only by penguin calls and cracking ice.
Day 8 — Paradise Harbour
🌿 Paradise Harbour Landing
Appropriately named — towering glaciers, perfect reflections, and penguins everywhere. Visit the Argentine research station Almirante Brown.
🌿 Glacier Face Zodiac Cruise
Cruise the zodiac right up to an active glacier face. Listen to the ice crack and pop, then watch for calving events. Keep your distance.
🏛️ Photography Workshop: Antarctic Light
Expedition photographer leads a workshop on capturing Antarctic light — the golden hours last for hours here. Review and improve your shots.
Day 9 — Cuverville Island & Errera Channel
🌿 Cuverville Island Gentoo Colony
Home to the largest gentoo penguin colony on the Antarctic Peninsula. Thousands of penguins waddle, feed chicks, and steal rocks from each other.
🌿 Errera Channel Whale Watch
The channel is a feeding ground for humpback whales. Multiple pods often visible simultaneously — bubble-net feeding if you're lucky.
Day 10 — Port Lockroy & Jougla Point
🏛️ Port Lockroy — Antarctic Post Office
Visit the restored British base turned museum and post office. Send postcards from Antarctica — they'll arrive in 2-3 months via the Royal Mail.
🌿 Jougla Point Whale Bones & Penguins
Walk among historic whale bones from the whaling era while gentoo penguins nest between them. Skuas patrol overhead looking for unguarded eggs.
🍜 Captain's Farewell Cocktails
The captain hosts farewell drinks as the ship turns north. Toast to Antarctica as icebergs float past in the midnight sun.
Day 11 — Drake Passage Return (Day 1)
🌿 Drake Passage Return Crossing
Head north across the Drake. Use the sea days for photo editing, lectures on climate science, and reflecting on what you've seen.
🏛️ Citizen Science: Whale Census
Participate in real scientific research — log whale sightings for the International Whaling Commission's population census from the ship's decks.
Day 12 — Drake Passage Return (Day 2)
🏛️ Photo Show & Trip Recap
Expedition team presents the voyage highlights slideshow. Share your best shots and vote for the photo competition winner.
🌿 Beagle Channel Approach
Enter the Beagle Channel with Tierra del Fuego's snow-capped peaks on both sides. Dolphins often ride the bow wave.
Day 13 — Disembark Ushuaia
🚄 Disembark in Ushuaia
Say goodbye to the expedition team and fellow travelers. You've been to the bottom of the world — nothing will ever be quite the same.
🌿 Tierra del Fuego National Park
Visit the national park at the end of the world. Hike to Lapataia Bay — the official end of Route 3 and the Pan-American Highway.
🍜 King Crab Dinner in Ushuaia
Celebratory centolla (king crab) dinner overlooking the Beagle Channel. Patagonian lamb and Malbec complete the feast.
Day 14 — Fly to Buenos Aires
🚄 Flight Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
Morning flight back to Buenos Aires. The Patagonian landscape from above is a final gift — glaciers, lakes, and endless steppe.
🏛️ La Boca & Caminito
Colorful neighborhood with painted houses, tango on the streets, and the famous Boca Juniors stadium. Vibrant and chaotic.
🍜 Farewell Empanadas & Malbec
Final Argentine meal — handmade empanadas and a bottle of Malbec at a Palermo wine bar. Toast to the bottom of the world.
Days 15-16 — Buffer Days
📍 Buffer Day for Weather Delays
Antarctica expeditions sometimes face weather delays. These buffer days ensure you don't miss flights. Explore more of Buenos Aires if not needed.
Day 16 — Departure
🚄 Departure from Buenos Aires
Head to Ezeiza International Airport. You've been to all seven continents — or at least the most extraordinary one.
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