Expedition Antarctica

Fly overnight from London to Buenos Aires.

On arrival, transfer to the 5-star Recoleta Grand Hotel for an overnight stay; and this afternoon enjoy a sightseeing tour of the cosmopolitan capital. With myriad Spanish churches, and the stately Plaza de Mayo at its centre, its districts range from San Telmo’s lantern-lit lanes, to arty La Boca, and the boutiques and bars of up-tempo Palermo. 

Fly to Ushuaia, nestled between the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel, and transfer to the 5-star Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa for an overnight stay. Enjoy your first sight of the Tierra del Fuego’s spectacular shoreline, where condors and petrels are seen in the skies; and seek out the shops, restaurants, and bars in the jumble of streets.
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Climbing a steep hill from the busy port, Ushuaia acts as the last place of comfort before Antarctic exploration, and as an adventure sports destination for hiking, skiing, and kayaking. Enjoy time at leisure in the town, before embarking on your expedition vessel this afternoon. The journey begins in the calms of the Beagle Channel, cutting through the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.
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The wind and the waves make a more dramatic journey across the mighty Drake Passage, which even seasoned sailors consider a challenging achievement; but the X-Bow design of your expedition vessel gives it exceptional stability at sea, and gives you a smoother ride through the sometimes rollicking conditions, crossing the Antarctic Convergence where the cold Antarctic clashes with the warmer waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. From this point, wildlife multiplies, with many sightings of seals, whales, and seabirds, including the iconic albatross. 
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Making the most of a full day at sea, your Expedition Team will offer tailored talks on the region’s history, wildlife, geology, and glaciology, and brief you on safety and biosecurity. In the afternoon of our second day on the Drake, we hope to make landfall in the South Shetlands archipelago (weather permitting).
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Marking the start of the earth’s ‘Last Continent’, and exposed to the rage of the Southern Ocean, the rugged rocks of the South Shetland Islands are a haven for seabirds from Giant and Storm Petrels to Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins. The robust Zodiac craft can navigate safely to shore in uninhabited bays and rocky outcrops, for visits which may include the black sands of volcanic Deception Island, the sealers anchorage of Yankee Harbour, and Aitcho and Half Moon Islands, home to huge colonies of penguins.
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We continue to explore the sub-Antarctic islands of the South Shetland chain with their busy penguin and seabird rookeries.
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The closer we get to the Antarctic Peninsula, the greater the number and range of wildlife becomes, at sea and on shore; from humpback whales among the icebergs of the Gerlache Strait to orcas in Lemaire Channel; and from Weddell, fur, and leopard seals to penguins defending their nests on Cuverville Island. Planned experiences on the pristine peninsula may include taking a step back in time to visit restored, historic huts at Damoy Point, and hiking on the glacier of Neko Harbour.
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The voyage offers ample time to experience the special magic of the wilderness region which so few people have visited. 
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With magical memories firmly made, enjoy the ship’s facilities as it retraces the Drake Passage journey, northbound toward Ushuaia, finally cruising past Cape Horn (aka Isla Hornus), wild, wind-whipped and desolate, with the lighthouse its only inhabited building, and a haunting artwork on the rocks of the albatross in flight, a maritime symbol of the souls of shipwrecked sailors.
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Continue to enjoy the ship’s facilities as it retraces the Drake Passage journey. On your last evening aboard, join the captain and officers for a farewell cocktail party.
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Arrive in Ushuaia this morning, disembark your vessel, and transfer to the airport for the flight to Buenos Aires and a final overnight stay at the 5-star Recoleta Grand Hotel. This evening, enjoy a Farewell dinner and a stylish Tango show.
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Time at leisure until transfer to the airport for your homeward overnight flight.
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Arrival in London.