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Our itinerary & experience make the most of your time & curiosity
Extraordinary adventure is a guarantee on all of our Antarctica expeditions. Flexibility is a hallmark of our explorations, and often the shipboard day-by-day itinerary will change—so we may take full advantage of rare wildlife sightings, watching whales feed off the bow, or perfect conditions for a late day kayaking excursion.
Depart on an overnight flight to Buenos Aires (Explorer or Endurance) or Santiago (Orion or Resolution). Settle into the Alvear Art Hotel (or similar, Explorer) or Alvear Icon (or similar, Endurance) before seeing the city’s Beaux-Arts palaces and the famous balcony associated with Eva Perón. Or check into the Hotel Santiago by Mandarin (or similar, Orion or Resolution) before our guided overview of this vibrant city backed by the inspiring Andes. Discover sites like the Plaza de Armas and get a feel for the mix of old and new that makes this city so great. This area is excellent for photos! (Day 2: L)
Today we fly south to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, where we meet our ship. Ushuaia’s spectacular setting, between the jagged peaks of the Darwin Range and the protected waters of the Beagle Channel, makes it an appropriately wild place to begin our journey to the White Continent and a great destination in its own right. While we’re there, we visit Tierra del Fuego National Park, where we can hike in a beautiful forest of southern beech, very much like those that covered Antarctica millions of years ago. Lunch will be served onboard a private catamaran while cruising the Beagle Channel, where we’ll be on the lookout for huge South American sea lions and birds like imperial cormorants. Residents of Ushuaia often call their small city ‘El Fin Del Mundo’, The End of the World, but for us, it’s just the beginning. (B,L,D))
This 500-mile-wide strait between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most famous bodies of water in the world. Sometimes ferocious, sometimes flat calm, the Drake is always a fascinating place in its own right. This part of the journey is our best opportunity to see gorgeous seabirds like the wandering albatross, and we might be lucky enough to encounter killer whales or rare species of dolphins. This is also a day to get to know our ship and prepare for the adventures ahead. Visit the Bridge (a great place to spot wildlife), have a relaxing massage, attend a talk about the biology of the penguins you’ll soon be seeing, or settle into a comfy chair in the observation lounge, look out over the waves and reflect on the incredible history of this fabled passage. If it does get a little rough, just take a couple of nice naps; we’ll be in Antarctica before you know it. (B,L,D)
The Antarctic Peninsula stretches over 800 miles from north to south, a spine of craggy peaks cut by dozens of deep fjords. It’s an enormous region with many different faces and ever-changing weather, which is what makes Lindblad Expeditions’ long experience here so important. Five decades of exploration has given us an unparalleled knowledge of the region, allowing us to stay flexible and respond to changing conditions, turn on a dime and select the optimal activity for each day. We plan to be out daily, exploring in our Zodiacs, hiking at penguin colonies, discovering remote bays, photographing wildlife, and learning fascinating details from the naturalists and other experts who accompany us on every excursion. (B,L,D)
Ice! It’s probably the very first thing most people think about when the topic of Antarctica comes up, and once you’re here it never disappoints. From icebergs the size of islands to the fragile, nearly invisible layers glistening on the surface where the sea has just begun to freeze, from near-vertical glaciers pouring down the slopes of every mountain to the endless landscapes of sea ice, frozen ocean stretching to the horizon in every direction, ice defines the Antarctic. You’ll get to know it up close and personal, hiking, kayaking and cruising in the Zodiacs through this frozen world. (B,L,D)
Our sturdy Zodiac landing craft are really the heart and soul of our explorations in the Antarctic. These tough, stable little motorized boats maneuver easily through ice-choked waters, getting us ashore safely in even the most remote and challenging locations. And simply cruising in the Zodiacs is just as much fun. What’s around the next corner? A leopard seal relaxing on an ice floe or a chance to photograph an exquisite arched iceberg that no one has ever seen before? We never know until we get there, but it’s always a thrill. (B,L,D)
Penguins, without any doubt, are the most popular residents of Antarctica, and we have many chances to get to know them well. Their colonies are almost always close to the beach, so it’s very easy to get great photos. In the short Antarctic summer these amazing birds are always busy with the many tasks of breeding and raising their chicks, so every month brings something new. In November the adults are squabbling over the pebbles they use to build their nests. By late December the first chicks are tucked in under their parents, peeping out at the world. And in February the chicks have left their nests and are very active, learning to swim and getting ready to fend for themselves. (B,L,D)
Everywhere we go in the Antarctic we’re surrounded by opportunities to capture uniquely beautiful images with our cameras. Whether we are cruising past spectacular glaciers in the ship, getting close to seals in the Zodiacs, or hiking around the penguin colonies, we are always in the company of an expert National Geographic photographer and a Lindblad photo instructor who share what they see and help us to perfect both the art and the technique of our own photography. The impossibly gorgeous blue in the heart of an iceberg, a penguin tenderly feeding its tiny chick or a glorious sunset over frozen ocean, shots like these surround us every day. Learning to capture these perfect moments is both a wonderful challenge and a huge thrill. (B,L,D)
Really exploring Antarctica also means simply relaxing and watching while our ship cruises through some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. Grab a cup of cocoa and a comfortable seat in the Observation Lounge or visit the officers on the Bridge; bundle up and climb all the way up to the Monkey Deck for a really panoramic view, or just kick back in your cabin and watch for seals on ice or whales blowing in the distance. We make transits of world-famous passages like the Lemaire Channel and Antarctic Sound and go ashore on the continent itself, but we also visit equally amazing islands and places that you’ve never heard of, yet! (B,L,D)
Enjoy the ship’s amenities as the coast of Antarctica disappears from view. Round the southernmost tip of South America and see the meeting of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Take some time to go through your photos. Send a message home to friends and family saying: “Don’t want this to end!” And celebrate your voyage at a farewell dinner on board. (B,L,D)
Please note: All day-by-day breakdowns are a sampling of the places we intend to visit, conditions permitting.
