South American East Coast Expeditions

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Book August 14 - September 29, 2023. Save 25% on the cabin fare when booking any Category 1 cabin, including solo cabins, or Category SU on National Geographic Islander II, for departures in 2023 when you pay in full at time of booking. Valid for new bookings only, based on availability at time of booking, cannot be combined with other offers, and is not applicable on airfare or extensions. To qualify for the discount, non-refundable payment in full is due at the time of booking. Call for details.

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Colonial capitals, Old World boom towns, plus fascinating ecosystems

Explore the diverse coast of South America, with its vast variety of ecosystems, from tropical to riverine to pampas, and all its iconic wildlife. Live the culture and history amid Old World boomtowns, colonial capitals, and modern urbanity.

South American East Coast

Antarctica

Patagonia

New and Noteworthy

New Wild Coasts of Argentina, South Georgia and the Falklands

Duration

24 days

Oct

From

$44,298

Prices are per person

Highlights

South American East Coast

Antarctica

Patagonia

New and Noteworthy

New Wild Coasts of Argentina, South Georgia and the Falklands

Duration

24 days

Oct

From

$44,298

Top Highlights

Seek out one of the world’s largest and most spectacular marine mammals—the southern right whale—in its annual breeding grounds off Argentina’s eastern coast
Experience traditional gaucho culture and cuisine at splendid estancias in Uruguay and Argentina
Capture the windswept beauty of the Falkland Islands—and the albatrosses, penguins, and sea lions that inhabit this remote archipelago—with guidance from a National Geographic photographer
Trace the spellbinding story of Ernest Shackleton’s fateful expedition on South Georgia, and walk a beach thronged with tens of thousands of stately king penguins

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Special Offers

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South American East Coast

Wild South America: Trinidad, Guyana, and Brazil

Duration

24 days

Sep
Oct

From

$20,348

Prices are per person

Highlights

South American East Coast

Wild South America: Trinidad, Guyana, and Brazil

Duration

24 days

Sep
Oct

From

$20,348

Top Highlights

Spot tropical wildlife as we explore two legendary jungle rivers: the Amazon and the Essequibo
Fly-over the grand Kaieteur Falls, the largest single-drop waterfall in the world
Explore three picturesque colonial cities from Paramaribo, Suriname, a UNESCO Site, to Belém, the gateway to the Amazon, and Salvador, Brazil’s cultural heart. And visit notorious Devil’s Island
Enjoy special access to the unspoiled islands of Fernando de Noronha, a World Heritage site. Snorkel amid the rich marine life and see the rich population of spinner dolphins

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Special Offers

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Expedition Highlights

Step aboard the National Geographic Explorer and embark on an active, immersive expedition along the wildly diverse and culturally rich east coast of South America. Discover fascinating ecosystems, visit remote isles, explore dazzling cities, and see a vast array of birdlife as well as marine mammals.

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Life On Board

Life on board the National Geographic Explorer is casual all the way. There’s no assigned seating in the dining room or any of the restaurants. In fact, many tables accommodate uneven numbers, making for easy mingling and the fun of sharing breakfast, lunch, or dinner with different new friends, staff, or guest speakers.

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

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Expedition Photography: Capturing the Experience

The logic is simple—bring people who love making images to the planet’s most spectacular places and most thrilling subjects. Expedition Photography takes it to the next level by adding to the mix some of the world’s top visual storytellers who travel at your side and at your service.

Beyond the Amazon: 4 Seldom-Seen South American Wild Wonders

While the Amazon will always be a must-see, there are other less-traveled destinations in South America that not only teem with their own unique natural wonders but will also earn travelers the distinction of going off the beaten track.

Spectacular Birds of South America

From enormous seabirds to thumb-size hummingbirds and on to parrots and penguins, these 10 standout South American species deserve a spot on every birders’ list.

Wild South America: Music as Gateway to Culture

From the Guianas to Brazil, the music of South America opens a vibrant gateway into culture.

Expedition Leader

Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Certified Photo Instructor

Explore with a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor—a naturalist who is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings, the basics of composition, and to help you become a better, more confident photographer.

Naturalist

Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Undersea Specialist

National Geographic Endurance sails with an undersea specialist aboard who can dive into the cold waters to shoot video of what lies beneath the waves or deploy an ROV to depths of 1,000 feet to explore regions never before seen.

National Geographic Photography Expert

Travel and shoot with a bona fide National Geographic Photography Expert. These top pros are at your side and at your service—providing advice, inspiration, tips, and slideshows. Access to photographers of this caliber will help you improve your skills and ensure you’ll go home with incredible photos.

Some of the charming towns really feel like a chapter out of Portuguese colonial history with the colonial tiled roofs, the beautiful whitewashed walls, and the colored doors. It’s very photogenic.

Marina H.

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Daily Expedition Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

11/9/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

At Sea Towards Ushuaia

After nearly 4,000 nautical miles together–from sunny days on Argentinian estancias to snow showers in South Georgia to the white sand beaches of the Falklands–our three-week expedition comes to a close. Well-worn muck boots and trekking poles were cleaned for a final time and returned today, and carefully selected photos of favorite moments and new friends were submitted to the voyage slideshow. Once home, orange polar parkas will emerge from our luggage, carrying the scents and salt of the Southern Ocean. National Geographic photographer Todd Gipstein shared his approach to curating travel stories, and the natural history team provided a few last short presentations. We knew Ushuaia was just around the corner when the pilot boat came alongside National Geographic Endurance in the late afternoon, though sailing down the Beagle Channel reminded us that there are endless new and stunning locations to be visited if we take the time. During Captain Aaron Wood’s Farewell Cocktail Party, he introduced members of the ship’s crew so we could express our appreciation for their continuous hard work and cheerful energy. We reminisced about the voyage and planned future travels during our traditional Argentinian Asado feast, a fitting close to our journey along coastal South America and across the Southwest Atlantic.

Daily Expedition Reports

11/8/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

The Falkland Islands

We awoke on our last day of landings to expedition leader Russ Evans inviting us up to breakfast in preparation for a long day of adventure in the Falkland Islands. Our first stop of the day was Grave Cove, a beautiful little sheltered beach brimming with birdlife on mainland West Falklands. At 8:30, the team was ready to receive us ashore. We loaded into Zodiacs in the brilliant sunshine and enjoyed a quick transit to the beach. The beach was beautiful with fine white sand and clear turquoise water; it could easily be misidentified as a tropical location. On the beach, landowner Marie Del met us and invited us on a short walk through the valley to the beach on the other side. On both beaches, small colonies of Gentoo penguins sat on their eggs in the sunshine, quietly observing us as we hiked across the landscape. On the way, we observed several ponds with a variety of birdlife residing along the edges. We were treated to sights of brent geese and upland geese with their goslings, as well as crested ducks, Magellanic oystercatchers, striated caracara (Johnny rooks), and long-tailed meadowlarks. Gentoo penguins came ashore in tumbling groups, providing opportunities to take wonderful photos. Soon it was time to make our way back to the landing site. We said goodbye to Marie and loaded back into our Zodiacs, returning just in time for lunch. Due to the beautiful weather, the galley team moved lunch to deck 8, so we could enjoy the wonderful views. As we approached the settlement of West Point Island, we were stunned by views of the historic buildings and gorse bushes in full bloom. It was a little windier than earlier, but we loaded into our Zodiacs and without too much splashing, we arrived at the jetty to explore the island. The caretakers of the island, Kiki and Tees, met us as we disembarked and welcomed us to the island. Some guests took off for a long hike across the island to an impressive black-browed albatross colony on the coastline. Others loaded into two Land Rovers to travel to the albatross colony. Once we arrived, we enjoyed sneaking in amongst the six foot tussac bogs to get a good view of the albatross on their nests. Nearby, rockhopper penguins noisily bickered. Silently hidden in the long grass, we watched these beautiful animals interact with each other in preparation for breeding. After some time, we started to make our way back to the settlement where Kiki had prepared a huge spread of freshly brewed tea and homemade cakes. We enjoyed our tea chatting with her in the kitchen or sitting out in the garden in the sunshine. It was a brilliant ending to our last landing. Soon it was time to head back. We loaded up again and returned to the ship ready for the night’s events. We enjoyed final recap followed by an amazing dinner before returning to the ice lounge for a wonderful show put on by the ship’s crew. They were amazing! We laughed, and some of us danced the night away. It was the perfect ending to our Falklands adventure.

Daily Expedition Reports

11/7/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Saunders Island

Saunders Island (Falkland Islands) greeted us with a moody cape of fog that soon fizzled away. The rest of our morning was full of blue skies, azure-blue seas, and a gentle, mild breeze. We saw four species of penguins and surfing Commerson’s dolphins. We spent the afternoon visiting the world’s largest black-browed albatross colony on the remote island with a challenging landing area: Steeple Jason Island. It was a superb day of birding, hiking, and beachcombing!

Daily Expedition Reports

11/6/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Whale Point, Fitzroy Farm, West Falkland

A pair of turkey vultures sits, silhouetted, on a low bluff overlooking our landing site at Whale Point, which is on Fitzroy Farm on West Falkland. We are early, the air is cool, the water blue. A short walk up a steep grassy slope and we find the remains of a lamb, a meal for some predator. It is a harsh world, this windswept, island realm. We scramble up and over rough rocks to reach a long stretch of white beach covered with bleached whale bones and dead kelp. Nearly a mile inland, through ankle-breaking tussac grass, we find a pond teeming with birdlife. Widgeons, grebes, and geese dot the water, while on a near shore, a half-dozen turkey vultures feast on a meal. We fight our way back to the beach to find the skeletal remains of whales tucked between grassy sand dunes––massive skulls, vertebrae the size of basketballs, scapula as big as dinner tables. I am struck by the beauty of this exposed and treeless environment. There is no forest overgrowth to obscure the cycle of life here, no large predators to scatter bones. There is just death alongside life. When we board our Zodiacs to return to the ship, my somewhat macabre thoughts are quickly replaced by the joy brought by a playful trio of Commerson’s dolphins circling our little boat. They stay with us all the way back to the ship, riding our wake, circling us like a curious litter of puppies, eager to play, not a care in the world.

Daily Expedition Reports

11/5/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

At Sea

A day in the life of National Geographic Endurance : The sea conditions, as predicted, were so different from yesterday – calmer waters and a significant drop in the winds. Those who got up early were rewarded with a good number of seabirds, which were following aft of the ship or were sighted as they flew past. A very important aspect to life on a ship is mealtimes. Nobody should ever mess with these times unless they want to be witness to many hangry people. Breakfast was promptly served at 08.00 hours, Russ time. Ship time and position at breakfast: 10.02 UTC, Lat. 52° 37.4581’ S, Lon. 050° 35.5777’ W. Air temperature: 5.5°C, water temperature: 5.7°C. Course: 280.0°. Sea state: mixed seas, swells coming from the NW and SW, wave height about 1.5m. Overcast skies, grey clouds, small patches of thinner cloud cover. During the morning we heard two presentations. First, Conor spoke to us about whaling, its importance, and its consequences. This was followed by a short coffee break and our Captain’s talk on the ship, from shipyard to a fully operational expedition ship. Lunchtime was promptly served at 12.00 hours, still Russ time. Ship time and position at lunch: 14.17 UTC, Lat. 52° 28.1768’ S, Lon. 052° 04.1447’ W. Air temperature: 6.0°C, water temperature: 5.7°C. Course: 280.0°. Sea state: very calm conditions, slow moving large swells with long intervals coming from the SW, wave height between 1.5 and 2.0m. Clearing skies and a lot of blue sky. The afternoon was an opportunity to get some shuteye, process images, read a book or simply enjoy the many seabirds around the ship, including two wandering albatrosses that accompanied us. At times they would drop back a few miles and then would effortlessly, and without a single wingbeat, would be alongside the ship. What a sight to behold! After the all-important teatime, there was another presentation, this time given to us by Tiphanie, “An Introduction to the Falkland Islands.” A short while afterwards it was time for cocktails and recap and briefing. Dinner was served at 19.00 hours, still Russ time. Ship time and position at dinner: 21.27 UTC, Lat. 52° 13.6055’ S, Lon. 054° 23.6254’ W. Air temperature: 7.4°C, water temperature: 6.4°C. Course: 279.7°. Sea state: calmish conditions, swells coming from the SW, wave height 1.5m. Overcast skies. Wind picked up, giving the sea a more rippled appearance. We fell into our beds exhausted and slept soundly. Our last thoughts concerned a relatively early morning landing at Pleasant Roads.

Not only does this itinerary take you through some of the most ecologically vibrant parts of the planet, it also offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore the region's incredible cultures through music.

Jacob Edgar, Ethnomusicologist

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

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Explorations 2023-26

Multi

South American East Coast

Explorations 2023-26

2023-2026 Voyages

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