19D18N : Antarctica Great Austral Loop & South Georgia

Meet and greet at the hotel by our local representative
Free at own leisure for the rest of the day. Overnight in Buenos Aires.

Early breakfast, check out from hotel, and transfer to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia (depart around 9am).

Upon arrival, transfer to a restaurant for lunch and a short orientation tour before heading to the port (around 4pm).

Boarding between 4pm-6pm on your cruise ship.

Ship departure at 6pm.

Ushuaia, the capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” (The End of the World) by the Argentinian people, this city is nestled among mountains and surrounded by fertile plains, making it a sanctuary for wildlife. With the Andes plunging straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, evoking a sense of adventure to the remote and inaccessible.

Welcome on board by the Captain and crew.

After dinner, the ship will slowly sail through the Beagle Channel into the open sea.

AT SEA

Make your way through the turbulent Woolly Gut strait and emerge in the stillness of Grave Cove. Located in the northern edge of the Falkland Islands, this bay owes its name to the vestiges of whalers’ graves that overlook the beach.
As you step off the boat and onto the white-sand beach, you might find yourself escorted by a few hospitable Commerson’s dolphins, elegantly adorned in black and white.
A stroll along the grassy dunes will lead you to a vast plain of lush green grass, tended by a few sheep.
On the other side of the island you’ll find one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies in the area. With some luck, you’ll also glimpse a sea lion scouring the waves for his next meal.

AT SEA

AT SEA

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The Highlight of this voyage is South Georgia Island, The Home of the Largest King Penguin in the World
Aboard your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula.
All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king and Gentoo penguins, elephant seals, fur seals.
You might get the chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and the vast plains of Fortuna Bay.

Second Days to explore the beautiful South Georgia
Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
Wildlife: black-browed and light-mantled albatrosses; Magellanic, Gentoo and southern rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands; king and macaroni penguins, elephant and fur seals in South Georgia; leopard seals,

Third Days to explore the beautiful South Georgia
Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
Wildlife: black-browed and light-mantled albatrosses; Magellanic, Gentoo and southern rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands; king and macaroni penguins, elephant and fur seals in South Georgia; leopard seals,

AT SEA

AT SEA

Welcome to Antarctica Peninsula. You will spend 4 days here
Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments.
Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife.
Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.
Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
Enjoy a magical experience as you are introduced to sea kayaking. Lead by experienced, State-Certified kayak guides, you will skim the water’s surface amid the ice. For more information about your kayak tour, please go to the section ‘PONANT activities’ and to book your kayak tour, contact your cruise advisor.

Second day exploring Antarctica Peninsula.
You will surely be occupied with the Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides
Enjoy a magical experience as you are introduced to sea kayaking. Lead by experienced, State-Certified kayak guides, you will skim the water’s surface amid the ice. For more information about your kayak tour, please go to the section ‘PONANT activities’ and to book your kayak tour, contact your cruise advisor

Third day exploring Antarctica Peninsula.
You will surely be occupied with the Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides
Enjoy a magical experience as you are introduced to sea kayaking. Lead by experienced, State-Certified kayak guides, you will skim the water’s surface amid the ice. For more information about your kayak tour, please go to the section ‘PONANT activities’ and to book your kayak tour, contact your cruise advisor.

Fourth day exploring Antarctica Peninsula.
You will surely be occupied with the Outings and shore visits in zodiac inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides
Enjoy a magical experience as you are introduced to sea kayaking. Lead by experienced, State-Certified kayak guides, you will skim the water’s surface amid the ice. For more information about your kayak tour, please go to the section ‘PONANT activities’ and to book your kayak tour, contact your cruise advisor.

Crossing Drake Passage. This is another great highlight of this expedition
The crossing takes 36 to 48hrs. Prepare yourself with sea-sick medicine and Ear Patches.
If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage.
Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America.
Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses,
Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don’t forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.

Crossing Drake Passage on Day 2
Relax yourself  while crossing the Drake.
Prepare yourself with sea-sick medicine and Ear Patches.
Arrive Ushuaia at night around 6pm

After breakfast, say goodbye to the Ponant crew and expedition team.
Disembark between 9-10am and transfer to the airport.
Fly on a Ponant chartered flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires.
Tour ends at Buenos Aires Airport.