Antarctica Classic

Day 1 - Fly London to Buenos Aires

Fly overnight London to Buenos Aires.

Overnight: In flight

Day 2 - Arrive Buenos Aires. Group transfer to hotel. Time at leisure.

On arrival in Buenos Aires you will be met and transferred to your hotel. You are free to enjoy the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires.

Overnight: Hotel Intersur Recoleta, Buenos Aires

Day 3 - Fly to Ushuaia.

Transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Ushuaia. On arrival in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Ushuaia has plenty of bars, coffee shops and restaurants catering for all tastes and plenty of shops to get those last minute bits of extra kit you forgot to pack.

Overnight: Hotel Las Lengas Or Hotel Albatros, Ushuaia

Day 4 - At leisure in Ushuaia.

Sitting on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia actually means 'the bay facing westward' in the language of the original Yamna inhabitants. It was once a penal colony (the presidio was disbanded in the 1940s) for political prisoners as well as hardened criminals. Ushuaia is now a major tourist attraction, particularly catering for people about to embark on a cruise to Antarctica. The town of 40,000 is also a major ski resort area for both alpine and cross-country skiers and offers magnificent hiking in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, the only coastal national park in Argentina.

Overnight: Hotel Las Lengas Or Hotel Albatros, Ushuaia

Day 5 - Free morning. Embark on the Polar cruise ship, M/S Expedition. Sail the Beagle Channel.

After a night in a hotel and a good breakfast your sense of anticipation grows as your ship, the MS Expedition is positioned in the port being readied for your embarkation in the afternoon.

Embarkation time is set for 16:00hrs. The morning is free to do any last minute shopping, an optional excursion to Tierra Del Fuego National Park or a good hike up to the Marshall Glacier (arranged locally). The evening is spent on board the ship watching the sunset over the Beagle Channel which is around 150 miles long and forms part of the border between Argentina and Chile. The Beagle Channel was named after the HMS Beagle from its 1820s voyage around the southern coasts of South America. On board was Captain Robert Fitzroy whose name was later given to the famous Fitzroy and Paine mountains in Chile. On a later voyage to the region he brought along a young naturalist called Charles Darwin!

Please note that while it is our intention to adhere to the itinerary described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. On the first day onboard, your Expedition Leader will give you an expedition overview.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 6 - Crossing the Drake Passage.

Your adventure begins with a 497 mile crossing of the passage that bears the name of the 16th Century English explorer Sir Francis Drake. The M/S Expedition is at home in this part of the Southern Ocean, known for the unimpeded never-ending fetch of the winds that encircle the Antarctic.

As you make the passage you have time to become acquainted with the ship and frequent the common areas which include the lounge, dining hall, library and lecture hall where you meet your guides, ship's crew and expedition staff. The lecture and information sessions begin as you start to learn the extraordinary human and natural history of the Antarctic region.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 7 - Crossing the Drake Passage.

At some point today you cross the Antarctic Convergence, a meeting of cold polar water flowing north and warmer sub-Antarctic water moving in the opposite direction. It is the largest biological barrier on earth and is marked by a change in temperature, salinity and nutrient levels. The north flowing Antarctic waters predominantly sink beneath southward moving sub-Antarctic waters, while further south associated areas of mixing and upwelling create an ocean very high in marine productivity. When you pass this zone, you have entered the most nutrient rich waters on the earth - the Southern Ocean.

Wandering, Black-browed and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Prion's and Cap Petrels are among some of the species of seabirds that may join you in your journey as you cross into Antarctica.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 8 - Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

This is what you have all been waiting for - a chance to explore and step foot on the Great White Continent! Over the next 4 days you will navigate southwards making stops in the South Shetland Islands then through the Bransfield Strait and to the Antarctic Peninsula. The goal is to attempt 2 excursions per day while you navigate through the area, but your itinerary and daily schedule will be based on the local weather and ice conditions that you encounter.

The continent itself is roughly circular with a spindly arm, called the Antarctic Peninsula, reaching northwards towards Tierra del Fuego. South America is the nearest landmass, some 600 miles away. Considerably larger than either the United States or Europe, and twice the size of Australia, the continent is surrounded by a frozen sea that varies in area from one million square miles in summer to 7.3 million square miles in winter. Ninety-five percent of the continent of Antarctica is ice covered and contains the freshest water on earth - about 70 percent of all fresh water on earth in fact. The highest point in Antarctica is Vinson Massif, with an altitude of 4,897m/16,067ft above sea level; the lowest point is the Bentley Subglacial Trench at 2,500m/8,200ft below sea level, located in West Antarctica. Antarctica has the highest average elevation of all the continents at 2,300m/7,500ft above sea level.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 9 - Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

The Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands abound with wildlife activity. If you are travelling early in the season your landing today will have you walking amongst penguins as they gather with their fast-growing chicks, and later in the season whales are seen in great numbers, seals haul out onto ice floes and beaches, and always numerous seabirds trail in the ship's wake. There is plenty of time to enjoy the sheer beauty and the breathtaking scenery of ice-choked waterways, blue and white icebergs, impressive glaciers and rugged snow-capped mountains. The peninsula also has a remarkable history and, during the voyage, you will learn about some of the most important and dramatic expeditions to this remote corner of the world. Keeping a lookout from the bridge or the deck of the ship, as you thread our way along the continent, you will feel the same sense of excitement as many of those early explorers.

Penguins 'Penguin' is the common name for all flightless, aquatic birds and they are only found south of the equator. Penguins have been grouped into 18 species and 6 genera, with most making their homes in Antarctica and the sub Antarctic islands, though others are native to the coasts of Australia, South Africa, South America, and the Galapagos Islands. Penguins are speedy and agile swimmers, but extremely slow on land. The regions you visit aboard MS Expedition are inhabited by 6 different species including the Giant King Penguin which can grow up to 1m in height (found only on South Georgia Island), the Adelie Penguin named after French explorer Dumont d'Urville's wife, the Chinstrap Penguin identified by the distinctive black line connecting the black cap to below the chin, the Gentoo Penguin with its orange bill and white flash above and behind its eyes and the Macaroni Penguin which is the most numerous and the most difficult to see (only on South Georgia Island). They number roughly 12 million and are easily identified by the orange tassels meeting between the eyes. There is also the Rockhopper Penguin (seen only in the Falkland Islands) and similar to the Macaroni in appearance, but slightly smaller and with yellow tassels.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 10 - Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

Another day of exploring and more landings as the Zodiacs deliver you to shore. You might enjoy a walk up a small peak to get a magnificent vista back across the bay and towards the shore. Your guides will accompany you and assist in picking out the best route and one that does not interfere with the wildlife. The schedule can vary greatly in Antarctica and while no two days are alike we cannot guarantee which days certain excursions will occur.

Whales Thanks to the abundance of the small, shrimp like krill as the basis of the food chain, many species of whale make the water south of the Antarctic Convergence their summer home. Some of the species found in the frigid southern waters include: the Humpback Whale, which consumes over a ton of krill each day, the Southern Right Whales easily identified by the whitish callosities on the jaws and forehead, the Sperm Whales made famous in Moby Dick, the Killer Whale which is actually not a whale at all, but the largest of the dolphin family, the Sei Whale which can achieve speeds up to 55km/h over short distances, the playful Minke Whales very common in the peninsula area, and the Fin Whale which can attain a length of 25 to 27m, making them the second largest whales.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 11 - Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

Today there will more landings in the Zodiacs. It is possible that today you will enter a massive caldera (as always the schedule varies from trip to trip). It is incredible when you get to shore inside the caldera, pulling up on beaches that appear to bubble slightly due to the heat from beneath. This of course is in contrast to the air temperature and an imposing glacier that stops short of the sea. You might even spot some krill on the beach that has been gently and slowly cooked to a pinkish colour. As well as taking in the spellbinding scenery this could be your chance to brave the waters and take an Antarctic plunge. On almost every Expedition there are a few game souls, so if you do elect to take a dip you won't be alone. This is a spa with a difference!

Antarctica is a continent of superlatives. It is the coldest, windiest, driest, iciest and highest of all the major landmasses in the world. It is the continent with the longest nights and the longest days. The coastal areas you will visit have some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife on the continent. It is also one of the last true wildernesses and largest wilderness area left on earth - largely unchanged since the first sealers, whalers, and early explorers landed on its inhospitable shores less than two centuries ago.

The lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere on earth, -89.2°C, was recorded on July 21, 1983, at Vostok Station. Winds have been recorded at 200 mph in the interior of the continent and the average annual water precipitation in the interior is only about 50mm.

Historical figures Some of the bravest and best known explorers have sailed south in search of adventure and recognition. James Cook, the most travelled explorer of his time, was the first to circumnavigate Antarctica and the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. There was Roald Amundsen, who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole and reached the pole on 14th December 1911, followed by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, famous for being 35 days late, who arrived at the South Pole on 17th January 1912 only to find the dark green tent and a note left by Amundsen. All 5 men in the Scott expedition perished on their way back from the pole. The best-known adventurer would have to be Sir Ernest Shackleton. On his attempt at the South Pole his ship, Endurance, was captured by pack ice in the Weddell Sea on 19th January 1915. The ship was destroyed by heavy ice, forcing him and his men to travel over the ice and sea to Elephant Island. However, because the island was uninhabited, Shackleton and 5 others made the 1300 km voyage for help to South Georgia, amazingly arriving at Stromness Harbour whaling station on 20th May 1916.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 12 - Crossing the Drake Passage.

Today you leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. In between bird watching and whale watching and enjoying some final lectures by our expedition staff, remember, the best way to experience the wildlife of the Drake Passage is to be on deck keeping a look out for albatross, prions, and whales.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 13 - Crossing the Drake Passage.

This is a chance to relax and review the adventures of the past week before returning to Ushuaia. This is your last night onboard the M/S Expedition and a chance to celebrate having had the experience of a lifetime with your fellow travellers.

Overnight: M/S Expedition

Day 14 - Disembark the M/S Expedition. Fly Ushuaia to Buenos Aires.

Today you will disembark the MS Expedition between 08:00-09:00hrs. Depending on the time of your flight back to Buenos Aires you will either be transferred directly to the airport at Ushuaia, or have free time with additional transfers provided at 12:30hrs or 16:30hrs. Fly to Buenos Aires for your last night. You might choose to take in a Tango show or enjoy a meal in one of the many fine restaurants available. For steak lovers, Argentinean steak is arguably the best you will ever taste.

Overnight: Hotel Intersur Recoleta, Buenos Aires

Day 15 - Group transfer to the airport for flight to London.

Some free time to enjoy the city before your transfer to the airport for your overnight flight from Buenos Aires to London.

Overnight: In flight

Day 16 - Arrive London.