Journey below the Antarctic Circle

Suggested flight (not included in the cost of the tour) British Airways BA 245 departing London Heathrow at 22.10 hrs. Subject to change.

Arrive in Buenos Aires at 09.10 hrs.

Connect with domestic flight to Ushuaia, the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego which divides the mountains, glaciers and forests of the island to the north and the waters of the Beagle Channel to the south. You will be met on arrival and transferred to Arakur Hotel, located within Cerro Alarkén Natural Reserve, where two nights are spent. Dinner at the hotel under own arrangements.

Full day to relax after your journey and enjoy your surroundings. Lunch under own arrangements. Welcome dinner at the hotel.

Half day sightseeing tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. When the first Europeans arrived on this legendary island at the tip of Patagonia, it was inhabited by several hunter-gatherer Indian tribes who built large bonfires to protect themselves from the penetrating cold. Those early Spanish navigators saw the fires from their boats and named the island ‘Tierra de Los Fuegos’ – Fire Island.

Lunch under own arrangements. We gather at our central meeting point, transfer to the pier and embark our expedition ship, M/S Seaventure. After settling into our cabins and exploring the ship, we meet our expedition team and enjoy a welcome cocktail and cast off, bound for Antarctica.

11 nights aboard M/S Seaventure with all meals, guided excursions and lectures included.

Sailing south towards Antarctica we will be joined by hundreds of seabirds including the wandering albatross. Giant petrels and smaller Cape petrels are also constant companions. Throughout the day our onboard experts educate us with a series of presentations about the environment, wildlife and history and the locations we aim to visit in the coming days.

Given favourable ice conditions, our first goal will be to sail south of the Antarctic Circle and into Crystal Sound. A favoured landing site here is Detaille Island, home to an abandoned British science hut. ‘Base W’ was established in the 1950’s and is in a remarkable state of preservation providing a glimpse into the harsh life of early Antarctic visitors. Further exploration this far south is highly dependent on optimal weather and ice conditions. If conditions allow, we may push even further to the south.

We aim to transit the Lemaire Channel on our way north towards Paradise Harbour. This may be the first opportunity to set foot on the continent of Antarctica itself. Nearby Neko Harbour offers another continental landing. Both locations offer terrific hiking opportunities up to panoramic viewpoints.

Having crossed the Bransfield Strait overnight, we arrive in the South Shetland Islands. The adventure is not over and if conditions allow, we aim to sail the ship into the sunken volcanic caldera at Deception Island, or visit nearby Half Moon Island, home to a sizeable colony of rowdy chinstrap penguins that share their territory with fur seals and blue-eyed shags. The MacFarlane Strait is a good place to spot humpback whales. In the early evening, we push into the Drake Passage and chart a course back to South America.

As we make our way back to South America, we approach the entrance to the Beagle Channel before heading again across the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage.

In the early morning, we will arrive back in Ushuaia. Disembark from the ship and transfer to the airport for a domestic flight back to Buenos Aires. You will be met on arrival and transferred to the Recoleta Grand Hotel, situated in the heart of the bustling Recoleta district, where one night is spent. Buenos Aires, affectionately known as the ‘Paris of South America’, is a cosmopolitan city and European in appearance. Its architectural diversity reflects times of grandeur as well as a variety of cultural influences that extend to Spanish, British, Jewish, Arabian and more recently Chinese and Korean. Dinner under own arrangements.

Transfer to the airport for the suggested flight (not included in the cost of the tour) British Airways BA 244 departing Buenos Aires at 14.15 hrs. Subject to change.

Arrival London Heathrow at 06.35 hrs.