Winter Kayaking in Antarctica | Antarctica Cruises and Holidays | The Ultimate Travel Company

LUXURY ANTARCTICA HOLIDAYS & CRUISES

ACTIVE ANTARCTICA

13 days from £9,500 per person
TAILOR-MADE TRAVEL

A TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAY DESIGNED BY SPECIALISTS

At The Ultimate Travel Company, all our holidays are created individually to suit your preferences and the Active Antarctica itinerary can be used for inspiration or as a starting point for your luxury Antarctica holidays. Whether you prefer a different style of accommodation, a greater focus on a particular experience or wish to include extra stops on your journey, our experts will design an itinerary that is entirely unique to you.

LUXURY ANTARCTICA HOLIDAYS

ABOUT THE ITINERARY

Antarctic Peninsula Basecamp cruises offer a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy the White Continent. This expedition allows you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, go mountaineering, and even camp out under the Southern Polar skies.

This Antarctic expedition will start and end in the city of Ushuaia in Argentina and operates from November to March onboard Plancius, Ortelius and Hondius.

During “Basecamp” departures, all offered activities (including camping, kayaking, hiking, mountaineering, photo workshop) as well as our standard included shore excursions and zodiac cruises are free of charge.

PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice, weather and wildlife conditions. The on-board expedition leader will determine the final itinerary. Flexibility is paramount for Antarctic expedition cruises.

A Person Kayaking in Antarctica | Antarctica Holidays | The Ultimate Travel Company
View of Ushuaia | Antarctica Holidays | The Ultimate Travel Company
Day 1

USHUAIA

Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.

Sailing the Drake Passage to Antarctica | Antarctica Holidays | The Ultimate Travel Company
Days 2-3

DRAKE PASSAGE

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.

Hiking in Antarctica | Antarctica Holidays | The Ultimate Travel Company
Days 4-9

ANTARCTICA

Gray stone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above. You first pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands.

Places you might visit includes:

Neumayer Channel – The vessel may position itself here, launching its multiple basecamp activities from the protected waters around Wiencke Island. You can enjoy the splendors of this alpine environment at sea with Zodiac and kayaking trips, or if you’re in the mood for a walk, there are possible snowshoe hikes and soft-climb mountaineering options farther inland. Naturally, favorable weather conditions determine the possible activities.

Port Lockroy – After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, you may get a chance to visit the former British research station – now a museum and post office – of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. You may also be able to partake in activities around Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags. There are great opportunities also for kayaking and camping here, and when conditions are right, you can even snowshoe around the shore.

Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you can sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales here, as well as leopard seals. Kayaking, glacier walks, and more ambitious mountaineering trips are the potential activities of this location.

Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks.

Paradise Bay – You have the chance to make camp here like a true polar explorer, enjoying a supreme overnight Antarctic adventure.

Errera Channel – Possible sites in this area include Danco Island and Cuverville Island, but also the lesser known (though equally picturesque) Orne Island and Georges Point on Rongé Island.

On your last day of near-shore activities, you pass the Melchior Islands toward the open sea. Keep a sharp lookout for humpback whales in Dallmann Bay. You might also shoot for Half Moon Island, in the South Shetlands, with further chances for activities.

Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.

Whale Jumping in the Antarctic Waters | Antarctica Holidays | The Ultimate Travel Company
Days 10-11

DRAKE PASSAGE

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Day 12

FLY HOME

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

You can continue your journey through Argentina and South America, or connect onto a flight back to Buenos Aires and your international flight home.

THE PRICE BREAKDOWN
13 days from £9,500 per person.

PRICE INCLUDES

  • Full board on the ship
  • Activities in Antarctica (including kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking and camping)
  • All port and landing fees
  • Loan of boots to be worn in Antarctica

PRICE EXCLUDES

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Gratuities

Testimonial 6
“IN SAFE HANDS, EVEN WHEN PLANS CHANGE”
Every detail of our Patagonia tour was expertly arranged – from transfers and flights to the choice of hotels. When our onward flight to the Falklands was delayed by two days, The Ultimate Travel Company stepped in immediately and secured a hotel for us. It was an enormous relief, especially as we don’t speak Spanish and had no idea what to do next. That level of thoughtful, responsive service stayed with us – it turned a potential travel hiccup into a lasting positive memory.
Testimonial 5
“TRIP TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD”
Everything about our trip was excellent. While it’s a considered investment, the service more than justifies the cost. We loved the accommodation – beautifully chosen and thoughtfully located. Our guides ranged from grear to truly exceptional. And the places we visited? They exceeded all expectations. Peru is an extraordinarily beautiful country, and this journey gave us a real sense of its wonder.
Testimonial 4
“FLAWLESS, AGAIN”
This is the third time I’ve used TUTC. The service, as before, was flawless. Aside from putting in place all the major details of a complex trip to Japan, Dan at TUTC nailed every detail: train tickets were for seats with large luggage space (very important in Japan, as we discovered); a mobile internet wifi was included; together with a pre-charged use-pretty-much-anywhere travel card (again, important – Japan has multiple transport companies). For any kind of complex trip I won’t go anywhere else.

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Humpback Whale Tail Pointing Out of the Icy Waters of Antarctica | Antarctica Cruises | Antarctica Cruises | The Ultimate Travel Company
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