Emblematic Antarctica

Day 1: Overnight in Buenos Aires

After arrival to Buenos Aires make your way to your hotel where you will be met by local representative. You will be able to check in from late morning. Lunch is on your own expense and afternoon is at leisure. Enjoy a dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Fly to Ushuaia & Embark

An early morning breakfast will be served before leaving to the airport for your flight Buenos Aires – Ushuaia. Your flight will take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes and upon arrival to Ushuaia you will be greeted by a representative. Before embarkation you have 2 options in Ushuaia:

Transfer to a restaurant for lunch

OR

Optional excursion to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park (extra cost, please request before departure). If you decide to do so, please note that immediately upon arrival at Ushuaia airport, you will leave towards the Park where you will have lunch before starting the tour.

Created in 1960, the park which covers 63 000 hectares (155 670 acres) is located in the south west of the Tierra del Fuego Province on the Beagle Canal. One of his entries stands slightly over 6 miles from Ushuaia. Mountainous landscapes, lagoons, bogs, and rivers draw a picturesque scenery reinforced by the southern position of the park itself. The Darwin Mountains, which represent the southern part of the Andes Mountains are mainly responsible for such landscape. The Park is only partly accessible to the public and this tour will provide you with the opportunity to discover the local flora and sub-Antarctic landscapes. If you get lucky, you may encounter beavers, dams, birds, wild orchids, etc… This is a true paradise for Nature Lovers!

Lunch will be served in a local restaurant within the Park.

(Please note that the Tierra del Fuego excursion is subject to a minimum of participants: if this number is not reached, our operator will not be able to guarantee the departure – In this case, you will be given the option to join the “Lunch in Ushuaia” programme.)

At the end of your visit, you will return to Ushuaia and the port, for embarkation on your vessel.

The ship departs at 6pm tonight.

Day 3-4: Crossing the Drake Passage

Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the Zodiac® outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience. From the ship’s bridge, you will experience exceptional sailing moments before joining the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.

Day 5-9: Antarctic Peninsula

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.

Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest Zodiac® outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.

Day 10-11: Crossing the Drake Passage

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.

Day 12: Disembark in Ushuaia & Fly to Buenos Aires

Early this morning you will arrive back in Ushuaia. Following disembarkation you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Buenos Aires.

• Charter flights (Buenos Aires / Ushuaia / Buenos Aires) & airport taxes
• One overnight stay in Buenos Aires
• Transfers as per the itinerary
• Bilingual French/English expedition team
• Lectures and presentations by expedition leaders and naturalist staff
• Complimentary polar parka for you to keep
• Waterproof boots on loan
• Captain’s welcome cocktail and gala dinner
• Park entry fees into protected areas
• Accommodation in your selected stateroom
• Landings and zodiac outings
• A full meal plan
• Open Bar: beginning with boarding, and during the duration of the cruise, a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Charles Heidsieck champagne, spirits, coffee, tea) is served on request and at any time of the day. Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar.
• Free Wi-Fi internet access 24 hours a day
• Port taxes

• International airfares 
• Arrival/departure taxes or reciprocity fees, visa fees where applicable 
• Transfer to Buenos Aires hotel from airport on day 1
• Travel insurance
• Gratuities
• Any items not mentioned as included
• Optional activities*

Please note voyages are subject to ice and weather conditions. The itineraries described for expedition voyages illustrate possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed.

*Kayak Discovery

Get as up close to the natural environment as possible with an excursion aboard a two-person sea kayak, during one 2-hour session.
Guided by a state-registered polar navigation specialist, you'll discover and explore breathtakingly scenic polar landscapes and scenery.
All the necessary equipment will be provided for you on board.

Please note:

• One 2-hour session. Price per participant: 350 €
• Number of participants restricted to 20 per trip.
• This activity must be pre-booked in advance at least 7 days before the start of your cruise. Bookings made after this deadline will only be confirmed once onboard and are dependent on availability.
• Your vouchers will be dropped off directly in your room, during your cruise.
• Due to restrictions on the number of places available and a high level of interest from our passengers, there may be limited access to certain activities. The cost of any kayak trip cancelled by a passenger prior to departure will still remain payable in full.
• PONANT provides each participant with a sea kayak (Prijon Excursion EVO - two-person kayak for two participants), a dry suit (Sandyline - specially designed for Antarctica), a life jacket, hand protection, kayak sea socks, spray skirt, carbon paddle (TNP Wolferine) and a waterproof bag.
• Depending on opportunities/availabilities during your cruise, additional Kayak tours can be booked only onboard.
• Kayak excursions are subject to weather and ice conditions on the day.
• You will be accompanied by state-certified kayakers each time you go out in a kayak.
• We require you to be in a good state of general physical health and to have a good sense of balance.