Classic Antarctica Cruise Ship

In the morning, private city-tour around “The Paris” of America.
In the afternoon you will take a flight to El Calafate.

We dedicate this day to one of the World’s Natural Wonder: the Moreno glacier.
A beautiful, short trail, will lead us from the shores of the lake to the upper viewpoints.
The roar of the chunks of ice falling inside the glacier or from the glacier into the lake, the frequent collapse of the front seracs into the turquoise water, makes out of this day a very special and unique experience. We will drive 80 km (1 and a half hour) to get and come back from the glacier across the steppe, watching a wide variety of birds.
Due to unusual favourable local conditions, this glacier is the only one in the world that shows a closure and rupture process. The road leads to the very front of the glacier, which will be only meters away from your eyes.

Optional Activities:
– Ice-trekking in Perito Moreno Glacier: one hour and a half or three hours and a half
– Navigations through Lago Argentino
– Kayak Experience

Morning Gaucho Experience. You will be able to visit a traditional Estancia in El Calafate and see the customs of local people and how they lived years ago in these remote places.
In the afternoon, flight to Ushuaia.

We will embark the M/V Ushuaia in the afternoon. After meeting our expedition staff and settling into our cabins, we will start sailing along the Beagle Channel and Mackinlay Pass. Reference map for this journey:

We will navigate across the Drake Passage, which marks the Antarctic Convergence. This convergence is where the cold polar waters meet the warm ones from the north, creating a singular biodiversity which marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds.

The lecturers will guide us on the observation of many different seabirds, including albatrosses and other impressive animals. You will be also able to accompany the officers on the bridge, learning about navigation and the legends of the sea. The plan during these two days includes a full program of lectures.

The icebergs and the snow-capped mountains will announce our arrival in the South Shetland Islands. If the weather conditions allow it, we will enjoy our first encounter with the penguins and the seals.

The South Shetland Islands are a wildlife paradise, with lots of penguins, Antarctic fur seals, southern elephant seals, and many other animals. Visiting Deception Island is amazing.

The largest of the South Shetland Islands – King George Island-, is home for different kinds of animals, such as the Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels. It hosts as well different scientific bases. Our way continues to Livingston Island, where Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins and elephant seals will be waiting for an eventual encounter.

The remarkable history of the Antarctic Peninsula invites to learn about the first expeditions, following their footprint on the pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways.

Besides those mentioned before, there will be good chances of seeing other amazing animals at close range: the Weddell, leopard, and crabeater seals, as well as the killer (orca), humpback, and Minke whales.

We hope to navigate the Lemaire Channel, the Gerlache Strait, and the Neumayer Channel, which are beautiful waterways surrounded by rock faces and amazing glaciers.

We program a minimum of two daily landings in the following potential sites: Paradise Bay; the Adélie Penguin colony near the Antarctic Sound (over 100,000 pairs breed here), on Paulet Island, where is also a Blue-eyed Cormorant colony. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. We may visit as well the Cuverville Island, the Melchior Island, the Portal Point, the Neko Harbour, the Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, the Petermann Island (where is the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins)

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We will cross the Drake Passage, back to Ushuaia, followed by different kinds of sea birds.

Arrival in Ushuaia during the morning (disembark). Flight to Buenos Aires.

Private transfer to Buenos Aires International Airport.

End of the tour, and optional extensions to other regions in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Perú. We strongly recommend our travellers to take advantage of the visit to enjoy as well the main highlights of Southern Patagonia.