Antarctic Explorer

After breakfast, check out of your room before commencing a morning guided tour of Punta Arenas at 9:00 am. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Please take your cabin luggage down to hotel reception by 8.00 am. Your luggage will be collected from the hotel and transferred directly to port for clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. 

The city of Punta Arenas offers an eclectic mix of sights. From the bright coloured city roofs to the ocean hues of the Strait of Magellan, with the island of Tierra del Fuego on the horizon. The main city plaza, named after former governor Muñoz Gamero, has been the heart of the city since the 19th century. Its centre piece is an imposing statue of Ferdinand Magellan which stands surrounded by the neoclassical buildings popular with the early magnates of the regional sheep industry. The Salesian Maggiorino Borgatello museum exhibits collections related to the regions colonial-era, its relationship with Antarctic exploration, and the Salesian missions at Dawson Island and Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego). 

Having taken in the sights of the city you have free time for lunch (own expense). Please return to the hotel by 12:30 pm as we will then transfer you to the Punta Arenas clinic to conduct your rapid antigen COVID test. You’ll then return to the hotel where you can enjoy tea, and coffee while awaiting your results. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the pier to commence embarkation. Once aboard, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from port, we’ll gather on the deck to farewell Punta Arenas and commence our adventure to Antarctica.

Sail along the legendary Beagle Channel and enjoy splendid scenery of fjords and channels flanked by majestic mountains. Keep watch for the many seabirds and marine wildlife including dolphins, sea lions and whales preparing to migrate to Antarctica to fatten up on plentiful krill. In the evening, we exit Nassau Bay, sail past Cape Horn and prepare to enter Drake Passage.

Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of the observation decks, watching for our first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with you for a long time. Weather permitting, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon. 

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.  

Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience nearly 24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.  

Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. 

We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You’ll want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.  

While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you’ll have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! 

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (Captain's call) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent. 

As we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell Antarctica and our amazing adventure before boarding our flight (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes) to Punta Arenas, Chile. On arrival at the Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to our group hotel. 

Accommodation: Hotel Dreams del Estrecho

Note: King George Island is located at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required in order to take off and land safely. We apologise in advance if you experience any delays.

After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. A transfer to the airport is included in your voyage fare. (Breakfast included). 

Note: It is your responsibility to check if your government requires you to have a COVID test prior to boarding an international flight to return to your country of residence. If this applies to you, then you may be required to book additional nights after the voyage. Please speak with your travel agent or with an Aurora Expeditions consultant at least four weeks prior to departure if you need assistance booking additional post-voyage arrangements.