Journey to the Antarctic Circle

Your Antarctica cruise begins in dramatic surroundings of the most southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia. A representative will greet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel for the night.

If you arrive early enough and feel like an adventure, Ushuaia is perfect for a wonder. Perhaps visit the Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia, or if you're feeling a bit more adventurous, we visiting Tierra del Fuego National Park. It is a rugged, mountainous park with great views of Lapataia Bay and dramatic scenery of waterfalls, mountains, glaciers and lakes.

You have the morning to explore Ushuaia a little further before being transferred to the pier where you will board the Ocean Endeavour.

This evening you will sail through the Beagle Channel where you may catch glimpses of Magellanic penguins, rock cormorants, petrels and black-browed albatross from the deck as well as sea lion colonies.

Tonight you will be treated to a welcome dinner where you will meet many of your shipmates. The next sight of any land on your cruise will be Antarctica!

Leaving the Beagle Channel behind we prepare for some potentially rough seas ahead. The Drake Passage is notorious but part of the adventure.

As your Antarctica cruise crosses the Drake Passage, you will be treated to informative and engaging presentations from the Expedition Team which will cover the history, wildlife and geology of Antarctica.

On this journey, you may feel the temperature drop as we head deeper south and cross the Antarctic Convergence. Colder polar waters flow north and meet with warmer waters, a mix that pushes nutrients to the surface. This attracts whales, seabirds and many other spices so keep your eye's peeled through the panoramic observation windows or on deck.

In the evening of day 4, if we are making good time, we will make landfall and the true Antarctica expedition begins.

During this period of your Antarctica cruise, we will explore the South Shetlands and Antarctica. This area is incredibly beautiful, famed for its majestic mountains, glaciers, imposing icebergs, ice-strewn waters and abundance of wildlife.

Every day, you will be offered different opportunities including kayaking, snowshoeing and photography workshops. Zodiac expeditions will cruise through icy seas, past beautifully sculpted icebergs and explore local bays, channels and landing sites. Wildlife in this area is abundant, with penguin rookeries, seal and bird colonies and whale feeding areas.

You can make this expedition unique and personal experience by tailoring the optional activities. There is always something new or unexpected to see, with opportunities like climbing to vantage points for panoramic views or even taking the polar plunge in the icy waters!

Your Antarctica cruise will sail through the peninsula waters to give you some once in a lifetime views of the white continent. Lectures will continue and you can relax in some well-needed heat in the jacuzzi and sauna.

If the weather conditions are suitable, we will push on towards the Antarctic Circle. We will cruise past icebergs in the hope of reaching latitude 66°33' S. Only a very few intrepid travellers have reached this point on earth. This is well worth celebrating with a toast to the travellers before us and to ourselves for the great achievement. We will hopefully be joined by humpback whales and minke whales.

Today your Antarctica cruise will start heading north and continue to explore the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. There will be more zodiac expeditions and hopefully, even more, sightings of breaching whales.

Sadly, we leave Antarctica behind as the Ocean Endeavour heads towards Ushuaia once again. Sailing across the Drake Passage, we will have more opportunities to sight marine life with the help of your Expedition Team. This is the perfect opportunity to relax in the wellness centre and reminisce your Antarctic experiences.

Hopefully, we will reach the Beagle Channel in the evening of day 13 for a peaceful and restful nights sleep.

We are scheduled to arrive into Ushuaia early this morning, disembarking after a final breakfast aboard the Ocean Endeavour. We will then transfer you to the airport where we wish you a safe and enjoyable journey home.

Or, if you feel like continuing your adventure, Viva Expeditions can help you organise trips into Patagonia to walk some of the best trails in the world, visit the towing granite peaks of Torres del Paine and witness some of the most dramatic glaciers. Send us an enquiry for more information.