Antarctic Tour with Patagonia

Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Day at leisure.

Breakfast. In the morning city tour in Buenos Aires. This tour gives you the emotion of a multiple Buenos Aires. We will visit the most characteristic places of the “Paris of America”. The Obelisk, Colon Theatre, RecoletaCemetery, May square (surrounded by the cathedral, the Cabildo, and the pink house where the president works) are some of the highlights that we will include in the tour. We will also visit La Boca neighborhood which was seat of immigrants – mainly Italians – and now home of some artists; San Telmo, traditional neighborhood where Tango performances can be seen in many bars and restaurants; the elegant Recoleta, and the most modern: Puerto Madero. At night Tango show with dinner at one of the traditional tango houses of Buenos Aires.

Breakfast. In the morning, suggested tour to Gaucho Party (Pampa Tour): In this tour we will find the gaucho’s county side life and the peaceful and kind town where he lives. That is why the argentinean Pampa is part of our tradition. The asado (barbecue), gaucho’s activities and abilities, dances, and folk games are some of the options to enjoy. Pampa is like this, gauchos, fields, traditions, crafts, a tour to learn and enjoy. This fullday tour includes lunch.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for flight to Calafate (FTE). Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast. In the morning transfer to Perito Moreno Glacier. The Perito Moreno Glacier is a must-see in Argentina. Together with twelve other glaciers it is part of one of the largest sliding masses of ice and snow in Los Glaciares National Park. This glacier, having a front wall of 5 Km long, is 60 m high above Lake Argentino and it is in the middle of its way forward. At any time during the year, chunks of ice can constantly be seen collapse and shatter into multiple floes. It can be reached from El Calafate, 80 Km away. The Perito Moreno Glacier can be watched from footbridges right in front of it, or from trip boats that come close to its walls. Going inside the glacier is an unforgettable experience, as well as taking walks on it and into the moraine, exploring caverns, drains and ice caves.

Breakfast. Day fee, suggested full day Navigation All Glaciers. We will navigate through Argentino Lake towards the north area of the national Park where we will find Upsala Glacier, Spegazinni Glacier and Onelli’s Glacier.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for flight to Ushuaia (USH). Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Embark in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, our staff will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds.

The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island. You will have plenty to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife while. Apart from penguins and seabirds you also look closely crabeater seals, Weddell and leopard, as well as humpback whales, minke and killer whales. We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways depending on ice conditions: the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. We plan to make at least two landings per day. The landing sites may also include: Paradise Bay, literally named the best place in the world and we attempt to make a landing on the continent. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. Nordenskjold’s expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903; Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins. Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island to visit the southernmost colony of Gentoo penguins.

We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.

We arrive at Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the USHUAIA after breakfast.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Buenos Aires. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast. Transfer to Ezeiza International Airport.