South Georgia, Falklands & Antarctic Odyssey

Arrive in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred with your fellowexpeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Ushuaia, we ask you to make your way to yourhotel. Check-in is from 3.00 pm. This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby at LasHayas Ushuaia Resort, Luis Fernando Martial 1650, between 3.00 pm and 7.00 pm, to collect your luggage tags, andconfirm if you wish to join our Beagle Channel and Isla de Los Lobos Cruise (sea lion island) tomorrow. Our team willconfirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on whereto dine or purchase last minute items.Expeditioners arriving after 7.00 pm will find a welcome pack waiting for them at check-in. We ask you to visit ourhospitality desk tomorrow between 8.00 am – 10.00 am.The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.Assigned accommodation: Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort or Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel

This morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearlylabelled with your name and cabin number. By 11.00 am take your cabin luggage to hotel reception, prior to, or atcheck-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabinahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.Your morning is at leisure to explore Ushuaia.Those wishing to join our afternoon catamaran cruise, meet back at the hotel lobby at 12.15 pm ready to transfer tothe port at 12.30 pm. Here we board our catamaran and sail the Beagle Channel, towards the city’s iconic LesEclaireurs Lighthouse. Crossing the Bridges Archipelago we’ll slow down to watch colonies of sea lions and imperialcormorants sun themselves on the rocky outcrops, while gulls, rock cormorants, skuas, petrels, albatrosses andcauquenes are often sighted. Our cruise offers panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountain range, inaddition to hearing tales of the people and communities of the region.Alternatively, enjoy your day at leisure and meet at your hotel lobby at 3.00 pm, or 3.30 pm from the meeting pointat the parking lot near the pier (details will be given by our ground staff at the hotel), to be transferred to the pier forembarkation.Once onboard, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pullsaway from port, we’ll gather on the deck to commence our adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia andTierra del Fuego.This evening get to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team and crew at a welcome dinner tocelebrate the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica.

The Falklands~Malvinas comprises two large islands (East and West Falkland), with over 700 islands scattered off thecoast. All but seven of these are uninhabited, with windswept coastlines, white sand beaches and crystal-clearwater. These beautifully barren islands are true wildlife havens, sheltering an impressive diversity of birdlife,including the largest black-browed albatross colony on earth. The cold, nutrient-rich waters surrounding the islandsmake this a prime location for spotting marine life.There are many beautiful areas to explore across the Falklands~Malvinas, each offering a unique perspective on thismagnificent archipelago. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will usetheir expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing winds,weather and wildlife opportunities.We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Even though we are north of the AntarcticConvergence it can be quite chilly here, so you will want to layer up before joining Zodiac cruises into rocky coves oralong sea cliffs, keeping watch for seals, sea lions, dolphins and penguins. Zodiacs will also shuttle you from the shipto land, where you may visit albatross colonies, penguin rookeries and perhaps even have a traditional English ‘teaand scones’ at a local cottage.Conditions permitting, we plan to land in historic Stanley, the capital of the Falklands~Malvinas. This charming townhas a distinctly British character, with terraced town houses, pioneer cottages and even an iconic red telephone box!Colourful buildings house cosy cafes, English pubs, souvenir shops, a post office and the fascinating Historic DockyardMuseum, with displays on the maritime history of the Falkland Islands, natural history and links to Antarctica.If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of coursekeen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!

Sea and weather conditions will determine our arrival time into South Georgia today.As you near the rugged island of South Georgia, spare a thought for Captain James Cook, who arrived here in 1775and believed it to be the northern tip of a great southern continent! In fact, it is a small island only 176 km (110 mi)long, but with a 3,000 m (9,842 ft) snow-capped mountain range, some of the world’s largest congregations ofwildlife and a truly fascinating human history, South Georgia is an island of incredible riches. On approach, jagged mountain peaks rise steeply, while seabirds are often spotted soaring around the ship. We willsail down the coast, taking in the spectacular glaciated scenery. This enchanting coastline is yours to explore!If time and weather conditions permit, en route we could pass close to Shag Rocks, a fascinating group of jaggedrocky islets protruding from the sea, in the proximity of South Georgia.

Your experienced expedition team will use their local knowledge to plan your voyage from day to day, choosing thebest options based on the prevailing weather, sea state and wildlife opportunities.Remember to layer up before joining Zodiac excursions that may zip into craggy coves and along the rocky coastlinein search of nesting penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia’s kelpforests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forthon the water’s surface.Our Zodiacs will also transport ashore, where you can visit some of the largest king penguin colonies on Earth, take aguided walk among fur seals and elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and keep your distance!) andwander along pebbled streams and grassy glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of SouthGeorgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survivalis synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that wheneverconditions allow.In addition to Zodiac excursions and shore excursions, we may ship cruise through fjords with towering cliffs ofancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spotin the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) to enjoy uninterruptedviews of South Georgia’s majestic coast.

Your experienced expedition team will use their local knowledge to plan your voyage from day to day, choosing thebest options based on the prevailing weather, sea state and wildlife opportunities.Remember to layer up before joining Zodiac excursions that may zip into craggy coves and along the rocky coastlinein search of nesting penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia’s kelpforests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forthon the water’s surface.Our Zodiacs will also transport ashore, where you can visit some of the largest king penguin colonies on Earth, take aguided walk among fur seals and elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and keep your distance!) andwander along pebbled streams and grassy glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of SouthGeorgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survivalis synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that wheneverconditions allow.In addition to Zodiac excursions and shore excursions, we may ship cruise through fjords with towering cliffs ofancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spotin the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) to enjoy uninterruptedviews of South Georgia’s majestic coast.

Your experienced expedition team will use their local knowledge to plan your voyage from day to day, choosing thebest options based on the prevailing weather, sea state and wildlife opportunities.Remember to layer up before joining Zodiac excursions that may zip into craggy coves and along the rocky coastlinein search of nesting penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia’s kelpforests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forthon the water’s surface.Our Zodiacs will also transport ashore, where you can visit some of the largest king penguin colonies on Earth, take aguided walk among fur seals and elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and keep your distance!) andwander along pebbled streams and grassy glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of SouthGeorgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survivalis synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that wheneverconditions allow.In addition to Zodiac excursions and shore excursions, we may ship cruise through fjords with towering cliffs ofancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spotin the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) to enjoy uninterruptedviews of South Georgia’s majestic coast.

Your experienced expedition team will use their local knowledge to plan your voyage from day to day, choosing thebest options based on the prevailing weather, sea state and wildlife opportunities.Remember to layer up before joining Zodiac excursions that may zip into craggy coves and along the rocky coastlinein search of nesting penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia’s kelpforests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forthon the water’s surface.Our Zodiacs will also transport ashore, where you can visit some of the largest king penguin colonies on Earth, take aguided walk among fur seals and elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and keep your distance!) andwander along pebbled streams and grassy glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of SouthGeorgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survivalis synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that wheneverconditions allow.In addition to Zodiac excursions and shore excursions, we may ship cruise through fjords with towering cliffs ofancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spotin the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) to enjoy uninterruptedviews of South Georgia’s majestic coast.

Your experienced expedition team will use their local knowledge to plan your voyage from day to day, choosing thebest options based on the prevailing weather, sea state and wildlife opportunities.Remember to layer up before joining Zodiac excursions that may zip into craggy coves and along the rocky coastlinein search of nesting penguins, seal haul-outs and bird cliffs. Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia’s kelpforests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forthon the water’s surface.Our Zodiacs will also transport ashore, where you can visit some of the largest king penguin colonies on Earth, take aguided walk among fur seals and elephant seals (making sure you listen to your guides and keep your distance!) andwander along pebbled streams and grassy glacial outwash plains. We also hope to visit the remnants of SouthGeorgia’s thriving whaling stations and pay our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose incredible voyage of survivalis synonymous with this island. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that wheneverconditions allow.In addition to Zodiac excursions and shore excursions, we may ship cruise through fjords with towering cliffs ofancient stone, or into deeply indented bays towards dramatic glacier fronts. This is a great time to find a comfy spotin the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) to enjoy uninterruptedviews of South Georgia’s majestic coast.

En route to the Peninsula, if time and weather permits, we may attempt to follow the coastline of Elephant Island, ahalf-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetland Islands.It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath 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, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience nearly 24 hours of daylightand the days can be as busy as you wish.Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch forwhales, seals and porpoising penguins. Our trusty Zodiacs will also shuttle us ashore, where we may visit penguinrookeries, 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 tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve into the sea. Take a quiet moment to experience thewonder of this incredible white continent.

En route to the Peninsula, if time and weather permits, we may attempt to follow the coastline of Elephant Island, ahalf-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetland Islands.It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath 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, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience nearly 24 hours of daylightand the days can be as busy as you wish.Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch forwhales, seals and porpoising penguins. Our trusty Zodiacs will also shuttle us ashore, where we may visit penguinrookeries, 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 tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve into the sea. Take a quiet moment to experience thewonder of this incredible white continent.

En route to the Peninsula, if time and weather permits, we may attempt to follow the coastline of Elephant Island, ahalf-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetland Islands.It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath 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, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience nearly 24 hours of daylightand the days can be as busy as you wish.Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch forwhales, seals and porpoising penguins. Our trusty Zodiacs will also shuttle us ashore, where we may visit penguinrookeries, 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 tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve into the sea. Take a quiet moment to experience thewonder of this incredible white continent.

En route to the Peninsula, if time and weather permits, we may attempt to follow the coastline of Elephant Island, ahalf-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetland Islands.It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath 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, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience nearly 24 hours of daylightand the days can be as busy as you wish.Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch forwhales, seals and porpoising penguins. Our trusty Zodiacs will also shuttle us ashore, where we may visit penguinrookeries, 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 tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve into the sea. Take a quiet moment to experience thewonder of this incredible white continent.

As we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time getting comfortable with the motionsof the sea. Our expedition team prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurityprocedures and start our lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife andenvironment.Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majesticalbatrosses and giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you may can enjoy the facilities on board the vesselincluding the gym, wellness centre or the relaxing in one of the observation lounges.

As we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time getting comfortable with the motionsof the sea. Our expedition team prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurityprocedures and start our lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife andenvironment.Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majesticalbatrosses and giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you may can enjoy the facilities on board the vesselincluding the gym, wellness centre or the relaxing in one of the observation lounges.

During the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where wewill be free to disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continueour onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.On disembarkation, passengers on flights departing prior to 2.00 pm will be transferred directly to Ushuaia Airport,while those fortunate enough to be continuing their travels in this spectacular region of the world, will betransferred to their post-voyage Ushuaia accommodation. Passengers flying after 2.00 pm will have time to exploreUshuaia, prior to an afternoon airport transfer, the details of which will be provided onboard prior todisembarkation.Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pmon the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.