Antarctica and Falklands - Southern Hemisphere Adventure - Southbound

• Day 1/2 - Montevideo, Uruguay: Arrival Day, Followed by Embarkation Day

  Enjoy an overnight stay in Montevideo, the vibrant capital of Uruguay, before you explore the city the following day.

  Montevideo boasts colourful cultural diversity, with a picturesque blend of colonial Spanish, Italian and Art Deco architectural styles. Enjoy a tour through this vibrant city before embarking on MS Fridtjof Nansen for your polar adventure.

• Day 3/4 - At Sea

  Enjoy the first day on board! The Expedition team will start the lecture program covering history and the great explorers, marine biology, wildlife, oceanography and climate change. Spend some time on deck and enjoy the sun and the warm temperatures and look out for wildlife as we make our way south.

• Day 5 - Puerto Madryn

  The first highlight on this expedition is our visit to the Valdez Peninsula. This is a nature reserve that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated on Argentina's barren eastern Patagonian coast, this oddly shaped peninsula is home to some of the country's most dramatic wildlife habitats, with elephant seals, Magellan penguins, the southern right whale and a great variety of birds. Puerto Madryn is known as the gateway to whales, penguins…and Welsh traditions.

  Founded by Welsh immigrants in 1865, it is now one of the most vibrant cities in Patagonia, with a beautiful coastal avenue overlooking the huge natural amphitheatre of Nuevo Gulf. Enjoy our wide variety of excursions like horseback riding, snorkelling with sea lions, kayaking with sea lions, whale watching or visit Estancia San Lorenzo where you will see wildlife including rheas (flightless, ostrich-like birds), guanacos (related to alpacas and llamas) and elephant seals.

• Day 6 - At Sea

  Enjoy a day at sea, sharing experiences, exchanging stories, photos and films with your fellow adventurers.

• Day 7/9 - Falkland Islands

  When we arrive the Falkland Islands, you will experience everything from red buses and English pubs in the capital Stanley to penguins, hikes in the hills or along the coastline or kayaking clear waters. New Island is an adorable inlet, with sandy white beaches and turquoise waters. It could easily be mistaken for a Caribbean island, if the sun was a little stronger. We pass an old shipwreck on our way ashore to enjoy a day amongst penguins and seals. While we are here, you can join several excursions like history tours, bird watching tours, nature walks and even a scenic plane tour where you can discover the Falklands by air in a classic island-hopping aircraft.

  Please consider tours on the Falkland Islands may be at an additional cost

• Day 10/11 - Drake Passage

  Days at sea are full of activity. By now, our Expedition team will probably have convinced everybody on board that science is fun! We can promise first class edutainment. Once we have crossed the Antarctic Convergence, you will notice that the air becomes crisper and colder. From deck, you might start seeing icebergs in the water, maybe whales as well.

• Day 12/14 - Antarctica

  Antarctica is sure to overwhelm your senses, with endless white horizons above oceans full of glorious icebergs and whales. Maybe even more awe-inspiring will be your meeting with the huge colonies of penguins. They are not afraid of humans, so you can look forward to true close encounters with this most charming of bird species as you come ashore to explore the impressive Antarctic scenery. From deck, there are great chances to spot whales. Enjoy close encounters with Antarctic wildlife and glaciers, old whaling stations and relics. You are in one of the most remote areas of the world and the sensations are non-stop.

  We will land several times for unforgettable excursions. Among the locations we may visit are Half Moon Island and Cuverville Island, home to a large colony of gentoo penguins. Neko Harbour is beautifully located in the innermost part of Andvord Bay, and Paradise Harbour got its descriptive name from the whalers who came here long ago. When the storms were at their worst, this is where they came to seek shelter. The high glacier walls in Wilhelmina Bay convey the mighty power of ice, from calving glacier fronts to floating ice.

• Day 15/16 - Crossing the Drake Strait

  After exhilarating days in Antarctica and the Falklands, the final days on board are spent crossing the Drake Passage. Spend time with family, old friends, new friends and our Expedition team, and enjoy the farewell dinner on the last evening.

• Day 17 - Ushuaia/Buenos Aires: Disembarkation

  Arriving in Ushuaia, it’s time to say goodbye. We transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires. If you want to have a bit more fun before going home, you are more than welcome to join our optional excursions in the post programme.

Please consider that our voyages are expeditionary in nature. This means, that there are no concrete itineraries, your Captain and Expedition Leader will utilise their vast experience to chart the best course for your expedition depending on the climatic and environmental conditions. Mentioned highlights and wildlife cannot be guaranteed.