Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, and maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, but the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.

Gray stone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above. First, pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands.

The planned itinerary for your Antarctic adventure includes the following destinations. The route may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions.

Cuverville Island – A small precipitous island nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island, Cuverville houses a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas.

Paradise Bay – You could take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters before sailing to the Lemaire Channel.

Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you may sail through the Lemaire Channel. There’s also a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales as well as leopard seals.

After a night of sailing, you will wake up among the many islands south of the Lemaire Channel. You are now near the Antarctic Circle. At this point, a voyage through the aptly named Gullet – a narrow but picturesque channel between Adelaide Island and the Antarctic Continent is possible if the ice isn’t too dense. You can get great views of this area from the prow of the ship.

Along the way, you may enjoy the following visits:

Pourquoi Pas Island – You might circumnavigate this island, named after the ship of the famous French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. This location is known for its tight fjords and lofty, glacier-crowded mountains.

Horseshoe Island – This is the location of the former British Base Y, a remnant of the 1950s that is now unmanned though still equipped with almost all the technology it had while in service.

Stonington Island – Home to the former US East Base and British Base E, which was occupied until 1975, this island marks the southernmost landing site of the trip – 68° south. If a landing here is possible, the road will turn north again afterward, through the Gunnel Channel.

Hanusse Bay – Enjoy the scattered icebergs of this scenic bay, which offers a good chance of spotting whales.

Red Rock Ridge - You might encounter an Adélie penguin colony here, one of the most southerly places on this voyage.

If the route to Crystal Sound/Hanusse Bay is ice-blocked, you may sail around Adelaide Island to Marguerite Bay. If ice conditions also do not allow for this route, you might explore the Antarctic Peninsula around Penola and Gerlache Straits.

You are near the Antarctic Circle again, cutting north through the countless ice floes of Crystal Sound. Humpback whale sightings are likely, and the approach to the Fish Islands offers the possibility of a Zodiac cruise or even a landing. Whatever the case, the views are beyond comparison in this area. Petermann & Pléneau Islands provide a great variety of birdlife, along with possibilities for Zodiac cruises among icebergs that are highly popular among leopard and crabeater seals. Minke whales, humpbacks, and gentoo penguins can also be found here.

Detaille Island – You may make a landing at an abandoned British research station here, taking in the island’s lofty mountains and imposing glaciers.

Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.

The return voyage will be far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they will seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Even great adventures must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia with memories that will accompany you wherever your next journey lies.