On this 16-day voyage, discover the undulating hills and verdant moors of the Falkland Islands. Cruise to South Georgia, home to imposing glaciers that tilt towards the sea and thousands of king penguins at home on the island's black sandy beaches. Continue south to discover the Northern Antarctic Peninsula in all its unique beauty. Keep your eyes out for iridescent icebergs, floating ice fields, and extraordinary marine mammals.
Highlights
Admire dazzling ice formations, drifting icebergs, and sea ice
Observe abundant populations of wildlife such as penguins, seals, and more
Explore the wild terrain from glacier-covered mountains to lush pastures
Embark on Zodiac excursions for an up-close look at the region's beauty
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive in Ushuaia. Choose to embark Le Soleal or partake in an excursion to Arakur Resort, located inside Cerro Alarken Natural Reserve. Enjoy time at leisure, lunch and/or an optional excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Your ship departs South America this evening.
As your ship sails the open oceans, settle in to your cabin and familiarize yourself with the ship and her crew - this is your new home for the next two weeks.
New Island is your first stop on this lengthy Antarctic voyage. Once used as a base for whaling and sheep farming, New Island is considered by some to be one of the most beautiful among the Falklands. Continue on to Saunders, the fourth largest of the Falkland Islands. With an area of just over 50 square miles, the island runs as a sheep farm today.
Leaving the Falklands, your ship sets out for your next stop on this Austral loop. As you cruise the open water, keep your eyes out for marine mammals or seabirds who play alongside the vessel.
Day 6: Salisbury Plain | Fortuna Bay, South Georgia
South Georgia is an unmissable destination within Antarctica. This Subantarctic region is a peak emerging from the Scotia Arc, an underwater mountain chain that extends the Andes to the Antarctic Peninsula. Salisbury Plain is the arena for the most memorable and the most authentic display of nature. Formed by the withdrawal of the Grace Glacier, high mountains dominate time and space; the blue-tinged landscape demonstrates all the strength and beauty of the unspoiled nature all around. At the heart of this haven of peace, on the beaches of the bay, a colony of 250,000 king penguins has taken residence. In the midst of all these orange-headed couples, fur seals try to beat a path to feed with their young. Under the weak southern sun that lights this glacial plain, clouds of birds fly on the wind, enchanting the traveler.
Welcome to the world's most southerly territorial capital. Named by a Swedish surveyor in 1902, Grytviken translates as "Pot Bay" for the pots found on site once used to render seal oil.
Landing at the Baie de St Andrew brings you up close and personal with Mount Skittle. Here you also may encounter more king penguins who gather in colonies of up to 100,000.
Located at the eastern end of South Georgia, Gold Harbour is named for the angle of morning and evening sunlight that illuminates the cliffs with a bright yellow light. The area is a breeding ground for king and gentoo penguins, as well as elephant seals. You may also see some sooty albatrosses flying overhead, as these infamous birds also breed in the harbour.
A lengthy sail in the Weddell Sea allows you to experience true silence, an extraordinary and enchanting atmosphere, and unrivalled calm. Discover a secret reserve of preserved treasure: fur seals, penguin colonies, wandering albatross, and other giant petrels. Here the huge icebergs and the endless ice cap sculpt a landscape beyond compare. The lord of the manor is known as the Weddell seal. It is a record breaker, able to remain submerged for more than an hour. Its pelage is dark grey and it has a spotted belly. To maintain its access to the sea and be able to fish, the Weddell seal has special teeth allowing it to make a hole in the thick ice.
At the heart of this icy landscape, the polar light creates multiple reflections, humpback whales live under the water’s surface, and the broken up ice shelf floats freely, taking with it the fur seals basking in the sun.
Day 13: Deception Island | Half Moon Island, Antarctica
Nestled at the heart of the South Shetland Islands, in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, Deception Island is easy to recognize for its horseshoe shape. On the black sand of the volcanic beaches, there are remains of abandoned huts that have been overrun by the extraordinary wildlife, part of the treasure that nature offers us there. It is on these beaches of ash that the largest colony of chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula has taken up residence. Excursions aboard Zodiac dinghies allow you to set foot on this expanse of land where more than 100,000 pairs of penguins, elephant seals, and fur seals live side by side.
Spend your last days on board the Le Soleal reflecting on your once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Share memories and photos with your fellow travelers or simply relax and take advantage of your ship's amenities before returning home.
Day 16: Disembark in Ushuaia, Argentina
1 Breakfast
Following breakfast on board, disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport to continue your travels.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Select a Date
Superior Stateroom
The Superior Stateroom has a capacity of up to 3 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds.
Select a Date
Deluxe Stateroom
The Deluxe Stateroom has a capacity of up to 2 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and a private balcony.
Select a Date
Prestige Stateroom Deck 4
The Prestige Stateroom on Deck 4 has a capacity of up to 2 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and a private balcony.
Select a Date
Prestige Stateroom Deck 5
The Prestige Stateroom on Deck 5 has a capacity of up to 2 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and a private balcony.
Select a Date
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
The Prestige Stateroom on Deck 6 has a capacity of up to 2 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and a private balcony.
Select a Date
Deluxe Suite
The Deluxe Suite has a capacity of up to 2 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and a private balcony.
Select a Date
Prestige Suite Deck 5
The Prestige Suite on Deck 5 has a capacity of up to 4 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and an 8m² private balcony.
Select a Date
Prestige Suite Deck 6
The Prestige Suite on Deck 6 has a capacity of up to 4 passengers per cabin, with a king-sized bed or twin beds and an 8m² private balcony.
Select a Date
Owner Suite
The Owner's suite is situated on Deck 6 with a capacity up to 2 passengers per cabin. With a king-sized bed, it has been decorated by French interior designers and provides you with a breathtaking panoramic sea view.
Notes
Please note:
Fares are based on double occupancy and are capacity controlled. Rates may increase at any time as the ship sells out and are subject to change without notice.
Discounts are available for children sharing a cabin with two adults and third adult passengers in select cabin categories. Please contact us for details.
Single travelers can opt for a solo cabin - supplements start at 50%.
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
9 hours ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.