Arrive in Ushuaia and transfer to your assigned pre-voyage hotel with fellow expeditioners. If you are already in Ushuaia, proceed to your hotel, where check-in starts at 3:00 pm. Visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm to collect luggage tags and confirm participation in tomorrow’s Lake Escondido tour. The team will provide embarkation details, answer questions, and offer dining and shopping recommendations.  

Expeditioners arriving after 7:00 pm will receive a welcome pack at check-in and should visit the hospitality desk between 8:00 am and 10:00 am the next day.  

Enjoy your free time at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.

Assigned accommodation: To be advised

Enjoy breakfast this morning before checking out. Ensure your cabin luggage is labeled with your name and cabin number, then drop it at the hotel reception before or at check-out. It will be securely stored and transferred to the port for clearance, arriving in your cabin before embarkation. Keep valuables and personal items with you throughout the day.  

Those joining the Lake Escondido tour should meet in the lobby at 8:45 am. This scenic drive through glacial valleys, forests, waterfalls, and rivers leads to Garibaldi Pass, offering panoramic views of Lake Escondido and, weather permitting, Fagnano Lake. Visit a local ranch on Fagnano’s shore, enjoy a traditional Fuegian lamb barbecue, and explore before returning to Ushuaia for embarkation.  

Alternatively, enjoy a day at leisure and meet at the designated transfer point, as advised by the ground staff, for transport to the pier.  

Once onboard, settle into your cabin before attending mandatory briefings. As the ship departs, gather on deck for breathtaking views of Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego.  

This evening, join fellow expeditioners, crew, and the expedition team for a welcome dinner, marking the exciting start of your Antarctic adventure.

As you commence the Drake Passage crossing, you make the most of your time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Your expedition team will prepare you for your first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and start your lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica's history, wildlife, and environment.

Your wildlife experiences begin as you enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels, following your vessel. On sea days, you can enjoy the vessel's facilities, including the gym, sauna, and jacuzzis, or relax in one of the observation lounges.

Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on the afternoon of day four, the excitement is palpable, with everyone converging on one of the observation decks, watching for your first iceberg. The ocean takes on a new perspective once you are below the Antarctic Convergence and surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting will likely remain with you forever. Time and weather permitting, you may attempt your first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.

It's almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.

Once you arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are yours to explore, and you have many choices available. Because you are so far south, experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight, and the days can be as busy as you wish.

Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities.

Rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals, and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts, and explore some favorite spots along the peninsula.

While ashore, you aim to stretch your legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you can do that whenever conditions allow. Of course, keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! 

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, you may ship cruise some narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland or linger in scenic bays to watch whales traveling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.

On this voyage, conditions permitting, you plan to cross the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line located at the Antarctic Circle at latitude 66°33' South (approximately). Crossing below The Circle is a special highlight for many people, and the moment will be celebrated with a toast out on the deck (weather permitting). You have earned some boasting privileges, joining a small group of lucky adventurers who have ventured to this part of the world.

As you approach and cross the Antarctic Circle, you can notice subtle changes in the landscape and in the distribution of wildlife. The waters at this time of year are rich with krill, and you hope to see plenty of whales - particularly humpbacks and minkes and enjoy the spectacle of penguins feeding their ravenous chicks.

Expect a Christmas celebration like no other on this voyage. No matter where you are along the peninsula, enjoy some festive landings before savoring a special Christmas feast in your beautiful restaurant, surrounded by the most spectacular views of the icy landscape.

Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before re-entering the Drake Passage for your return journey to South America.

With lectures and film presentations to complete your Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about what you have seen and experienced. Tell your family, friends, and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.

As you approach the tip of South America, your Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.

During the early morning, you cruise up the Beagle Channel before quietly slipping into the dock in Ushuaia, where you can disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell to your expedition team and fellow passengers as you continue your onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.

Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel will be arranged exclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 12:30 pm will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport. Those with flights after 12:30 pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation.

Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, it is not recommended to book flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.