You arrive in Punta Arenas, where an Aurora Expeditions representative welcomes you and takes you to the hotel. Please ensure you get there by 2:00 PM to participate in the important briefing later this evening.

Make sure to stop by the hospitality desk in the lobby between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM to pick up your luggage tags. The team will go over the details of your embarkation day, answer any questions, and share information about dining options or places to buy last-minute items.

Punta Arenas overlooks the Straits of Magellan and is located on one of the world’s historic trade routes. Currently, the city showcases a diverse mix of cultural influences, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors. It stands as a fascinating representation of Chile’s rich heritage. Today, Punta Arenas features many popular restaurants and bars offering a variety of local and international cuisine (with meals at your own expense).

At 7:00 PM this evening, you gather with your fellow expeditioners for a voyage briefing, where the team review your transfer times for tomorrow, explain the procedures for your flight to King George Island, and outline important IAATO regulations for visitors to Antarctica.

The remainder of your time is at leisure. 

Note: Please arrive no later than 4:00 pm so that you may attend the important voyage briefing by approximately 7:00 pm. In this meeting, your transfer times and the procedures for your flight to King George Island will be reconfirmed, and IAATO regulations for visitors to Antarctica will be discussed.

This morning, you are transferred to Punta Arenas airport for your charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica (weather permitting). The flight takes about one hour and forty-five minutes. Upon arrival at King George Island, the expedition team greets you and prepares you for your Zodiac transfer to the vessel. You have time to settle into your stateroom before the important safety briefings.

Note: A clear sky with great visibility is required for safe take-off and landing at King George Island. Should the weather be uncooperative at this remote airstrip, flights can be moved earlier, or delayed later.  Historically, 85% of flights occur on the day they are scheduled.  But if this is not possible, the ship operator will follow their established contingency plan, which can be read here. 

Arriving in Antarctica offers a unique and unforgettable experience, highlighted by breathtaking icebergs and fresh air. Once on the western Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, you enjoy nearly 18-24 hours of daylight for exploration.

The experienced expedition team tailors daily activities based on weather and wildlife, typically offering two landings or Zodiac excursions each day. You can visit penguin rookeries, historic huts, and enjoy various shore activities, including optional polar plunges.

You may navigate narrow straits and scenic bays while observing wildlife, including large colonies of Adélie penguins, blue-eyed shags, and various whale species. The Weddell Sea, connected to the story of Shackleton’s Endurance, features iceberg alleys and fossils from a warmer era, providing thrilling opportunities for wildlife encounters and unforgettable photography.

Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before you re-enter 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 for you to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. You have time for reflection and discussion about what you have seen and experienced. Hope you become an ambassador for Antarctica, sharing your journey with family, friends, and colleagues, and 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 the legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.

During the early morning, you cruise up the Beagle Channel before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where you will be free to disembark around 8:00 AM. Farewell your expedition team and passengers not continuing with the land portion, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.

If you are departing on flights prior to 12:30 PM, you will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport. If your flight is after 12:30 PM, you will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer. The transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation.

Fly to El Calafate to begin your small group trek. Upon arrival in El Calafate, you will transfer to the group hotel (details will be provided in your final documents).

Note: At the conclusion of your 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.

This township, founded in 1927, is best known as the ‘national capital of the glaciers’ and is the gateway to the Patagonian Los Glaciares National Park including the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Today is at your leisure to explore the town or walk down to Lake Argentino to watch the waterbirds. You will have a briefing in the afternoon to meet your guide and learn about your upcoming adventure, before having the first dinner with your group.

This morning, you depart very early for the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier to watch and listen to the frequent ice calving. Later, you drive across the arid Estepa Patagónica to El Chaltén (approximately 4 hours).

The village of El Chaltén is located in the north of Los Glaciares National Park, and it’s from here that you will make your day trips. You enjoy dinner together this evening.

Over the next two days, you enjoy day walks to the base camp of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Mount Fitz Roy is located at the northern end of the park and is part of a range of bizarre peaks, including the needle-like rock pinnacle of Cerro Torre. For a climber, it appears to be one of the most unclimbed peaks in the world—actually, it was only scaled for the first time in 1974. To the south runs a great chain of massive glaciers that generally follows the line of the Chile/Argentina border.

The dramatic rock spires beckon, and your days here will be a highlight of the trip. The beautiful valleys hold crystal-clear streams and are home to a multitude of birdlife. During the short summer, the beech trees and flowers bloom profusely, and you are here at the best time to enjoy it.

Key Trekking Highlights

FITZ ROY BASE CAMP / LAGUNA DE LOS TRES (Los Glaciares National Park)
Difficulty: Medium/High
Description: Short drive to Hostería El Pilar next to Río Blanco 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of El Chaltén. The trail follows Río Blanco, pass Piedras Blancas glacier, and up to Río Blanco base camp. Piedras Blancas glacier is a hanging glacier that descends from the base of Fitz Roy. Lunch stop will be in the vicinity of Río Blanco or Poicenot base camp. To return to town the group will follow the trail and pass Laguna Capri to enjoy even more views of Mount Fitz Roy.
Duration: 8 hours Distance to cover: Approx 20 km (12.5 miles) Elevation gain: Approx 700 meters (2,297 feet)

CERRO TORRE LAGUN & GLACIER (Los Glaciares National Park)
Difficulty: Medium
Description: Hike along the Río Fitz Roy valley to reach the Laguna Torre at the end of the valley. Get as close as non-climbers can get to the mystical Cerro Torre. You will also visit the base camp where climbers wait for the good weather to attempt the climb.
Duration: 7 hours Distance to cover: Approx 22 km (13.7 miles) Elevation gain: Approx 250 meters (820 feet)

Today, you leave El Chaltén and Argentina as you cross the border into Chile, driving across the pampas to Puerto Natales. Set on the shores of Seno Última Esperanza, this city is the gateway to the famous Torres del Paine National Park. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure, and this evening, you may want to sample King Crab at one of the seafood restaurants.

This morning, you leave Puerto Natales and journey toward Torres del Paine National Park and its fabulous scenery. You board a boat and travel down the fjord, pausing at the Balmaceda Glacier en route. Then, you change onto Zodiacs and continue along the Serrano River before reaching Torres del Paine.

Over the next few days, you plan to view the highlights of the park on foot. On the first day, you explore the park by bus to reach the most remote areas, with stops for short treks. On the second day, you will embark on a long and amazing trek to reach the base of the Las Torres peaks.

NOTE: The trekking level will depend on the group’s level of fitness, bearing in mind that many of the highlights of these parks require a 7-8 hour walk (round trip). There are other walks you can choose which are easier and provide excellent views of the parks, however as with any trek, the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the day. The whole experience of trekking in Patagonia will spoil you!

KEY TREKKING HIGHLIGHTS

LAS TORRES BASE (Torres del Paine National Park)
Difficulty: Medium/High
Description: You will explore the Ascencio Valley, walking through a beautiful Lenga forest and getting up close to the astounding Torres del Paine viewpoint. Throughout the trek you will walk through bushes, streams and glacier moraines.
Duration: 7 hours Distance to cover: Approx 20 km (12.5 miles) Elevation gain: Approx 900 metres (2,953 feet)

You drive for approximately 3-4 hours across the steppes, following the face of the Andes. The scenery is breathtaking, with great rolling hills dotted with stunted beech trees. You plan to arrive in Punta Arenas in the late afternoon. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure, with time for last-minute shopping or indulging in the ‘dulce de leche,’ a dessert you will be familiar with by now!

Today your expedition throughout Antarctica and Patagonia will end in Punta Arenas. Transfer to the airport, or contact us if you wish you extend your adventure in the region.