Antarctic Explorer Express - Sail/Fly

Upon arriving in Ushuaia, an Aurora Expeditions representative will greet you and transfer you to your pre-voyage hotel alongside fellow expeditioners. If you are already in Ushuaia, please proceed to the hotel independently. Check-in is available from 3:00 pm.  

This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the hotel lobby between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to collect luggage tags and confirm participation in the Lake Escondido pre-embarkation tour. The team will provide embarkation details, answer questions, and offer recommendations for dining and last-minute purchases.

Expeditioners arriving after 7:00 pm will receive a welcome pack at check-in and are requested to visit the hospitality desk the following morning between 8:00 am and 10:00 am.

Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. Meals are at your own expense.

Included accommodation in Ushuaia will be provided upon confirmation.

This morning, enjoy breakfast before checking out. Ensure your cabin luggage has clearly labeled cabin tags displaying your name and cabin number. Please bring your cabin luggage to the hotel reception before or during check-out. It will be securely stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, arriving in your cabin before your embarkation. Keep valuables and personal items with you throughout the day.

Please meet in the hotel lobby at 8:45 am for those joining the Lake Escondido tour. This scenic excursion takes you on a breathtaking drive through glacial valleys, lush evergreen and deciduous forests, cascading waterfalls, and pristine rivers, all set within the vast Andes Mountain Range. You travel northeast from Ushuaia through peat bog valleys before ascending the winding road to Garibaldi Pass. From this panoramic viewpoint, admire stunning vistas of Lake Escondido and, weather permitting, the expansive Fagnano Lake. Descending toward Fagnano’s shore, you visit a local ranch where you can savor a traditional Fuegian lamb barbecue. After free time to explore, you return to Ushuaia for embarkation.  

If you prefer a leisurely morning, enjoy your free time before meeting in the hotel lobby or at the designated meeting point near the pier (details provided by the ground staff) for your transfer to the port.  

Once onboard, settle into your cabin before attending essential safety briefings. As the ship departs, gather on deck for spectacular views of Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego, beginning your extraordinary Antarctic adventure.  

This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with fellow expeditioners, your expedition team, and your crew as you celebrate the start of this unforgettable journey.

Settle into your stateroom and make yourself comfortable! The onboard gym, well-being center, and well-equipped library are yours to discover, and your expedition team will offer a series of presentations on Antarctica’s history, wildlife, and environment to help enrich your experience. Collect your Muck Boots and attend important biosecurity, wildlife-watching guidelines, and Zodiac safety briefings in preparation for your first landing in Antarctica. 

On day four, the excitement is palpable as you near the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, with everyone converging on the observation decks to spot their first iceberg. Now that you’re south of the Antarctic Convergence, the ocean takes on a new character, surrounded by porpoising penguins and dramatic icebergs. The memory of your first iceberg sighting will likely remain with you forever. Time and weather permitting, you may attempt your first Antarctic landing in the late afternoon. 

It is 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 a host of choices available to you. 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 daily, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities.

You generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. 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 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 participate whenever conditions allow. Of course, keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! The polar plunge can take place any time during the voyage, so listen out for the announcement from the expedition team and get ready for the most exhilarating dip of your life!

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, you may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or go to the bridge (open at the captain’s discretion) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Listen out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of the pristine paradise of the splendid white continent.

As you approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell Antarctica and your amazing adventure before boarding your flight (approximately one hour and forty-five minutes) to Punta Arenas, Chile. 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 and experience what you have been lucky to see and do here. 

Transfer to your group hotel in Punta Arenas for an overnight stay.

Note: King George Island is located at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required for safe take-off and landing. Apologies in advance for any possible delays.

After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travelers as you continue your onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature (breakfast included). A transfer to the airport is included in the voyage fare.

Note: Should your flight not proceed due to local conditions, remain on the ship until it is deemed achievable to return to Punta Arenas. Refer to the terms and conditions for further details.