When you arrive in the vibrant Argentine capital, famous for its European-style architecture, rich culture, and lively neighborhoods, make your way to the hotel included in your package.

Start your day with a complimentary early breakfast at the hotel before your group transfers to the airport for a private charter flight to Ushuaia, located at the southern tip of Argentina. Upon arrival, you'll be taken to a central downtown spot where you can explore the charming town of Ushuaia at your own pace before heading to the pier. In the late afternoon, you'll board the ship and set sail along the historic Beagle Channel, which cuts through the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the southernmost edge of South America. Feel the excitement build as you depart—your next sight of land is Antarctica.

The storied Drake Passage, the 800-kilometer waterway between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica, is an adventure unto itself. Its position at the confluence of the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Southern oceans can mean either a turbulent or calm passing. While under the attentive care of the expert staff and expedition team, you’ll have plenty of time to gaze out at the expansive ocean waters, photograph seabirds as they swoop down around the ship, and get to know your Expedition Team and fellow travelers.

You begin the passage through Antarctic Sound. This stretch of water separates the northern tip of the peninsula from the Weddell Sea. This historic sound is notorious for being filled with massive ice chunks that originate from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf—so have your cameras and binoculars ready. The onboard team teaches you everything about ice, as the Weddell Sea boasts the world’s most impressive floes and tabular icebergs. The captivating flat-topped icebergs you’ll see on this eastern side of the Peninsula are known to be exponentially bigger and more visually impressive than those observed off the western coast. Onboard experts enrich your polar quest during daily presentations. You’ll hear what it was like a century ago for the brave polar heroes who embraced the unknown. Expect a fascinating deep dive into the world of ice-dwelling Emperor penguins.

The journey toward Snow Hill Island puts you in explorer mode as the captain and Expedition Leader keep you updated through weather briefings, as well as meteorological and sea ice condition reports. The thickness of the ice determines how close Ultramarine can get to Snow Hill Island, at which point the ship’s twin-engine helicopters take over. Like summitting a mountain from base camp, parties set out from Ultramarine towards the Emperor penguin colony. As experienced by all of the guests who visited Snow Hill Island in November 2023, the adventure begins with an extended helicopter transfer that reveals a landscape of snow-capped peaks and apartment-building-sized tabular icebergs. As seasoned polar explorers can attest, these mammoth, flat-topped icebergs captivate you with their majesty. The colony itself is located on the sea ice off the south coast of Snow Hill Island, and you land as close to the penguins as possible, yet at a safe distance to avoid disturbing the birds. Upon landing, your party walks across the ice to the fabled Emperor penguin colony. Your auditory senses be on high alert: the non-stop Antarctic wind, the crunch of the ice beneath your feet, and, of course, the chatter of thousands of Emperor penguins.   On your guided walk to the colony, you may be surprised to find yourself walking next to paths in the snow carved< by penguins that were waddled by before. As with all of the off-ship excursions, native wildlife and their habitat always take priority. Every effort is made to minimize any disturbance to their environment. The singular sounds of the flightless birds get louder as you march toward one of the rarest wildlife scenarios on the planet: the colony of 8,000 rarely seen Emperor penguins. The plan is to ensure that every guest visits the remote colony once during the voyage. The Expedition Team and special experts stay close so they can answer your questions and help you take it all in. You’ll observe how the Emperors behave as a tight-knit community, how they care for their young—with male and female adults sharing parental duties—and how their bodies surf across the ice in a way that can only be described as quirky yet efficient.   While at the base on Ultramarine—in the heart of the Weddell Sea—you can look forward to Zodiac cruising among the icebergs and kayaking. The plan is to offer each guest a heli-flightseeing adventure—included in the cost of the voyage—during this segment of the itinerary.   Each day the polar experts, who include penguin scientists, glaciologists, biologists, and polar historians, present various aspects of Emperor penguins and their behaviors, ice formations such as the breathtaking tabular icebergs visible from the deck of the ship, and the experiences of polar explorers who braved the Weddell Sea over a century ago. Or you may, on one of the days, decide to take the polar plunge or test your balance on a stand-up paddleboard. Or pamper yourself at Ultramarine’s Tundra Spa, the sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, fitness room, or yoga space.   However you spend your time immediately following your visit to the legendary colony, you are invited to take some time to reflect on everything you’ve witnessed, and appreciate that you are one of the few humans to have experienced the rare wildlife spectacle at Snow Hill.

Unlike the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, few operators explore along the eastern coast. You’ll set your sights on visiting Paulet Island, located in the Weddell Sea. This small, circular island is home to a large Adélie penguin colony. The volcanic cone rising up 1,158 feet (353 meters) is a reminder that Paulet Island was once home to active volcanoes. In addition to penguins, you may be interested in visiting a historic hut built by members of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901- 04. A cross marks the grave site of Ole Wennersgaard, a member of the crew. The plan is to explore Brown Bluff, believed to be an exposed volcano. This imposing feature towers 745 meters (2,225 feet) above Adélie and gentoo penguin rookeries, which number in the thousands. Expect the penguins to greet you with a symphony of background noise while you explore the bluff. The time is scheduled at both Paulet Island and Brown Bluff to offer a variety of off-ship excursions, such as Zodiac cruising, landing, and paddling—all weather permitting, of course. After exploring these natural wonders along the eastern coast, the ship round the top of the peninsula and ultimately south to the western side.

Now you make your way along the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, robust with glaciers, gentoo penguins, friendly seals, and breaching humpback whales. There’s a chance you’ll also encounter crabeater and Weddell seals, which are fascinating aquatic mammals. Each day, you take Zodiac excursions to explore glaciated bays, channels, and landing sites, including Cierva Cove, which boasts jaw-dropping icebergs, brash ice, and opportunities to photograph seals on top of ice floes. The hope is to visit Damoy Point, the site of a historic ice runway established by the British Antarctic Survey in 1975. The point, home to a penguin colony, allows for spectacular views of the mountains on Anvers Island. You’ve also planned a Zodiac cruise to Enterprise Island, located in Wilhelmina Bay, where you can see the rusting remains of a whaling ship. Keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales. Also on the list: Melchior Islands, a group of glaciated islands in Dallmann Bay, where male fur seals retreat at the end of the breeding season; and Mikkelsen Harbour—which is surrounded by stunning ice cliffs—where you’ll explore by Zodiac, or, if the weather allows, attempt a landing at D’Hainaut Island, where you hope to see gentoo penguins and Weddell seals and visit a long-abandoned Argentine refuge hut. Your Expedition Team takes care of you at each landing, whether you are hiking the Antarctic landscape or enjoying a Zodiac cruise. Keep an eye out for Weddell, crabeater, and leopard seals as well as curious whales, such as humpbacks, minkes, or perhaps orcas. Each excursion presents a new array of creatures to fascinate you and keep your camera busy. Amidst the serenity of Antarctica, noisy interludes become indelible memories, such as penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, or the boom and crack of calving glaciers. Each day is carefully crafted by your Expedition Team to inspire and educate you about this magnificent polar domain.

The journey back across the Drake Passage provides a final opportunity to enjoy the invigorating Southern Ocean air. Spend time on deck watching for seabirds and scouting for whales, enjoy presentations by your Expedition Team, and celebrate the experiences you’ve shared off the beaten track in remote Antarctica.

You arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast. The mandatory transfer package includes a tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park for a taste of Patagonia, after which you’ll transfer to the airport for the return group charter flight to Buenos Aires.