Late nighters beware, we fly early in the morning to Ushuaia where hybrid-powered expedition ship MS Fridtjof Nansen awaits you. This port city competes with Chilean Puerto Williams for the seemingly coveted title of the southernmost city in the world. The Martial Glacier sits north of the city, creating an impressive mountain backdrop for the ‘end of the world’.

After a mandatory health and safety meeting on board the ship, kick off your journey with a welcome dinner hosted by the Expedition Team. You can then spend some time getting to know the ship that will be your home for the next several days.

Welcome to Antarctica. Being here, surrounded by icy waters, glaciers and icebergs big as cathedrals will probably make you feel like you’ve landed in a completely new world. Antarctica is magnificent, mesmerising and massive. You might need to stop for a moment to be able to take it all in. That awe-inspired silence is inevitably broken though when you see the first signs of wildlife like penguins, whales or seals and enthusiastic cheers erupt spontaneously all across the ship.

Just as the icescapes of Antarctica change through its seasons, so does its wildlife. In late spring from October to November, there will be much more snow, making the landscapes seem even more pristine. This forms the backdrop of penguin courting and nest building. Whales are still few and far in between during this time, most of them still on their way and beginning to arrive in greater numbers by December and January.  Arrival of more whales marks the height of summer which is  also when the first penguin chicks hatch. Seeing the clumsy clumps of feathers run around and is always a charming sight. February and March are the peak of whale-watching opportunities, when large amounts of krill lure them to the area.

When we get here, the Expedition Team will seize every chance to take you ice-cruising and on landings to get closer to the impressive scenery and wildlife. Spotting penguins from the ship is already an experience, which becomes even more wonderous when you go ashore to see them. It’s the same if a seal or whale suddenly appears next to you when cruising in our smaller explorer boats or when kayaking as part of an optional activity. Needless to say; keep your camera close at all times. To enhance your feeling of discovery, the Expedition Team will talk expertly about fascinating subjects like the frozen continent’s history, the biology of local wildlife, and glaciology.

Your expedition cruise reaches its end as we return to Ushuaia. From here, you join a transfer to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires and a second chance to experience the Argentine capital. Since you are here already, why not extend your stay to keep your adventure going for a little while longer by joining our optional Post-Programme to the magnificent Iguazu waterfalls.

You will now have travelled to the bottom of the world and back. You’ve journeyed to the fabled Seventh Continent and have enchanting stories and photos of penguins to prove it. Antarctica will likely hold a place in your heart which few other places can match. Together with the other explorers who have been there, may we do all we can to preserve its unique beauty.