Grand Antarctica: Falklands, South Georgia & Peninsula

This morning is yours to explore Ushuaia before you embark your expedition ship in the afternoon. After settling into your cabin and meeting the crew and large expedition team, the ship sails east down the historic Beagle Channel and turns out into the open Atlantic, setting course northeast for the Falkland Islands. Over a welcome dinner you meet your fellow travellers and expedition leader, who outlines the grand voyage ahead. As Tierra del Fuego slips astern, seabirds gather in the ship's wake, albatrosses, petrels and prions wheeling effortlessly, and the expedition team begins its programme of lectures on the wildlife and history to come. The great Southern Ocean stretches ahead. As the first night at sea arrives, rest well, filled with anticipation for the extraordinary journey that awaits.

Today you sail across the open sea towards the Falkland Islands, and life aboard settles into the rewarding rhythm of a grand expedition. The large team of naturalists and historians fills the day with lectures on the penguins, albatrosses, seals and whales you will encounter and the human history of these southern lands. Out on deck and from the bridge you scan the waves for the first albatrosses, petrels and dolphins, and perhaps the blow of a distant whale. There is time to relax, enjoy the ship's comforts and prepare your camera for the wildlife to come. The naturalists are always on hand to identify seabirds and answer questions. As the ship rolls gently towards the Falklands at an unhurried pace, rest well, ready for your first landings among the wildlife of the far south.

Today you reach the Falkland Islands and, conditions permitting, make your first landings. You may visit Stanley, the charming capital, a quintessentially British outpost of brightly painted houses, red phone boxes, cosy pubs and a small cathedral at the end of the world, and step ashore on a remote island alive with wildlife, walking among comical rockhopper penguins bouncing up the cliffs, sitting beside colonies of black-browed albatrosses tending their chicks, and watching gentoo and Magellanic penguins on white-sand beaches, with striated caracaras overhead. The expedition team guides you among the wildlife and through the islands' history and character. As this first day of astonishing birdlife and British charm ends, rest well aboard, thrilled by the riches of the Falklands.

You have a further, unhurried day to explore the wildlife-rich Falkland Islands, with the expedition leader choosing the finest landings the weather allows. You might visit another remote island alive with penguins, albatrosses and seabirds, walking quietly among the colonies as the birds go about their lives, or explore more of the islands' windswept moorland, white beaches and turquoise bays. Gentoo, Magellanic and rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatrosses, cormorants, caracaras and perhaps sea lions and dolphins are all possible. The naturalists help you spot and understand the wildlife at a relaxed pace, and the sense of remote, characterful wilderness is profound. As the ship prepares to leave the Falklands and set course for South Georgia, savour the extraordinary birdlife you have seen. Rest well, for even greater wonders lie ahead.

Today you sail southeast across the open Southern Ocean towards South Georgia, one of the wildest and most beautiful islands on Earth. This is a day of anticipation and preparation, with the expedition team delivering lectures on the staggering wildlife and dramatic history of South Georgia, from king penguins and elephant seals to Shackleton's epic survival story. Out on deck you watch for wandering albatrosses, the largest flying birds on the planet, gliding beside the ship, along with petrels, prions and whales. Strict biosecurity checks of your clothing and gear protect South Georgia's pristine ecosystem. Excitement builds for the crown jewel of the voyage. As the ship rolls on towards South Georgia at an unhurried pace, rest well, ready for the wildlife spectacle of a lifetime.

Today you continue across the Southern Ocean towards South Georgia, and anticipation builds as the first sightings of the island's jagged, glaciated peaks may appear on the horizon by day's end. The expedition team continues its programme of lectures on the wildlife, history and conservation of South Georgia, and the historians deepen the story of Shackleton's extraordinary journey. Out on deck the wandering albatrosses, petrels and prions grow ever more numerous, and whales may surface in the rich waters as the seas teem with life approaching the island. There is time to relax, ready your camera and complete the final biosecurity checks. The unhurried pace lets anticipation build deliciously. As South Georgia draws near and its peaks rise from the sea, rest well aboard your ship, ready for the wonders of tomorrow.

Today you reach South Georgia, the undisputed crown of Antarctic wildlife, its jagged glaciated peaks rising sheer from the sea. Conditions permitting, you land at Grytviken, an abandoned whaling station backed by mountains and glaciers, where you visit Ernest Shackleton's grave and raise a traditional toast to the Boss, tour the excellent South Georgia Museum, and wander among rusting whaling relics as king penguins and elephant seals lounge nearby. The heroic age of exploration comes vividly alive, brought to life by the expedition's historians. You may make a further landing or Zodiac cruise among the island's astonishing wildlife. Standing where Shackleton's extraordinary journey ended, amid mountains, glaciers, penguins and seals, is profoundly moving. As your first day on magical South Georgia ends, rest well aboard, awed by all you have seen.

Today, conditions permitting, you land at Salisbury Plain, home to one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth, a vast colony of hundreds of thousands of king penguins stretching across the beach and up the hillsides towards the glaciers behind. The sight, sound and sheer scale are almost beyond belief, and, at the unhurried pace of the grand itinerary, you walk quietly among the stately birds and their fluffy brown chicks as they parade past, utterly unafraid. Enormous elephant seals sprawl on the beach while fur seals throng the tussock, their pups scampering everywhere. The expedition team helps you take it all in and photograph this overwhelming abundance. Few places on the planet match this concentration of wildlife. As this staggering day among the king penguins of Salisbury Plain ends, rest well aboard, deeply moved.

Today, ice and swell permitting, you land at St Andrews Bay, home to the largest king penguin colony on South Georgia, where several hundred thousand birds throng an immense beach beneath towering glaciers, a scene of almost incomprehensible abundance. You walk quietly among the endless ranks of stately king penguins and their chicks, surrounded by bellowing elephant seals and playful fur seals, while skuas and giant petrels patrol overhead. The scale and drama of this pristine wilderness are humbling, and the grand itinerary's unhurried pace lets you truly savour and photograph it. This is South Georgia at its most overwhelming, one of the last great wildlife spectacles on the planet. As another staggering day among the king penguins draws to a close, rest well aboard your ship, awed by the sheer richness of life on South Georgia.

On your final day at South Georgia you make the most of this extraordinary island, with a landing at a spectacular site such as Gold Harbour, where king penguins, elephant seals and fur seals gather beneath hanging glaciers that glow in the low polar light, or Fortuna Bay, linked to Shackleton's final march. You walk among the wildlife, drink in the glaciated scenery, and perhaps follow a stretch of the great explorer's route. Wandering albatrosses nest on the higher slopes, and the seas around teem with life. The expedition team helps you savour every last moment on this crown jewel of the Southern Ocean. As the ship turns away from South Georgia and sets course for Antarctica, gather on deck for a last look at its glaciated peaks. Rest well, carrying its wonders with you.

Today you sail south across the Scotia Sea towards the Antarctic Peninsula, leaving the wildlife riches of South Georgia behind and pressing on towards the White Continent itself. The expedition team continues its programme of lectures, now turning to the ice, glaciers, penguins and whales of Antarctica and to the science and exploration of the continent. Out on deck the air grows steadily colder, the first icebergs may appear glowing on the horizon, and albatrosses and petrels still escort the ship. There is time to relax, review your photographs of South Georgia and prepare for the very different landscapes ahead. Whales may surface in the rich Scotia Sea waters. As the ship rolls southward towards Antarctica and the first ice appears, rest well, thrilled that the White Continent itself now lies ahead.

As you continue south the sea fills with ice, the light changes and the mountains of Antarctica rise ahead, an unforgettable moment as the White Continent draws near. You may pass the remote South Orkney Islands and, conditions permitting, make your first Antarctic landing or Zodiac cruise as you reach the outer waters of the Peninsula. Icebergs of every size and shape drift past, penguins porpoise through the sea, and seals lounge on the floes. The expedition team briefs you thoroughly on Antarctic biosecurity and Zodiac safety as you prepare to explore the continent itself. After the wildlife riches of the Falklands and South Georgia, the sheer scale and icy grandeur of Antarctica take your breath away. As the long polar day fades over the ice, savour your arrival on the White Continent. Rest well aboard your ship.

Today you explore the spectacular Antarctic Peninsula in earnest, with the expedition leader choosing the finest landings and Zodiac cruises the ice and weather allow. You might land at a bustling gentoo or chinstrap penguin colony, cruise among stranded icebergs in a sheltered bay, or watch humpback whales feeding at the surface. Each outing brings you face to face with the wildlife and grandeur of Antarctica, penguins tending their chicks, seals on the floes, seabirds overhead and glaciers calving into the sea with a thunderous crack. Between outings, warm up with hot drinks aboard and enjoy talks by the naturalists. The scenery of black peaks, blue ice and endless white is overwhelming. As another long day of wonder on the White Continent ends, rest well, deep in the beauty of the Peninsula.

Today, ice permitting, you push into the most beautiful reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula, perhaps sailing through the narrow, spectacular Lemaire Channel, flanked by towering cliffs and glaciers and reflected in mirror-still water, and exploring the sublime Paradise Harbour, cruising by Zodiac beneath immense glacier walls and among fantastically sculpted icebergs. Leopard seals patrol the floes, whales surface nearby, and penguins crowd the shores. You may land on the continent itself and, for the brave, take a bracing polar plunge into the icy sea. The expedition team helps you make the most of every moment amid this overwhelming beauty, the crowning finale of your grand odyssey. As this magnificent day among the ice, channels and whales of Antarctica draws to a close, savour the profound polar silence. Rest well aboard your ship.

Today you make the most of your final explorations in Antarctica before turning north, as the expedition team seizes every last opportunity for a landing or Zodiac cruise, perhaps a final penguin colony, a last drift among the icebergs, or a further whale encounter. You drink in the scenery and wildlife one more time, committing to memory the penguins, seals, whales and endless ice of the White Continent, the climax of an extraordinary grand voyage across the three jewels of the Southern Ocean. By late afternoon the ship turns her bow northward and begins the crossing of the Drake Passage, and you gather on deck to watch the mountains and icebergs of Antarctica slip slowly astern. As the White Continent fades into the polar light, savour the profound, complete experience you have had of the far south. Rest well aboard your ship.

Today you sail north across the legendary Drake Passage towards South America, the final great stretch of open ocean on your grand voyage. Once again albatrosses and petrels escort the ship, and the expedition team continues its lectures, reflecting on the staggering wildlife, dramatic history and humbling scenery you have experienced across the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica over these nineteen days. There is time to relax, sort through your many photographs, enjoy the ship's facilities and share stories with the friends you have made. The naturalists recap the whales, seals, penguins and albatrosses encountered. Whether the Drake is calm or lively, there is a real sense of adventure and achievement. As Antarctica recedes far behind you, rest well, carrying the wonders of the far south with you.

Your final full day at sea takes you back across the Drake Passage towards Cape Horn and the tip of South America. Conditions permitting, you may sail close to fabled Cape Horn, the southern extremity of the Americas, where the great sailing ships of old battled the wildest seas on Earth, a fitting climax to your grand expedition. The team hosts a final round of lectures and a farewell recap of the voyage, and this evening you enjoy a captain's farewell dinner, toasting the extraordinary odyssey you have shared across the three jewels of the Southern Ocean. Land comes into view as the ship approaches the Beagle Channel once more. As your last night aboard arrives, reflect on the king penguins, albatrosses, whales and ice you have witnessed. Rest well ahead of disembarkation tomorrow.

This morning your expedition ship returns to Ushuaia and, after a final breakfast aboard, you bid farewell to the crew, the expedition team and the friends you have made before disembarking. You are transferred to the airport for your onward flight, carrying memories that will last a lifetime. You leave having completed the ultimate Antarctic odyssey, a grand voyage uniting the rockhoppers and albatrosses of the Falklands, the hundreds of thousands of king penguins and Shackleton's grave on South Georgia, and the icebergs, glaciers and whales of the Antarctic Peninsula, all savoured at an unhurried, immersive pace. The images stay vivid long after you land, the endless ranks of king penguins, the soaring albatrosses, the bellowing elephant seals, the electric-blue ice and the profound polar silence. You depart with the most complete experience of the far south imaginable, already dreaming of a return.