Emblematic Antarctica
Highlights
- Sail from Ushuaia and across the storied Drake Passage, scanning windswept seas for soaring albatrosses and elusive petrels.
- Explore the Antarctic Peninsula’s glacier-ringed bays and penguin rookeries on daily Zodiac forays shaped by shifting ice.
- Witness humpbacks, minke whales, seals, and orcas in surreal blue-white vistas, tracing the wake of history’s famed explorers.
Set sail from Ushuaia, the legendary “end of the world,” on an inspiring voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula—one of the planet’s most storied and pristine wildernesses. Here, towering glaciers, iceberg labyrinths, and wildlife-rich shores form a realm long revered by explorers and nature lovers alike. This early-season departure brings fresh snow, crisp light, and active wildlife preparing for the summer ahead, creating a perfect backdrop for unforgettable encounters.
As you cross the Drake Passage, you’ll retrace the route of historic expeditions while learning from onboard naturalists who bring the region’s pioneering history, geology, and ecology to life. Once in Antarctica, each day unfolds according to the conditions, revealing penguin rookeries, seal-lined beaches, breaching humpbacks, and orcas patrolling icy bays. Zodiac cruises, shore landings, and time spent watching birdlife from the deck immerse you in the peninsula’s delicate, otherworldly beauty.
Venturing into this remote frontier offers a powerful sense of achievement—earning your passage across famed waters, stepping ashore where few ever have, and embracing moments of silence broken only by calving ice and wildlife calls. This journey is perfect for first-time polar travelers, wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone seeking the thrill of true exploration. By journey’s end, you’ll carry home a profound connection to Antarctica—an inner shift born from witnessing one of Earth’s last great wildernesses up close.
Ships
L’Austral
Le Boréal
Le Lyrial
Standard Activities
About the Emblematic Antarctica
Set sail from Ushuaia, the legendary “end of the world,” on an inspiring voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula—one of the planet’s most storied and pristine wildernesses. Here, towering glaciers, iceberg labyrinths, and wildlife-rich shores form a realm long revered by explorers and nature lovers alike. This early-season departure brings fresh snow, crisp light, and active wildlife preparing for the summer ahead, creating a perfect backdrop for unforgettable encounters.
As you cross the Drake Passage, you’ll retrace the route of historic expeditions while learning from onboard naturalists who bring the region’s pioneering history, geology, and ecology to life. Once in Antarctica, each day unfolds according to the conditions, revealing penguin rookeries, seal-lined beaches, breaching humpbacks, and orcas patrolling icy bays. Zodiac cruises, shore landings, and time spent watching birdlife from the deck immerse you in the peninsula’s delicate, otherworldly beauty.
Venturing into this remote frontier offers a powerful sense of achievement—earning your passage across famed waters, stepping ashore where few ever have, and embracing moments of silence broken only by calving ice and wildlife calls. This journey is perfect for first-time polar travelers, wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone seeking the thrill of true exploration. By journey’s end, you’ll carry home a profound connection to Antarctica—an inner shift born from witnessing one of Earth’s last great wildernesses up close.
Itinerary
Ushuaia & Embarkation
Capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…
Crossing the Drake Passage
Antarctic Peninsula
Crossing the Drake Passage
Return to Ushuaia & Buenos Aires
Get as up close to the natural environment as possible with an excursion aboard a two-person sea kayak, during one 2-hour session.
Guided by a state-registered polar navigation specialist, you’ll discover and explore breathtakingly scenic polar landscapes and scenery.
All the necessary equipment will be provided for you on board.
How is the activity organised?
Once you’ve arrived onboard the ship, you’ll meet your guides and the rest of the people taking part in the activity. This will be an opportunity to provide a general introduction to the activity, outline the rules that need to be followed, provide the necessary equipment and separate the participants into groups based on personal preferences and/or ability level.
The day before the activity is due to take place, a new briefing session will be organised to provide you with further details about the port of call and how the excursion will be organised. We’ll then provide you with the necessary equipment, which you’ll be required to take very good care of.
On the day of the kayak activity, you’ll first get changed at the ship’s marina platform (keeping your boots and parkas with you) before then being transported to land by Zodiac® and taken to your kayaks.
Before you climb into your kayaks and set off on your adventure, your guides will provide a final safety briefing.
What requirements do you need to meet in order to go sea kayaking?
Though it’s always useful to have at least one experience of sea kayaking under your belt, due to the high quality of the equipment we provide and the experience of the guides who’ll be supervising you, we are able to take complete beginners to places normally only accessible to professional kayakers and seasoned outdoor adventurers.
Participants will be formed into groups based on ability level onboard the ship to ensure everyone is able to make smooth progress on the trip.
Sea kayaking is a physically demanding activity, for both the heart and the muscles. We require you to be in a good state of general physical health and to have a good sense of balance.
This activity is available to adults (aged 18 or over) and to children of 16 and over when accompanied by a parent.
What's Included
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A shuttle for your way towards your hotel, the day before embarkation.
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1-night accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before embarkation.
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Early check-in available from late morning.
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Hospitality desk at the hotel in Buenos Aires.
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Return flight Buenos Aires/Ushuaia/Buenos Aires in economy class.
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Services of local guides, in Ushuaia.
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Meals as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
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Transfers as mentioned in the programme.
What's Excluded
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Mandatory travel insurance
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Transfer between airport and hotel in Buenos Aires, the day before embarkation.
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Optional Tierra del Fuego National Park group excursion, the day of embarkation (local bus fare, entrance fee, lunch/drinks package)
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Tips for the local guide.
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Personal expenses.
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Other meals and services not mentioned in the programme.
Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise
Antarctic Explorer: Discovering The 7th Continent
In-Depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition
Antarctica - Basecamp
Antarctic Circle Expedition (18D)
Antarctic Express: Fly The Drake
Spirit of Antarctica
Highlights of Antarctica
Antarctic Women’s Expedition: Fly the Drake