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In The Wake Of Jean-Baptiste Charcot

Starting at:
Per Person
$ 41,016
Length
16 Days
Embark
Santiago
Disembark
Santiago
Starting at:
Per Person
$ 41,016

Highlights

  • An all-new exploration aboard Le Commandant Charcot, following in the footsteps of Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s two great polar expeditions, to the Bellingshausen Sea, exploring abundant biodiversity.
  • Cross the Arctic Circle and the exploratory approach of the distant Charcot Island.
  • Outings and shore visits in a zodiac inflatable with a team of expert naturalist guides.

Overnight in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers + flight Ushuaia/Santiago

With featured guest Fridrik Rafnsson, founder of the Charcot Museum and former president of the Alliance Française, and

Your journey aboard Le Commandant Charcot will begin with your first look at this strikingly elegant ship, capable of navigating our planet’s most extreme environments. You are about to begin an adventure that will lead you to the edges of the Earth, on the continent that no people have ever inhabited, the Antarctic. But while these lands belong to no one, they have been the theatre of the greatest expeditions and have proven the heroism exemplified by certain men. From the Antarctic Peninsula to the Bellingshausen Sea and its unknown islets, Le Commandant Charcot will humbly take you on a 15-day exploration of the Far South, in the wake of the legendary man to whom it owes its name.

After crossing the mythical Drake Passage, beaten by the winds and home to soaring cape petrels, you will glimpse the last continent on the horizon. Jean-Baptiste Charcot led his first journey to the Antarctic over a century ago, but his exploits still resonate and his traces are tangible here. His first expedition with the ship Le Français built his legend and made a mark on Salpêtrière Bay. A little further south lies Marguerite Bay, which he explored during his second expedition. He named this mountainous and magnificent land after his wife and Pourquoi-Pas Island after his eponymous ship. At the exit of the Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island still holds memories of the wintering of this exceptional expedition.

As you sail on exploring the Bellingshausen Sea, the conditions become increasingly extreme. Ice takes over your horizon, the ice floe stretches out, and icebergs drift around you. The approach to Charcot Island guarantees intense emotions and gives you the unique feeling of being among the privileged few able to contemplate it.

Thr...

Standard Activities

Bird Watching
Bird Watching
Crossing The Circle
Crossing The Circle
blindness
Hiking
presentation
Lectures
water aerobics
Polar Plunge
Penguin Watching
Penguin Watching

Itinerary Day to Day

Day 1

Santiago de Chile

Transfer from airport to selected hotel.

Meet and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late morning.

Lunch on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon.

Dinner.

Overnight at the hotel.

Santiago
Embarkation Point
Day 2

Embarkation in Ushuaia

Days 3-4

Crossing the Drake Passage

Day 5

Crossing the Antarctic Circle

Day 6

The Gullet

Days 7-8

Expedition to Charcot Island

Day 9

Bellingshausen Sea

Day 10

Marguerite Bay

Day 11

Pourquoi pas Island

Days 12-13

Antarctic Peninsula

Days 14-15

Crossing the Drake Passage

Day 16

Return to Ushuaia & Santiago

Route Map

There are 10 main destinations visited
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Departure Dates

Showing 2 scheduled departures
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December 5 - Dec 20, 2025
Santiago, Chile
$ 41,016 - $ 138,619
Solo Traveler
Photo Ambassador Santiago Ramirez
January 2 - Jan 17, 2026
Santiago, Chile
$ 41,016 - $ 138,619
Solo Traveler

Deals

Explore 2 deals on select dates
Solo Traveler

No Single Supplement on Selected Cabins

The supplement for single usage of a double cabin is waived, according to availability and staterooms categories.

Limited time offer
Photo Ambassador Santiago Ramirez onboard

Santiago Ramírez Said is a Colombian/Lebanese biologist,  educator, and National Geographic Explorer working on interdisciplinary initiatives to address socio-environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, Sargassum accumulation, deforestation, gender/sexual identity discrimination, and the re...

Limited time offer

Extra Activities

Explore these 1 add on activities
From $ 564 Per Person

Kayaking

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What's Included

  • Transfer from airport upon flight arrival.
  • 1-night accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before embarkation.
  • Your hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
  • Early check-in available from late morning.
  • Hospitality desk at the hotel in Santiago.
  • Return flight Santiago/Ushuaia/Santiago in economy class.
  • Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
  • Meals as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
  • Transfers as mentioned in the programme.

What's Excluded

  • Mandatory travel insurance
  • Tips for the local guide.
  • Personal expenses.
  • Other meals and services not mentioned in the programme.