A dream of every travel lover: Antarctica, the ice continent, the southernmost continent on the planet. You have seen (or will see) the other 6 continents, now let's go on a cruise/expedition to experience the 7th and most intriguing one of all!

On this expedition, the ship will cross the Antarctic Circle and we'll go as far south as we can. By the way, we will also be organizing an Arctic expedition soon, so you will be able to brag that you have been to the highest latitudes and lowest latitudes on the plant. We will get to see thousands of penguins, whales, leopard seals and countless other amazing animals, in a land truly like no other in the world. Besides zodiac tours on that expedition, we will be able to go kayaking, hiking camping for a night on land, do the polar plunge, and scuba dive (experienced dry suit divers only). 

Ship: m/vPlancius

Embarkation: Ushuaia

Disembarkation: Ushuaia

Language: English speaking voyage

Important: Camping, kayaking and diving are optional activities. Experience with cold-water diving and dry-suit dives (at least 30) is a must! 

PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather and wild life conditions. Landings are subject to site availability, permissions, and environmental concerns per IAATO regulations. Official sailing plans are scheduled with IAATO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of the vessel is 10.5 knots.

This Polar Circle and Antarctic Peninsula cruise passes through waters travelled by Humpback, Minke and Fin whales. Anchoring in various spots around the region, the expedition offers the chance to hike, kayak, and dive in the iceberg-heavy waters.

PAYMENT TERMS

- A deposit (non-refundable) starts your reservation. Once you make your deposit, you will need to sign our contract within 72 hours to guarantee your spot. You can read the contract in advance HERE.

- You will have until November 25, 2023 (three months before the trip) to finish making your payment. You can make payments in any way you prefer, so long as you are fully paid by November 25, 2023  .
 

-  DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE, NON-TRANSFERRABLE AND NON-MOVABLE FOR THIS TRIP.  We normally have a policy of movable deposits for 1000 Treks, but for this trip we're limited to the stipulations of the expedition company. 

 - Keep in mind insurance is required for all 1000 Treks trips, so you will have to get insurance. If you get your insurance within 14 days of your deposit, you should be able to get the "cancel for any reason" addition to cover you in case you need to cancel the trip (we're not giving you insurance advice, or guaranteeing details in regards to insurance, we're just sharing the fact that such option exists for some insurance companies).  

  - If you make payments or pay in full before the November 25, 2023, your payments (minus the deposit) are refundable until November 25, 2023. After that, all payments are entirely non-refundable.   
 

- Uplift Financing available. Low-interest travel financing with low APR, no pre-payment penalty, and no effect on credit. 

FLIGHTS
 

Flights are NOT included unless otherwise noted.
 

Flight Guidelines

Shuttles will be provided if you meet the flight guidelines below:
 

Arrival:  Embarkation happens between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM on February 25. We STRONGLY recommend that you arrive on February 24, or earlier, as you may miss the entire expedition if there is a delay on a flight arriving on the 25th. Any issues caused by flight delays are entirely your responsibility. The airport to fly into is Ushuaia (USH). If you must arrive on the 25th (not recommended), you should arrive before 8:00 AM, as you will need to drop your suitcases at a drop-off location near the the dock between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM.

Please let us know ASAP if you need a hotel for the night of February 24.

Departure:  Disembarkation is scheduled to happen at 9:00 AM on March 7. The expedition company recommends that you book your flight no earlier than 12:00 PM. We, however, recommend that you book it even later, or even on March 8, as any delay on the expedition may result in you missing your flight. The airport to fly out of is Ushuaia (USH). Flights missed as a result of delays at sea or land will be your responsibility. 

IMPORTANT MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

- Trip Physical Level: 3, with optional level 4 activities. 

- All trips are governed by our comprehensive contract. You should familiarize yourself with it prior to signing up for any of our trips. You can access it by clicking HERE or visiting https://www.1000treks.com/contract/. A link to the contract can also be found at the bottom of all our web pages under CONTRACT.
 

- Travel insurance is required.  
 

- VISA: The ship sails out of Ushuaia, Argentina. As of the time of this posting American citizens don’t need a visa for Argentina. If you have a foreign passport, you may need a visa. Here's the Argentinian Embassy website so you can look into that. We also recommend that even American citizens periodically check to make sure visa requirements have not changed. 

END OF THE WORLD, START OF A JOURNEY.

Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening. 

PATH OF THE POLAR EXPLORERS

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.

SIGHTS OF LATE SUMMER ANTARCTICA

Options for Antarctic Peninsula activities are many, and no less great during the late summer. Humpback whales are prolific in this region, gorging themselves on krill before their migration north. The penguin chicks are also fledging, stirring up activity on the beaches while sleek leopard seals lie in wait, poised to attack the less fortunate ones.
 

Sites for your Antarctic adventures may include: 

Livingston Island – Here you find a wide variety of gentoo and chinstrap penguins on Hannah Point, as well as southern giant petrels and elephant seals hauling out onto the beach.  

Deception Island – Actually a subducted crater, this island opens into the sea and creates a natural harbor for the ship. Hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, and multiple bird species – cape petrels, kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns – can be seen here. Wilson’s storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels also nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.  

Cuverville Island – A small precipitous island nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island, Cuverville houses a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas. 

Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks. You might also be able to set foot on the continent here.  

Paradise Bay – You could take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where you have a good chance of seeing humpback and minke whales.  

Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you may sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales as well as leopard seals.  

Crystal Sound – Your journey takes you south along the Argentine Islands to this ice-packed body of water, and from here across the Polar Circle in the morning.  

Detaille Island – You may make a landing at an abandoned British research station here, taking in the island’s lofty mountains and imposing glaciers.  

Fish Islands – Further north you encounter one of the southernmost Adélie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula.  

Melchior Islands – These islands offer a beautiful landscape rich with icebergs. Leopard seals, crabeater seals, and whales are found here, and there are excellent opportunities for kayaking and diving.  

Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.

FAMILIAR SEAS, FAMILIAR FRIENDS

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.