Itinerary Expand all Day 1 Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina You may arrive in Buenos Aires at any time during Day 1 of your itinerary. Upon arriving in this splendid city, known for its architecture and rich European heritage, you will independently transfer to your group hotel. Day 2 Fly to Ushuaia and embark After an early breakfast at the hotel, the group will transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to Ushuaia, Argentina. Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to a central downtown location to have some time on your own to explore this quaint port town before making your way to the pier. After a late afternoon embarkation, you will sail along the historic Beagle Channel, which transects the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the extreme south of South America. Expect an air of anticipation as you depart—the next land you see will be the Antarctic! Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Days 3-4 Crossing the Drake Passage Prepare yourself for potentially rough water, but hope for a smooth sailing, as the Drake is unpredictable and always changing. You’ll spend these first days getting to know your shipmates while your Expedition Team provides safety briefings and insights into what excitement lies ahead.The unpredictable and exciting Drake Passage is an adventure unto itself. While being well taken care of by our expert onboard staff and leaders, you’ll have plenty of time to gaze out at the ocean, take pictures of seabirds swooping around the ship, and get to know your Expedition Team and fellow travelers. . Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Days 5-8 South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula Once the Drake Passage is left in our wake and the South Shetland Islands come into view, your Antarctic adventure truly begins. You will begin to appreciate why this region has long captivated the attention of explorers and travellers alike. On every visit to Antarctica, we witness something new or unexpected, which means your expedition will be unlike any other—a unique, personal experience. Each day, you will take Zodiac excursions from the ship to explore local bays, channels and landing sites. With wildlife always at the forefront of our minds, you will visit penguin rookeries, scout for Humpback and Minke whales, and search for a number of southern seal species, including the cunning Leopard seal. The majesty of the Antarctic Peninsula’s mountains will enchant as you hike snowy pathways to vantage points offering panoramic views of your surroundings. You will discover that Antarctica is a land of extremes. At one moment you’ll be overcome with a feeling of complete isolation and silence, and the next you’ll be inspired by nature as a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant blue sea or a penguin waddles by to inspect your footwear. Amid the serene silence of Antarctica, noisy interludes—such as penguins squabbling over prized pebbles—become indelible memories. Each day will be different, carefully crafted by your Expedition Team to inspire and educate you about this wonderful part of the world. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Days 9-10 Crossing the Drake Passage The journey back across the Drake Passage provides a final opportunity to enjoy the invigorating Antarctic air. Spend time on the deck watching for seabirds and scouting for whales, enjoy presentations by your Expedition Team, and celebrate the experiences you've shared exploring the remarkable world of Antarctica. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 11 Disembark in Ushuaia and fly to Buenos Aires Iou will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast. The mandatory transfer package includes a taste of Patagonia with a Tierra del Fuego National Park tour before transferring to the airport for the return group charter flight to Buenos Aires. Meals included: Breakfast
Argentina All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended length of stay. No visa required for holders of British passport. If you are crossing the border into Argentina from Chile on your trip, we will need to know your profession in order to provide when entering Argentina. The Argentine government charges a reciprocity fee which applies to Australian citizens. The amounts are as follows: Australians - US$100 (multiple entry). This fee must be paid before you enter Argentina. For full details, and to make the payment, please visit: https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes
Argentina There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated the travel advice for Argentina with an update to the Health section – an outbreak of Hantavirus has been reported in Epuyén, Province of Chubut in southern Argentina; for more information and advice, visit the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). Bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers in Argentina, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim. Dengue fever is also a known risk in Argentina. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Due to a recent outbreak of Yellow Fever in the Misiones province of Argentina, vaccinations are strongly recommended if you intend to visit the Iguazu Falls. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Ultramarine The Antarctic Explorer via Buenos Aires is offered on the Ultramarine which is a Polar Adventure Ship. Please visit the Polar Fleet page for Ship Information and Deck Plans. Polar Adventure Ships These are small ice rated vessels well qualified for Polar waters. Intimate adventures are always more enjoyable with like-minded passengers and staff, so these voyages are for people who like flexible itineraries and plenty to keep them busy. Activities include frequent Zodiac excursions, trekking and many hours on deck in areas that other ships only dream about accessing. Food and staff are excellent and every guest benefits from the technical advances of this superb fleet. Rest assured our Polar Adventure Ships enable any traveller to maximize their experience sensitively in the Poles.
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Reviewed February 2019 Vickie Lush Trip: Antarctic Explorer via Buenos Aires Everything and more If Antarctica has been on your ‘ to do list’ GO!,, Amazing time had by all, my only negative would be that I did not book to go onto South Georgia and The Falklands due to the time factor. I now have to select photos for my album going to be a long process. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It is very hard to pinpoint one part of the expedition but I particularly enjoyed the kayaking you have a chance to get up close and personal with the whales, seals and penguins. What did you think of your group leader? Solan was inspirational as were most of his associates on the ship each having their own personality and knowledge to share. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? To prepare well, plenty of layers there is absolutely no need to be cold if you take layers. Crossing The Drake requires medication in my opinion but if yours fails the Doctor is on hand and is extremely supportive. Is there anything else you would like to add? Food was amazing with plenty of variety and if there was nothing you liked you could order almost anything the kitchen and excellent service too.
Reviewed March 2017 Jane Taylor Trip: Antarctic Explorer via Buenos Aires Antarctica via Buenos Aires An amazing and unique experience would highly recommend it's worth every penny What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? So many highlights but getting to see penguins, seals and whales at close quarters was unforgettable What did you think of your group leader? The expedition leader and all the staff in the team were really helpful, knowledgeable and friendly Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Spend time in Argentina before or after your trip. I wish I had tagged a few extra days on to do hhis
Reviewed February 2017 Line Bisgaard Trip: Antarctic Explorer via Buenos Aires Above all expectations! from start till end this trip was amazing! Everything went smoothly, from the pre-tour info, to information at the hotel and the logistics of the domestic flights and checking in on the boat. It felt very safe, especially for a woman travelling alone. The crew on board was excellent! I loved the way every guide had his own ‘field of expertise’ which covered everything you wanted to know (and things you didn’t know you wanted to know ;-)). The Staff was extremely helpful, happy, smiling and overall serviceminded. It was a pleasure! Overall the program on board made sure that you almost didn’t have an idle moment, which for me was amazing! And the logistics of getting nearly 200 passengers into zodiacs 10 at the time, went so incredible easy, they crew are really professional and know how to make your experience the best possible. I can highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to explore the magic of Antarctica. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Antarctica itself surprised in more ways than one – I was expecting rough weather through the Drake passage, but instead we had calm seas and smooth sailing, so we reached Antarctica half a day early, and had our first zodiac trip before sceduled! The amazing weather stayed with us for the rest of the trip, so amazing blue skies and sun every day was really a treat! The wildlife was every were! Once we reached the continent, every time we looked out, we had penguins on almost every iceberg floating by the ship or a whale showing off in the water close by. And the landings on Antarctica itself, with seals lying around and thousands of penguins all around you, just doing what penguins do was so serene and magical. We even had an afternoon where around 50 Orcas were gathering and swimming around the boat for almost 3 hours, so we could just observe. In the zodiacs we got to experience icebergs calving, get close up with leopard seals floating by on an iceflake, and even had some curious humpback whales, so close to the zodiac that we could almost touch them. Not to mention the beautifull icebergs and surroundings that would take your breath away for sure!
Reviewed December 2016 Shirley Dinnell Trip: Antarctic Explorer via Buenos Aires Absolutely awesome trip This was one of the most amazing trips we have ever done. The scenery was breathtaking. The crew and expedition team were cheerful, helpful and knowledgeable. The kayaking with penguins and whales popping up feet away was fabulous. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? When a humpback whale popped up 10 feet away from our kayaks and just meandered around us for a while. What did you think of your group leader? Solan was wonderful. He has the most calm, funny and inclusive way about him. His voice for the early morning wake up calls is like velvet. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Go! Sign up for the kayaking or some other adventure options. Be flexible. Take loads of camera memory cards and batteries. Is there anything else you would like to add? This is probably the most expensive trip we have ever undertaken and we have travelled a lot. It was worth every penny. We are now looking at doing one of the Arctic adventure trips.
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