Evening: Depart North America on overnight flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Morning: Arrive to Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport and transfer to hotel.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the surrounding area or to rest after the long international flight. The group leader will be available to offer suggestions on free time activities in Buenos Aires.

A 4 p.m. program orientation will be followed by an introductory lecture: Argentina’s Cultural History.

Before dinner, treat your tastebuds to a selection of delicious Argentinian wines during a private wine tasting session. A local wine specialist will discuss the special properties of the the wines and introduce you to the history of wine production in Argentina.

Dinner: Welcome dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Park Central Unique Hotel

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Morning lecture: Argentina’s Current Social, Economic and Political Situation.
Embark on a cultural and historic exploration of Buenos Aires with a local expert. Your orientation to the city will include visits to the Mayo Square, Parliament, La Boca, San Telmo, and the Plaza Dorrego. Examine some fine examples of French-style architecture in the affluent Recoleta neighborhood and walk through its famous cemetery to see Evita's final resting place. Continue to Plaza San Martin, Puerto Madero and the Rose Garden at Palermo Park.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant serving typical Argentine fare.

Afternoon: Return to the hotel in time to get ready for the evening activities.
Lecture: History of the Tango.

Dinner: Dinner and Tango show at a local restaurant. A visit to Buenos Aires would not be complete without experiencing the music of Carlos Gardel and the sensual dance moves of the Tango. Sample a bit of porteño culture while savoring local wines and authentic Argentinean cuisine.

Lodging: Park Central Unique Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: Transfer to Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur for a walking excursion in search of River Plate fauna. The wildlife sanctuary is a haven for birds and riverine fauna. It is also a popular spot among locals wishing for a brief break from the fast paced rhythm of Buenos Aires.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Afternoon flight to Ushuaia (about 3:00 pm)
Arrival to Ushuaia (about 8:00 pm)
Transfer to hotel

Dinner: Enjoy a typical "Fuegian" dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Los Acebos Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tierra del Fuego National Park/Embark on Ushuaia/Beagle Channel and Mackinlay Pass

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Check out of the hotel.
Field trip to Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Lunch: Traditional lamb barbecue lunch.

Afternoon: Transfer to the port and embark on the Ushuaia.

Meet the ship's expedition and lecture staff and get settled into your cabins.

Begin sailing along the Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

Dinner: Welcome dinner on board the ship.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: The full day is spent crossing the Drake Passage, cruising towards the Antarctic Peninsula.

The passage has notoriously rough waters, so you may want to consider taking motion-sickness medication.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: As we cross the Drake, a busy lecture program gives us insight into the uniqueness of the Antarctic.
Presentations will cover the flora and fauna and the science and history of this continent.
A constant watch is kept for bird, whale and dolphin sightings.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: More lectures this morning as we get closer to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: Enjoy free time on board the ship, watching for birds, whales and dolphins.

The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains are signs that we have arrived at the South Shetland Islands.

If conditions are favorable in the Drake Passage, we will attempt to go on shore to get our first close-up view of penguins and seals.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Evening: Evening lecture to prepare you for tomorrow's activities.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: This morning, should find us far south, navigating the breathtaking Gerlache Strait (formerly called Détroit de la Belgica) on our way to Neko Harbor. The channel passes between the Antarctic Peninsula and Brabant Island, Anvers Island and Wiencke Island (as well as a number of smaller islands). Towering snow covered mountains dominate the distant islands, while icebergs in varying shapes and colors float along the channel.

Neko Harbor, situated in Andvord Bay, was discovered by Adrien de Gerlache in the late 1800’s. It was named after a Norwegian whaling ship that fished in the area from 1911-1924. Across from the landing site, the glacier offers an impressive show every time it calves into the ocean. The only sign of human life left in the area is the presence of a small orange-colored Argentine refuge hut, built in 1949. Gentoo Penguins, with their characteristic white “bonnets” and orange beaks, can be seen nesting on the hillside, while sheathbills scout the area looking for scavenging opportunities.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: In the afternoon, pay a visit to the largest colony of Gentoo Penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula on Cuverville Island. Appart from the entertaining penguins, the surroundings of the island, located in the narrow Errera Channel, are superb.

At the end of the day, we will try to cross the scenic Lemaire Channel on our way further south.

The narrow channel squeezes between the Peninsula and Booth Island and is a little less than a mile wide. The site offers such great photographic opportunities that it is sometimes referred to as the "Kodak Gap."

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Evening: Evening lecture to prepare you for tomorrow's activities.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: After breakfast, we will pay a visit to Petermann Island and its resident wildlife.

Petermann Island is one of the southernmost islands visited during most Antarctic cruise expeditions and is home to a large colony of Gentoo and Adelie penguins. Other notable points of interest on the island are the remnants of an Argentine refuge hut built in 1955, and a cross erected in memory of three members of a British Antarctic Survey who died in 1982 while attempting to cross the sea ice between Faraday Station and Petermann Island.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: Board zodiacs and cruise around the many drifting icebergs in the waters near Pleneau Island.

Much later in the day, we will attempt to reach the Vernadsky Station.

Verdnasky Station, formerly Faraday Research Station, is an Ukrainian research station located on Galindez Island (65°15’S, 64°16’W) in the Argentine Islands. The station was first established in 1947, by Britain, and is the oldest operational station of its kind in the peninsula. It was renamed in 1996 when it was taken over by the Ukraine. The station collects important meteorological and geomagnetic data and conducts ionospheric and magneto-spheric research. There are 9 buildings, with living quarters for 24 people, as well as laboratories, work rooms, medical facilities, and a general store. A lively British-style pub still remains on site, a reminder of the station’s previous owners.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Evening: Evening lecture to prepare you for tomorrow's activities.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: Today we plan to sail once more through the narrow Lemaire Channel, heading northward to Port Lockroy on Goudier Island.

Port Lockroy is a natural harbor located on small Goudier Island along the western coast of Weincke Island. Although the port had been discovered during an expedition in 1899, it was not officially named and charted until 1904. Port Lockroy became an important harbor and processing site for whalers. In the 1940’s, during a secret naval operation, the British laid claim to the port and established a base (Base A) which was operational until 1962. The base has since been restored to its original state and is now used as a museum and post office. A nearby Gentoo rookery continues to thrive despite the increasing number of tourists.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: This afternoon, we will head to Paradise Bay and attempt to step foot on the continent, at the Argentine summer station. Afterward, embark on a breathtaking zodiac cruise off the glacial front of Skontorp Cove.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Evening: Evening lecture to prepare you for tomorrow's activities.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: We will try to summit Danco Island this morning. From its rounded dome, we will have a formidable view over the beautiful Errera Channel. So have your cameras ready!

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: This afternoon might find us cruising in zodiacs off Foyn Harbor, where the remains of an old whaling ship point to early human presence in Antarctica. Other artifacts found at the site remind us of a time when the rampant extraction and hunt of the great cetaceans was the norm.

During our explorations, we also hope to find a local colony of cormorants and seals lazing on the ice floes.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Evening: Evening lecture to prepare you for tomorrow's activities.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: Still close to the continent, we spend time exploring the South Shetland Islands, noted for their unique volcanic landscapes and wildlife. Land at Whalers Bay on Deception Island; the site of an abandoned Norwegian whaling station.

Steam rises along the black sandy beach, heated by subterranean volcanic vents. Mingle with Chinstrap Penguins, the island's main residents, for a final photo opportunity and view the fur seals and Weddell seals along the volcanic beach.



Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: In the afternoon it will be time to start saying our goodbyes to Antarctica. Weather permitting, we will visit Hannah Point on Livingston Island. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, from Giant Petrels, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins, and the notoriously noisy elephant seals.



Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Evening: Evening lecture on board the ship.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: We leave this magical place to sail across the Drake, busy with more lectures, bird and marine life sightings and wrap-up activities.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: Lectures and wildlife viewing on board the ship.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: Lectures and wildlife viewing on board the ship.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship.

Afternoon: This afternoon we enter the Beagle Channel.

Dinner: Captain's farewell dinner on board the ship.

Lodging: Ushuaia

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.

Morning: Disembark at the port in Ushuaia.

Lunch: Light lunch at Cerro Castor.

Afternoon: Transfer to the Ushuaia Airport to board flight to Buenos Aires.

Depart from Buenos Aires on an overnight flight to the USA.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning: Arrival back to North America after your overnight flight.