Antarctica
Earth’s Final Frontier: A Quest for the Antarctic Circle
Program No. 25158RJ
Experience the wonders of the southernmost continent, the South Shetland Islands and Buenos Aires on this once-in-a-lifetime voyage to Antarctica.
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18 days
17 nights
40 meals
15B 12L 13D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Flight to Ushuaia. Free time.
Ushuaia
6
Embark Ship
Aboard the Ocean Albatros
7
At Sea, Drake Passage
Drake Passage
8
At Sea, Drake Passage
Drake Passage
9
Gerlache Strait, Lemaire Channel, Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula
10
South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
11
Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula
12
Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula
13
Antarctic Peninsula & Antarctic Circle
Antarctic Peninsula
14
South Shetlands Islands
South Shetland Islands
15
At Sea, Drake Passage
Drake Passage
16
At Sea, Drake Passage
Drake Passage
18
Arrival to the US
In Flight
At a Glance
It’s a place like nowhere else on earth — Antarctica is one of the world’s most remote landscapes, but offers unique wildlife, fascinating history and insights into ecology. Experience Antarctica for yourself as you explore as much of the Antarctic Peninsula and islands as possible and stop to experience the best of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital. Spend two nights in “the Paris of South America” as you learn about Argentina’s cultural heritage, then head out for the main event — boarding your expedition ship and setting sail for the famed Drake Passage and Antarctica. Explore its frozen landscapes and the South Shetland Islands as you search for icebergs and wildlife, and learn from onboard experts in marine biology, geology and history. If Antarctica is on your must-see list, join us for this once-in-a-lifetime voyage!
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles at a time over varied terrain including hills, mud, gravel and ice. Most embarkations and disembarkations will be via Zodiacs requiring the ascent and descent of steep stairs between the Zodiacs and the ship. Zodiac landings will generally entail disembarking onto wet surfaces which may be slippery. Wind and choppy water may result in more turbulent Zodiac transfers.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Take in the glittering beauty of icebergs and search for wildlife over seven days around the Antarctic Peninsula, the Antarctic Circle and the South Shetland Islands.
- Spend two nights in Buenos Aires and get a firsthand look at Gaucho culture on a journey to the Argentine countryside to a family ranch.
- Explore Tierra del Fuego National Park, home to fascinating wildlife and sea birds and scenic views of the Beagle Channel.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Nicole Flores
Nicole Flores was born and raised in Chile. Her passion about her country and the region influenced her to lead programs within South America since 1998, including several trips to Antarctica where she deliver lectures about her passion She is a true believer in lifetime learning finding in travelling the best source of inspiration to share her knowledge and keep learning. Nicole is a great natural storyteller and also mastered this skill learning from the best in Chile.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Nicole Flores
View biography
Nicole Flores was born and raised in Chile. Her passion about her country and the region influenced her to lead programs within South America since 1998, including several trips to Antarctica where she deliver lectures about her passion She is a true believer in lifetime learning finding in travelling the best source of inspiration to share her knowledge and keep learning. Nicole is a great natural storyteller and also mastered this skill learning from the best in Chile.
Suggested Reading List
(14 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Earth’s Final Frontier: A Quest for the Antarctic Circle
Program Number: 25158
Frozen in Time, Murder at the Bottom of the World
A scientist with the 16th Chilean Antarctic Expedition in the 1960s, Professor Cohen turns his experiences and actual events from the time into a novel with a strong setting at Deception Island and the South Shetlands.
Antarctica, A Call to Action
Copeland's collection of striking photographs includes a three-page list of sensible suggestions to protect the planet.
Southern Light, Images from Antarctica
Photographer David Neilson has turned his six journeys to the ice over the last 20 years, often with the Australian Antarctic Program (and sometimes lugging a 30-pound large format camera), into a coffee-table tribute to the continent and its wildlife. Includes 130 color and 100 rich black-and-white oversized photographs, gate-folds and double-page spreads that portray the drama and beauty of the Antarctic.
Forgotten Footprints, Lost Stories in the Discovery of Antarctica
A frequent lecturer aboard expedition ships to the Antarctic, John Harrison mixes his own adventures with tales of the seamen, sealers, whalers and plain lunatics who have journeyed to the Ice to make their fame and fortune. He focuses not on Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen but lesser-known tales of the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetlands and Weddell Sea.
The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography
Here in one handsome book are hundreds of haunting photographs by Herbert George Ponting and Frank Hurley, drawn from the albums they created during the two most famous Antarctic explorations. The stunning images are accompanied by lively essays, maps, paintings and other ephemera from the Royal Collection
Melting Away, Images of the Arctic and Antarctic
In her masterful series of 75 portraits and essays, Camille Seaman shows how climate change has wreaked havoc on both the North and South Poles.
The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning, A Polar Journey
An insightful miscellany from a 55-person environmental cleanup expedition in Bellingshausen, Antarctica. The authors’ travelogue is supplemented by 42 recipes, anecdotes, journal entries, vignettes and captivating photography.
Antarctica, A Guide to the Wildlife
Designed for the field, this compact handbook features all the species of birds, seals and whales the traveler is likely to encounter on an Antarctic voyage.
Lonely Planet Antarctica
Alexis Averbuck, author of the new edition of this compact and surprisingly handy guide, expands coverage of Ushuaia, the Falklands and South Georgia. With a wildlife guide and contributions from 26 Antarctic experts on the history, geology, wildlife and future of Antarctica.
Antarctic Marine Wildlife: Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea & Scotia Sea
The first complete guide for guides and visitors to all the marine wildlife and marine ecosystems of this last great wilderness, from the plankton to the penguins and whales. Beautifully illustrated with photos and plates, and including a wildlife calendar'
Antarctic Wildlife
Produced by a shipboard naturalist, this handy identification guide focuses on the Beagle Channel, Drake and Peninsula regions.
Wildlife of the North Atlantic, A Cruising Guide
This compact, illustrated guide covers the many petrels, ducks, gulls, terns and other seabirds, as well as the rich abundance of life existing under the waves, that populate the vast Atlantic region from the British Isles to Newfoundland.
Antarctic Explorer Map
A full-color map of the Antarctic Peninsula, including Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands and South Georgia, at a scale of 1:2,750,000. With a map of the Antarctic continent on the reverse.
Birds of Southern America & Antarctica
With color plates, range maps and brief descriptions, this is a compact regional guide