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antarctica zodiac cruise past giant icebergs qe

Crossing the Antarctic Circle

From £11591

Excluding Flights

11-14 Nights

Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec

Overview

Combine unforgettable wildlife encounters and scenic exploring with the rare opportunity to reach 66° 33’S. This extended Polar cruise offers all the highlights of a classic Antarctic expedition, with additional days to allow the chance to push further south and cross the elusive Antarctic Circle.

The Antarctic Peninsula is home to a wealth of wildlife and this voyage offers some truly memorable encounters. Enjoy sightings of Weddell and elephant seals, abundant seabirds as well as gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins. Cruise past towering icebergs and remote glaciers as you journey south towards the extreme latitudes of the very bottom of the world.

Zodiac cruises and shore landings provide the chance to fully immerse yourself in this extraordinary continent. Take time to watch penguins go about their daily routines, listen to seals grunt at one another while hauled out on beaches and simply marvel at the exquisite beauty and silence of this partially frozen world.

Itinerary

All voyage itineraries are intended as a guideline only – embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy of expedition travel. Actual routes and landings will be dependent on weather, sea and ice conditions. A degree of flexibility is essential in the polar regions!
The below sample itinerary is based on the 14-day voyage on the G Expedition. Other departures may vary in duration and routing, i.e. alternative embarkation or disembarkation ports, or do not include the pre-voyage hotel night. Please contact us for specific details.

Begin your journey with an overnight stay in the busy little port town of Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina in Tierra del Fuego. Overnight at a hotel in Ushuaia.

After embarkation in the late afternoon, you will sail down the Beagle Channel towards the vast Southern Ocean.

The Drake is legendary for its high winds and rolling seas, but you may be lucky and get calm weather. Enjoy presentations from your Expedition Team along the way.

All shore landings and Zodiac cruises are subject to weather and sea conditions, but during the voyage you may discover enormous rookeries of gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins. You may also encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, as well as orcas, humpback, and minke whales. Ice permitting, the ship will navigate some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, such as the Neumayer and Lemaire Channels – impressive narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. Perhaps visit Petermann Island, where Adélie and gentoo penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags nest close to the landing sites.

Crossing the Antarctic Circle is an impressive achievement, as most expeditions to the Peninsula do not reach 66° 33’S. Celebrate with a well-earned glass of champagne and raise a toast to the intrepid explorers who have gone before.

Your journey north will include further shore landings or zodiac cruises, conditions permitting. Presentations from the Expedition Team will give you a deeper understanding of everything you see and experience during your voyage.

As you cross the Drake once again, you’ll have time to reflect on your polar experiences and prepare for your return to civilisation.

Arrive back in Ushuaia this morning and disembark, ready for your onward adventure.

greenland helicopter flight over icecap from ultramarine qe

Antarctica by Helicopter

Soar over the polar regions in a helicopter, taking in breathtaking aerial views of the frozen Antarctic Ocean, snow-capped ice ridges, massive crevices, and vibrant melt pools in all shades of blue.

You will have the rare opportunity to explore Antarctica from above aboard Ultramarine’s twin-engine helicopters, offering unparalleled perspectives of the 7th Continent. Included in your voyage are flightseeing opportunities and an unforgettable landing. Step out onto the untouched polar landscape, following in the footsteps of history’s boldest explorers. This is the ultimate Antarctic adventure.

Departures:
16 February 2027
17 February 2028

Prices

What's Included

  • Shipboard accommodation

  • All breakfasts, lunches & dinners on board

  • Tea & coffee available around the clock

  • All Zodiac transfers, cruising & shore landings

  • Presentations by the Expedition Team and guest speakers

  • Loan of rubber boots during voyage

  • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges

  • 24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday

  • Full financial protection

From £11591 Excluding Flights

11-14 Nights

Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec

Your Holiday Pricing
Prices are per person based on two people sharing and are subject to availability. Your Travel Specialist will provide a final price tailored to your specific dates, vessel choice and requirements.

 

Solo travellers: Choose to share with another traveller of the same gender in a twin room (two single beds) or stay in your own room at a supplement.

 

What’s Included:
Items listed and all known compulsory taxes and charges. Inclusions are dependent on the vessel chosen – those shown are applicable to all.

 

What’s Not Included:
Variable local costs like hotel taxes that cannot be calculated in advance. We will provide guidance on these expected costs within your personalised quote.

Our holiday prices also exclude flights. Flight prices and offers change daily, so we’ll provide a bespoke quote based on your preferred airport at the best price available.

Make this trip yours

Every trip you see here can be adapted to suit you using inside-out knowledge to create one-off experiences created just for you.

Doug
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Canada provinces visited

We create holidays that are as individual as you are. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years, crafting each and every holiday using our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for our destinations. Whatever your brief, we’ll create an amazing trip for you to get excited about. That might mean adapting one of our existing itineraries or we’ll build you one from scratch.

Experts with real experience