Back
iCruise.com iCruise.com

12 Night Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea and Land Tour

From Punta Arenas to Ushuaia

Sylvia Earle

Aurora Expeditions
4 Stars
  • Cruise #: 13951311
  • Departs: Tue, Feb 17, 2026
  • Returns: Sun, Mar 1, 2026
    Track this Cruise and Get Price Alerts.
    Oceanview $16,076
    Balcony $17,996
    Suite $27,916
    *Prices are per person based on double occupancy
    Includes taxes & fees
    Tap the "Send Quote" button to get a quote include unadvertised prices including Senior, Military and Resident promotions.
    Send Quote

    Itinerary Summary

    Day by Day Details

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Tuesday - Feb 17, 2026
    Day
    1
    Punta Arenas, Chile
    • Punta Arenas, Chile
    Arrive in Punta Arenas, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to your hotel. Please arrive no later than 2 pm so that you may attend the important briefing this evening. Please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby between 2 pm and 6 pm to collect your luggage cabin tags. The expedition team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions, and provide you with information about where to dine or purchase last-minute items. Overlooking the Straits of Magellan, the city sits astride one of the world's most historic trade routes. Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great blend of cultural backgrounds, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors. It remains an utterly fascinating testament to Chile's rich history. Modern day Punta Arenas is home to many popular restaurants, and bars, offering a mix of local and international fare (meals at your own expense today). At 7 pm this evening, meet your fellow expeditioners at a voyage briefing where you will be informed about the transfer times for tomorrow, the procedures for your flight to King George Island, and the important IAATO regulations for visitors to Antarctica. ...
    Read More

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Wednesday - Feb 18, 2026
    Day
    2
    Punta Arenas, Chile
    • Punta Arenas, Chile
    • Air Travel

    Cruise Segment of Itinerary

    Day 2 - Wednesday - Feb 18, 2026
    Day
    2
    Cruise Begins
    • Cruise Begins
    • King George Island, Antarctica
    This morning, we will be transferred to Punta Arenas Airport for our charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica (weather permitting). The flight will take approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. On arrival into King George Island the expedition team is on hand to greet you and to prepare you for your Zodiac transfer to the vessel. You will have time to settle into your cabin before the important safety briefings. Note: King George Island is located at the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required for safe take-off and landing. A contingency plan will be applied to your itinerary should your flights not proceed today. ...
    Read More
    Thursday - Feb 19, 2026
    Day
    3
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    It's almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever. Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals, and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts, and explore some of the favorite spots along the peninsula. While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales traveling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent. Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, became trapped in formidable sea ice, the Weddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound - the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through Antarctic Sound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a more temperate era - gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone. We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adelie penguin colony just outside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson's storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursions or slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and out of the water, as well as humpback, minke, and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during your time in the Weddell Sea. ...
    Read More
    Friday - Feb 20, 2026
    Day
    4
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Saturday - Feb 21, 2026
    Day
    5
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Sunday - Feb 22, 2026
    Day
    6
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Monday - Feb 23, 2026
    Day
    7
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Tuesday - Feb 24, 2026
    Day
    8
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Wednesday - Feb 25, 2026
    Day
    9
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Thursday - Feb 26, 2026
    Day
    10
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Friday - Feb 27, 2026
    Day
    11
    Drake Passage, Antarctica
    • Drake Passage, Antarctica
    Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before we re-enter the Drake Passage for our return journey to South America. With lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about what we have seen and experienced. You can become an ambassador for Antarctica telling your family, friends, and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here. As we approach the tip of South America, our captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting. ...
    Read More
    Saturday - Feb 28, 2026
    Day
    12
    Drake Passage, Antarctica
    • Drake Passage, Antarctica
    Sunday - Mar 1, 2026
    Day
    13
    Ushuaia, Argentina
    • Ushuaia, Argentina
    During the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where we will be free to disembark around 8 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel will be arranged exclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 12:30 pm will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport, those with flights after 12:30 pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation. Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, booking flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12 pm on the day of disembarkation is not recommended in case there are delays. ...
    Read More


    Get FREE Price Alerts

    Subscribe to our weekly cruise deals email and enjoy FREE price change alerts and updates for this cruise and others like it.

    We promise to protect your privacy and personal data. You can review our privacy policy here.

    Complete the form below and we will send this cruise and a message to your friends on your behalf.

    Enter up to 5 emails separated by commas:

    Your First Name

    Your Last Name

    Your Email Address:

    Optional Message to Your Friend(s):

    Send Email

    Please enter your email address to Add to Favorites. You can then access this cruise from other devices.


    Email Address:

    Save to Favorites

    This cruise line does not offer live online pricing. Please complete the form below for a quote on this cruise or call for rates.


    How many are traveling
    Adults (Age 18 and over)
    Kids (6 months to 17 years)
    First NameLast NameState of Residence

    Phone NumberEmail AddressAny special request or comments?

    Submit Request >