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8 Night Antarctic Explorer Express and Land Tour

From Ushuaia to Punta Arenas

Greg Mortimer

Aurora Expeditions
5 Stars
  • Cruise #: 13951266
  • Departs: Sat, Jan 17, 2026
  • Returns: Sun, Jan 25, 2026
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    Oceanview $12,235
    Balcony $13,680
    Suite $21,245
    *Prices are per person based on double occupancy
    Includes taxes & fees
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    Itinerary Summary

    Day by Day Details

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Saturday - Jan 17, 2026
    Day
    1
    Ushuaia, Argentina
    • Ushuaia, Argentina
    Having made your way to Ushuaia, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to your group hotel. This evening, enjoy a light refreshment as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception. Afterwards, dine at your leisure (dinner not included). Accommodation: Las Hayas Hotel (or similar) ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Sunday - Jan 18, 2026
    Day
    2
    Ushuaia, Argentina
    • Ushuaia, Argentina

    Cruise Segment of Itinerary

    Day 2 - Sunday - Jan 18, 2026
    Day
    2
    Cruise Begins
    • Cruise Begins
    • Ushuaia, Argentina
    This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to the port for clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival onboard. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Enjoy free time after check-out, meeting back in the hotel lobby at 2 pm to commence a short sightseeing tour of Ushuaia. Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego, is located at the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains giving you a unique landscape in Argentina, which is the combination of mountains, sea, glaciers, and forests. On this brief introductory tour, you will visit "La Mision" neighbourhood, the old Government House, and the upper area of the city, which offers beautiful panoramic views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the excursion you will see the antique houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum before transferring to the pier for embarkation at approximately 4 pm. If you choose to not participate in the sightseeing tour, you will need to make your own way to the Prison Museum carpark by 3:45 pm to re-join the group for the transfer to the pier for embarkation. After embarkation, you will have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from port, we will gather on the deck to commence our adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. ...
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    Monday - Jan 19, 2026
    Day
    3
    Drake Passage, Antarctica
    • Drake Passage, Antarctica
    As we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. The expedition team prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and start a lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica's history, wildlife, and environment. Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you may can enjoy the facilities onboard the vessel including the gym, wellness center, or the relaxing in one of the observation lounges. Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on the afternoon of Day 4, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of the observation decks watching for our first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. Time and weather permitting, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon. ...
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    Tuesday - Jan 20, 2026
    Day
    4
    Drake Passage, Antarctica
    • Drake Passage, Antarctica
    Wednesday - Jan 21, 2026
    Day
    5
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    It is 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 our 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 participate in the activity whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! The polar plunge can take place at any time during the voyage, so listen out for the announcement from the expedition team and get ready for the most exhilarating dip of your life! 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 travelling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the captain's discretion) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Listen out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of the pristine paradise of the splendid white continent. ...
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    Thursday - Jan 22, 2026
    Day
    6
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Friday - Jan 23, 2026
    Day
    7
    Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    • Cruising Antarctica, Antarctica
    Saturday - Jan 24, 2026
    Day
    8
    King George Island, Antarctica
    • King George Island, Antarctica
    • Cruise Ends

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Day 8 - Saturday - Jan 24, 2026
    Day
    8
    • Air Travel
    • Punta Arenas, Chile
    As we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell Antarctica and our amazing adventure before boarding our flight (approximately one hour and forty-five minutes) to Punta Arenas, Chile. 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. From Punta Arenas Airport, you will be transferred to your group hotel for an overnight stay. Accommodation: Hotel Cabo de Hornos (or similar); Note: King George Island is located at the northern tip 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. ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Sunday - Jan 25, 2026
    Day
    9
    Punta Arenas, Chile
    • Punta Arenas, Chile
    After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travelers as we continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature (breakfast included). A transfer to the airport is included in the voyage fare.


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