Day 1 - Day 1 - Welcome to Ushuaia
| On arrival, you’ll be escorted to the 5-star Arakur Resort & Spa. |
Day 2 - Day 2 - Into Tierra del Fuego and on to your ship
| Explore magnificent Tierra del Fuego National Park on a guided tour before boarding the MV Ushuaia. Settle in to your cabin, meet your expedition staff of leaders, guides and lecturers, and get acquainted with this intimate Polar vessel as you set sail along the Beagle Channel. Meals B,D |
Day 3 - Day 3 - The First of Three Days at Sea
| The unique open-bridge policy aboard the MV Ushuaia allows you to join the ship’s officers on the bridge to learn about navigation, watch for whales and take in the view. Over the next 3 days, you’ll also be able to enjoy introductory lectures from your Expedition Team and to join them on deck as General Tours search for seabirds and other wildlife including the Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Cape Petrel, Giant Petrel and Wandering Albatross. Meals B,L,D |
Day 4 - Day 4 - Your Cruising Continues
| Another fascinating day unfolds as you continue your voyage southward. Enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow guests and the expertise and extensive knowledge of your shipboard Expedition Team. Meals B,L,D |
Day 5 - Day 5 - The Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
The South Shetlands are a haven for wildlife, home to vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and large colonies of Southern Elephant seals. Along the Antarctic Peninsula, you’ll have time to explore a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways. Apart from penguins and seabirds, you are also likely to see Weddell, crab-eater and leopard seals as well as Minke, orca and humpback whales at close range.
Over the next 3 days, General Tours plan to make at least two landings per day. However, General Tours exact itinerary will be determined by local conditions on both sea and land. Among the destinations General Tours hope to explore are:
Deception Island, South Shetland Islands
Long ago, a tremendous volcanic eruption caused the islands peak to explode and seawater flooded into the resulting caldera, creating the unique landmass General Tours may visit today. With the right conditions, General Tours Captain will be able to pilot the MV Ushuaia through a narrow gateway in the icy cliffs of the island and take General Tours ship into the caldera itself!
Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands
This crescent-shaped island offers excellent hiking opportunities and some truly glorious scenery. A short uphill climb over the cobbled beach brings you to a colony of breeding Chinstrap penguins.
Brown Bluff
This spectacular rust-colored promontory on the Antarctic Peninsula is home to 20,000 Adélie penguins and a smaller group of Gentoo penguins. There is also a large number of Kelp gulls, Snow petrels and Pintado petrels in the skies above.
Argentina’s Antarctic Station
Another opportunity to actually step onto the Antarctic continent would be a visit to the Argentine Antarctic Station of Esperanza. This is a year-round station along the Antarctic Sound complete with a small school, as some of the personnel come here with their families.
Hydrurga Rocks
This small group of islets in the Palmer Archipelago is home to Chinstrap penguins, Blue-eyed shags and Kelp gulls. An ascent to the island’s summit is rewarded with spectacular views of the Gerlache Strait and steep ice-covered mountains.
Portal Point
This gateway for a route to the Peninsula Plateau is distinguished by a steep snow slope that rises from the rocky shore toward the Plateau. There are large glacial tongues, high ice cliffs and a bay that is often iceberg-filled.
Meals B,L,D |
Day 6 - Day 6 - Along the Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
| General Tours continue General Tours exploration of the sites noted above for Day 7. Please note that General Tours exact itinerary along the Peninsula and through the South Shetland Islands will be determined by General Tours captain and his team based upon local conditions on sea and land. Meals B,L,D |
Day 7 - Day 7 - General Tours Exploration Continues
| General Tours continue General Tours exploration of the sites noted above for Day 7. Please note that General Tours exact itinerary along the Peninsula and through the South Shetland Islands will be determined by General Tours captain and his team based upon local conditions on sea and land. Meals B,L,D |
Day 8 - Day 8 - General Tours Exploration Continues
| General Tours continue General Tours exploration of the sites noted above for Day 7. Please note that General Tours exact itinerary along the Peninsula and through the South Shetland Islands will be determined by General Tours captain and his team based upon local conditions on sea and land. Meals B,L,D |
Day 9 - Day 9 - Northward across the Drake Passage
| Having left the Antarctic Peninsula behind us the night before, today opens to find General Tours ship heading across the Drake Passage. Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As General Tours sail across the passage, General Tours Expedition lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of whales and an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in General Tours wake. Join General Tours lecturers for some final lectures and take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days as you sail toward Ushuaia. Meals B,L,D |
Day 10 - Day 10 - At sea Cruising toward South America
| Lectures, briefings and visits to the bridge continue on this second day navigating northward through the Drake Passage. Meals B,L,D |
Day 11 - Day 11 - Explore Ushuaia and fly to Buenos Aires
| Disembark in Ushuaia for a guided tour of this bustling port, uniquely situated at the end of the Continent between the snowcapped Martial Range and the sea. After sightseeing, we'll take you to the airport for your onward journey. Meals B |