Antarctica, Falklands, South Georgia – The Ultimate Expedition

This adventure starts with an overnight stay in Buenos Aires, the bustling capital of Argentina. Spend the evening at your leisure and discover `Paris of South America´ for yourself on a warm spring or summer day or extend your stay with an optional pre-voyage programme to explore wild Patagonia.

Fly early in the morning to Ushuaia, where MS Fram awaits. Once on board, we kick off our journey with a welcome dinner.

We cross the open sea towards the Falkland Islands. Enjoy our in-depth lectures and keep an eye out for wildlife from deck.

The Falklands teem with wildlife, and offer clear blue skies, vast vistas, and stunning white-sand beaches. Here, the sheep graze alongside colonies of penguins, while caracaras patrol overhead and geese forage at the water’s edge. Penguins waddle close to take a look, then continue on their way, providing great photo opportunities! We hope to go ashore for exploring, hiking, or taking a closer look at all the birds. Stanley makes an excellent starting point for our excursions. We will be docked in the capital the entire day, giving you time to discover on foot, as most shops and services are clustered around the port.

We spend two days cruising to beautiful South Georgia. Along the way you can participate in lectures about the area’s wildlife, whaling, and polar history. Our Expedition Team is well-versed in every facet of South Georgia, from its geology and glaciology to the mating rituals of seals and the legends of the Norwegian whalers. One of the fascinating stories that will be told is that of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the men of the ill-fated Endurance, and their amazing feats of bravery. You’ll also learn how to make your visit as safe and as sustainable as possible and you’ll join Citizen Science programs to help collect data for current scientific research.

We explore the thriving ecosystem and rich history of South Georgia. The area is known as the Serengeti of the Southern Ocean and is a world-famous location for wildlife photographers.

South Georgia’s unique position inside the Antarctic ecosystem – yet outside the limit of sea ice – makes an ideal home for tens of millions of breeding penguins, seals and seabirds. During our stay here, you will see adult seals lounge on the sand while their pups race in and out of the water, albatross soar overhead, and penguins cluster in their thousands. Enjoy the sight of hanging glaciers, cliffs, and scenic lagoons.

You will also visit a museum, the Norwegian seaman’s church, and the grave of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. South Georgia also offers good hiking, and one of our favourite trails follows part of Shakleton´s route on his brave journey across rugged mountains to find help for the 22 men left on isolated Elephant Island.

As we continue toward Antarctica you can learn more about the wonders of the Great White Continent, focusing on the history, environment and wildlife of the region. Using the state-of-the-art microscopes in the ship’s Science Center, you can also analyse samples taken during the expedition cruise to see another kind of ‘wildlife’ at the cellular level.

Antarctica is wilderness on a massive scale. It is home to 90 per cent of the world´s ice, reaching up to 13,000 feet in thickness. Winter sea ice virtually doubles the size of the continent. In summer, Antarctica is a breeding ground for millions of penguins, whales and seals.

As outlined in the Antarctic Treaty, this is a continent dedicated to peace, science and tourism. No human activity permitted that can alter the perfect natural balance that has evolved through millennia without interference. That´s why we follow very strict environmental guidelines and rules. We want to leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures!

Our Captain and Expedition Team will take advantage of the often-ideal conditions to take you ice-cruising, and to come ashore on landings for exciting activities. You may have the chance to kayak the icy waters in the company of whales, hike or even camp on the world´s most isolated continent.

On our way back to civilization, we will continue our lecture series and recap our experiences of Antarctica. The voyage from the Antarctic Peninsula to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina is roughly 600 miles, or 40 hours of sailing time in good weather.

We make landfall in Tierra del Fuego. Your expedition cruise ends in the world’s southernmost town, Ushuaia, and your journey back continues with a flight to Buenos Aires. If you crave even more exploration after exploring Antarctica, we recommend you extend your stay in Buenos Aires or join an optional post-voyage program to the magnificent Iguazu waterfalls.