Crossing the Circle: Southern Expedition

Back to All Itineraries

Expedition Details

  • Duration: 14 days
  • Start Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • End Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Embarkation: Ushuaia, Argentina (AR USH)
  • Disembarkation: Ushuaia, Argentina (AR USH)
Itinerary Map

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Upon arriving in this cosmopolitan city, known for its architecture and rich European heritage, you will independently transfer to your group hotel (pre-expedition hotel night included in mandatory transfer package).

Day 2 - Fly to Ushuaia and Embark
Ushuaia, AR

After an early breakfast at the hotel, the group will transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to Ushuaia, Argentina.Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to a central downtown location for free time on your own to explore this quaint port town before making your way to the pier.As the ship sets sail in the late afternoon, you will begin your Antarctic journey, passing through the historic Beagle Channel. Named after the famed ship on which Charles Darwin voyaged, the channel presents great photo opportunities of landscapes and seabirds. Eventually the channel opens up to the Southern Ocean, and onwards to Antarctica.

Days 3 and 4 - Crossing the Drake Passage
Cruising

Your days at sea are filled with presentations led by your Expedition Team on photography, wildlife, glaciology, and history. You can also spend time on deck looking for wildlife, or chatting with your shipmates over a drink at the bar.

Days 5 to 7 - South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula
Cruising

The most common reaction upon reaching the Antarctic Peninsula is a sense of reverence and awe. The experience is beyond words, since few places are as untouched and enduring as Antarctica. You will begin to appreciate why this region has long captivated the attention of explorers and travelers alike. Every visit to Antarctica, we witness something new or unexpected, which means that your expedition will be unlike any other—creating a unique, personal experience.Each day, you will take Zodiac excursions from the ship to explore local bays, channels and landing sites. With wildlife always at the forefront of our minds, you will visit penguin rookeries, scout for humpback and minke whales, and search for a number of southern seal species, including the elusive leopard seal.Your Expedition Team will take care of you at each landing, whether you are exploring the Antarctic terrain, visiting a research station or consorting with penguin colonies. Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins are found here, along with five different species of seals. Zodiac cruising can offer opportunities to view some of the larger local marine mammals more intimately, such as Antarctic minke and humpback whales. Days 5 to 7 are also ideal times to experience Ultramarine's portfolio of helicopter- supported adventures exclusive to Quark Expeditions.Your days will be busy spotting wildlife and being mesmerized by the astounding beauty of Antarctica. Listening to the crackling and crumbling of icebergs andglaciers and watching penguins waddling on the beach will become your daily entertainment, while heli flightseeing, sea kayaking or paddle excursions are optional activities available on select voyages (at an extra cost).

Days 8 and 9 - Antarctic Circle
Cruising

Crossing the Antarctic Circle is both a memorable experience and impressive achievement, as few travelers reach so far south. If conditions allow us to cross this famed latitude of 66°33 ́ S, we’ll toast the first explorers who ventured here, and you can raise a glass and take pride in knowing you’ve made it to a part of the world visited by very few people. This is raw Antarctica, home of the midnight sun, Weddell seals, and your best chances of encountering sea ice—the very foundations of the Antarctic marine ecosystem.

Days 10 and 11 - Northbound Along the Peninsula
Cruising

By now, your knowledge of Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins will be matched by your ability to differentiate between a leopard, crabeater and Weddell seal. Terms like ‘bergy bits’ and ‘pancake ice’ will become part of your vocabulary, yet there are still many tales to be told. As you head north, Zodiac excursions will fill your days, and your Expedition Team will continue looking out for species of seabirds, seals and whales that may have eluded you on your journey south.

Days 12 and 13 - Crossing the Drake Passage
Cruising

As you recross the Drake, Antarctica fades away, leaving you with a collection of memories to last a lifetime. Excited conversations with your newfound friends will make the crossing fly by, regardless of weather and sea conditions. Your Expedition Team will round up its series of presentations as well, with a slideshow of the adventures you've shared and wildlife you’ve witnessed over the course of your voyage. Be sure to take some time to reflect on everything you’ve experienced so far.

Day 14 - Disembark in Ushuaia and Fly to Buenos Aires
Ushuaia, AR

You will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast. The mandatory transfer package includes a little taste of Patagonia with a Tierra del Fuego National Park tour before transferring to the airport for the return group charter flight to Buenos Aires.

What's Included

Rates above include the following:
  • An official Quark Expeditions parka to keep
  • Leadership throughout your voyage by our experienced Expedition Team, including shore landings and other activities
  • All Zodiac transfers and cruising as per the daily program
  • All shore landings as per the daily program
  • Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping
  • All meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices on board throughout your voyage. Please inform us of any dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare kosher meals
  • Free beer, standard wines, spirits, and cocktails during bar service hours and dinner
  • Formal and informal presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled
  • A photographic journal documenting your expedition
  • A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for landings and Zodiac cruising excursions
  • Hair dryer and bathrobes in every cabin
  • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
  • All luggage handling aboard the ship
  • Emergency Evacuation insurance for all passengers to a maximum benefit of USD $500,000 per person
  • One 10-to15-minute helicopter flightseeing excursion (weather and logistics permitting)
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi service on one device permitting basic Internet browsing, email, posting on social media and voice applications. (Premium packages are available for more data intensive applications.)

Not Included

Rates above do not include the following:
  • International airfare
  • Passport and applicable visa expenses
  • Government arrival and departure taxes not mentioned
  • Meals unless otherwise specified
  • Baggage, cancellation, interruption and medical travel insurance—strongly recommended
  • Excess-baggage fees on international flights
  • Mandatory waterproof pants for Zodiac landing and cruising excursions, or any other gear not mentioned
  • Laundry, bar, spa services and other personal charges, unless specified
  • Phone and Internet charges (connectivity may vary by location)
  • Voluntary gratuity at the end of the voyage for expedition staff and shipboard crew
  • Additional overnight accommodation
  • Arrival and departure transfers, except where explicitly stated
  • Adventure Options not listed in Included Activities