National Geographic Antarctica, South Georgia & The Falklands

Fly by private charter to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world and embark ship. Ushuaia’s spectacular setting, between the jagged peaks of the Darwin Range and the protected waters of the Beagle Channel, makes it an appropriately wild place to begin this journey to the White Continent and a great destination in its own right. While here, visit Tierra del Fuego National Park to hike in a beautiful forest of southern beech, very much like those that covered Antarctica millions of years ago. Enjoy lunch on board a private catamaran while cruising the Beagle Channel and be on the lookout for huge South American sea lions and birds like imperial cormorants. Residents of Ushuaia often call their small city “El Fin Del Mundo,” The End of the World, but for this voyage it’s just the beginning.

This 500-mile-wide strait between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most famous bodies of water in the world. Sometimes ferocious, sometimes flat calm, the Drake is always a fascinating place in its own right. This part of the journey provides the best opportunity to see gorgeous seabirds like the wandering albatross. With luck, encounter killer whales or rare species of dolphins. This is also a day to get to know the ship and prepare for the adventures ahead. Visit the Bridge (a great place to spot wildlife); have a relaxing massage; attend a talk about the biology of the penguins soon to be seen; or settle into a comfy chair in the observation lounge, look out over the waves and reflect on the incredible history of this fabled passage. If it does get a little rough, just take a couple of nice naps; the ship will arrive in Antarctica soon.

Some ships that visit Antarctica just cruise by and have a look, but you have a very different way of experiencing this remarkable region. By taking full advantage of all the capabilities of your world-class expedition ship, enjoy a very intimate connection with this wildest of places, immersing in the polar world and filling all the senses with the beauty and excitement of the Antarctic. In the spirit of a genuine expedition, the schedule is flexible to take best advantage of every opportunity the White Continent offers. Plan to be out daily, exploring in Zodiacs, hiking at penguin colonies, discovering remote bays, photographing wildlife and learning fascinating details from the naturalists and other experts who accompany every excursion.

The Antarctic Peninsula stretches over 800 miles from north to south, a spine of craggy peaks cut by dozens of deep fjords. It’s an enormous region with many different faces and ever-changing weather, which is what makes the crew’s long experience here so important. Five decades of exploration has given the crew an unparalleled knowledge of the region, enabling the flexibility to respond to changing conditions, turn on a dime and select the optimal activity for each day.

Ice! It’s probably the very first thing most people think about when the topic of Antarctica comes up, and once you’re here it never disappoints. From icebergs the size of islands to the fragile, nearly invisible layers glistening on the surface where the sea has just begun to freeze, from near-vertical glaciers pouring down the slopes of every mountain to the endless landscapes of sea ice, frozen ocean stretching to the horizon in every direction, ice defines the Antarctic. Get to know it up close and personal, hiking, kayaking and cruising in the Zodiacs through this frozen world.

Sturdy Zodiac landing craft are really the heart and soul of explorations in the Antarctic. These tough, stable little motorized boats maneuver easily through ice-choked waters, getting all ashore safely in even the most remote and challenging locations. And simply cruising in the Zodiacs is just as much fun. What’s around the next corner? A leopard seal relaxing on an ice floe or a chance to photograph an exquisite arched iceberg that no one has ever seen before? One never knows until you get there, but it’s always a thrill.

Penguins, without any doubt, are the most popular residents of Antarctica, and there are many chances to get to know them well. Their colonies are almost always close to the beach, so it’s very easy to get great photos. In the short Antarctic summer these amazing birds are always busy with the many tasks of breeding and raising their chicks, so every month brings something new. In November the adults are squabbling over the pebbles they use to build their nests. By late December the first chicks are tucked in under their parents, peeping out at the world. And in February the chicks have left their nests and are very active, learning to swim and getting ready to fend for themselves.

Everywhere you go in the Antarctic you’re surrounded by opportunities to capture uniquely beautiful images with your camera. Whether cruising past spectacular glaciers in the ship, getting close to seals in the Zodiacs, or hiking around the penguin colonies, you are always in the company of an expert National Geographic photographer and a photo instructor who share what they see and help all to perfect both the art and the technique of your own photography. The impossibly gorgeous blue in the heart of an iceberg, a penguin tenderly feeding its tiny chick or a glorious sunset over frozen ocean, shots like these surround every day. Learning to capture these perfect moments is both a wonderful challenge and a huge thrill.

Really exploring Antarctica also means simply relaxing and watching while the ship cruises through some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth. Grab a cup of cocoa and a comfortable seat in the Observation Lounge or visit the officers on the Bridge; bundle up and climb all the way up to the Monkey Deck for a really panoramic view, or just kick back in your cabin and watch for seals on ice or whales blowing in the distance. Make transits of world-famous passages like the Lemaire Channel and Antarctic Sound and go ashore on the continent itself, but also visit equally amazing islands and places that you’ve never heard of, yet!

Setting out from the South Shetland Islands to South Georgia, follow in the wake of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic voyage in the James Caird, across 800 miles of the wild and lonely Scotia Sea. En route, watch for fin whales, southern right whales and even blue whales, the largest animal on Earth. Albatross and petrels wing past the ship while presentations from the expedition team help to prepare for the mind-bending wildlife spectacles of South Georgia.

Days at sea are not simply transits from one place to another; they are in their own right a very important part of this epic journey. The crossing from the Antarctic Peninsula to South Georgia provides a chance to rest, explore the amenities of the ship, catch up the journal, enjoy a rejuvenating massage, or download and review all those photos.

Simply put, there is nowhere else in the world like South Georgia. Some 90 miles long, dominated by a spine of jagged peaks and home to wildlife spectacles that are honestly hard to believe, it is one of the wildest and most beautiful places on the planet. Days here provide plenty of time to explore many facets of this unique sub-Antarctic island, including its storied history, rich ecology (you’ll probably be surprised by the green slopes
of tussock grass below the glaciers) and the stunning scenery that surrounds at every landing.

King penguins, the second largest species in the world, are unquestionably the most iconic wildlife of South Georgia. Exact numbers are not known, but the largest single colony on the island may have as many as 500,000 of these amazing birds. Half a million birds! Nesting together on a single two-mile-long beach! It’s a sight that is genuinely inconceivable until you have experienced it in person. At the other end of the scale, king
penguins are great birds to get to know as individuals. Strutting purposefully past your camera on the beaches or coming and going in and out of the surf, they seem to regard all with a wonderful mixture of curiosity and disdain.

For many, South Georgia evokes, more than anything, the epic adventures of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who reached the island after making the crossing from Elephant Island in the James Caird—still one of the most incredible small-boat journeys ever attempted. From Peggotty Bluff, where he began the arduous crossing of the
glaciated spine of the island, to his quiet grave near the Grytviken whaling station, Shackleton’s spirit seems to be everywhere around the island. In very good conditions, even be able to make a long hike up to the spot where he first heard the noon whistle from the Stromness Station and knew that rescue was close at hand at last.

In the not-too-distant past, South Georgia was an important site for both whaling and sealing, but today things are very different. The contrast between watching from the ship while southern right whales feed below the blue face of a huge iceberg, and then hiking through the rusting remains of a whaling station later the same day, can be a powerfully moving experience and one that emphasizes the very positive changes that the island has seen in the last few decades. Invasive species have been removed, rare birds are growing more and more common,  whales are returning in ever-greater numbers, and traveler visits have become an important factor in this successful conservation.

Every minute at South Georgia is another opportunity for truly life-changing experiences. Landing before dawn to see the pink light of sunrise touch the mountains over a king penguin colony. Quietly watching as a wandering albatross, with its 11-foot wingspan, settles onto her nest and thinking of endless miles of ocean that she has
seen. Capturing incredible images of three-ton bull elephant seals jousting on a lonely beach. South Georgia is sometimes called “the Serengeti of the Southern Ocean” but that doesn’t really even come close—this lonely island is unique in the world, so rich and so beautiful that it defies any comparison.

The days at sea on the way to the Falkland Islands offer another opportunity to think back over the adventures of the past few days and make preparations for those soon to come. Chat with the National Geographic photographer and learn to make images look their best in the digital darkroom. Visit the bridge—the nerve center of the ship—for a congenital atmosphere. The waters close to the Falkland Islands are rich with marine wildlife, so this is a great time to hang out with the naturalists and keep a watch for rare dolphins or another beautiful species of albatross. All new sightings go up on the white board for the day’s record!

Stanley, the bright, pretty capital of the Falkland Islands, is a wonderfully unexpected place and a charming outpost of British culture. Many Falkland Islanders still live in very traditional ways, and there’s a chance to visit a small farm to see some expert sheep shearing and learn about the best techniques for cutting blocks of peat for the fire. The rocky hills and white sand beaches outside town offer some excellent hikes, a breeding colony of black-browed albatross and sightings of rockhopper penguins. Afterwards, a cup of tea or a pint at the Globe Tavern with lots of delicious cakes, cookies and fresh scones goes down very nicely.

Everything great about expedition travel seems to come together in the western Falkland Islands. Where else can you land on a beach tucked into a rocky cove, hike out across a rolling green pasture and suddenly find yourself at the crest of a sea cliff looking out over the South Atlantic surf? Just a few steps further and you’re standing at the edge of a breeding colony of black-browed albatross, so close that you can hear the wind on their wings as they swoop into land beside you. Take time to capture images of the rockhopper penguins and then it’s time to head back down to the settlement for a well-deserved farm tea—which means lots and lots and lots of delicious cakes, cookies and fresh scones!

The final day of the expedition takes the ship across the shallow waters of the Falklands Shelf, back to the starting point in Ushuaia. Attend presentations from the expedition staff on topics that help to sum up all the wonderful details of the experiences in the far south and spend some time on deck enjoying the seabirds and dolphins that make these seas their home. This is a day for contemplation as well. It’s a little bit of peace that you’ll carry with you always.

Disembark in Ushuaia. Fly by private charter flight to Buenos Aires (Explorer, Endurance) or Santiago (Resolution) and connect with your overnight flight home.