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  • Punta Arenas

    Punta Arenas

    Sitting alongside the Strait of Magellan, this sprawling city provides a base for those wanting to explore the wilderness of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia and is a popular starting point for many Antarctic cruises...
  • Cape Horn

    Cape Horn

    The rocky headland of Hornos Island, where the wild oceans of the Pacific and Atlantic meet, lies the fabled Cape Horn...
  • Drake Passage

    Drake Passage

    Considered by many polar travellers to be the gateway to Antarctica, the Drake Passage is a common feature for cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula...
  • Antarctic Peninsula

    Antarctic Peninsula

    The ultimate expedition
    You don't take a holiday to Antarctica ‒ you make a trip of a lifetime...
  • Falkland Islands

    Falkland Islands

    World-class birdwatching and beaches
    Known by the Spanish as Islas Malvinas, this island archipelago has far more to offer than a troubled political history...
  • Punta Arenas

    Punta Arenas

    Sitting alongside the Strait of Magellan, this sprawling city provides a base for those wanting to explore the wilderness of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia and is a popular starting point for many Antarctic cruises...

A popular cruise itinerary combining the fjords of Chilean Patagonia, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Falkland Islands.

Set sail from Punta Arenas and cruise through the channels and dramatic fjords of Chilean Patagonia. After stopping to explore Cape Horn, cross the infamous Drake Passage and sail south to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Spend at least a week exploring the frozen desert, its noisy penguins, pods of whales and abandoned whaling stations before returning north to Punta Arenas via the wildlife-rich Falkland Islands.

Key information

Destinations South America, Antarctica
Activity Cruise & Sailing, Luxury, Active, Nature & Wildlife, Photography
Physical Level Easy
Season Season November - March
Book this trip with Antarctica Cruises
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Suggested itinerary

Cruise Chile's dramatic fjords from Punta Arenas

Cruise Chile's dramatic fjords from Punta Arenas

Day 1–2 in Punta Arenas

Sitting alongside the Strait of Magellan, this sprawling city provides a base for those wanting to explore the wilderness of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia and is a popular starting point for many Antarctic cruises. Most visitors will fly into the city’s airport before connecting to Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego or neighbouring Argentina.

Sail past Cape Horn

Sail past Cape Horn

Day 3 in Cape Horn

The rocky headland of Hornos Island, where the wild oceans of the Pacific and Atlantic meet, lies the fabled Cape Horn. A popular sight for Antarctic tour ships, the discovery of Cape Horn in the 1600’s was of huge significance for trade, though it is still recognised as one of the most hazardous sailing routes In the world.

Don't miss

Cruise Cape Horn fjords

Cruise Cape Horn fjords

Forget everything you think you know about cruises; the voyages between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas are genuine expeditions that get you up close to the dramatic fjords, glaciers and wildlife of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn.

Cross the formidable Drake Passage

Cross the formidable Drake Passage

Day 4–5 in Drake Passage

Considered by many polar travellers to be the gateway to Antarctica, the Drake Passage is a common feature for cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula. Straddled between Chile’s Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, this infamous waterway is named after the 16th-century English explorer Sir Francis Drake.

Don't miss

Whale watching

Whale watching

Antarctica is one of the best places on earth to see whales. From orcas to humpbacks, minke to sperm, the relative isolation whales have enjoyed in the Antarctic means they are curious of ships and even approach them.

Explore the Antarctic Peninsula

Explore the Antarctic Peninsula

Day 6–13 in Antarctic Peninsula

You don't take a holiday to Antarctica ‒ you make a trip of a lifetime.

This colossal frozen netherworld is bigger than the USA. The sun doesn’t rise for six months of the year and it's constant daylight the rest. It's the most untouched, alien place on our planet ‒ but the rewards are exceptional. Antarctica’s landscapes are surreal: utterly immense rolling icefields, icebergs the size of stadiums, glassy seas deeper than a skyscraper.

Its wildlife is abundant and utterly unperturbed by people. Armies of penguins waddle across the ice, train-sized humpback whales and orcas breach from the inky depths, seals flounder on the snowfields. On a calm day, when the sunlight bounces off every surface, the silence is all-encompassing. It's like nowhere else on earth.

Don't miss

Penguins in Paradise Bay

Penguins in Paradise Bay

Home to gentoo penguins and the occasional humpback whale, Paradise Bay is a must-stop on any Antarctica cruise. Come to see penguins diving off ice floes and huge chunks of jagged ice surrounding the harbour. Wrap up — Paradise Bay’s temperatures remain below freezing year round.

Get your camera ready at Lemaire Channel

Get your camera ready at Lemaire Channel

Antarctica is a land of beauty, but perhaps the best views are reserved for the 1km stretch of Lemaire Channel, located between the mainland and Booth Island. It’s so photogenic that travellers have nicknamed it Kodak Gap.

Postcards from Port Lockroy

Postcards from Port Lockroy

This British research base was founded in 1944 and abandoned in 1962, and now operates as a museum staffed by volunteers. They operate the centre as it was in the 1940s, which means no internet or TVs, but you can buy and send postcards from one of the most southerly Post Offices in the world.

Sea kayaking

Sea kayaking

Not all excursions are on dry land! Your ship may carry kayaks, giving you a chance to explore the ice floes under paddle power.

Go birdwatching in the Falkland Islands

Go birdwatching in the Falkland Islands

Day 14–17 in Falkland Islands

Known by the Spanish as Islas Malvinas, this island archipelago has far more to offer than a troubled political history. The Falkland Islands offer some of the best birdwatching in the world, with large colonies of penguins, albatross and seals. A popular stop on Antarctic voyages, the islands are becoming increasingly popular in their own right, thanks to their abundant wildlife, gorgeous landscape and charming capital city Stanley.

Return to Punta Arenas and depart

Return to Punta Arenas and depart

Day 18 in Punta Arenas

Head back to Punta Arenas for your onward departure.

Where to stay

Classic

Hondius

Named after Jodocus Hondius, a Flemish and Dutch engraver and mapmaker, the 353-ft MV Hondius is a purpose-built, environmentally-friendly expedition cruise ship, designed to sail the rough and rugged waters of the world’s polar regions. The ship was launched in 2019 and carries up to 170 passengers, providing the utmost first-hand contact with Antarctica, while continuing the tradition of pure nature expedition cruises.

Incredibly important for a vessel cruising to some of the most unspoiled places on the planet, the Hondius ship uses LED lighting systems, steam heating plants, biodegradable paints and lubricants and state-of-the-art power management systems to keep fuel consumption and CO2 levels to the absolute minimum. This, in turn, allows you to enjoy the extraordinary seascapes, icescapes and wildlife as much as possible while impacting them as little as possible.

Classic

Ortelius

Built in 1989 as a scientific research vessel, and recently extensively refurbished, the Ortelius is an expedition-style ship with the highest ice class rating available, she is ideally suited for exploration into the most remote corners of Antarctica. Named after the publisher of the first modern atlas, Ortelius can accommodate up to 108 passengers and is manned by 52 highly experienced nautical crew members.


Classic

Plancius

Named after Petrus Plancius, a Dutch astronomer and cartographer, the 293-ft Plancius began life in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Netherlands Navy. She underwent a major two-year multi-million-dollar refurbishment in 2009, transforming her into the modern, expedition-style passenger ship that she is today, ice-strengthened and upgraded for comfort and cruising, with a diesel-electric propulsion system that reduces the noise and vibration of the engines considerably.

Deluxe

Sylvia Earle

Hailed as a “Floating ambassador for the conservation of the planet,” the Sylvia Earle is a 341-ft polar expedition ship, launched in 2021, with an 1A Ice Class rating and accommodation for 132 passengers. The vessel claims to have the lowest polluting marine engines in the world, due to a combination of low energy consumption, high fuel efficiency and a streamlined design. She was named after marine biologist and oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle.

There are 71 cabins in eight different categories, ranging in size from 479 square feet to 226 square feet, and each with its own ensuite bathroom. Some 60% of cabins can accommodate a third person upon request. Top of the range is the Captain’s suite, of which there is only one, so be sure to book well in advance if you’d like to take advantage of this luxury. Some of the cabins have wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, and many are interconnecting for families and groups.

Superior

Greg Mortimer

Built in 2019 and named in honor of the company’s founder, the Greg Mortimer is designed for family-friendly expeditions to the most remote locations. She thereby provides the perfect base camp for Antarctic adventures at the outer limits of human exploration. Robust and powerful, with unrivaled stability, her cutting-edge nautical technology and luxurious design ensures the comfort and safety of up to 132 guests.

There are 76 comfortable suites (with separate lounge areas) and cabins in eight different categories aboard your Greg Mortimer Antarctica cruise; all have a view of the ocean and all are spaciously proportioned, ranging in size from 180 – 385 square feet. Eighty percent have their own private balcony where you can see the world go by and breathe in the sea air. All come with private bathrooms, adequate storage, twin or double bed configurations, and international power outlets. All are serviced daily.

Deluxe

Ocean Albatros

Taking you to the most isolated and pristine regions of the planet, and enabling you to explore remote shores and coastlines, the Ocean Albatros is a sleek 341-foot-long, ice-strengthened expedition cruise ship with luxury amenities, operating in both Antarctica and the Arctic. The vessel has nine decks; she was built in 2023 and accommodates up to 169 guests with a crew of 120.


Superior

Ocean Victory

Built in 2021, Ocean Victory is a nine-deck, 189-passenger expedition ship that merges luxury and adventure for an immersive experience that will bring you close to the nature and wildlife of Antarctica. The environmentally-friendly vessel has the highest ice-class rating, and is ideally suited to the Southern Ocean with her X-bow design and revolutionary Rolls Royce Zero-Speed stabilizers, created to provide more comfort by reducing noise and vibration, and more stability respectively, especially in rough waters such as the Drake Passage.

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Antarctic Peninsula

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