Highlights of the Frozen Continent

Fly from London and arrive in Buenos Aires. Transfer from airport to a hotel for an overnight stay. Spend the evening at your leisure and discover the 'Paris of South America' at your own pace.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Ushuaia, where MS Fridtjof Nansen awaits. Once on board, your expedition adventure commences with a welcome-on-board dinner.

Prepare yourself for Antarctica as the ship crosses the infamous Drake Passage! MS Fridtjof Nansen is designed especially to bring polar exploration to all ages and learning levels. As the cruise continues south, there will be lectures for all ages on the environment, films about Antarctica, and the Nansen Science Centre offers the latest technology for preserving your memories. This will be the heart of the expedition community; where you'll gather for talks, recaps and spontaneous events, mingle, and share stories.

Breathe in the crisp, cold air like you’ve never experienced it before as you cross the Antarctic Convergence, one of the most remote areas on earth! There have been spectacular photo opportunities so far, but Antarctica itself is a whole new ball game. Go ashore to explore the breath-taking Antarctic scenery and to come close to penguins and seals. From the moment you set foot on the endless expanse of snow and ice, you'll feel like a real explorer. There will be ample opportunities to sight whales from the deck and to enjoy close encounters with wildlife and glaciers, old whaling stations, and relics. Every second of this journey has something new to offer! Nature is in command in Antarctica, so all landings are subject to change due to weather and ice conditions. Sailing through Antarctic waters offers a wide range of breathtaking sights such as the skyward soaring cliffs that are home to nesting cape petrels and kelp gulls below, and a stony beach makes a suitable landing place outside of nesting season. MS Fridtjof Nansen features a wide variety of custom-built expedition equipment including a fleet of Blueye underwater drones, kayaks, paddleboards to give you the best opportunity to discover and explore like never before, and large inflatable explorer boats for landings in otherwise inaccessible destinations. Our expedition continues to Half Moon Island, a photogenic island blessed with some of the most beautiful Antarctic scenery imaginable. Savour the surroundings of the ring-shaped sunken active volcano of Deception Island in the South Shetland archipelago, where you may wish explore the caldera on foot during an organised hike. Wilhelmina Bay has stunning scenery and is often called 'Whale-mina Bay’, because of the large number of humpback whales spotted here in December. There will be plenty of planned activities to allow you to experience Antarctica in the best way. This might mean that one day you'll go shore to see penguins, the next day you'll cruise between the sea ice looking for leopard seals, and on the third day, go kayaking or on a longer hike or walk. On the Antarctic mainland, the British station of Port Lockroy is home to a museum offering an insight into 1950s life on an Antarctic base. South of Lemaire Channel is the beautiful landing site of Pleneau where stranded icebergs fill the bay. Cuverville Island boast large colonies of Gentoo penguins, and when opportunities arise kayaks are launched enabling you to view the incredible ice-covered surroundings from a different perspective, pitch tents and hike ashore adding another dimension whilst you explore untouched places during your unforgettable and unique Antarctic experience. Back on board there are countless activities in the Science Centre. Join gatherings where the expedition team recount the day’s activities, make presentations, and the expedition leader discusses the next day’s plan. For younger guests, there’s the Young Explorer Programme; a scientific introduction to biology, history, wildlife, and learning more about navigation with lectures, field trips, and visits to the Nansen Science Centre.

After exploring this exhilarating continent, the ship sets a course back to civilisation. Spend the day at sea re-capping your experiences, exploring the Science Centre, or simply relaxing in the Wellness area or on deck.

Sadly, every adventure must come to an end. It’s time to say goodbye to the crew and all your new friends as MS Fridtjof Nansen arrives in Ushuaia. Disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires and onwards to London.