Highlights

This expedition combines a one-way sailing across the Drake Passage with a flight between Antarctica and Patagonia, allowing you to experience the Antarctic Peninsula without sailing the Drake Passage twice. Depending on the departure, travel either Sail/Fly, from Ushuaia to Puerto Natales, or Fly/Sail, from Puerto Natales to Ushuaia. Spend four full days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula by Zodiac and on shore, with opportunities to encounter penguins, seals, whales and spectacular Antarctic landscapes, before continuing your journey by sea or air.

Sail the Drake Passage one way — experience the legendary Southern Ocean crossing from Ushuaia, with wandering albatrosses and other seabirds accompanying the voyage.
Fly out of Antarctica — take a 2.5-hour private charter flight from King George Island to Puerto Natales, avoiding the return sea crossing.
Four full days on the Antarctic Peninsula — explore the Gerlache Strait, Lemaire Channel, Paradise Bay, Deception Island and other sites according to conditions.
Set foot on the Antarctic continent — experience the Peninsula at micro-cruise scale, with all 36 guests able to go ashore together.
Exceptional Antarctic wildlife — look for Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie penguins; leopard, Weddell and crabeater seals; humpback and minke whales; petrels, skuas and Antarctic terns.
Expert photography guidance — a dedicated photography guide is part of the Expedition Team on every departure.
Farewell in Patagonia — finish the expedition with a farewell night at Weskar Lodge, with Torres del Paine on the doorstep.

Map/Itinerary

Please note:

Some departures start in Ushuaia and end in Puerto Natales (Sail & Fly), while others operate in the opposite direction (Fly & Sail).
This itinerary is meant to serve as a general guide. Plans may change along the way, depending on weather, sea conditions, or choices made by the Expedition Leader and team to give you the safest and most rewarding experience.

Day 1Arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina

Arrival Day

Upon arrival in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city in the world, you will be transferred to Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa, Ushuaia’s premier luxury resort.

Relax and enjoy the hotel’s exceptional facilities, including the fitness centre, indoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor relaxation pools, outdoor hot tubs, and pool bar. Alternatively, immerse yourself in Patagonia by exploring the scenic walking trails of the Cerro Alarkén Nature Reserve.

A complimentary overnight stay at Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa is included as part of your expedition.

Airport transfer to the hotel is included.

Day 2Ushuaia, Argentina Embarkation Day

Embarkation Day

Enjoy a leisurely morning to explore Ushuaia at your own pace. For ideas on what to see and do, please refer to our Ushuaia Handbook.

Embarkation takes place between 16:00 and 17:00, with a complimentary transfer provided from the hotel to the pier.

After mandatory safety briefings, join your fellow travellers for a welcome cocktail and dinner as Explorer Yacht Aureum departs through the Beagle Channel, marking the beginning of your expedition to Antarctica, with the legendary Drake Passage ahead.

Day 3-4Drake Passage

Drake Passage

The Drake is where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet with nothing to slow them. Aureum’s fin stabilisers hold the crossing steady; the programme on board holds your attention: polar science lectures, photography workshops, personal accounts from the expedition team.

Weather permitting, time on deck to watch wandering albatrosses trace the swell. The birds are large enough to be genuinely surprising at close range, and the guides know their species on sight.

The Antarctic Peninsula appears on the horizon toward the end of day three.

Day 5-8Antarctic Peninsula

Antarctic Peninsula

Four full days on the Peninsula. Where we go is shaped by conditions and opportunity:

We often sail into the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula through the scenic Gerlache Strait, flanked by jagged peaks. With the aim to explore Wilhelmina Bay, Cuverville Island, Paradise Bay, Lemaire Channel, Deception Island, and the sites between them.

Leopard seals on ice floes. Gentoo and Chinstrap penguin colonies. Humpback whales surfacing in the channels. Glaciers calving into water that carries no traffic. And the moment that defines your voyage: landing on the continent and setting foot on Antarctica.

Possible locations: Cierva Cove, Trinity Island, Mikkelsen Harbour, Hydrurga Rocks, Hughes Bay, Wilhelmina Bay, Cuverville Island, Errera Channel, Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay, Almirante Brown Station, Dallman Bay, Melchior Islands, Neumayer Channel, Port Lockroy, Lemaire Channel, Half Moon Island, Yankee Harbour, Whalers Bay, Baily Head, Deception Island.

Day 9King George Island to Puerto Natales

If the flight window shifts, the expedition continues in Antarctica. There is no shortage of Peninsula to explore, and every additional day is unplanned time in one of the most extraordinary places on earth.

The final night is at Weskar Lodge in Puerto Natales: farewell dinner, the expedition settling, Torres del Paine in the distance.

Day 10Enjoy your last day in Puerto Natales, Chile

Puerto Natales, Patagonia

Enjoy your last day in Puerto Natales, Chile

After your expedition, take the opportunity to explore Puerto Natales, the gateway to Chilean Patagonia—a frontier town with genuine character, exceptional local seafood, an unhurried pace, and an atmosphere entirely its own.

From here, discover nearby Torres del Paine National Park, part of the UNESCO Torres del Paine Biosphere Reserve, renowned for its granite towers, glaciers, turquoise lakes and remarkable wildlife.

Want to stay a little longer? Every Antarctica By Air expedition includes our Peace of Mind approach, with up to three additional nights in Puerto Natales at no extra accommodation cost. Discover Peace of Mind Extension →

Inclusions/Exclusions

Inclusions

Private charter flight between Puerto Natales and King George Island, in the applicable direction of travel.
One included hotel night at Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa for Sail/Fly departures, or accommodation at Weskar Lodge in Puerto Natales for Fly/Sail departures, according to the itinerary.
All airport, hotel, ship and expedition transfers specified in the itinerary.
Full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner, with soft drinks throughout the day and alcoholic beverages served with dinner.
Lectures, tutorials and workshops on board.
Zodiac excursions and shore landings.
Free use of ship’s Wi-Fi powered by Starlink.
Rubber Muck boots for shore landings.
Photography guidance and workshops.
IAATO fees, permits, landing fees and applicable operational fees.
Access to the ship’s medical facilities and expedition doctor.
Complimentary accommodation buffer in Puerto Natales when required due to weather-related flight delays, according to Secret Atlas’ Peace of Mind policy.