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This is a dedicated 15-day expedition to South Georgia, not a stop between destinations but a journey devoted entirely to one of the world’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries. With an aim for eight days exploring the island, you’ll have the luxury of time to discover its spectacular coastline, historic landing sites, dramatic mountain scenery, and extraordinary abundance of wildlife at a pace few expeditions can match.
Early Austral spring reveals South Georgia at a remarkable moment. Frost-white beaches remain untouched, king penguins gather in their hundreds of thousands, elephant seal bulls battle for dominance, and fur seal numbers have yet to peak, opening access to landing sites that become far more restricted later in the season. Long golden evenings stretch across the landscape, with a sense of solitude rarely found elsewhere.
36 guests. Six senior polar guides. One purpose-built expedition vessel with active fin stabilisers and hybrid propulsion for the Southern Ocean crossing. Every landing decided by conditions and opportunity, not by a printed schedule.
Please note: 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.
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Embarkation day. Most guests fly into Mount Pleasant Airport, where the expedition team will meet you. Luggage is transferred directly to the vessel. We take a charter bus into Stanley together.
If you are already on the Falklands, join us at the Tourist Office from 15:00. The afternoon is yours — the Maritime Museum, a walk along the waterfront, a pint at the Globe.
Aboard by 18:00 for mandatory safety briefings. That evening, the official start: welcome cocktail, dinner, first introductions.
The Scotia Sea passage. Aureum’s dynamic fin stabilisers keep the crossing manageable; the programme on board does the rest – polar science lectures, photography workshops, personal accounts from the expedition team.
On day 3, we hope to cross the Antarctic Convergence and pass Shag Rocks – isolated jagged islets with exceptional concentrations of seabirds, seals, and whales. The first land since the Falklands. South Georgia is close.
South Georgia hosts some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife on earth.
Our approach takes us past Bird Island, one of the largest numbers of albatross nesting on earth. Wildlife meets you at the water’s edge before the first landing and the sound of seven million penguins arrives before the sight does.
Stand at Salisbury Plain among 50,000 king penguins, or at St Andrews Bay among 200,000. The sound arrives before the sight does. Our flexible schedule should take us to key colonies at the best times to witness these awe-inspiring moments.
Grytviken is a formal customs stop, the museum and the abandoned whaling station reward proper time. In the whalers’ cemetery, Shackleton and Frank Wild rest beneath simple headstones.
We aim to explore South Georgia’s wildest corners. The eight days that follow are shaped around early morning landings in golden light. Possible locations include: Bird Island, Elsehul Bay, Fortuna Bay, Stromness Bay, Cooper Bay, Drygalski Fjord, Grytviken, Nordenskjold Glacier, Ocean Harbour, King Haakon Bay.
Aureum turns north. The return passage mirrors the crossing south — lectures, workshops, time on deck, the rhythm of life at sea.
We hope to reach the Falkland Islands during the second half of day 14. Conditions allowing, a final shore visit before the expedition draws to a close.
Disembarkation after breakfast. A briefing from local airport authorities on timings and procedures. The expedition team will organise the transfer to Mount Pleasant Airport.
Inclusions
Exclusions
All prices are subject to availability, quoted per person and expressed in USD
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