TRAVEL TIP: All the highlights of Antarctica in one trip

This cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula is an animal lover's dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth—a land with wildly romantic landscapes and an incredibly diverse wildlife.

Day 2: Winged life in the westerlies
Several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrels follow our ship with the westerlies.

Day 4: Seat of Falkland culture
The capital of the Falklands, Port Stanley has South American features mixed with a little Victorian charm: colorful houses, well-kept gardens, and English pubs. In the surrounding area, you can see several hundred-year-old shipwrecks, which are silent witnesses to the hardships of 19th-century seafaring. The small but interesting museum is also worth a visit. It tells the story of the Falklands from the early days of settlement to the Falklands War. Admission to the museum is included. The capital, which you can explore at your leisure, is home to around 2,100 people today.

Days 7–10: South Georgia
Today you will reach South Georgia and can start your first activities there. The weather conditions here are very challenging and will largely determine the program.

Places you may visit include:

Prion Island – This place is closed during the early breeding season of the wandering albatross (November 20 – January 7). From January onwards, the sexually mature birds have found their mates and are sitting on eggs or caring for their chicks. Experience the gentle nature of these animals, which have the largest wingspan of any bird in the world.

Fortuna Bay – many king penguins and seals live on a beautiful plain in front of the Fortuna Glacier. Here you have the opportunity to follow the last section of Shackleton's route to the abandoned whaling village of Stromness. This route leads over the mountain pass behind Shackleton's Waterfall. The terrain here is partly marshy, so be prepared to cross small streams.

Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbor – These sites are home not only to the three largest king penguin colonies in South Georgia, but also to three of the world's largest breeding grounds for Antarctic fur seals. Millions of seals breed in South Georgia in December and January. In February, the young seals are curious and playful, filling the surf with life and fun. Large elephant seals come to the beaches to moult.

Grytviken – You have the opportunity to visit this abandoned whaling station, where king penguins walk the streets and elephant seals lie around and relax as if they own the place, which is almost the case. You can also visit the South Georgia Museum and Shackleton's grave.

On the afternoon of the 10th day, depending on conditions, you will sail south towards the South Orkney Islands.

Day 12: Picturesque views of the South Orkney Islands
Depending on prevailing conditions, we may visit Base Orcadas , an Argentine scientific station on Laurie Island. The staff will be happy to show you around the station. If a visit here is not possible, we may land at Shingle Cove on Coronation Island instead.

Day 14: Along the Antarctic Peninsula
Ice permitting, you will sail into Antarctic Sound on the northwestern edge of the Weddell Sea. Here, colossal tabular icebergs announce your arrival at the eastern edges of the Antarctic Peninsula. Brown Bluff is a potential landing site where you will have the chance to set foot on the Antarctic continent.

Days 16–20: Continuing into Antarctica
Gray stone peaks covered in snow, towers of broken blue and white ice, and a very diverse flora and fauna welcome you to Antarctica. You will enter the Gerlach Strait area and see one of the most beautiful landscapes Antarctica has to offer.

Places you can visit here include:

Neko Harbor – An epic landscape of massive glaciers and endless snowfields shaped by the wind. A Zodiac excursion offers the best perspective of the ice-capped mountain peaks.

Paradise Bay – During a Zodiac ride in this expansive, ice-strewn bay, there is a good chance of seeing humpback and minke whales.

The goal is to sail south. If conditions permit, you can visit the following locations above the Arctic Circle:

Crystal Sound – The journey continues south, past the Argentine Islandsto an ice-covered stretch of water. You are now close to the Arctic Circle, which you will cross in the morning.

Detaille Island – You can land near an abandoned British research station here. The area features high mountains and impressive glaciers.

Pourquoi Pas Island – You can sail around this island, named after the ship of the famous French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. This place is known for its narrow fjords and high mountains covered with glaciers.

Horseshoe Island – This is the site of the former British Base Y, a remnant of the 1950s that is now unmanned but still equipped with almost all of the technology it had during its operation.

As with all Antarctic voyages, conditions in the Drake Passage determine the exact departure time.

Day 23: There and back again
Every adventure, no matter how great, must come to an end at some point. Now it's time to disembark in Ushuaia —but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure takes you.

polar diving

Beneath the surface of the icy waters of the polar regions lies a fascinating world of shimmering ice formations and surprisingly diverse marine life. Between icebergs and under pack ice, divers encounter colorful soft corals, sea anemones, crabs, and other specialized organisms that are perfectly adapted to the extreme conditions.

The dives are accompanied by experienced guides and carefully planned. Safety is the top priority. Depending on weather and ice conditions, one to two dives with a maximum depth of about 20 meters are planned per day. Prerequisites for participation are extensive experience in cold water diving and routine in handling dry suits.