ANTARCTIC PENINSULA & WEDDELL SEA: EXPEDITION WITH LONG HIKES
from/to Ushuaia
11 days (10 nights)
MS Hondius
11 days (10 nights) Active ship expedition with long hikes to the Antarctic Peninsula and the remote Weddell Sea from/to Ushuaia, including Drake Passage, Paradise Bay, and Deception Island
This 11-day expedition cruise takes you to one of the most impressive regions in the world, featuring gigantic ice shelves, majestic icebergs, and a still-active volcano. Even as you sail through the Drake Passage, you’ll be following in the footsteps of early polar explorers in the world’s coldest and windiest climate. This journey takes you off the “classic” routes to both sides of the Antarctic Peninsula and into the rarely visited Weddell Sea, with its massive tabular icebergs and dense ice fields.
On this ship expedition, you won’t just be a spectator at the railing—you’ll repeatedly set foot on the frozen continent yourself as part of a true journey of discovery. During long hikes lasting up to six hours, you’ll get up close and personal with the mysteries of Antarctica. Since these extended hiking expeditions take you across rocky and snow-covered terrain —and sometimes involve significant elevation changes—a good level of physical fitness and stamina is essential. Your reward for these efforts: breathtaking panoramic views and the knowledge that only a few people before you have ever set foot in this wilderness.
You can also experience the breathtaking dimensions of this dramatic landscape on Zodiac excursions through icy channels—with a stiff salty breeze on your skin. Possible landing sites include Vega Island, Neko Harbor, or Half Moon Island with its Argentine research station.
As hostile as the polar landscape may seem at first glance, it is surprisingly rich in iconic animals such as humpback whales, fin whales, gentoo and chinstrap penguins, and Weddell seals. Accompanied by experienced guides, polar history, ice, and wildlife merge into an intense polar experience – while Cape petrels, black-browed albatrosses, and southern giant petrels circle above your ship.
Stephanie Gräf
Travel expert, inventia | Travel beyond the ordinary
Specialist in travel to the Arctic and Antarctic.
I am your contact person for questions and bookings relating to the Arctic and Antarctic, and I am delighted that you are one of the few people who are traveling to the ends of the earth.
You can reach me by phone or email:
+49 (0)201 858 90 960
welcome@inventia.de
Good to know
Arrival and departure:We offer various individual travel packages including flights, hotels in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, transfers, and activities. We are also happy to suggest pre- and post-programs in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay to extend your trip.
Attention solo travelers: If you do not wish to have a single cabin, accommodation on board is possible in shared cabins. In this case, you will be accommodated with other travelers of the same gender and possibly of a different nationality. There are no single cabin surcharges.
Entry requirements: German citizens need only a passport (valid for 6 months beyond the date of return) to enter Argentina.
Insurance: Proof of international health insurance covering medical repatriationmust be provided.
Medical questionnaire:You are required to completea medical questionnaire before departure.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Rare route on both sides of the Antarctic Peninsula
- Entry into the remote, ice-rich Weddell Sea
- Long hikes of up to 6 hours with considerable differences in altitude
- Visit to the volcanic island of Deception Island
- Entering Paradise Bay with its enormous glaciers and icebergs
- Possible sightings of humpback whales and orcas, crabeater seals, and chinstrap penguins
route
Your route to the Antarctic Peninsula and through the Weddell Sea
itinerary
Day 1: Departure at the end of the world
Your journey begins where the world ends: you start in Ushuaia (Argentina), the southernmost city on Earth in Tierra del Fuego. After embarking in the afternoon, you will reach the picturesque Beagle Channel, surrounded by mountains, in the evening.
Days 2 to 3: On the route of the early explorers
During the next two days in the Drake Passage, you will experience firsthand how the early polar explorers experienced these harsh regions: with the sound of the sea in your ears, you will feel the cool salty breeze on your skin. Keep your eyes open: you might even see a fin whale emerge from the waves.
Once you have passed the Antarctic Convergence, which forms the natural boundary of Antarctica, you find yourself in the circumpolar upwelling zone: here, cold water flowing northwards collides with warmer sub-Antarctic water masses, changing marine life – and bird life too.
Circling in the sky above your ship are wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, sooty albatrosses, Cape petrels, southern fulmars, colorful-footed petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels, among others.
Days 4 to 5: Entering the Weddell Sea
Today you will reach the rarely visited Weddell Sea. You will explore the waters of Erebus and Terror Gulfs with the pack ice typical of the Weddell Sea. You may also visit Beak Island and Devil Island with its striking "devil's horns."
While exploring the Erebus and Terror Gulfs, your expedition team will be constantly on the lookout for places to go ashore. You may also have the opportunity to visit Vega Island and experience the Antarctic wilderness up close in one of its most remote regions.
Days 6 to 7: Passage through the Orleans Strait and Gerlache Strait
Your ship will now maneuver along the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, passing through Orleans Strait and Gerlache Strait. With a little luck, you may spot humpback whales and orcas as you head towards Mikkelsen Harbor for your afternoon activities.
Possible destinations on these two days:
Danco Island – Here you can search for the gentoo penguins that nest on the island, as well as Weddell and crabeater seals, which also like to spend time there.
Neko Harbor – An impressive landscape of massive glaciers and endless snowfields shaped by the wind. Neko Harbor offers the opportunity for a Zodiac ride and a landing that allows a particularly close view of the surrounding alpine peaks.
Paradise Bay – You may be able to take a Zodiac ride in these expansive waters dotted with ice floes. The chances of encountering humpback whales and minke whales here are very good.
Day 8: Diverse scenes of the South Shetland Islands
The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are often windswept and shrouded in fog, but they also reveal the surprisingly diverse life in Antarctica: a wide variety of plants—including mosses, lichens, and flowering grasses —as well as an impressive fauna of gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, and southern giant petrels.
During your stay, you could also visit Deception Island, where the ship can enter the flooded caldera through Neptune's Bellows . Here you will find an abandoned whaling station and thousands of Cape petrels, accompanied by kelp gulls, brown and South Polar skuas, and Antarctic terns. This fascinatingly barren volcanic landscape offers the opportunity for a very rewarding hike.
Alternatively, activities could take place in the vicinity of Half Moon Island. There, chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often gather on the beach near Cámara Station, an Argentine research station. The exact departure times depend on conditions in the Drake Passage.
Days 9 to 10: Back through the Drake Passage
On the return journey through the Drake Passage, you may encounter countless seabirds and the occasional whale, perhaps even old acquaintances. Keep your eyes peeled. By now, you will be well versed in wildlife viewing in Antarctica.
Day 11: Farewell to Antarctica in Ushuaia
Today, you return from the vastness of Antarctica to the end of the world and disembark your ship in Ushuaia. You take with you all the deep impressions that will accompany you home and make you look back fondly on your expedition on the MS Hondius.
The daily programs described here are for your guidance. The itinerary may vary considerably due to local ice and weather conditions, last-minute permit procedures, and local authorities, but also to respond to current conditions regarding wildlife viewing.Theexpedition leader on board will determine the final itinerary and daily program. Flexibility is of utmost importance during our expedition-style voyages.
DATES & PRICES
Request your trip here!
Submit questions via email Arrange a callback Call now: +49 201 85890960
or please select your preferred date
February 3, 2027 – February 13, 2027
from $0 per person
11 days/10 nights
MS Hondius (Maximum occupancy: 170)
Ushuaia Ushuaia
Optional extras: camping, kayaking
Selected date
February 3, 2027 – February 13, 2027 (11 days/10 nights)
MS Hondius | Antarctic Peninsula - Weddell Sea + Activity: Long hikes
Four people with porthole
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Double room with window
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Grand Suite with private balcony
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Summary
Optional activities
Information
Included services:
- Cruise and overnight stays on board the booked ship according to the published itinerary
- All meals, including snacks, coffee, and tea throughout the trip on board the ship
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the trip, including Zodiac excursions
- Use of rubber boots and snowshoes
- Luggage transfer to the ship on the day of departure in Ushuaia
- Collective transfer on the day of disembarkation from the port to Ushuaia Airport (immediately after disembarkation)
- All other taxes and port fees related to the ship program
- Comprehensive travel documents (boarding pass, travel information)
- 1.5 GB of Starlink Wi-Fi per person per day
Not included in the price:
- Flights, whether scheduled or charter flights
- Land arrangements before and after the cruise (e.g., hotel accommodations on land)
- Passport and visa fees
- Arrival and departure taxes
- Meals ashore
- Luggage, cancellation, and personal insurance (highly recommended)
- Excess baggage fees and all onboard services such as laundry, bar, beverage costs, and telecommunications costs
- Tips at the end of the trip for the service staff on board (guidelines available on request)
Important:
- Language spoken on board: English
- English-speaking expedition team
- Means of payment on board: US dollars, euros, and major credit cards
- Filling out a medical questionnaire is mandatory.
- Rubber boots available for loan on board
- Open bridge
- A doctor is on board
- Proof of international health insurance with medical repatriation must be provided.
- The trip is not suitable for people with limited mobility.
- A heart for solo travelers: Share a cabin with travelers of the same gender and save on the single cabin supplement. Valid for four-bed, three-bed, and double cabins with portholes, windows, and deluxe cabins. The cabins have separate beds.
Long hikes in Antarctica
Long hikes in Antarctica are intended for small groups accompanied by at least two expedition staff members with experience in this terrain.
These hikes offer an immersive experience in the polar landscape and require participants to be prepared to hike for up to six hours on fairly rugged, rocky, and snow-covered terrain with significant elevation changes. Although the pace is steady and manageable, conditions can be challenging and change quickly.
A good level of fitness and a willingness to walk for extended periods are essential. The total duration of the tour depends on local conditions and allows you to explore the vastness of the Antarctic wilderness. For those who prefer not to participate in the long hikes, alternative activities or shore excursions will be offered during that time.
Your ship during the voyage
Hondius Antarctica landscape
MS Hondius on Antarctic voyage
basecamp-weddell sea_hiking antarctica_max draeger_oceanwide expeditions
Antarctic hiking | © Max Draeger
weddell sea hikes_beagle channel_sara jenner_oceanwide expeditions
At sunset through the Beagle Channel | © Sara Jenner
weddell sea hikes_black-browed albatross_oceanwide expeditions
black-browed albatross
weddell sea hikes_whale fin_felicity johnson_oceanwide expeditions
Whale fin | © Felicity Johnson
basecamp-weddell sea_devil island hike_sara jenner_oceanwide expeditions
Hiking on Devil Island | © Sara Jenner
weddell sea hikes_danco island_sara jenner_oceanwide expeditions
Whale off Danco Island | © Sara Jenner
weddell sea hikes_neko harbor_martin anstee_oceanwide expeditions
Neko Harbor | © Martin Anstee
weddell sea hikes_gentoo penguin_oceanwide expeditions
Gentoo penguin in the snow
weddell sea hikes_deception island landing_oceanwide expeditions
Landing on Deception Island
weddell sea hikes_deception island_sara jenner_oceanwide expeditions
Deception Island | © Sara Jenner
Antarctica-Weddell Sea-MS Ushuaia-Base Camara on Half Moon Island-Eric Giuliani
Camara Base on Half Moon Island
weddell sea hikes_half moon island_oceanwide expeditions
Half Moon Island
weddell sea hikes_chubby penguins_sara jenner_oceanwide expeditions
Rope penguins | © Sara Jenner
weddell sea hikes_wanderalbatross_sara jenner_oceanwide expeditions
Wandering albatross | © Sara Jenner
weddell sea expeditions_orcas_martin anstee_oceanwide expeditions
Orcas | © Martin Anstee
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