Antarctica and South Georgia Island Holiday Voyage

Arrive in Argentina’s capital where you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Explore Buenos Aires with your local guides, choosing from excursions that include a guided tour with a tango demonstration or a tour of the city’s vibrant street art scene. In the evening, join your fellow guests and A&K staff for a welcome cocktail reception.

Fly to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Take a guided trek in the Cerro Alarken Nature Reserve before boarding your luxurious expedition cruiser for the next 15 days of adventure. Watch from the comfort of your private balcony as ‘Le Lyrial’ heads out to sea.

The journey south toward Antarctica is an exciting one, furthered by singular, voyage-long access to our knowledgeable Expedition Team and enrichment experts both on board and on shore. Set out into the Drake Passage, a 600-mile-wide swath of water where the Southern Ocean currents are squeezed between South America's southern tip and Antarctica's northernmost reaches. An important trade route in the 19th and early 20th centuries, its stormy waters and icy conditions once made the journey a difficult one, though the stabilizer-equipped 'Le Lyrial' handles it with ease. Photography enthusiasts of all ages enjoy time with A&K’s Resident Photo Coach, on hand to share tips and answer questions. Young guests — even teens, who may enjoy their own teens-only group — are invited to join Young Explorers Guides for onboard adventures ranging from a scavenger hunt to nautical knot-tying. Join your fellow guests and celebrate an unforgettable Christmas Eve on board.

Experience a Christmas Day like no other as you find yourself in one of the most beautiful places on earth. As the Antarctic Peninsula and its offshore islands appear on the horizon, a sense of excitement begins to build. Your Captain and Expedition Team carefully plan your active, curated itinerary, which is dependent on weather, sea, ice and wildlife conditions. A typical day in fair weather conditions begins with an early breakfast followed by a morning excursion on swift Zodiacs (sturdy inflatable boats). Guided by expert drivers, each Zodiac excursion is accompanied by lecturers and joined by groups of no more than ten guests. After mornings discovering native species and striking terrain, return to 'Le Lyrial' for lunch, and time to relax and observe the wildlife-rich waters that surround you, searching for everything from fin whales, humpback whales and orcas, to Antarctic and imperial shags. By afternoon, set out for the day's second excursion, which if weather permits, which may include visiting a working scientific research station, hiking on a sheltered beach packed with basking Weddell or crabeater seals, or circumnavigating colossal icebergs that serve as floating homes to seals and penguins. Each day is different in Antarctica and flexibility is the key to your expedition. Enjoy a Zodiac cruises in areas known for prolific population of humpback whales or visits to sites known for populations of gentoo penguins, kelp gulls and breeding skua. Later, choose to recap the day's discoveries with your naturalist guides; chat on deck with fellow guests; or seize the opportunity to capture photos in the stunning low light characteristic of Antarctica's long, ethereal twilight.

As you sail northeast toward South Georgia Island, South Georgia, sightings of whales and other wildlife become more frequent. Your time at sea is once again filled with informative lectures and casual talks with your guides, leaving your knowledge of the region greatly enriched. The open ocean is a treasure chest bursting with life — scan the seas to spot marine mammals and seabirds.

Enjoy a New Year’s celebration and in the first days of the new year, explore South Georgia, the Southern Ocean’s crown jewel of wildlife. South Georgia is a nearly submerged continuation of the Andes Mountains, and your days here are spent exploring its glacier-carved coves and rugged shores — ideal for exploring with your naturalist guides on Zodiacs (sturdy inflatable boats). Weather and ice conditions permitting, excursions over the next three days include stops along the northeast coastline of the island, where you may have the chance to visit vast colonies of king penguins and southern elephant seals. You may also explore iconic historic sites with your A&K historian, who shares tales of the whaling era and the heroic age of exploration. You also learn about the life and exploits of Antarctica’s greatest explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose final resting place is right here on South Georgia Island, at Grytviken.

As you sail from South Georgia, you have time to enjoy the services and amenities aboard ‘Le Lyrial.’ Conditions permitting, the ship cruises past nutrient-rich waters and the islands of Shag Rocks. As ‘Le Lyrial’ sails the Southern Ocean, deck-side sightings of whales and other wildlife become more frequent. Time spent cruising is once again filled with informative lectures and casual talks with your guides as lecturers recap the adventures experienced in the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island. Enjoy time with the new friends you’ve made or participate in family-friendly activities with your Young Explorers Guides.

As ‘Le Lyrial’ approaches the Beagle Channel, be on deck to spot various species of whales and seabirds, including the elusive albatross and the giant petrel, an opportunistic predator and scavenger nicknamed the "stinker." The immense albatross is an especially stunning sight to behold. These wandering birds boast a wingspan of twelve feet on average and use their powerful wings to glide through the air for hours at a time in search of food.

'Le Lyrial' docks at Ushuaia this morning. After breakfast, bid farewell to your Expedition Team and crew before disembarking by 9:00 a.m. You are transferred to the airport for your return flight to the Buenos Aires airport, where you connect to your international flight home.