Expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula

Few cities can match the unbridled energy of Buenos Aires. Cutting-edge restaurants and sultry dancehalls set the stage for a festive expression of Argentine identity. Upon arrival, head to your hotel in the heart of the capital.

Today, opt for a panoramic city tour complete with a tango demonstration, or simply relax and enjoy your hotel’s amenities. Unwind with a welcome cocktail ahead of your flight to Ushuaia tomorrow.

Fly to Ushuaia, your gateway to Antarctica and a true frontier in its own right. Beyond its neat streets and waterfront restaurants stretches the dramatic wilderness of Tierra del Fuego, at the very tip of the Americas, where serrated massifs tower above native forests and glaciers calve into fjords in a maze of islands. Later today, board your expedition vessel and head out to sea.

Your adventure at sea begins with a voyage across the storied Drake Passage. Spanning some 600 miles of open ocean, this passage marks the confluence of the humid subpolar conditions of Tierra del Fuego and the frigid polar reaches of Antarctica. Notorious for its squalls, the Drake Passage once made for an unpredictable voyage. Today, your stabilizer-equipped expedition vessel commands these waters with confidence.

Take advantage of the amenities on board as well as university-caliber lectures, all part of a voyage-long enrichment program led by A&K’s Expedition Team. Scan for albatross and storm petrels on deck before gathering in the theater for a briefing on tomorrow’s itinerary — and your first sighting of the White Continent.

As the Antarctic Peninsula and its offshore islands appear on the horizon, a sense of excitement begins to build. Dependent on wildlife, weather, sea and ice conditions, Antarctic expeditions demand spontaneity — no two are ever the same. Over the coming days, your Captain and Expedition Team carefully adapt your route and daily excursions to make the most of your time in Antarctica. The days that follow offer a glimpse of what you might expect to discover.

This morning, your Expedition Team may chart a course for the South Shetland Islands, an enclave of captivating history, geology and wildlife. Here, your team looks for the best opportunities to visit volcanic islands and historic sites, as well as gentoo, Adélie and chinstrap penguin rookeries.

Bordering the South Shetland Islands along the Antarctic continent, the Danco Coast is famed for its scenic, jawdropping waterways. Conditions permitting, you may sail through some of its most stunning and photogenic channels, straits and bays.

Continue exploring the Antarctic Peninsula. After a full day of adventure, recap the day’s discoveries with your naturalist guides, spend time on deck chatting with fellow guests and take in enriching presentations from the Expedition Team.

Today’s adventures might include a Zodiac cruise through an area renowned for its prolific humpback whale sightings or visits to sites frequented by gentoo penguins, kelp gulls and breeding skuas. Following the day’s excursions, relax or seize the opportunity to capture photos amid Antarctica’s distinctively atmospheric twilight.

Bid farewell to Antarctica as the ship heads north to Ushuaia through a stretch of water bridging the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and separating the White Continent from Cape Horn in South America. Sightings of giant petrels and the elusive albatross are possible.

On your final day at sea, your Expedition Team keeps the onboard enrichment coming with classes, presentations and a recap of your voyage that includes a professionally produced photo retrospective — a perennial guest favorite. Relax, unwind and reflect on the highlights of your Antarctic voyage as Le Lyrial nears the Argentine coast.

After your arrival in Ushuaia, disembark and transfer to your charter flight to Buenos Aires.