Antarctica & South Georgia Air Cruise | Magellan Explorer

Staff members will welcome you on arrival in Punta Arenas, Chile. Transfer to your hotel, then visit the Explorers House, and attend a mandatory briefing that provides important information about your air-cruise, and reviews the essential guidelines for Antarctic visitors. At Explorers House, enjoy local gastronomy dinner as you meet your fellow adventurers.

A smooth two-hour flight takes you efficiently from Punta Arenas to King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands. Your Antarctic adventure begins as you exit the airplane and the clear Antarctic air fills your lungs for the first time. Explore the area surrounding Chile’s Frei Station and Russia’s Bellingshausen Station, before boarding a Zodiac to embark your expedition vessel.

Cruise between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords and among spectacular icebergs, while enjoying the company of seabirds, penguins, seals and whales. Each day, disembark by Zodiac and explore the landscape together with expert polar guides. On board the ship, attend an engaging program of lectures and presentations, and enjoy spectacular views from the lounge while sharing your daily adventures with fellow guests.

No journey is the same as flexibility is the key to success in Antarctica. The Expedition Team sets the voyage route to take advantage of the ever-changing opportunities provided by Nature, crafting a unique and extraordinary experience each time. While the exact itinerary changes with each expedition, you will explore several spots in the Gerlache Strait that offer the best possible overview of the varied Antarctic environment.

Sailing north of the Antarctic Peninsula, we hope to stop at Elephant Island. It was here that the crew of Shackleton’s Endurance found refuge while he and five handpicked men carried on in a small open lifeboat, crossing 1,300 km of open sea to South Georgia in order to arrange the rescue of their comrades. While the stormy conditions of this area rarely allow a shore landing, you will be able to see the island from the ship.

As we sail on northward, our historian and our naturalists offer presentations and informal chats. There is time to socialize in the ship’s lounge and to be inspired by tales of exploration, while keeping an eye out for the region’s abundant birdlife.

The island of South Georgia is a diverse landscape of majestic mountains, massive glaciers, grassy uplands and deep fjords. Visit the former whaling outpost of Grytviken, where you may pay your respects at the simple grave of Ernest Shackleton. At St. Andrew’s Bay be overwhelmed by the sight of 150,000 King Penguins. At Cooper Island, the nesting home of thousands of black-browed albatrosses, see a large colony of macaroni penguins. If the weather is favourable, visits are also planned at Fortuna Bay, Salisbury Plains, Prion Island, and Elsehul Bay.

As the ship heads to South America, the Expedition Team continue their program of presentations. Use this time to enhance your understanding of the region and its history: Enjoy the collection of themed books in the library, attend film screenings, and spend time socializing in the ship’s lounge. Take your binoculars to the outside observation decks and spot for the great wondering albatross that may be soaring in the proximity of the ship.

Approach the South American continent and sail along the Beagle Channel. Take in the beauty of Tierra del Fuego to the north and Navarino Island to the south as you make your way to Ushuaia.

Arrival to Ushuaia, where your journey ends.