Antarctica Adventure

If you’re interested in joining our Antarctica tour, please contact us. We MAY still be able to get you a cabin on the ship but this will depend on availability at the time of your inquiry.

Note that this is a co-ed trip!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Antarctica Adventure (Co-ed)

The tour begins with your arrival into Ushuaia, Argentina on November  25, 2024.

If you are joining us in Buenos Aires, you’ll be arriving with the group on the morning of November 25th. If you are arriving on your own, we’ll provide you with some guidance on booking flights into Ushuaia. Please do not book without contacting us first.

If you’d like additional hotel nights prior to the tour dates, let us know and we’d be happy to book them for you!

Day 1 – Ushuaia
Monday, November 25, 2024
Meals: Dinner

If you are part of our Buenos Aires tour, we’ll fly into Ushuaia in the morning. If you are arriving on your own, we suggest you arrive no later than the morning of the 25th but arriving one day earlier is suggested in case of flight delays.

Upon arrival, we’ll be met by a driver and taken to our hotel.

Ushuaia is a tiny town and easily navigable by foot. Since we’ll be boarding the ship tomorrow, this is an excellent time to stretch those legs and spend time browsing the shops at the end of the world or wandering the waterfront to see the ships getting ready to head out for Antarctica!

If you have arranged to rent gear in Ushuaia for your time in Antarctica, this would be the time to pick it up from the shop.

While lunch is not included (there are LOTS of options along the town’s one main street), we’ll gather tonight to enjoy a lovely meal together!

Overnight in Ushuaia at the Albatross Hotel or similar.

Day 2 – Ushuaia – Depart for Antarctica
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s the day! This morning after breakfast, we’ll make our way to our expedition ship where we’ll begin our journey to Antarctica.

We’ll head to the nearby pier where we’ll have our passports checked before we board the Plancius, our expedition ship. Note, no visa is required to visit the continent of Antarctica. Check our Antarctica FAQs for more info.

We’ll be shown our rooms by the very helpful expedition staff and then have some time to relax and get familiar with the ship before enjoying a wonderful dinner together tonight in the ship’s dining area. While we won’t have the ship to ourselves (darn!), our activities on-board have been organized specifically for our group and we’ll get to have meals together in the dining area.

In the early evening, our ship will depart the harbor in Ushuaia. We’ll make our way through the Beagle Channel–a protected waterway surrounded by land–before we begin the journey through the Drake Passage.

** Please note that the Drake Passage can be turbulent, causing some to get motion sick. This is not always the case, however, and many people have very smooth sailings (when the passage is lovingly referred to as the Drake Lake). In any event, please be prepared with motion sickness patches or medication so that you can make the most of your time on the ship.

Overnight on the Plancius expedition ship.

Day 3 – Antarctica
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’ll still be making our way through the Drake Passage on this day so we won’t have an opportunity to disembark. However, today and each day we’re on the ship, there will be talks given in a dedicated lecture room by the very knowledgeable expedition staff. Rest assured, you’ll never be bored!

Over the course of our week+ on the ship, we will learn about icebergs (such as growlers and bergy bits), penguins (such as Emperor, Chinstrap and Gentoo), and the amazing variety of seabirds (such as albatrosses, Cape pigeons, Southern fulmars and petrels).

It’s also likely we’ll see pods of whales!

There will be areas on the ship where we can gather as a group to enjoy cocktails, play games, chat or do all of the above. 😁

Overnight on the Plancius expedition ship.

Day 4 – Antarctica (Thanksgiving Day!)
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

What better way to spend Thanksgiving Day (for U.S. citizens) than by exploring a new world and being grateful for what we are experiencing. 😁

At some point today, we’ll have made it through the Drake Passage and will begin our entry into the South Shetlands, a group of islands that are between 80 – 90% completely glaciated. Even though we won’t disembark on this day, the scenery begins to change and it’s here that we’ll start to see icebergs and snow covered mountains.

There will be more talks throughout the day covering a variety of topics, all aimed at educating us on what we’ll be seeing and experiencing in this pristine environment.

Tonight we’ll be treated to a special dinner to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Overnight on the Plancius expedition ship.

Day 5 – 9 – Antarctica
Friday, November 29 – Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During these five days, we’ll be spending time in and around the Antarctic Peninsula and on the continent’s mainland. Weather permitting, we will have opportunities each day to leave the expedition ship to take part in a variety of activities–all included in the tour cost. This may include:

• Zodiac cruises that will give us a chance to get close to icebergs, islands and sealife.
• An on-shore photography class with a chance to photograph penguins, birdlife and seals.
• Sea kayaking to get closer to the sealife including penguins and birds.
• Snowshoeing and/or hiking on one of the many islands.
• Overnight camping on one of the islands!
• A visit to one of the many international research bases

Though the captain (and weather) will have the ultimate say, locations where we may visit include:

King George Island – Largest of the South Shetlands and home to many research bases as well as penguins, seals and birdlife.

Jougla Point – The entrance to Port Lockroy, home to the southern-most post office on the planet!

Deception Island – A flooded caldera in a volcano.

Petermann Island – A breeding colony for approximately 3,000 pairs of Gentoo penguins.

Paradise Bay – Recognized (and named) for its beauty, the area is ideal for kayaking and glacier viewing.

Overnight on the Plancius expedition ship.

Days 10 & 11 – Antarctica
Wednesday, December 4 and Thursday, December 5, 2024
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we’ll begin making our way back to Ushuaia via the Drake Passage. We won’t have any more opportunities to disembark in Antarctica, but there’s still plenty more to learn and there will be more talks given by the expedition staff on these days.

Overnight on the Plancius expedition ship.

Day 12 – Antarctica – Ushuaia – Home
Friday, December 6, 2024
Meals: Breakfast

We’ll have made our way back to the port of Ushuaia late the previous night or early this morning (depending on weather), but we remain on the ship until after a final breakfast. From here, you can make your way to the airport for your flight home or onward, stay in town and go to the airport for a flight later in the day, or overnight in Ushuaia (not included) for additional onward travel.

** Itinerary subject to change without notice.

__________________________________________________________________

If you’re interested in joining our Antarctica tour, please contact us. We MAY still be able to get you a cabin on the ship but this will depend on availability at the time of your inquiry.

Note that this is a co-ed trip!

Note: Deposits for Antarctica are non-refundable. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before registering.

Wondering why Antarctica is so expensive? Check out this blog post that addresses this very question.

Tour costs: $14,620
Twin Deluxe room (ship only): $985 (total for two people)
Flight from Buenos Aires – Ushuaia if traveling with us in Buenos Aires: $300 (approximate)
Fuel surcharge (ship only): There MAY be a fuel surcharge added to the cost of the tour. See the FAQs for additional information.

__________

Popular ways to pay for your WanderTour:

* Let us know if you’d like to receive a monthly invoice (your tour costs divided by the number of months prior to final payment due date).

* Contact your bank about automatically mailing checks to us each month.

* Pay via Venmo, check or wire transfer and you’ll receive a special gift during the tour as a thank you for helping us avoid bank fees.

* Pay using a credit card via PayPal (you do not need an account as you can log in as a guest).

__________

Note that all cabins on our expedition ship are Twin Window rooms that are shared by two people. These are located on Deck 4.

Each room includes: 1 window, 2 beds, a private shower and toilet, desk and chair, flatscreen TV, telephone and WiFi (additional cost), hair dryer and closet/storage space.

See this link for a visual of each cabin type.

For an additional charge, you may upgrade to a Twin Deluxe room that is located on a corner with an additional window and is slightly larger than the Twin Window room.

There are also cabins that can accommodate four people. If you are traveling with others whom you’d like to share a quadruple, please contact us for pricing. Note that these only have portholes and not full windows. 😉

Booking and Payment Details

Tour price includes: 11 nights accommodation; activities as outlined in itinerary; 31 meals; Antarctica permit; access to expedition ship staff throughout the ship journey; multiple lectures daily while on board the ship; tea, coffee, espresso drinks, water and snacks on board ship; all guided on-shore activities including kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, photography workshop and overnight camping; loan of winter boots for on-shore activities; welcome gift bag with specially curated treats!

Tour price does not include: Flights; travel insurance (highly recommended); evacuation insurance (required by IAATO which oversees Antarctica); fuel surcharge (if applicable); appropriate clothing (such as down jacket); tips for expedition staff; some meals; souvenirs and other personal purchases (such as snacks) and beverages.

This trip is limited to 15 people and requires a $2,500 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot.

Minimum reached!

Final payment is due no later than August 13, 2024.

As a boutique tour company, we really appreciate checks as it helps cut down tremendously on pesky bank fees. We ask that if you’re able, please pay the deposit or full amount by check, Venmo or wire transfer.

Here’s our mailing address:

WanderTours
PO Box 16102
Seattle, WA 98116

Note: Cancellation fees apply. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before registering.

The fine print

Antarctica Adventure Tour Registration Form (online)

Antarctica Adventure 2024 Itinerary (PDF)

.
.
.
.

We have partnered with Travel Insured International so that you have the ability to purchase “cancel for any reason” insurance. We HIGHLY recommend travel insurance (no matter who your provider is) to protect your travel investment from any future issues.

For tour questions, contact Beth at:
beth (at) wandertours (dot) com
206-317-1860

Trip Leader: Beth Whitman

Beth first visited Antarctica in 2022 thinking it would be her one and only trip to visit this continent. Little did she know that she would have an opportunity to return AND introduce others to this pristine region.

She considers it to be one of the most special destinations on the planet given its remote location and how few people visit.

Beth is the author of the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides including The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo and For Women Traveling to India. She is the publisher and founder of Wanderlust and Lipstick and WanderTours and hosted the She’s Bold podcast, which can be found through your favorite podcast provider.