Tripadvisor
Young Pioneer Tours
Antarctica Frozen Continent Expedition
It seems like an age since we last went to Antarctica, and so in 2021 YPT will take you back to the frozen continent. We have been running trips to Greenland and Svalbard in Arctic waters, but for country and continent collectors, photographers, and actually just anyone with an adventurous spirit, this Antarctica cruise is not to be missed.
Setting sail from Tierra del Fuego, the ‘Land of Fire’ on the archipelago at the tip of South America where the Andes curl east, this is the end of the world. The tour will meet up in Ushuaia, Argentina, before heading to board the m/v Hondius.
We then begin our 10 day voyage through the Beagle Channel and the Drake Passage toward the Antarctic Convergence, where the Antarctic begins. We’ll see the Melchior Islands and sail through the Schollaert Channel, between Brabant and Anvers Islands. Traversing the Neumayer Channel we can visit the former British research station at Port Lockroy. In Wilhelmina Bay we will spot the wreck of the Guvernøren, a burned out wreck of a whaling ship that caught fire in 1915.
Then there’s the wildlife. We’ll be spotting whales, including fin, humpback and Minke, as well as crabeater and leopard seals. The birdlife in Antarctica is incredible, and we’ll look out for colonies of seven types of penguin as well as shags, albatrosses and petrels in the skies and waters.
The scenery does not get boring even after 9 or 10 days, the open seas, the glaciers and icebergs, alpine mountains covered in snow, all make for photographs that will trump almost any of your other trips.
On this trip we will be enjoying lectures from professional ecologists on board this trip and will go on snowshoeing walks free of charge. There will also be the chance to go kayaking ($450) and overnight camping ($195) which is a unique highlight and not to be missed out so best for you to book early.
On a trip like this, we cannot guarantee the itinerary, it will depend on the weather and the condition of the ice, the final say for routes is with the captain of the ship and the professional team onboard
| $5895 | Quadruple Porthole |
| $6695 | Triple Porthole |
| $7345 | Twin Porthole |
| $7695 | Twin Window |
| $8245 | Twin Deluxe |
| $8945 | Superior |
| $9595 | Junior Suite |
| $10945 | Grand Suite with private balcony |
Wednesday 15th December – Ushuaia, the end of the world!
- Meet the group in the morning in Ushuaia, right at the end of the world!
- Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, the largest in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south of South America. YPT can advise on the best way to get here and arrange pre-tour accommodation
- After a pre-tour meeting making sure we have everything we need for the trip, we’ll grab a lunch in Ushuaia as we get ready to set sail
- In the afternoon we will board the m/v Hondius from Tierra del Fuego
- For the rest of the day we will be sailing through the Beagle Channel, flanked by the southern reaches of the Andes Mountains
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Thursday 16th December – the Drake Passage
- Today we’re sailing the Drake Passage and get our first hint of what it’s like to be out at sea heading towards the Antarctic
- Lunch on the ship
- Today will be the first of a program of lectures by experienced expedition staff about the Antarctic, the environment and marine life
- Watch out over the seas for fin whales
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Friday 17th December – the Antarctic Convergence
- Today we pass the Antarctic Convergence, this is the natural boundary of the Antarctic where the colder southern waters hit the warmer northern warms as they flow north
- Lunch on the ship
- Now we’re entering the furthest reaches of the Antarctic waters the wildlife changes. Look out for wandering albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars and Antarctic petrels amongst other birds in the skies here
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Saturday 18th December – Into Antarctica
- Today we are getting into Antarctica proper, and we’ll see stone peaks covered in snow and towers of ice, the sights we’ve all been waiting for
- Lunch on the ship
- Over the next few days we’ll sail past the Melchior Islands and through the Schollaert Channel, between Brabant and Anvers Islands
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Sunday 19th December – Danco Island – Paradise Bay
- We’ll be hoping to be able to stop at Danco Island as we traverse these waters. On the island there is a colony of Gentoo penguins which live there and we’ll try spotting crabeater seals in the waters
- Lunch on the ship
- If we are lucky with the weather, we will get our first chance to disembark from the Hondius and go for a cruise on the Zodiac, landing in Neko Harbour which offers great views of enormous glaciers and alpine peaks
- We’ll also be going for a Zodiac cruise in Paradise Bay, where there’s a chance of bumping into humpback and Minke whales
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Monday 20th December – Petermann Islands – Port Lockroy
- Depending on the ice, we’ll be trying to sail through the Lemaire Channel on the Pléneau & Petermann Islands looking for Adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags, as well as scanning the seas for whales and leopard seals
- Lunch on the ship
- Once we’ve passed through the Neumayer Channel, today we can hopefully visit Port Lockroy, a former British research station which is now a museum and post office so you can send postcards from the edge of the world!
- Potential for kayaking, camping and snowshoeing (extra charges)
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Tuesday 21st December – Wilhelmina Bay – Guvernøren
- Today we’ll be spotting humpback whales in Wilhelmina Bay
- We’ll hop into our Zodiac again to cruise around and also see the wreck of the Guvernøren – a whaler ship that caught fire in 1915, this is a fantastic spot for photos of this eerie ghost ship
- Lunch on the ship
- Sail around the Melchior Islands, more frozen land surrounded by icebergs, a familiar site by now, but with a great chance for spotting seals and whales
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Wednesday 22nd December – the Drake Passage
- Depending on the seas in the Drake Passage, we will be departing frozen Antarctica for the long voyage home
- Lunch on the ship
- Take our last proper Antarctic photos as the Hondius takes us away from the continent
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Thursday 23rd December – Heading home
- We’ll take the time to look out for seabirds and marine mammals and taking in the views and experience of the Antarctic seas as we head back to terrestrial life
- Lunch on the ship
- Enjoy the final evening on the ship with your newfound friends from the tour, it’s the night before Christmas Eve!
- Dinner and overnight on the Hondius
Friday 24th December – Ushuaia
- On Christmas Eve our ship will arrive back at the end of the world at Tierra del Fuego where we disembark and say our goodbyes
- End of tour, YPT can assist with onward travel plans
Tour Extensions
Want to extend your YPT adventure? Join one of our great tour extensions
