Antarctica Fly & Cruise

Upon arrival at Punta Arenas airport, members of the expedition team will be there to welcome you and arrange your transfer to the hotel. Before your departure to Antarctica, all guests will gather for an important briefing covering visitor guidelines and flight instructions. This is also a great opportunity to meet your fellow expedition travelers and ask any final questions to the expedition team.

Flight to King George Island

After a night in Punta Arenas, you’ll board a flight to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. The journey takes approximately two hours. Upon landing, you’ll walk about 2 km (1.25 miles), passing the Chilean Frei Base and the Russian Bellingshausen Base. At the shoreline, zodiacs will be waiting to transfer you to your expedition ship, your gateway to exploring the Antarctic Peninsula.

Your expedition will take you through the South Shetland Islands and along the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, with the goal of making one or two outings each day. These may include shore landings and zodiac cruises, depending on weather and ice conditions. Between excursions, you can enjoy informative lectures on Antarctic wildlife, nature, and history, or simply relax in the warm comfort of your ship. Every voyage is unique, and while we aim to visit as many remarkable sites as possible, specific landing locations cannot be guaranteed.

Zodiac cruises offer a thrilling way to explore Antarctica’s fjords and icy bays, like a safari on water. Keep watch for orca, humpback and minke whales, as well as crabeater, elephant, and even leopard seals. These waters are rich with life, and every outing holds the promise of unforgettable wildlife encounters.

On land, ice-free areas are often home to penguin colonies. Penguins prefer higher ground for nesting and create well-worn “penguin highways” between the sea and their rookeries. You may encounter gentoo, chinstrap, and Adélie penguins, along with seals resting on the beaches. The sounds and smells of these bustling penguin colonies will leave everlasting memories.

If conditions allow, your ship may navigate through narrow Antarctic channels, where the water can be so still it mirrors the surrounding mountains. An awe-inspiring sight that captures the serene beauty of the polar landscape.

The Antarctic Peninsula offers countless places to explore, and while no two voyages are the same, each day brings new opportunities to discover the magic of this remote and untouched world.

Every great adventure eventually comes to an end. The ship will return to King George Island for your disembarkation and flight back to Chile. Upon arrival in Punta Arenas there will be a transfer to bring you to your hotel for the night. After breakfast the next day, a transfer will be arranged to Punta Arenas airport for your flight home.