Please note: Read this itinerary as a guide only; our exact route and program varies according to ice and weather conditions - and the wildlife we encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of this expedition. Visits to research stations depend on final permission.

Day 1: Ushuaia, Argentina

Arrive in the world's southernmost city, where you'll spend the night at a conveniently located hotel.

Day 2: Embarkation Day

In the late afternoon, you will board the icebreaker for the voyage down the Beagle Channel into the Drake Passage.

Days 3-5: South Shetland Islands

Seabirds accompany the ship across the Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands, your first landfall in Antarctica. We plan to visit penguin rookeries and deploy Zodiacs to cruise through ice floes where seals lounge in the Antarctic summer sun.

Days 6 – 8: The Antarctic Peninsula

Pushing ever southward, we cross the Antarctic Circle, entering a world where daylight is continuous. We'll explore bays ringed by glaciers, and islands where penguins and seals co-exist in relative harmony. From Marguerite Bay, we'll enter the Bellingshausen Sea.

Days 9-10: The Phantom Coast

As we follow the Phantom Coast, we plan to visit Peter I Island. In 2006, the last time we landed successfully, our historian noted that only 800 people in all human history have been known to visit the fog enshrouded island.

Days 11 - 16: Amundsen Sea

Look forward to several adventurous days of breaking through the Amundsen Sea pack ice. We'll deploy our helicopters so you can witness the power of the icebreaker from the air. Make sure you take your camera when the call to board the helicopters is made.

Our Expedition Team will deliver a series of illustrated presentations about the history and geology of the region. Our naturalists will explain the natural life cycles of the penguins and seals you may encounter en route.

Days 17 - 18: Ross Ice Shelf

Excitement builds as you approach the immense Ross Ice Shelf. If conditions permit we plan to land our helicopters atop the floating ice barrier . Be on the alert for Emperor Penguins. The water around the Ross Ice Shelf is known to be the habitat of Emperors.

Days 19 – 21: Ross Island and McMurdo Sound

Ross Island is home to the US research base McMurdo Station and Scott Base, New Zealand's research station. Nearby is Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Hut (1901-04) The historic building is slowly deteriorating under the onslaught of a century of ice, snow and wind. Conservation efforts are underway. Our planned visit is carefully controlled to ensure that the impact of our exploration is negligible. Environmentally responsible tourism is the hallmark of a Quark Expeditions voyage.

We'll deploy the helicopters to travel over the fast ice into the Dry Valleys. Virtually no precipitation has fallen there for millions of years. The sole vegetation is lichen that grow inside rocks. If conditions permit, you'll encounter unusual granite formations eroded by the winds and mountain glaciers colored by the sand and rock blown into the ice.

Days 22 - 24: Cape Royds and Cape Evans

At Cape Royds, we'll visit Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod Hut (1907-09). At Cape Evans, we'll visit a hut associated with Shackleton and Scott. A century after its construction, the Cape Evans hut is considered one of the ten most endangered monuments in the world. The Antarctic Heritage Trusts are raising funds for its restoration. Quark Expeditions supports the project through onboard charity auctions, and visitor admission fees.

Days 25 - 28: Southern Ocean and Campbell Island

Heading north, we pause to visit Campbell Island, a nature preserve where Royal Albatross nest. You'll follow boardwalks through lush greenery to observation points. from which you can photograph the wildlife.

Days 29 - 31: Enderby Island to Lyttelton, New Zealand

Yellow-eyed Penguins, Royal Albatross and New Zealand sea lions share Enderby Island with Red-crowned Parakeets. If the conditions are right, we'll go ashore to explore the protected environment, before disembarking our epic adventure in Lyttelton, New Zealand. A group transfer to Christchurch Airport from the vessel completes the journey.