South Georgia & the Falklands

The ship you select for your Antarctica expedition cruise determines the start and end point of your journey. Guests traveling aboard National Geographic Endurance arrive and depart via Buenos Aires, Argentina. Guests traveling aboard National Geographic Resolution arrive and depart via Santiago, Chile.

After an early morning arrival in Buenos Aires, Endurance guests will check in to our deluxe accommodations in Argentina's beguiling capital. Founded by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, the city became an important trade hub and later boomed with the arrival of many Italian, Spanish and Eastern European immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It retains a distinctly European character today, and our afternoon city tour showcases its vibrant cultural melange, passing grand Beaux Arts landmarks. Visit Recoleta—the final resting place of Argentina's iconic first lady, Eva Perón—and enjoy a private visit to El Zanjon de Granados, one of the city’s premier museums. Get acquainted with your fellow travelers during an early evening reception at the hotel.

After an early morning arrival in Chile's capital of Santiago on Day 1, Resolution guests check in at the centrally located Ritz Carlton Santiago (or similar). Santiago is nearly surrounded by the Andes, which form an inspiring backdrop for an afternoon tour of this energetic city. After a relaxing morning, we explore the Plaza de Armas, the main square and nearby Presidential Palace, taking in expansive views from Santiago's many hills and parks. In the early evening, gather for an informal reception and a drink at the hotel.

Fly south to Ushuaia, crossing the peaks of Patagonia before landing at the bottom of Tierra del Fuego. There’s no mistaking the "end of the world" feeling about this most southerly city, which is a point of embarkation for many expeditions to Antarctica. Have lunch on a catamaran cruise in the Beagle Channel, flanked by mountains rising out of the sea on either side, before embarking ship to set sail in the South Atlantic.

Settle into shipboard life, with a day at sea as an opportunity to relax and learn. Our expedition ship carries a full complement of naturalists, scientists and historians who are eager to share information about geology, climate, wildlife and human exploration in the southern polar region. Lectures and slideshows add to our appreciation of all we see and experience during the voyage. Today, they prepare us for our visit to the Falkland Islands. Meanwhile, our crossing of the South Atlantic should provide ample opportunities to witness seabirds from on deck, including petrels, penguins and the black-browed albatross boasting a wingspan of more than 7 feet.

Also called Islas Malvinas by Argentina, which contests Britain for claim to the colony, this windswept archipelago is a study in stone, sand and peat. Defined by rugged cliffs battered by the ocean, wild moors of waving tussock grass, and white sand beaches, its isolated shores are home to marine mammals and prodigious birdlife, including the world’s largest albatross colony—birds that boast an 11-foot wingspan. Flightless steamer ducks, blue-eyed shags and three penguin species, including Magellanic, gentoo and rockhopper, are abundant, and Peale's dolphins often ride our bow waves near the islands. Look, too, for fur seals bobbing alongside.

Continue sailing southeast, with whales swimming below and seabirds circling above and bobbing in our wake. Our naturalists help identify the birds that follow us, which are likely to include wandering albatross, prions and black-browed albatross. The ship’s interpretive team prepares us for exciting days ahead with presentations about South Georgia’s flora, fauna, geology and the history of Antarctic exploration, highlighting the inspiring story of Ernest Shackleton and the ill-fated crew of the Endurance . Take advantage of the ship’s leisure and recreation opportunities, including a fitness center, sauna, massage therapy at the spa, and a library filled with books about Antarctic natural history and polar exploration.

Remote South Georgia is known for its whaling heritage and the riveting saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated 1914 expedition aboard the sailing ship Endurance. The magnitude of Shackleton’s heroic trek across South Georgia to secure the rescue of his crew can only be fully grasped on a visit to the island, with its spine of glaciated peaks rising precipitously from the sea. J. Gunnar Anderson, who encountered the island in 1902, described it as “mighty fells with snowy crowns and sharp, uncovered teeth, around the valleys through which enormous, broad rivers of ice came flowing to the sea.” Yet the land, for all its rugged austerity, abounds in animal life.

Explore the spectacular coastline, with flexible opportunities for walking, hiking, kayaking and Zodiac excursions that grant access to desolate beaches and glacier-carved fjords where curious fur seals often approach our boats. South Georgia, the “Serengeti of the Southern Ocean,” offers a wildlife extravaganza: most famously, millions of king penguins live in vast, squawking colonies that stretch to the horizon, and we walk among tens of thousands of them on the beach. Gentoo and macaroni penguins are also abundant. Enormous snorting elephant seals congregate on the beach. South Georgia’s waters are home to blue, sperm, fin, sei and southern right whales, though they were nearly wiped out in the 20th century when whaling was still a commercial industry. At the former whaling outpost of Grytviken, abandoned processing factories lie derelict, and elephant seals have taken over the grounds. Those who wish to pay respects to the legendary explorer can visit the grave of Shackleton, who died here in 1922.

With time to relax at sea, head up to the bridge to observe expert navigational skills at work as our captain and officers sail these history-laden waters. Take advantage of community spaces including the lounge, the observation room with its game collection and binoculars, and the library, with an impressive collection of titles on regional natural history and polar exploration. And enjoy presentations from our staff, reflecting on the many wonders we have encountered.

Our journey back across the South Atlantic returns us to the Falklands. In the afternoon, explore the photogenic capital of Stanley, once an important port for refueling steamships traveling around Cape Horn before the Panama Canal opened. Our visit offers a chance to see the human face of the islands, to meet the hospitable residents and wander around this remote colonial outpost town. Though the Falklands are still disputed territory, they are culturally British through and through. English and Scottish immigrants arrived with sheep in the 19th century, and wool is produced to this day. Stanley offers a quaint study, with its tin-roofed houses, rose gardens, pubs and other emblems of British heritage, including an Anglican cathedral with an organic whalebone archway.

After breakfast, disembark ship in Ushuaia, then transfer to the airport to fly to Buenos Aires or Santiago by private charter to connect with your flight home.