Antarctic & Falklands Expedition

Twice-founded and once the wealthiest city in Latin America, Buenos Aires seduces with the world-class acoustics of the Teatro Colón, the ritual theatre of a wood-fire asado at a San Telmo parrilla, and the cobblestoned milongas where tango was born and where it burns still. Cross the estuary to UNESCO-listed Colonia del Sacramento or head south toward the glaciers of Patagonia. As South America's premier cruise hub for Antarctic expeditions and round-the-continent voyages, the city is most inviting from November through March.

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, is a captivating blend of history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty, making it a unique port of call in Argentina. Must-do experiences include savoring local delicacies like centolla and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of nearby Los Glaciares National Park. The best time to visit is during the summer months of December to March, when the weather is mild, and the scenery is at its most stunning.

The South Shetland Islands, a stunning archipelago near the Antarctic Peninsula, are known for their rich history and pristine wilderness. Must-do experiences include visiting the research stations on King George Island and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of Swift Bay and Crystal Sound. The best season to visit is during the Antarctic summer, from November to March, when daylight extends and wildlife is abundant.

The Gerlache Strait is the Antarctic Peninsula's most dramatic passage, where towering glaciated mountains, tabular icebergs, and extraordinary wildlife — humpback whales, orcas, leopard seals, and penguin colonies — create an experience of overwhelming natural grandeur. Key experiences include Zodiac cruising among icebergs and landing at Neko Harbour on the Antarctic continent. December and January offer the best conditions during the brief austral summer.

The Antarctic Peninsula, that dramatic arc of rock and ice reaching toward South America, remains one of Earth's last true wildernesses — governed by international treaty and unchanged since the heroic age of Shackleton and Amundsen. Towering glaciers calve icebergs the size of cathedrals into mirror-calm fjords; colonies of hundreds of thousands of penguins line volcanic black-sand beaches; humpback whales breach at improbable distances from Zodiac boats. November through March is the expedition season, with peak wildlife encounters from December to February. A voyage here is not merely travel — it is a transformation, a reckoning with scale and silence that stays with you for life.

The South Shetland Islands, a stunning archipelago near the Antarctic Peninsula, are known for their rich history and pristine wilderness. Must-do experiences include visiting the research stations on King George Island and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of Swift Bay and Crystal Sound. The best season to visit is during the Antarctic summer, from November to March, when daylight extends and wildlife is abundant.

Port Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, is a remote South Atlantic settlement where painted-roof cottages, a whalebone-arched cathedral, and nineteenth-century shipwrecks frame one of the world's finest wildlife frontiers. Visitors should not miss the king penguin colony at Volunteer Point and the extraordinary albatross rookeries of Steeple Jason Island. The austral summer months of November through March offer the mildest weather and peak wildlife activity, coinciding with the expedition cruise season that brings luxury lines through these waters.

Saunders Island is a wildlife paradise in the Falkland Islands hosting four penguin species, nesting black-browed albatrosses, and the ruins of Britain's first Falklands settlement from 1766. Must-dos include walking among penguin colonies at The Neck, watching albatrosses launch from clifftop nests, and having tea with the farming family. November and December offer peak breeding activity with hatching chicks and courting seabirds.

West Point Island is a privately owned Falkland Islands gem where black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins nest together at Devil's Nose headland, and the resident farming family welcomes visitors with homemade cakes and peat-fire hospitality. Visit from November through December aboard expedition vessels for peak breeding season and one of the most intimate wildlife encounters in the subantarctic.

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, is a captivating blend of history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty, making it a unique port of call in Argentina. Must-do experiences include savoring local delicacies like centolla and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of nearby Los Glaciares National Park. The best time to visit is during the summer months of December to March, when the weather is mild, and the scenery is at its most stunning.