PONANT brings you a 18-day itinerary between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. A polar expedition cruise to discover the most beautiful sites of these southern lands.

First, you will chart a course for South Georgia. It is here, in the middle of the black-sand beaches dominated by snow-covered mountains, that Sir Ernest Shackleton miraculously ran aground during the famous Endurance Odyssey in 1916. You will travel back in time to (re)discover this fabulous saga and life at this little-known time in history.

Further south, the South Orkney Islands will reveal themselves. Latitude wise, you are now above the mythical Screaming Sixties. The Scotia Arc formed a mountain range that rises on the horizon in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. You might get the chance to call at Laurie Island, where the Orcadas research station is established in a former whaling station.

You will ultimately land on the frozen shores of the nearly inaccessible White Continent, Antarctica. White shades take on a thousand nuances as it covers the icebergs, glaciers, mountains and frozen sea all around you. You will be one of the rare few travellers to have laid eyes on this legendary land, the theatre of the greatest expeditions and the witness of the most extraordinary adventures.

Throughout your trip, our team of naturalist guides will share with you the secrets of these faraway lands inhabited by unique wildlife. Discover the vast territory of the penguins – Adelie, king, chinstrap, Gentoo, Magellanic, southern rockhopper – albatrosses, numerous species of seals, and majestic whales blowing on the horizon.

To disembark in Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego, you will have to sail along Drake Passage. At the border between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, you will enter this mythical maritime route. The wind blows, the waves crash against the stem of the ship, and the cape petrels keep you company overhead until the end of your expedition. We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the IAATO.