Crossing the Antarctic Circle

Why Join This Cruise:

• This expedition offers the most actual time spent in Antarctica itself of all the different trips to the Antarctic Peninsula


• Be one of only a small handful of people per season to cross the Antarctic Circle


• Travel aboard an ice-strengthened vessel, renowned for their excellent guides and expeditionary feel


• Unique wildlife opportunities as well as optional adventure options (camping & kayaking) available on specific departures

Trip Overview
This trip is unique and a particular favourite of ours as it combines in a single expedition the distinct advantages of offering polar travellers the longest time to explore Antarctica with the rare chance to cross the intangible Antarctic Circle.

Travelling further south down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, where very few boats have the time to venture on shorter itineraries, this is the perfect trip for those looking to maximise their time on the White Continent and travel where few others venture.



Daily Itinerary

Day 1 London Heathrow/Buenos Aires
Depart London Heathrow for Buenos Aires, flying overnight.

Day 2 Buenos Aires
Arrival in Buenos Aires early morning where you will be met by a local guide. Rest of day to explore independently or simply relax.

Day 3 Buenos Aires/ Ushuaia
Early transfer to the domestic airport for the flight down to Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), the southernmost city in the world. Afternoon to explore the historic and bustling town and harbour independently.

Day 4 Ushuaia/ Drake Passage
Morning at leisure with option to explore the nearby Lapataia National Park before embarking on your expeditionary boat in the afternoon. Plan to be on deck as you set sail on the scenic Beagle Channel heading east towards Antarctica.

Days 5 to 7 Crossing the Drake Passage & South Shetland Islands
Wandering Albatross, Storm Petrels and other seabirds accompany the ship as you sail south across this famous passage named after Sir Francis Drake, the 16th-century English navigator. Continue towards the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zones. Depending on weather conditions we plan to approach the South Shetland Islands during the late afternoon of Day six.

Days 8 to 14 Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula
The ultimate objective of this expedition is to cross the Antarctic Circle. En route, the Expedition Team will include a number of shore landings in the Peninsula, and if conditions permit the South Shetland Islands. This voyage offers travellers ample opportunity to experience all of the most interesting points along the north-western part of the peninsula, as well as venturing further south down the western side of the peninsula crossing the Antarctic circle itself, which very few travellers to this area ever reach.

During the voyage, expect to see enormous rookeries of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins. You may also encounter Weddell, crab-eater and leopard seals, as well as orcas, humpback, and Minke whales.

If pack ice and icebergs allow, the ship navigates some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, in particular, the Neumayer and Lemaire Channels, as well as aptly named Paradise Harbor. Here you may set foot on the White Continent itself at Almirante Brown, an Argentine research station. At Port Lockroy, you will find thriving colonies of penguins and shags and a former British scientific station that serves as a fascinating museum as well as the only post office in Antarctica.

The quest for the Antarctic Circle continues as the expedition pushes farther south. You will be in the vicinity of historic Stonington Island, which served briefly as a base for the Byrd's Little America Expedition in 1940. The site also served as the base for Finn Ronne's 1947-48 Antarctic Research Expedition that mapped a great portion of the continent by air. We will mark our arrival at the southernmost location with a celebration on board.

Days 15 and 16 Drake Passage
Today you leave Antarctica and head north back across the Drake Passage.

Day 17 Ushuaia/ Buenos Aires
After breakfast disembark with the morning at leisure in Ushuaia before catching the early afternoon flight back to Buenos Aires. Overnight in Buenos Aires.

Day 18 Buenos Aires/ Heathrow
Depart Buenos Aires for Heathrow, flying overnight.


Optional Adventure Activities

• Kayaking


• Camping on Antarctic Continent

**Please note that all add-on adventure activities except for the camping carry a supplementary cost



The Boats
The following boats are available for this cruise, please refer to the 'Antarctic Boats' section for full details:

Akademik Ioffe
Ocean Nova
Akademik Sergey Vavilov
Akademik Shokalskiy

Cruise dates for 2008/09

Akademik Ioffe
2nd Jan - 16th Jan 2009
2nd Feb - 16th Feb 2009

Ocean Nova
9th Feb - 23rd Feb 2009

Cruise dates for 2009/10

Akademik Sergey Vavilov
6th Jan - 20th Jan 2010
16th Feb - 2nd Mar 2010

Akademik Shokalskiy
29th Dec - 12th Jan 2010

Ocean Nova
9th Jan - 23rd Jan 2010
9th Feb - 23rd Feb 2010

Guide Price for 2008/09
Based on the itinerary UK to UK on board the Akademik Ioffe:

	Prices from:
Sharing triple cabin without private facilities	£4,605pp*
Sharing twin cabin without private facilities	£5,285pp*
Sharing twin cabin with private facilities	£5,490pp*
Sharing superior cabin with private facilities	£6,065pp*
Sharing suite with private facilities	£6,585pp*

Single Supplements on board

Single supplements are typically 1.8 times the cost of twin berth. Please ring for a quote.

To discuss this trip, for further details or to check boat availability, please either:

Call 01285 880981
Email voyages@steppestravel.co.uk

Steppes Travel cruise destinations include: Alaska, Amazon, Antarctica, Arctic, Baja Mexico, Galapagos.