Awe and Wonder Antarctica Expedition

16-28 February 2025

Duration
12
Departure
16 February 2025
Price from
22,999

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Join us online to hear all about this incredible experience and ask questions
City Location Date Time Booking Link
ONLINE ZOOM April 22, 2024 7:30 pm RSVP

OVERVIEW

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

The Bible states that all of Creation testifies of the character of its Creator. For this reason we will travel together, in awe and wonder, to the magnificent and untouched Antarctic Peninsula. From shorelines teeming with penguins, colossal icebergs that tower over you, frigid seas rife with marine life to silent, eerie snowscapes that will leave you breathless, Antarctica is everything you expect. Sail from Puerto Williams, Chile on this 10-day voyage and experience the very best that the white continent has to offer. Start by crossing the Drake Passage, then dive into four days of Antarctic exploration, engaging in some of the most exhilarating expedition cruising on the planet.

Matt King is a Christian and Director of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, based at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. He has researched and taught about Antarctica for 25 years in both Australia and the UK. He has had the joy of spending 5 months in the Antarctic, including a few weeks working and camping in tents in the deep field in East Antarctica. He is an elder in his local church (Kingston Christian Reformed Church) where he also leads a small group, and occasionally has the chance to teach God’s Word at Sunday gatherings. He is married to the wonderful Julia (who does not like the cold at all) and they have three teenage daughters.

 

Matt King

ITINERARY

Our flight today is to Santiago, Chile. LATAM flies non stop from Melbourne to Santiago. Exact flight schedules and pricing will be released in late March 2024.
On arrival you will be met and transferred to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Hotel: TBC, Santiago

Included Meals: None

Check out of the hotel in Santiago and transfer to the airport for the charter flight in Puerto Williams.

Puerto Williams is a Chilean city located on Navarino Island on the southern shores of the Beagle Channel. It claims to be the “southernmost city in the world”, however owing to its small size – 2500 residents approximately – the much larger Argentinean city of Ushuaia, which sits on the northern side of the same channel, also claims that title. The surrounding scenery is magnificent. The wild windswept mountains rise above the tree line and are regularly dusted with snow. The city itself has the dramatic backdrop called “Dientes de Navarino” (literally “teeth of Navarino”), which rival the famous Torres del Paine further to the north. The area was originally used by the Yaghan people, hunter-gatherers who despite enduring the harsh regional climate, could not weather the arrival of Europeans. The current city was established as a naval base in 1953 and honours the British-Chilean naval commander John Williams Wilson of the 16th century. Initially it served to protect territorial possessions and fishing rights of the area, as well as offering logistical support to Antarctic bases. More recently it has become a departure point for scientific and tourism trips to the Antarctic region. In contrast to the bustle and traffic of a very commercial Ushuaia, Puerto Williams offers a quieter, more relaxed experience. It charms the visitor with a small village feel, complete with rustic buildings and the homely smell of drifting wood smoke. A haven of peace at the end of the world.

On arrival we will transfer to the Silver Cloud, our home for the next 8 nights. We depart at 9pm on our expedition adventure.

OVERNIGHT: Silver Cloud

Included Meals:

B
L
D
Sailing the legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough to experience. The southern tip of the Americas already feels like a wild enough environment – but the sensation of watching the distant cliffs of the peninsular known as the ‘End of the World’ fade into the horizon, is one that’s equal parts epic, eerie and magical. Set sail, to slowly drop off the bottom of the map from Cape Horn, and voyage on an expedition down into the icy underworld of Antarctica. Drake Passage is an extraordinary voyage of romantic ocean faring legend, as you aim for Antarctica’s icy realm. On arrival, skyscraper sized icebergs salute you, as you traverse the waters of this continent where snow and ice dwelling creatures like penguins and whales roam undisturbed. Your first sight of this most-unexplored place will most likely be the South Shetland Islands. Walk in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest and bravest explorers as you explore famed, snow-covered landmasses like Elephant and Deception Island. If the journey across Drake Passage sounds daunting, don’t worry – even in rough seas you’re never alone, and will often be accompanied on this spine-tingling adventure by soaring albatrosses and maybe even a protective pod of humpbacks and hourglass dolphins or two. Converging warm and cool ocean currents attract some spectacular animal life to the passage.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
Sailing the legendary Drake Passage is an experience that few are ever lucky enough to experience. The southern tip of the Americas already feels like a wild enough environment – but the sensation of watching the distant cliffs of the peninsular known as the ‘End of the World’ fade into the horizon, is one that’s equal parts epic, eerie and magical. Set sail, to slowly drop off the bottom of the map from Cape Horn, and voyage on an expedition down into the icy underworld of Antarctica. Drake Passage is an extraordinary voyage of romantic ocean faring legend, as you aim for Antarctica’s icy realm. On arrival, skyscraper sized icebergs salute you, as you traverse the waters of this continent where snow and ice dwelling creatures like penguins and whales roam undisturbed. Your first sight of this most-unexplored place will most likely be the South Shetland Islands. Walk in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest and bravest explorers as you explore famed, snow-covered landmasses like Elephant and Deception Island. If the journey across Drake Passage sounds daunting, don’t worry – even in rough seas you’re never alone, and will often be accompanied on this spine-tingling adventure by soaring albatrosses and maybe even a protective pod of humpbacks and hourglass dolphins or two. Converging warm and cool ocean currents attract some spectacular animal life to the passage.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
Few voyages ignite the imagination like a journey down to one of the planet’s most remote, extreme and enchanting wilderness, Antarctica. An adventure in its purest form, only a handful of people will ever be lucky enough to experience the majestic beauty of these monochrome landscapes first-hand. The Antarctic Sound will be one of your first encounters of this whitewash kingdom, located at the northerly tip of the Antarctic Peninsula - which sprawls up like a tentacle towards Tierra del Fuego, South America’s most southerly point, otherwise known as the ‘End of the World’. Taking its name from the first ship to brave the passageway between the peninsular and the Joinville Island groups back in 1902, the Sound is a raw, sensory assault of imposing iceberg slabs, broken away from the disintegrating Larsen Ice Shelf. Come face-to-face with stadium-sized islands of ice and meet the extraordinary birdlife that call this whitewash kingdom home. Watch on, as colonies of Gentoo penguins hop around, and cape petrels sweep overhead, as the continent’s unique wildlife thrives around you. If you’re planning your first venture into Antarctica, you’ll want to brush up on your photography skills in advance, to capture this unforgiving continent in all of its unrestrained glory.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America, reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous, who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end, as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases, which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour, pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife, and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close, and blue-hued glaciers, slowly slipping from imposing locations like Hope Bay. Blanched mountain peaks cover the peninsula, and you’ll find thousands of adorable Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in this peninsula’s unique setting.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America, reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous, who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end, as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases, which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour, pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife, and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close, and blue-hued glaciers, slowly slipping from imposing locations like Hope Bay. Blanched mountain peaks cover the peninsula, and you’ll find thousands of adorable Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in this peninsula’s unique setting.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
The Antarctic Peninsula unravels upwards towards South America, reaching out a beckoning finger to the adventurous, who dare to explore this untamed realm. Stretching up from the heart of the world’s southernmost continent, the Antarctic Peninsula lies a mere 620 mile from Tierra del Fuego and, for many, offers a spectacular first taste of the snow-blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures, which make up Earth’s least-explored continent. Unseen by humans until 1820 - a blink of an eye ago in relative terms - this is an adventure sure to make your hairs stand on end, as you experience the thrill of the truly unknown and extraordinary. The vast peninsula is sprinkled with research bases, which are at the frontline of human scientific endeavour, pushing to study and understand this unique landscape, its exceptional wildlife, and the impact that humans are having on this pristine continent. Witness cathedral-sized icebergs up close, and blue-hued glaciers, slowly slipping from imposing locations like Hope Bay. Blanched mountain peaks cover the peninsula, and you’ll find thousands of adorable Adelie penguin pairs thriving undisturbed in this peninsula’s unique setting.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
The ice-coated Antarctic Peninsula forms perhaps the most accessible region of mainland Antarctica, lying a mere 480-miles away from South America, across the fabled waters of Drakes Passage. Lying close to the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the Bransfield Strait, the South Shetland Islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, suspending claims on their sovereignty. Several countries maintain research bases here, and with plump elephant seals, and crowds of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins also calling the islands home, it can even feel a little crowded at times. King George Island is the largest and most hospitable island, hosting the majority of the research stations - some of which are populated all-year-round by tiny, hardy crews. Don’t be fooled though, these islands offer extraordinary adventure in one of the most remote locations on earth. The triple peaks of Mount Foster tower above the archipelago, and you’ll feel your heart pumping a little quicker, as you sail into the core of Deception Island’s magnificent collapsed volcano caldera. Hike the luna landscapes within, and even dip into the improbably warm, geothermally-heated waters of Pendulum Cove. Elephant Island, meanwhile, is written deep into the annals of Antarctic expedition legend, as the site where Ernest Shackleton and the stricken crew of the Endurance miraculously survived a harsh Antarctic winter, in 1916.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
We begin our return journey back to Chile by crossing the Drake Passage.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
Continue across the Drake Passage to Puerto Williams.

Included Meals:

B
L
D
We return to Puerto Williams and disembark and farewell the Silver Cloud and travel to the airport for our private flight to Santiago with a fuel stop at Puenta Arenas then on to Santiago. Transfer to the hotel in Santiago for dinner and overnight.

Hotel: TBC, Santiago

Included Meals:

B
L
Check out of the hotel after breakfast. Tour ends.

Included Meals:

B

Highlights

  • Ship – Silver Cloud with a maximum of 254 guests
  • Pre and post cruise hotel in Santiago, Chile
  • Butler service to every suite
  • All inclusive dining and beverages, shore excursions & gratuities
  • Nightly lectures on what to expect the next day on shore or zodiac excursions

Map

Destinations

TOUR INCLUDES

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Travel with
like-minded people

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Christian
Tour Leaders

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Option of land
only package

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Option of upgrading
to single room

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Meals

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Sights and entry
fees listed

OUR PRICING

Pricing

Category Description Twin PP Single
Ex Santiago VISTA SUITE Book and Deposit by 31 May 22,999.00 34,749.00
Ex Santiago - VERANDA SUITE Book and Deposit by 31 May 24,199.00 35,349.00
Ex Santiago - DELUXE VERANDA SUITE Book and Deposit by 31 May 26,499.00 P.O.A
Ex Mel/Syd VISTA SUITE Book and Deposit by 31 May 26,994.00 37,480.00
Ex Mel/Syd VERANDA SUITE Book and Deposit by 31 May 26,930.00 29,660.00
Ex Mel/Syd DELUXE VERANDA SUITE Book and Deposit by 31 May 29,230.00 P.O.A

Cabins are subject to availability so please book early to avoid disappointment. Hurry only 2 Vista cabins left for sale.

SUPER DEAL: BOOK & DEPOSIT BY 31 MAY & enjoy a 1 Suite Category Upgrade (maximum up to a Deluxe Veranda Suite) plus USD$500pp shipboard credit. Bookings made after 31 May will be subject to a $1500.00 per person increase & shipboard credit reduces to USD$300 per suite.

Airfares are in economy class and subject to availability at the time of booking.

Prices are based on 20 passengers. This tour is Guaranteed to depart.

Other higher suite categories are available. Please contact us for pricing.

Inclusions
Exclusions
Departure Date Booking
16 February 2025 BOOK NOW

FAQ