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Itinerary

Tour Itinerary

Floating castles of ice glisten in the warmth of the austral sun... glacial mountains rise from the sea, framed against a radiant sky... in an instant, a bright sun illuminates a floating regatta of ice formations... Explorers throughout the centuries have been captivated by the ice... Today, you are that Antarctic explorer.Few experiences can compare to the feeling you'll have as you head off on an expeditionary Antarctica cruise. Your adventure begins with two nights in amazing Buenos Aires, Argentina, then it's all aboard Le Boréal,   Le Soléal or Le Lyrial  for a 10-night cruise. The locals, from penguins and seals to seabirds, welcome you ashore with friendly curiosity; learn about their life and icy habitats from onboard naturalists who educate and inspire. And at night, enjoy informal chats, onboard lectures, documentary films and warm camaraderie with fellow explorers, captain and crew.

Countries Visited

Antarctica , Argentina

Cities Visited

Buenos Aires , Ushuaia

  1. Day 1
    Arrive Buenos Aires

    Tour begins: 2:00 PM, Hilton Buenos Aires. A transfer is included upon arrival at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport to the Hilton Buenos Aires. Your exploration of Buenos Aires begins this afternoon with a tour of the northern portion of the city. First, take the magnificent 9 de Julio Avenue and head north to the elegant neighborhoods of Palermo and Recoleta, with their wonderful parks and gardens, monuments and magnificent mansions. Then you'll visit the Recoleta Cemetery; established in 1822 as the first public cemetery in Buenos Aires, it became the final resting place for many of the city's elite in the 1870s. Walk around the majestic necropolis, which features over 47,000 ornate mausoleums, vaults, tombs and funeral monuments. Trace back the history of the country through the important figures interred here, from Remedios Escalada de San Martín to Eva Perón, whose mausoleum attracts pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. Return to the hotel for this evening's welcome reception and dinner featuring live music, tango dancers and lessons.


    Meals:   Dinner
  2. Day 2
    City Sightseeing

    Your discovery of Buenos Aires continues today with more city sightseeing featuring the central and southern area. Your sightseeing today includes Buenos Aires' Main Square, Plaza de Mayo with its neo-classical Cathedral, colonial town-hall and the Presidential Palace, the "Casa Rosada." Then it's on to the old neighborhood of San Telmo with its narrow, cobbled-stone streets; and La Boca, home to multicolored tin houses and Buenos Aires' soccer stadium. Finally, experience the modernization of the city as you travel along Puerto Madero, and see its docks and large buildings presenting the latest architectural trends. (NOTE: Depending on traffic conditions and the day of the week, the Main Square may be visited on day 1 of the tour instead of day 2.) The remainder of the day is free for you to explore on your own.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch
  3. Day 3
    Fly to Ushuaia / Embark Ship

    Let your imagination soar as you fly down to Ushuaia, the southernmost point of South America, for the start of Tauck's 10-night Antarctica cruise. On-board amenities include all outside staterooms, two restaurants and lounges with evening entertainment, a fitness center, and multiple observation areas.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  4. Day 4
    Crossing the Drake Passage

    Find your sea legs on a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage, named after 16th-century explorer Sir Francis Drake who sailed these waters back in the late 1500s. While there is no land in sight during this part of your Antarctica cruise, you will have an opportunity to spot whales, dolphins and petrels from the observation decks of your yacht. You can attend on-board lectures from your naturalist team whose specialties include oceanography, ornithology and more. You may also take the time to visit the spa or the gym, curl up with a book from the ship's library or visit the bridge to chart your ship's progress.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  5. Day 5
    Crossing the Drake Passage

    One more day to go until you spot your first sight of the Antarctic Peninsula islands. Once part of a large Equatorial land mass, these islands broke off on their own more than 180 million years ago and are now home to glacial landscapes and wildlife that are awe-inspiring in every way. If you haven't yet watched one of the ship's collection of documentaries, today might be a good day to do so.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  6. Day 6
    Antarctic Exploration

    Wake up to a glacial wonderland. For the next four days, you'll be able to join an expedition team leader for a Zodiac excursion to any one of a number of Antarctic islands. Due to changing weather and shifting glacial patterns, your day-to-day itinerary will vary; each new day aboard this Antarctica cruise brings something different. Be on the lookout for seals on ice floes along the shore. Look up to spot seabirds flying against a cloudless blue sky. Look down in the waters where marine animals may be seen. At night, share stories during the daily cocktail hour and enjoy the camaraderie with fellow explorers.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  7. Day 7
    Antarctic Exploration

    If conditions permit, take a shore excursion to a polar village populated by fascinating and very amusing penguins. Walk softly among them on the beaches where their rookeries are found. See them waddle and wave as they make treks into the sea and back with food for themselves and their families. Your naturalist guide will share expert insights with you about these locals!


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  8. Day 8
    Antarctic Exploration

    Dramatic icebergs, masterfully carved in all manner of shapes and sizes by the elements, don technicolor coats of blues, greens and snow whites and are the main event here in Antarctica. Get a closer look as you cruise among them and watch their transformation with the changing light of day. The sun never completely sets at this time of year so you can stroll on the deck late into the night and still enjoy an amazing glacial show.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  9. Day 9
    Antarctic Exploration

    By your fourth day cruising the Antarctic Archipelago, you may have passed by Penguin Island, blessed with diverse wildlife such as chinstrap and Adélie penguins, southern giant petrels, Antarctic terns and skuas, and Hannah Point, one of the best places to see gentoo and macaroni penguins, blue-eyed shags, and Wilson's storm petrels, with the occasional fur seal or elephant seal among them. Don't worry if their names sound confusing; you will soon become a pro at identifying them with some help from your on-board ornithologists.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  10. Day 10
    Antarctic Exploration

    The wildlife experts on your ship are eager to point out the region's fur seals and elephant seals who share the frigid waters with penguins and humpback whales. You may find a fur seal or two languidly sunning or sleeping on ice floes, their faces endearing with natural smiles, in large part because there are few native predators like polar bears here. Southern elephant seals, so named for their massive sizes and trunk-like noses of the males, prefer to hang out in beach parties; look for them on rocky island shores. As your captain skillfully navigates your yacht around Lemaire Channel, you'll have a good chance to see humpback whales, always a breathtaking sight. The evening colors are spectacular too!


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  11. Day 11
    Drake Passage Crossing

    Your ship begins its voyage back through the Drake Passage today,making it the perfect time to record the experiences you had during thepast week. Your private ship log might include your thoughts about the array of icebergs and the Swedish expeditioners' hut you saw in HopeBay, or the old whaling station you encountered near Neptune's Bellowsand that dip you were tempted to make in the hot geothermal springsthere. You may have had an opportunity to meet the researchers and scientists of KingGeorge Island or explore the history of Elephant Island, linked toErnest Shackleton and his men. Your stories will make great reading back home!


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  12. Day 12
    Final day aboard ship

    Savor your last day of your Antarctica cruise as you cross the Drake Passage again. Activities include on-board lectures that enrich your new-found knowledge; spa treatments that keep you relaxed and refreshed; work-out equipment that invigorates; and card games or chess tournaments with shipmates. Your last evening aboard ship is a perfect time to toast your expedition, and celebrate what for many travelers is their "seventh continent."


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  13. Day 13
    Fly to Buenos Aires &/ Journey Home

    Your Antarctica cruise ends when you disembark ship today in Ushuaia for your flight back to Buenos Aires. A transfer to Buenos Aires' (Ezeiza) Ministro Pistarini International Airport is included. Tour ends: 5:30 PM, Buenos Aires' (Ezeiza) Ministro Pistarini International Airport. You should allow three hours for flight check-in.


    Meals:   Breakfast

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Inclusions

Floating castles of ice glisten in the warmth of the austral sun... glacial mountains rise from the sea, framed against a radiant sky... in an instant, a bright sun illuminates a floating regatta of ice formations... Explorers throughout the centuries have been captivated by the ice... Today, you are that Antarctic explorer.Few experiences can compare to the feeling you'll have as you head off on an expeditionary Antarctica cruise. Your adventure begins with two nights in amazing Buenos Aires, Argentina, then it's all aboard Le Boréal, Le Soléal or Le Lyrial for a 10-night cruise. The locals, from penguins and seals to seabirds, welcome you ashore with friendly curiosity; learn about their life and icy habitats from onboard naturalists who educate and inspire. And at night, enjoy informal chats, onboard lectures, documentary films and warm camaraderie with fellow explorers, captain and crew.

  • Cruise aboard one of Tauck's sleek sister ships, Le Boréal or L'Austral, accompanied by onboard naturalists who share their expert insights
  • Tauck provides you with a special, water-repellent hooded parka that you will receive aboard ship; this parka is yours to keep
  • All gratuities to Tauck Directors, local guides, naturalists and ship staff
  • Your cruise may be a shared ship experience with non-Tauck guests onboard as well; all Tauck guests will be accompanied by one Tauck Director for approximately every 40 Tauck guests, and your itinerary will always be highlighted by exclusive, private Tauck shore excursions
  • Shore Excursions to islands in the Antarctic Archipelago that are guided by expert naturalists, ornithologists, historians or oceanographers
  • Two nights in a premium hotel in Buenos Aires in the heart of the city

Health and Safety Protocols for Tauck Tours

Traveling with Peace of Mind
Our commitment never wavers – to earn your trust by always doing the right thing. As we explore the world together again, this will be more important than ever as we adapt to living and traveling in the presence of COVID-19.

Tauck is 97-years young this year, and our ability to weather many storms over the decades is a result of our values and beliefs – as a family and as a family-owned and led company. In addition to the guiding light of these values, our extensive experience, local knowledge and global support network help to ensure your safety on every Tauck journey. Building upon our bedrock of award-winning guest care, we have worked tirelessly to prepare for your return following the COVID-19 hiatus in travel. With guidance from leading experts, including the CDC and WHO, together with our internal Global Response Team and, most importantly, with feedback from thousands of our guests, we have redefined how we will conduct our experiences as we resume travel.

Tauck is Prepared for the Unexpected
For decades, Tauck has operated in over 70 countries in all 7 continents. Over this time, our staff and network of supplier partners have always been there to support our guests and team on the road. Our guests travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.

At the core of our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the unexpected is our Global Response Team - a group of over 50 employees across all departments who stand ready to spring into action around the world. This team has plenty of experience, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, earthquakes, volcanic ash, civil unrest and work stoppages. They have also dealt with past virus outbreaks including the SARS and Zika viruses.

The Tauck Travel Well Pledge
Before we operate tours and cruises, all Tauck employees, our supplier partners and our guests will take Tauck’s Travel Well Pledge.

As a company, we will follow our enhanced protocols with diligence and rigor; review them frequently as the landscape changes and always make common-sense decisions grounded in purpose and pride. We embrace these new and necessary measures to combat COVID-19 and will do our very best to provide the Tauck care we have been honored to deliver for 97 years.

OUR NEW HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Consistent with our commitment to the well-being of our guests, we are implementing enhanced health and safety protocols. These protocols may vary by geographic regions and will certainly evolve over time, as science and society respond to new realities:

Tauck Staff
Prior to interacting with guests, each member of Tauck’s field staff is trained in enhanced protocols and participates in a personal health screening.

Once on tour, our Tauck Directors and supporting staff are responsible for maintaining these protocols with a special focus on cleanliness and physical distancing. They will relay critical information regarding requirements, advise when protocols are mandatory – such as wearing a face covering in group settings – and help facilitate guest care through communication with appropriate parties should a guest become ill on tour. All Tauck staff will adhere to the same requirements.

Guest Responsibility
When joining a Tauck journey, every guest is responsible for their own health and, in turn, the protection of their fellow travelers, the Tauck staff, our suppliers and the places we visit. Guests will pledge to follow the direction of the Tauck staff and adhere to health and safety protocols.

Guests are expected to wear face coverings in all group settings, to wash their hands frequently and to adhere to supplier and government regulations. While supplies of face coverings, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be available, guests are asked to bring such personal items for their own comfort.

Small is BIG
For many years, Tauck has emphasized and invested in more choices of activities, resulting in smaller groups for activities like sightseeing and events. This is consistent with our mantra that “Small is Big” – small groups and smaller ships with fewer guests.

We initially focused on these elements to improve the guest experience. Yet today they take on an additional dimension; small group experiences and more personal space are critical in providing the peace of mind our guests expect. Accordingly, we are offering even more small group experiences and limiting guest numbers across all of our journeys.

We have been working diligently with our partners to be prepared to welcome you back when the time is right.
Tauck has worked meticulously with our global supplier partners to plan for every itinerary following the hiatus in travel. All partners, whether they be a hotel, museum, small ship/riverboat, restaurant or other partner, have been thoughtful about how to provide a Tauck experience in this environment.

And while it's impossible to list all of the enhanced health and safety protocols for the hundreds of Tauck partners across the globe, we would like to share a representative sample of what you can expect:

Hotels
Our hotel partners all have world-class health and safety protocols. However, these guidelines may vary depending on local situations and regulations. Here are some typical examples:

  • Upon-arrival, health questionnaires and temperature checks may be required. Some hotels may even require daily temperature scans.
  • Social distancing may be required in public areas, bars and restaurants.
  • High-touch areas such as railings, door handles and elevators will undergo enhanced cleaning.
  • In-room measures may include removal of tent cards and magazines. Common use items, such as coffee makers and minibar amenities may be on demand.
  • High-touch areas, such as light switches, thermostats, remote controls and door handles will be subject to enhanced and frequent cleaning.
  • Guests will have the option to determine housekeeping frequency.
  • All hotel staff will undergo daily health screenings.

Ships and Riverboats
We have worked closely with our cruise partners to ensure the best possible health and safety protocols and to ensure the care and service you expect from Tauck:

  • Guests on cruises and river journeys will be required to complete a health questionnaire and will undergo a temperature check prior to boarding. In some instances, our ship partners will conduct daily temperature checks.
  • Face coverings and physical distancing will be required in most public spaces for guests and crew alike.
  • Meals may be offered at staggered times and self-serve buffets will be eliminated.
  • In-cabin measures include removing common use items. Coffee makers, minibar amenities and housekeeping will be on demand at guest discretion.
  • Ship staff will undergo daily health screenings.
  • All vessels will have medical staff onboard.

Sightseeing and Local Activities
Many of our experiences are exclusive and/or private and that’s important in taking care of you. Whether it be a guided tour, a visit to an iconic museum or private home, a musical performance, or any other special Tauck activities, we are applying the same rigor to health and safety protocols:

  • Tauck listening devices will be sanitized thoroughly and frequently.
  • Sightseeing is being adjusted to ensure proper physical distancing.
  • Admission times at venues may be altered to ensure no crowding.
  • Paper tickets, handouts and the like may be eliminated.

Dining
Tauck has always been known for a la carte dining; having more freedom to decide when and with whom to dine now has more value than ever. Additionally, our partners whether they be hotels, ships, special venues or restaurants, are raising their already rigorous hygienic standards. Here are some examples:

  • Waitstaff will likely be wearing face coverings and gloves.
  • Seating will be adjusted to accommodate physical distancing.
  • Self-serve buffets will be eliminated. Common use menus will no longer be used unless sanitized.

On-Tour Transportation
Keeping on-tour transportation safe is a major focus of our team who has worked with hundreds of partners to ensure continuity in health and safety protocols:

  • On motorcoaches and other on-tour ground transportation, such as airport transfers, guest should expect physical distancing and will be required to wear face coverings.
  • Prior to each trip, our motorcoaches, vans, airport transfer vehicles and on-tour aircraft will undergo a deep sanitizing process.
  • Luggage may also be sanitized at each movement.
  • Drivers will wear gloves and face coverings during all guest-facing interactions.
  • Drivers will frequently clean handrails, door handles, arm rests, tables, seats, air conditioning/HVAC units, restrooms and overhead storage areas.

Our Supplier Partners are ready for you
Tauck is proud to have worked closely with our partners around the world, many of them for decades, to deliver the quality, comfort and safety you expect. Whether it be hotels and resorts, riverboats and small ships, restaurants, event venues or transportation companies, their meticulous health and safety protocols reflect their leadership and well-earned respect in the travel industry. The following are some select health and safety protocols. We will update these on a regular basis.

In addition to our supplier partners, we have also been actively engaged with global travel organizations to standardize health and safety protocols throughout the travel industry. TourCare is one example:

TourCare are health and sanitation guidelines developed by the tour industry's major global associations: the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and the European Tourism Association (ETOA). Tauck, and our supplier partners, meet and exceed these guidelines that require members to adhere to the highest standards in the industry.

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Accommodations


Hilton Buenos Aires
L'Austral

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Questions & Answers

Question: When in Antarctica, do you get off the boat each day (via a zodiac) and see the wildlife up close or do you cruise by the area

Yes you'll be able to join an expedition team leader for a Zodiac excursion to walk around any one of a number of Antarctic islands. Please keep in mind, due to changing weather and shifting glacial patterns, your day-to-day itinerary will vary.

Question: How many suitcases can I take with me on my trip?

Each person is allowed one "check-in," and one "carry-on." Remember to take all valuables with you as "carry-on", because electronic equipment, cameras, laptops, jewelry, business documents and money are not covered by the airlines' liability, so always carry them aboard with you.

Question: Is Airfare Included in the Price?

Airfare from your point of origin to and from the trip is not included in the land price.

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
4.6
Accommodations
4.6
Itinerary
4.6
Professional Staff
4.6
Repeat with Operator
4.6
Value for Money
4.6

Ratings based off 5 reviews - currently showing 2 reviews with comments only

Spectacular trip to Antarctica. Like nothing else in the world.

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