Antarctica in Depth on Scenic Eclipse

Arrive into Argentina’s capital – a city defined by its love of tango, football, fine wine and succulent steak. After checking into your luxury hotel, you’ll have a free day to explore. Take the chance to wander through its neighbourhoods, from the bohemian charms of San Telmo with its street art and backstreet parrilla steakhouses to colourful La Boca and upmarket Recoleta, whose cemetery marks the resting place of Eva Perón, better known as Evita. The area around Plaza de Mayo is also well worth a visit, not least for its elegant 19th-century architecture and the modernist MALBA Museum with its displays of contemporary Latin American art.

Check out this morning and take your included transfer to the airport for your flight south to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of the continent. Wild and windswept, its jumble of buildings are framed by snow-capped mountains of the Martial Range to one side and the frigid waters of the Beagle Channel to the other. Indeed, with its ends-of-the-earth outlook, it’s a wonderfully evocative launchpad for Antarctic cruise aboard Scenic Eclipse.

Stay: Scenic Eclipse

With two days at sea, you’ll have ample time to get to know your new home. And what a home it is, with its butler-served suites, on-board spa and extensive dining options ranging from Italian and Japanese delicacies to Chef’s Table fine dining. You’ll also meet your Discovery Team, who’ll be on hand to guide you through your Antarctic experience, sharing their expert knowledge of the region’s geology and wildlife and leading you on a full programme of included activities. Weather depending, you’ll also have the chance to step out on deck, looking out for the likes of albatrosses and storm petrels before catching your first glimpse of an iceberg on day five, when you might also experience your first landing.

Stay: Scenic Eclipse

Having sailed across the Gerlache Strait, day six signals your arrival on the shores of the Antarctic Peninsula. With its rugged coastlines and iceberg-dotted seas, all framed by towering mountain ranges, it’s a truly spectacular stage for six days of unforgettable adventure. Following the best of the weather, your captain will steer a course to remote shorelines and hidden natural harbours, which you’ll explore on excursions by Zodiac, kayak and, for an additional charge, submarine and helicopter. There’s even the chance to step on shore to visit working scientific research stations and experience close-up encounters with vast colonies of seals and penguins. Be sure to keep an eye out for swooping seabirds and whales playing in the Southern Ocean swells.

Stay: Scenic Eclipse

It’s finally time to relax as you return across the Beagle Channel for a two-day sailing to Buenos Aires. It’s a welcome chance to truly unwind, making the most of the ship’s spa and wealth of dining options as you swap stories with your fellow adventurers and share in the knowledge of the Discovery Team.

Stay: Scenic Eclipse

As your voyage reaches its conclusion, you’ll disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for your flight north to Buenos Aires and onwards to the UK, flying overnight. 

Arrive in the UK.