Comfort & Adventure

Antarctic Explorer Refined

4.9/5 From 7 Reviews
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With a wide range of departure dates and a great choice of optional adventure activities to choose from, this itinerary offers flexibility and variety. Spend 4 full days exploring Antarctica with your experienced team of naturalist guides from the comfort of a spacious expedition ship.

Trip Summary

  • 4 full days exploring Antarctica with daily landings and zodiac cruising
  • Purpose-built expedition ship with capacity for just 172 guests
  • Antarctic operational experience since 1992
  • Excellent expedition staff to guest ratio of 1:7
  • Optional adventure activities on select departures: camping, kayaking, one-off paddle and paddleboarding excursions (limited places, additional cost for each)
  • Pre-cruise hotel night included in Ushuaia
  • Complimentary 3-in-1 expedition parka jacket, boot loan & house alcoholic drinks included with dinner & evening bar service

Trip Overview

Route
Antarctic Peninsula
Trip length
11 Days
Ship Comfort
Comfort & Adventure
Ship
World Explorer
Total guests
172

From

$9,756 - $23,540

Operator's Itinerary

On arrival in Ushuaia you will be met and transferred to your included hotel for the night.

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. With the Beagle Channel stretching away to the south and snow-dusted mountains to the north, it’s a spectacular departure point for your Antarctic cruise. If you arrive early, you might like to spend time in the nearby picturesque Tierra del Fuego National Park or exploring the quirky Maritime Museum in the city’s old prison.

After spending your free time exploring this morning, you will embark on your ship in the late afternoon and set sail down the Beagle Channel. Get out on deck with your camera and binoculars as this is a great place to get your first wildlife sightings. As you head out into the Drake Passage tonight, you'll be in the world's southernmost continent the next time you see land!

As you sail across the infamous waters of the Drake Passage, your days will be kept busy with briefings to prepare you for the adventure ahead, along with educational lectures on the wildlife, ice and history of Antarctica.

Make time to head out on deck if conditions allow, as this is the perfect spot to photograph the incredible seabirds cruising around the ship, including huge albatrosses with their vast wingspans and curious giant petrels. As you come to the end of the Drake, keep your eyes peeled for your first iceberg!

As you arrive in Antarctica, the exploration begins in earnest. Every day will be different, with your skilled Captain and Expedition Leader adjusting the plans according to the weather and ice conditions, along with impromptu wildlife opportunities.

Your experienced Expedition Team will be on hand to help you explore and understand this jaw-dropping continent. During your time here you’ll head ashore to marvel at the cacophony of bustling penguin rookeries. You will also enjoy zodiac cruises, gliding between towering sculptural icebergs and looking for marine wildlife such as snoozing seals out on the ice or humpback whales feasting on krill.

Those who have signed up in advance for optional activities such as kayaking or paddleboarding may get the chance to experience Antarctica from a uniquely serene water-level perspective.

In the evening recaps your naturalist guides will expand on the wildlife behaviours you’ve seen that day and your Expedition Leader will talk through the Plan A for tomorrow morning. Spend any spare time you have out on the ship’s expansive decks, soaking up the incredible icy landscapes that surround you.

As you bid Antarctica farewell you will head north back across the Drake Passage. Spend time on the deck watching for seabirds and enjoy the continuing educational program from your Expedition Team. It’s also a great time to start sorting through all your photos and reminiscing with your fellow adventurers about your spectacular experiences.

This morning you will disembark and be transferred to Ushuaia airport. You can then make your own onward arrangements after midday.

Start from Ushuaia and end at Ushuaia

Landmarks potentially visited on Antarctic Explorer Refined

NOTE: This itinerary is for guidance only as each voyage will vary depending on ice and weather conditions, and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is key and all part of the adventure of an expeditionary cruise.

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What our customers think of Antarctic Explorer Refined

Antarctic Explorer Refined trips scored 4.9/5 from 7 reviews

The expedition team was very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. A great team that really enjoyed what they did!

Travelled: March 2025

Megan McGhee - USA

10/10 - It was truly an incredible trip! The ship was great, I met incredible passengers and staff, the expedition team was amazing and so knowledgeable!

Travelled: March 2025

Kimberly Cox - USA

10/10 - Life changing doesn’t even explain it. Experiences, memories and emotions I’ll always have.

Travelled: January 2025

Caitlyn Margaret Madden - Ireland

The best trip ever!!!! The expedition team were unbeatable.

Travelled: January 2025

Mairead Madden - Ireland

10/10 - It was so perfect! The expedition crew were astonishing.

Travelled: January 2025

Ellen Luchette - USA

10/10 - The guides on our ship were fabulous – very knowledgeable, very positive, and fun! This was the number one thing we wanted in our trip. The small number of tourists on our boat made twice a day excursion as possible.

Travelled: January 2025

Linda Mattrisch - USA

10/10 - The team engineered a finely tuned experience that entwined the display of and interaction with the Antarctic with the social comfort of a really well run, fabulously fed, summer camp. Pretty close to flawless.

Travelled: November 2024

Barbara Powell - USA

10/10 - The team created a community. Then educated us, at a remarkable level, on the adventures we were having. Setting foot on the snowy and icy land with its native inhabitants, decorated by icebergs float, were crowning moments.

Travelled: November 2024

David Allen - USA

10/10 - Past the experience itself, the staff were amazing, the ship was beautiful, the opportunities were just fantastic.

Travelled: November 2024

Julia Hajdukovic - USA

Review:

1 / 9

Prices & Departures

Prices quoted below are per person based on 2 people sharing. Cabin availability changes all the time so please contact us for up-to-date details and information on specific cabin availability.

9 Trips Found9/9
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date06-Nov-2025
PriceSave up to 20%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date15-Nov-2025
PriceSave up to 20%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date24-Nov-2025
PriceSave up to 25%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date27-Dec-2025
PriceSave up to 20%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date05-Jan-2026
PriceSave up to 15%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date14-Jan-2026
PriceSave up to 15%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date23-Jan-2026
PriceSave up to 20%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date17-Feb-2026
PriceSave up to 5%
Availability
6 cabin options
Departure Date26-Feb-2026
PriceSave up to 15%

You've travelled to the end of our list. We have a wide range of other options across our website.

*Note: Prices are per person. The actual voyage price is paid in USD ($) - the indicative pricing above is based on today's exchange rate.
  • Transfers in Ushuaia as indicated 
  • Pre-embarkation hotel night and breakfast in Ushuaia
  • Online photo journal of the voyage
  • Complimentary 3-in-1 parka jacket
  • Loan of rubber boots for the voyage's duration
  • Voyage aboard the vessel as indicated in the itinerary
  • All shore excursions and zodiac activities
  • Accommodation and meals during the voyage on full board
  • Educational lectures by expert onboard polar guides
  • Beer, standard wines and spirits, as well as cocktails, are included during bar service hours (typically pre-dinner and evenings) and dinner
  • Basic complimentary WiFi access for one device at a time per guest 
  • Access to an onboard doctor and basic medical services
  • Comprehensive pre-departure information
  • Port taxes and any entry fees to landing sites
  • Any flights to and from points of embarkation/disembarkation 
  • Any additional pre/post land services, including meals
  • Transfers not specified in the itinerary
  • Optional additional adventure activities (e.g. camping, kayaking, one-off paddling, paddleboarding)
  • Visa, passport and any vaccination expenses
  • Airport arrival or departure taxes
  • Personal travel insurance including evacuation cover
  • Items of a personal nature, e.g. laundry, premium beverages and high data communication
  • Customary staff gratuity at the end of the voyage
  • Additional onboard purchases (i.e. gift shop)


Single Supplement And Child Policy

For those travelling solo who would like their own cabin, the single supplement is 1.7 to 2 times the cost of a standard twin occupancy cabin. Please contact us for details. There is no single supplement for solo passengers willing to share a cabin, which is available on a twin share basis in select cabin categories.

At the date of embarkation, the minimum age restriction of 8 years and a minimum height and weight requirement of 64lbs (29kg) and 48ins (1.2m) must be met. Please contact us for details.

Optional Adventure Activities

Enhance your trip with the following add ons. Limited places per activity. Get in contact to check availability.

Questions about this Voyage?