0333 405 0194
Enquiries & Reservations
Aurora Expeditions · 13 Days
Thirteen days from Ushuaia with six days on the Antarctic Peninsula and a real attempt to sail south of 66°33', where the pack ice spreads wider and the summer sun hardly sets.
The Voyage
On 17 January 1773 James Cook took HMS Resolution and her consort Adventure across the Antarctic Circle, the first ships known to have done it. Pack ice stopped him seeing the continent, but he proved that the great southern land geographers had imagined simply was not there, only ice and a cold, empty sea. Two and a half centuries on, the Circle at roughly 66°33' South is still a dividing line. Most Antarctic voyages turn for home well to the north of it.
Across the Antarctic Circle is Aurora’s answer for travellers who want to go further. After two days on the Drake Passage you have six full days, Days 5 to 10, on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and among the South Shetland Islands. Ice and weather permitting, the ship then pushes south and crosses the Circle itself, and everyone gathers on deck for a toast. Below the line the coast feels colder and lonelier, the pack ice stretches further and the wildlife changes too. Adélie penguins become more common the further south you go, Weddell and crabeater seals haul out on the floes, and humpback and minke whales come to feed on the summer krill.
Daylight is the other thing people remember. The Antarctic Circle marks the latitude where, at the December solstice, the sun stays above the horizon for a full day, and this far south you can expect somewhere between 18 and 24 hours of light. Landings, Zodiac cruises and quiet hours on deck can run late into the evening, with the low sun turning the ice gold and pink.
The voyage sails on the Sylvia Earle and the Greg Mortimer, near identical X-BOW sister ships that carry 130 guests and are built to Polar Class 6 for this kind of ice. Aurora, who also trade as AE Expeditions, include a night at the Arakur Resort & Spa in Ushuaia, a Lake Escondido tour before boarding, all your landings and Zodiac cruises, and premium spirits, cocktails, beer, wine and liqueurs throughout the voyage. See what is included for the full list.
Day by Day
Aurora’s team meet you on arrival in Ushuaia and take you to the Arakur Resort & Spa, high on the hillside above the town, where check in opens at 3pm. Between 3pm and 7pm call in at the Aurora hospitality desk in the lobby to pick up your luggage tags and let them know if you would like to join tomorrow’s Lake Escondido tour. If you land after 7pm a welcome pack will be waiting and the desk opens again between 8am and 8.45am. The rest of the day is yours, and meals are at your own expense. Ushuaia sits on the Beagle Channel, named after HMS Beagle, the survey ship that carried a young Charles Darwin through these waters in the 1830s.
After breakfast, tag your cases with your name and cabin number and leave them at reception. They go straight to the ship and will be waiting in your cabin. You keep your room on a late check out, with a hospitality room on hand, so the day can be as quiet or as busy as you like. The included Lake Escondido tour heads up into the mountains north of town, or you can walk the waterfront and visit the museums and cafés. At the agreed time you meet in the hotel lobby or at the pier car park, board, and settle in before the mandatory briefings. Then it is out on deck to watch Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego slip astern, followed by a welcome dinner with the expedition team and crew.
Two days at sea take you across the Drake Passage, named after Francis Drake, whose Golden Hind was blown south of Tierra del Fuego in 1578. The expedition team use the time well, with wildlife guidelines, biosecurity checks and the first lectures on Antarctic history, ice and wildlife. Albatrosses and giant petrels follow in the ship’s wake, and between talks there is the gym, the sauna and the Jacuzzis. On the afternoon of Day 4, as you near the South Shetland Islands, the decks fill up with people looking for the first iceberg. Once you cross the Antarctic Convergence the water turns colder and the ice starts to appear. Time and weather allowing, there may be a first landing late that afternoon.
Six days to explore the western Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetlands, with the plan set each day by an expedition team who know these waters well and read the weather, ice and wildlife as they go. Zodiacs take you ashore to penguin rookeries, historic huts and research stations, or along ice cliffs and among grounded bergs. Ashore you might wander a pebble beach or climb a snowy ridge for the view. Optional activities run when conditions allow, and there is the chance of a polar plunge. The ship may also cruise narrow channels between the islands and the mainland, and the bridge is often open. Conditions permitting, you then cross the Antarctic Circle and mark it with a toast on deck. The krill rich water draws humpback and minke whales, and penguins are busy feeding hungry chicks.
There is usually time for one last morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before the ship turns north into the Drake Passage. The final lectures and films help pull together everything you have seen, and there is plenty of time on deck for the seabirds and the long Southern Ocean swell. Aurora hope you leave as an ambassador for Antarctica, and many of our clients do come home talking about the place for years. As you near South America the captain may take the ship close to Cape Horn, weather and time permitting. It was first rounded in 1616 by the Dutch navigators Schouten and Le Maire, who named it after the town of Hoorn.
The ship sails up the Beagle Channel in the early hours and docks in Ushuaia, and you are free to disembark at around 8am. If you are staying on, a transfer to your hotel is arranged for guests who booked their accommodation through Aurora or who are staying in the centre near the port. If your flight leaves before 2.30pm you go straight to the airport; with a later flight you have time to look around Ushuaia before an afternoon transfer. Details are confirmed on board. We would not book a flight out of Ushuaia before midday, in case of delays.
Every Antarctic itinerary depends on the ice, the weather and the wildlife. The Captain and Expedition Leader choose each day’s landings and Zodiac cruises on the spot, so the order of the days and the places visited can change.
Watch
Humpback and minke whales are a big part of a late summer voyage south of the Peninsula. Aurora’s own film shows what an encounter from the Zodiacs is like.
Video: Whale Watching in Antarctica, from Aurora Expeditions on YouTube.
2026/27 to 2027/28 Seasons
Across the Antarctic Circle has ten departures on sale between November 2026 and February 2028, mostly on the Sylvia Earle with four sailings on the Greg Mortimer, from £14,272 per person twin share, and savings of up to 15% on selected dates. November and December bring fresh snow and penguins on their nests. January and February are the months for chicks, warmer days and more whales. Most sailings are Ushuaia round trips, but three start or finish in Punta Arenas in Chile, and two of those run for 12 days rather than 13, so do check the route for your date.
Four departures in the 2026/27 season, on the Greg Mortimer and the Sylvia Earle.
| Departs | Ship | Aurora Stateroom from | Balcony Stateroom from | Suites from | Solo from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 202613 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 10% | Sylvia Earle | Sold out | £14,480was £16,089Limited | £21,340was £23,711Limited | Sold out |
| 18 Dec 202613 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 10% | Sylvia Earle | Sold out | Sold out | £24,251was £26,945Limited | £20,708Limited |
| 13 Feb 202713 days, Ushuaia to Punta Arenas | Sylvia Earle | Sold out | Sold out | Sold out | £14,319Limited |
| 28 Feb 202713 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 10% | Greg Mortimer | £14,272was £15,858Limited | £16,350was £18,167Limited | £22,865was £25,405Limited | Sold out |
Six departures in the 2027/28 season, on the Greg Mortimer and the Sylvia Earle.
| Departs | Ship | Aurora Stateroom from | Balcony Stateroom from | Suites from | Solo from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Nov 202713 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 10% | Sylvia Earle | £15,034was £16,704Limited | £15,449was £17,166Limited | £22,795was £25,328 | £17,166Limited |
| 5 Dec 202713 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 15% | Sylvia Earle | £15,049was £17,705Limited | £15,442was £18,167 | £22,772was £26,791Limited | £19,091Limited |
| 2 Jan 202812 days, Punta Arenas to UshuaiaSave up to 10% | Sylvia Earle | £17,043was £18,937Limited | £17,459was £19,399 | £25,706was £28,562 | £21,940Limited |
| 9 Jan 202813 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 10% | Greg Mortimer | £15,588was £17,320 | £16,974was £18,860 | £24,944was £27,715 | £19,784Limited |
| 29 Jan 202813 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 15% | Greg Mortimer | £14,722was £17,320 | £16,031was £18,860Limited | £23,558was £27,715 | Sold out |
| 18 Feb 202812 days, Ushuaia to Punta ArenasSave up to 10% | Greg Mortimer | £16,420was £18,244 | £17,806was £19,784 | £26,191was £29,101 | £22,402 |
Prices are per person in pounds, two sharing, and include Aurora’s current savings. The Solo column is the price for a cabin to yourself. They are taken from Aurora Expeditions’ UK fares on 3 November 2026. Flights from the UK are not included, and we are happy to arrange them for you. Aurora adjust fares and offers often, so prices and availability can change daily. Call us on 0333 405 0194 for today’s fare and the full range of staterooms on your chosen date.
Your Fare
Aurora’s fares cover more than many people expect, including drinks, landings and your polar jacket. On this voyage the price includes:
Not included: flights to and from South America unless shown above, travel insurance (which must include at least US$250,000 of medical, repatriation and evacuation cover), optional add-on activities, visas and personal spending. A crew gratuity of US$20 per person per day is added to your onboard account, and you can adjust or remove it when you settle up. For suite guests the gratuity is already included. Some departures start or finish in Punta Arenas in Chile rather than Ushuaia, and the hotel and transfer arrangements at that end differ, so we will confirm exactly what is included on your date. Our Aurora what’s included page has more detail.
Make More of It
Optional activities are booked in advance and vary by departure. Sea kayaking, paddling and snorkelling are offered on most sailings, snowshoeing on the November and December dates, ski or snowboard touring on the November dates only, and scuba diving on some January and February sailings on both ships. Places are limited and some have already sold out, so ask us early. Our activities guide explains each one.
Before or after the voyage you can add Aurora’s two day Ushuaia City Stay, Taste of Santiago (4 days), the Santiago & Valparaiso Explorer (6 days), Taste of Buenos Aires (4 days), the Buenos Aires & Iguazu Falls Explorer (6 days), the Patagonia Eco Camp (5 days) or the Atacama Desert Adventure (4 days). Our gateway cities guide has more ideas.
| Add-on activity | From, per person |
|---|---|
| Paddling | £269 |
| Snowshoeing | £285 |
| Snorkelling | £520 |
| Scuba diving | £997 |
| Sea kayaking | £1,024 |
| Ski and snowboard touring | £1,074 |
Activity prices vary by departure. Places are limited, they are booked with your voyage, and every activity depends on the weather and ice on the day. See our Aurora activities page for what each one involves.
Questions
Crossing the Circle is the plan on every departure, but it always depends on the ice and the weather. The captain and expedition leader decide each day where the ship can safely go, and in a heavy ice year the route south can be blocked. Aurora are clear that the crossing is conditions permitting, so think of it as a strong aim rather than a promise.
The voyage is 13 days in all. Days 5 to 10 are set aside for the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands and the run south to the Circle, which gives six full days. There may also be a first landing late on Day 4 and usually a final morning landing on Day 11 before you head back across the Drake.
Most departures use the Sylvia Earle, built in 2022, and four use the Greg Mortimer, built in 2019. They are sister ships with the same X-BOW hull, the same 130 guest limit on expeditions and very similar public rooms, so the experience is much the same on either. We can tell you which ship sails on the date you like.
No. Flights to and from Ushuaia are not part of the fare, though airport transfers mentioned in the itinerary, a night at the Arakur Resort & Spa and the Lake Escondido tour are. We are happy to help with flights from the UK. Do not book a flight home from Ushuaia before midday on Day 13.
It can be anything from a gentle swell to a properly rough two days, and nobody can say in advance. The X-BOW hull is designed to cut through waves rather than slam into them, which helps. Bring your usual seasickness remedy, and remember an initial consultation with the ship’s doctor is included if you need it.
Premium spirits, cocktails, beer, wine and liqueurs are included throughout the voyage, along with soft drinks, tea and coffee. A suggested gratuity of US$20 per person per day for the crew and expedition team is added to your onboard account, and you can adjust or remove it when you settle up. It is already included for suite guests.
Yes. Aurora keep up to 10 dedicated solo cabins on every sailing with no single supplement, and they tend to go first. If those are taken you can book another cabin for sole use with a 50% supplement. Expedition ships are very sociable, with open seating at meals, so travelling alone is easy.
Aurora give you a three in one waterproof polar jacket to keep and lend you Muck Boots for landings, which takes care of the bulkiest kit. Bring waterproof trousers, thermal layers, a warm hat, gloves and sunglasses, as the sun on snow is fierce this far south. Our practical information page has a fuller list.
Other Voyages
If you would rather skip the sea crossing, Across the Antarctic Circle: Fly the Drake flies you to King George Island and back. For Christmas and New Year on the ice there is Antarctic Circle in Depth, and Southern Antarctic Realms adds the Weddell Sea to the Circle. You can compare every voyage on our Antarctica cruises page.