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Aurora Expeditions · 17 Days
A 17 day voyage to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia in late summer 2029, with three days among the albatrosses and penguins of the Falklands and four on South Georgia.
The Voyage
Not every great polar voyage needs the Antarctic continent. This one, from Aurora Expeditions (also known as AE Expeditions), gives its time to two of the richest wildlife destinations in the Southern Ocean, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, with more time ashore than most longer Antarctic itineraries can spare. It sails once, from 27 February to 15 March 2029, on the Greg Mortimer, and is a natural fit for birders, photographers and anyone with an interest in Shackleton.
The Falklands are made up of East and West Falkland and more than 700 smaller islands, nearly all uninhabited. They are a haven for seabirds: around 85% of the world’s black browed albatrosses breed here, and the expedition team may visit Steeple Jason Island, home to the largest colony of all. Five species of penguin can be found across the islands, including king, gentoo, rockhopper, Magellanic and macaroni. In Stanley, the small capital, red telephone boxes, a pub or two and the Historic Dockyard Museum give a very British welcome, and you may be invited for tea and scones at a farmhouse on an outer island.
South Georgia is wilder still. Captain James Cook claimed it for Britain in 1775, thinking at first that he had found part of a great southern continent. The island is about 176 km long, with peaks close to 3,000 metres, and its beaches hold vast king penguin colonies, fur seals and elephant seals. For half a century it was also the centre of Southern Ocean whaling, and the rusting stations at places like Grytviken and Stromness remain. In May 1916 Ernest Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean crossed its mountains on foot to reach Stromness and save the men they had left on Elephant Island. If conditions allow, you can follow the last part of that route, from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.
The voyage starts and ends in Buenos Aires, with a hotel night, return flights to Ushuaia and airport transfers included, and premium drinks are included on board.
Day by Day
On arrival in Buenos Aires you are met and taken to Aurora’s group hotel, where your night with breakfast is included. The hospitality desk will give you cabin luggage tags and details of the evening information session and next morning’s departure. The rest of the day is at leisure, and meals are at your own expense. Late summer in the city is warm, and the cafés of San Telmo and the leafy streets of Palermo are both good places to spend an afternoon.
Attach the tags to your cabin bags before leaving the hotel; they go straight to the ship. Breakfast is at the hotel or in a breakfast box, and an Aurora representative takes you to the airport for the flight to Ushuaia. You are met on arrival and taken to a pre boarding lounge, with free time in town if flights allow; the old prison museum, which held inmates from 1902 to 1947, is worth a look. In the afternoon you board the Greg Mortimer, attend the compulsory briefings and sail east along the Beagle Channel, followed by a welcome dinner.
A day crossing the South Atlantic towards the Falklands. Petrels, shearwaters and albatrosses ride the ship’s wake, and the expedition team begin their lectures in the theatre on the history, wildlife and birdlife of the islands and the Antarctic Convergence. It is a good day to set up binoculars and camera.
Two days to explore the archipelago, with sites chosen daily around wind, weather and wildlife. There are usually two outings a day, and although you are north of the Antarctic Convergence it can still be cold, so dress in layers. Zodiac cruises follow rocky coves and sea cliffs, watching for seals, sea lions, dolphins and penguins, and landings may take you to albatross colonies and penguin rookeries, or even to a cottage for tea and scones. The team also aim to land at Stanley, with its terraced houses, pubs, post office and the Historic Dockyard Museum, which covers the islands’ maritime and natural history and their links with Antarctica.
If time and weather permit there may be one more Zodiac cruise or landing in the morning, before the ship sets course for South Georgia. Since the days of sail, ships battered rounding Cape Horn have limped into Stanley for repairs, and the wrecks of several still lie in its harbour.
Two days at sea, usually into the prevailing weather, which makes the exact arrival time hard to predict. Seabirds follow the ship, whales may be seen from the observation areas, and lectures continue. Nearing the island you may pass Shag Rocks, a group of jagged islets rising straight from the ocean. The ship then sails down the sheltered east coast of South Georgia, out of the westerly winds, and the team brief you on the strict biosecurity checks that every visitor must pass before going ashore.
Four days on South Georgia, planned around weather, sea state and wildlife. Expect two landings or Zodiac cruises most days, exploring craggy coves, kelp forests, seal haul outs and bird cliffs. Ashore you can walk among some of the largest king penguin colonies on earth, along streams and grassy outwash plains, keeping a safe distance from fur seals and elephant seals as your guides direct. The team hope to visit the old whaling stations and pay respects to Shackleton, who is buried at Grytviken, and if conditions allow, to walk from Fortuna Bay to Stromness in his footsteps. The ship may also cruise into deep fjords towards glacier fronts, with the bridge usually open to guests.
After a possible final morning landing on South Georgia, the ship begins the long passage back to Ushuaia. Four days at sea leave plenty of time to edit photographs, enjoy a massage, use the gym and attend the last lectures, as well as to watch for albatrosses, which are at home in these waters.
The ship cruises up the Beagle Channel early in the morning and docks in Ushuaia, with disembarkation around 8.00 am. You are transferred to the airport for the included flight back to Buenos Aires, where the voyage ends. Aurora strongly recommend a night in Buenos Aires afterwards, and advise against booking an onward flight from Buenos Aires before 9.00 pm. We can arrange the hotel and your flights home.
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
Aurora’s film from South Georgia shows the king penguin colonies and wild coast you will spend four days exploring.
Video: South Georgia expedition, from Aurora Expeditions on YouTube.
2028/29 Season
The Edge of Wild Frontiers has a single departure, 27 February to 15 March 2029, on the Greg Mortimer. Late summer is a fine time for these islands: king penguin chicks in their brown down fill the colonies, young fur seals are everywhere, and albatross chicks are growing on their nests in the Falklands. Fares start from £17,649 per person including the Buenos Aires hotel night and flights, and Aurora are offering savings of up to 25% at launch. Note that this voyage does not visit the Antarctic Peninsula. Our when to go guide explains the season in more detail.
One departure in the 2028/29 season, on the Greg Mortimer.
| Departs | Ship | Aurora Stateroom from | Balcony Stateroom from | Suites from | Solo from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb 202917 days, Buenos Aires round tripSave up to 25% | Greg Mortimer | £17,649was £23,172 | £19,092was £25,097 | £28,043was £37,031 | £25,097Limited |
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 5 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. Our Aurora what’s included page has more detail.
Make More of It
Three of Aurora’s optional activities can be added: snorkelling, sea kayaking and polar scuba diving for qualified divers. Places are limited and fees are shown in the table below. Our activities guide explains what each involves.
The voyage starts and ends in Buenos Aires, so it is easy to add a few nights in the city or elsewhere in Argentina. Ask us and we will arrange it.
| Add-on activity | From, per person |
|---|---|
| Snorkelling | £1,116 |
| Scuba diving | £1,459 |
| Sea kayaking | £1,501 |
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
No, it does not visit the Antarctic Peninsula or the continent. It concentrates on the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, which lie in the subantarctic South Atlantic and are among the best wildlife destinations in the Southern Ocean. If you want the Peninsula as well, look at South Georgia, Falklands & Antarctic Odyssey.
Three days are planned in the Falklands (days 4 to 6, with day 6 a possible morning only) and four days on South Georgia (days 9 to 12), with a possible extra morning on day 13. Landings and Zodiac cruises usually take place twice a day, depending on the weather.
If conditions allow, the expedition team plan to lead the walk from Fortuna Bay to Stromness, the final stage of the crossing Shackleton, Worsley and Crean made in May 1916. It is included, but depends on weather, so it cannot be guaranteed.
King, gentoo, rockhopper, Magellanic and macaroni penguins can all be found in the Falklands, and South Georgia is famous for its huge king penguin colonies, with gentoos and macaronis too. Black browed albatrosses breed in the Falklands in great numbers.
Yes, the flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia on day 2 and back on day 17 are included, together with a hotel night with breakfast in Buenos Aires and all airport transfers. International flights to Argentina are extra and we can book them.
There are seven full days at sea in total. The leg from the Falklands to South Georgia usually heads into the prevailing weather, so it can be lively. The Greg Mortimer’s X-BOW is designed to ride waves smoothly, and the doctor on board can help with seasickness.
Aurora have dedicated solo cabins on the Greg Mortimer and, for 2028/29, solo options with no single supplement on every voyage. They are limited, so please ask us early.
Other Voyages
To add the Antarctic Peninsula, see South Georgia, Falklands & Antarctic Odyssey or South Georgia & Antarctica Active, which includes snorkelling, paddling and camping. For the full mountain crossing, In Shackleton’s Footsteps is the one. Every voyage we sell is on our Antarctica cruises page.