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Aurora Expeditions · 21 Days
Three weeks in the far south in early season, with Aurora’s snorkelling, paddling, snowshoeing and camping all included in the fare, three days on South Georgia and six on the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Voyage
Aurora Expeditions (also known as AE Expeditions) are known for the range of activities on their voyages, and on most departures each one is an extra you add and pay for. On this voyage, which Aurora call All Inclusive Activities, they are part of the fare. You can paddle among icebergs in sheltered bays, pull on a drysuit and snorkel in Antarctic water, strap on snowshoes for a walk across fresh snow and spend a night camping on the ice. It sails once, from 31 October to 20 November 2028, on the Greg Mortimer, and suits fit, adventurous travellers who want to try a little of everything.
The first half of the voyage belongs to South Georgia. Captain James Cook landed here in January 1775 and, at first, hoped it might be the tip of a great southern continent. It is in fact an island about 176 km long, with mountains rising to almost 3,000 metres and some of the largest gatherings of wildlife on the planet: vast king penguin colonies, fur seals and elephant seals in their thousands. It is also where Ernest Shackleton’s story reached its climax. In May 1916, after sailing the James Caird from Elephant Island, he crossed the island’s unmapped mountains on foot with Frank Worsley and Tom Crean to reach the whaling station at Stromness. On this voyage you walk a short section of that route.
After three days on South Georgia the ship heads south to the Antarctic Peninsula, passing Elephant Island if time and weather allow, for six days of landings, Zodiac cruises and activities. Early November is the start of the season. The snow lies thick and clean, penguins are busy building nests and pairing up, and daylight lasts 18 hours or more, so the days can be as full as you like.
Like Aurora’s other Greg Mortimer departures in 2028/29, it starts and finishes in Buenos Aires, with a hotel night, return flights to Ushuaia and airport transfers included, as well as premium drinks on board.
Day by Day
You are met at the airport in Buenos Aires and taken to Aurora’s group hotel, where your night with breakfast is included. Stop at the hospitality desk to collect your cabin luggage tags and hear about the evening information session and the next morning’s plans. The rest of the day is free, and meals are at your own expense. Spring in Buenos Aires is a lovely season, with the jacaranda trees coming into flower, so a walk through Recoleta or along the Avenida de Mayo is time well spent.
Fix the tags to your cabin bags before leaving; they will be taken to the ship. Breakfast is at the hotel or in a breakfast box, and an Aurora representative goes with you to the airport for the flight to Ushuaia. There you are met and taken to a pre boarding lounge, with free time in town if the flight times allow. The old prison museum, in use from 1902 to 1947, tells the story of the settlement’s harsh early years. In the afternoon you board the Greg Mortimer, attend the compulsory briefings and sail out along the Beagle Channel before a welcome dinner.
Four days across the South Atlantic give time to settle in. The expedition team covers wildlife guidelines and the strict biosecurity checks needed for South Georgia, and the lecture programme begins on history, wildlife and the environment. Albatrosses and giant petrels ride the air currents around the ship. You can use the gym, borrow a book from the library or book a spa treatment. As you near South Georgia the ship may pass Shag Rocks, a cluster of jagged islets standing alone in the ocean, before sailing along the glaciated coast to your first anchorage.
Three days to explore, with the plan set daily around weather, sea state and wildlife. Zodiac cruises follow the rocky coast and kelp forests in search of nesting penguins, seal haul outs and bird cliffs, and landings bring you to some of the largest king penguin colonies on earth. In early season, around November, the beaches can be so crowded with fur seals and elephant seals that walking is not possible, and the team may cruise the shoreline instead to watch courtship and territorial behaviour from a safe distance. The team also hope to visit the old whaling stations and pay respects at Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, and to lead the Shackleton Walk along part of his 1916 route.
If time allows there may be a final morning landing on South Georgia before the ship sets course for the Antarctic Peninsula. The island was the centre of the Southern Ocean whaling industry for the first half of the twentieth century, and leaving its mountains behind you get a real sense of how far its whalers sailed to reach their hunting grounds.
Two days at sea are a chance to edit photographs, enjoy the ship, have a massage or keep fit in the gym ahead of the activities to come. Lectures prepare you for the Peninsula and for the snorkelling, snowshoeing and paddling still to come.
If weather permits, the ship follows the coast of Elephant Island on the way in, the ice capped peak where Shackleton’s men waited four months for rescue. Then come six days on the western Peninsula and in the South Shetland Islands. Early in the season the landscape is deep in clean snow, ideal for photographs, and with 18 to 24 hours of daylight the days can be long. There are usually two outings a day: Zodiac cruises past ice cliffs and grounded bergs, landings at penguin rookeries and historic huts, and walks up snowy ridges to viewpoints. Over these days the team will find the right conditions for snorkelling, snowshoeing, paddling and the camping night, and for the polar plunge.
A final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands is planned before you re enter the Drake Passage for the crossing to South America. Lectures, recaps and films round off the voyage, with time to reflect on three weeks in the far south. Weather and time permitting, the captain may sail close to Cape Horn.
The ship cruises up the Beagle Channel overnight and docks in Ushuaia, with disembarkation around 8.00 am. You transfer to the airport for the included flight to Buenos Aires, where the voyage ends. Aurora strongly recommend staying overnight in Buenos Aires in case of delays, and advise against onward flights from Buenos Aires that leave before 9.00 pm on this day. We can book the extra night for you.
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
Snorkelling is one of the activities included on this voyage. Aurora’s film shows what it is like to slip into the water among the ice.
Video: Snorkelling in Antarctica, from Aurora Expeditions on YouTube.
2028/29 Season
South Georgia & Antarctica Active has a single departure, 31 October to 20 November 2028, on the Greg Mortimer. This is the opening of the season: South Georgia’s beaches are at their most crowded as seals claim territory and king penguins court, and the Peninsula is still under deep snow while penguins build nests. Fares start from £21,279 per person, including the Buenos Aires hotel night, flights and the activities, with launch savings of up to 20%. Our when to go guide explains how the season unfolds.
One departure in the 2028/29 season, on the Greg Mortimer.
| Departs | Ship | Aurora Stateroom from | Balcony Stateroom from | Suites from | Solo from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 202821 days, Buenos Aires round tripSave up to 20% | Greg Mortimer | £21,279was £26,329 | £23,065was £28,562 | £33,844was £42,036 | £28,562Limited |
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
On this voyage snorkelling, snowshoeing, camping and paddling are included in the fare, so there is nothing extra to buy. Activities depend on weather and conditions, and the expedition team will schedule them across the voyage; snorkelling uses a drysuit and you need to be comfortable in the water. Our activities guide explains each one in more detail.
The voyage starts and ends in Buenos Aires, so extra nights in the city or a side trip in Argentina are easy to add. Ask us for ideas.
Questions
Snorkelling, snowshoeing, camping and paddling are all included in the fare, alongside the usual Zodiac cruises, landings and guided walks. On South Georgia the team also plan the Shackleton Walk. Everything depends on weather and conditions, so the exact number of sessions cannot be guaranteed.
You should be in good general health, able to get in and out of a Zodiac and walk on uneven, snowy or rocky ground. The activities are designed to be tried by active people without specialist experience, but snorkelling needs you to be comfortable in the water. Let us know about any medical conditions when booking.
It follows a short section of the route Ernest Shackleton, Frank Worsley and Tom Crean took across South Georgia in May 1916 to reach the whaling station at Stromness and raise the alarm for the men left on Elephant Island. It is a walk over hilly ground and depends on weather and conditions.
Yes, the flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia on day 2 and back on day 21 are included, with a hotel night and breakfast in Buenos Aires and all airport transfers. International flights to Argentina are not included, but we can arrange them.
It is a busy time. On South Georgia fur seals and elephant seals crowd the beaches and king penguins are courting. On the Peninsula gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins are building nests and laying eggs. Seabirds follow the ship throughout, and whales become more frequent as the season goes on.
There are four days at sea from Ushuaia to South Georgia, two days from South Georgia to the Peninsula, and two days back across the Drake Passage. The lecture programme, activity briefings and the ship’s facilities fill the time, and the sea days are good for spotting albatrosses.
Aurora have dedicated solo cabins on the Greg Mortimer and, for 2028/29, solo options with no single supplement on every voyage. Numbers are limited, so ask us early if you are travelling alone.
Other Voyages
If you want the activities but a shorter trip, Antarctica Active focuses on the Peninsula. In Shackleton’s Footsteps offers the full Shackleton’s Crossing on South Georgia, and South Georgia, Falklands & Antarctic Odyssey adds the Falkland Islands. All our voyages are listed on the Antarctica cruises page.