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Late Season · 17 to 19 Days
Fly to Ushuaia, explore Antarctica and the Falkland Islands in the golden light of late summer, then sail north via Puerto Madryn and the Valdés Peninsula all the way into Buenos Aires, or Montevideo in 2029. One late March departure each season, aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen.
The Voyage
This is a voyage with a lovely shape to it. You fly south to Ushuaia as usual, cross the Drake Passage and spend up to five days in Antarctica, then turn north for three days in the Falkland Islands. Instead of heading back to Ushuaia, the ship keeps going up the coast of Argentina, calling at Puerto Madryn in Patagonia before sailing right into Buenos Aires. There is no flight at the end, just a final morning on deck as the city comes into view.
The timing matters. Leaving in the second half of March, this is one of the last Antarctic sailings of the season. The landscape on the Antarctic Peninsula and in the South Shetland Islands has lost some of its spring snow, but it gains in other ways. Late summer is the best time of year for whales, as humpbacks gather in the bays to feed on krill before their long migration north, and the low sun gives long, glowing sunsets that photographers wait all year for. Penguin chicks are moulting into their adult feathers and starting to head out to sea, and fur seals are often hauled out along the shore.
Your ship is MS Fridtjof Nansen, the hybrid powered twin of MS Roald Amundsen, named after the Norwegian explorer, scientist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. With a panoramic observation area, three restaurants, a large Science Centre and a fleet of small expedition boats, she is a comfortable home for the whole voyage, and the extra time at sea at the end of the trip is a pleasure rather than a chore. If you can, add a few days at the Iguazú Falls afterwards.
The voyage runs once in each of the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons, but it changes shape along the way. The March 2027 sailing is 19 days with up to five days in Antarctica. From 2027/28 it becomes a 17 day voyage, with up to four days in Antarctica and two in the Falklands, and in 2028/29 it finishes across the River Plate in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, rather than Buenos Aires. Both versions are set out below.
Day by Day
Please note: the day by day plan directly below is the 19 day 2026/27 sailing. From 2027/28 the voyage is 17 days, and the 2028/29 sailing ends in Montevideo. The shorter itinerary follows after it.
The trip begins with an included night in a Buenos Aires hotel, with breakfast. Since you will be sailing back into the city at the end, you can save some of the sightseeing for later, but a first evening of steak and tango is always a good start. See our gateway cities page for ideas.
After an early transfer you take the included flight to Ushuaia, at the bottom of Tierra del Fuego. MS Fridtjof Nansen is waiting in the harbour. Once you have settled in and met the Expedition Team, the ship sails out along the Beagle Channel, named after HMS Beagle, the survey ship that later carried a young Charles Darwin through these waters.
Two days at sea crossing the Drake Passage, with the Science Centre lectures in full swing: the history of Antarctic exploration, the ice, the wildlife and the effects of climate change. You will be briefed on the IAATO guidelines and have your outdoor clothing cleaned and checked before the first landing.
Five days exploring the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula by small expedition boat. The plan is set each day by the Captain and Expedition Leader, but sites the team often choose include Half Moon Island, Deception Island with its flooded volcanic caldera and old whaling station, and on the Peninsula the gentoo colonies at Cuverville Island and Neko Harbour, the mountains of Paradise Bay and the Lemaire Channel, if the ice allows.
Late March is prime whale time, and in the sheltered bays it is quite usual to see several humpbacks at once, sometimes close to the boats. Kayaking and camping on the snow can be booked on board, weather permitting.
The ship sails north east towards the Falkland Islands, with lectures and workshops on board and seabirds following in the wake. A good time for a session in the sauna, or a quiet hour in the Explorer Lounge & Bar with a book.
Three days in the Falklands, where landings depend on the wind. Possible stops include Saunders Island, with gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins and a colony of black browed albatrosses, Carcass Island with its striated caracaras and sheltered settlement, and West Point Island, where albatrosses and rockhopper penguins share the clifftops. By late March the albatross chicks are large and nearly ready to fly.
In Stanley you join the included Stanley Community Walk, past the gardens of the Jubilee Villas, Christ Church Cathedral and the Historic Dockyard Museum. There are optional excursions too, including Volunteer Point for the king penguins.
A day at sea as the ship heads north west towards the coast of Patagonia.
Puerto Madryn sits on the Golfo Nuevo in the province of Chubut, and there is a strong Welsh flavour to it: the town was founded by Welsh settlers who arrived on the ship Mimosa in 1865, and you will still find Welsh tea houses in the valley inland. Nearby is the Valdés Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important marine mammal reserves in South America, with southern elephant seals, sea lions and about 180 species of birds, as well as guanacos and rheas on the open steppe. An optional excursion to the peninsula is the best way to see it.
Two relaxed days sailing north along the Argentine coast, with the last lectures, the photographer's final slideshow and the farewell dinner.
The ship sails into Buenos Aires in the morning and you disembark in the city itself, ready to head for the airport or stay on. The Iguazú Experience post programme makes a superb finale if you have time.
From the 2027/28 season the Northbound voyage is two days shorter, with up to four days in Antarctica and two in the Falklands. The 2028/29 sailing finishes in Montevideo rather than Buenos Aires.
An included night in a Buenos Aires hotel, with breakfast.
The included flight takes you south to Ushuaia, where you board MS Fridtjof Nansen and sail out along the Beagle Channel.
Two days at sea with lectures in the Science Centre, IAATO briefings and biosecurity checks.
Four days of landings and small boat cruising around the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, at the best time of year for whales.
Two days sailing north east across the Southern Ocean, with seabirds following the ship.
Two days of wildlife landings among albatrosses and penguins, and a tour of Stanley.
A day at sea heading for the coast of Patagonia.
A walking tour of the Welsh founded town, and the chance to see the wildlife of the Valdés Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Two days sailing north along the Argentine coast, with the final lectures and the farewell dinner.
You disembark in Buenos Aires on the 2028 sailing, or in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay on the far bank of the River Plate, on the 2029 sailing.
All itineraries are subject to weather, sea and ice conditions. On an expedition the route is a plan rather than a promise, and the Captain will always put your safety and the protection of the environment first.
2026/27 to 2028/29 Seasons
There is one late March sailing in each of the next three seasons, all on MS Fridtjof Nansen and all starting with a night in Buenos Aires. Note that the voyage is 19 days in 2026/27 and 17 days from 2027/28. Choose a season to see the date and brochure fares.
One departure on MS Fridtjof Nansen, 19 days, ending in Buenos Aires.
| Cabin Category | From, per person |
|---|---|
| Polar OutsideOutside cabin with window, double bed or twins | £11,710 |
| Arctic SuperiorLarger cabins, many with a private balcony | £12,902 |
| Expedition SuiteSuites with balcony, Lindstrøm dining and suite extras included | £16,911 |
Tour code FNANT2611.
One departure on MS Fridtjof Nansen, 17 days, ending in Buenos Aires.
| Cabin Category | From, per person |
|---|---|
| Polar OutsideOutside cabin with window, double bed or twins | £10,539 |
| Arctic SuperiorLarger cabins, many with a private balcony | £11,588 |
| Expedition SuiteSuites with balcony, Lindstrøm dining and suite extras included | £15,117 |
Tour code FNANT07.
One departure on MS Fridtjof Nansen, 17 days, ending in Montevideo, Uruguay.
| Cabin Category | From, per person |
|---|---|
| Polar OutsideOutside cabin with window, double bed or twins | £10,780 |
| Arctic SuperiorLarger cabins, many with a private balcony | £11,882 |
| Expedition SuiteSuites with balcony, Lindstrøm dining and suite extras included | £15,589 |
Tour code FNANT07B.
Brochure prices from, per person, two sharing, taken from the HX 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 brochures. HX use flexible pricing, so fares can move up or down with demand and are often reduced by special offers. Call us on 0333 405 0194 for today's price on your chosen date. Solo travellers, ask about cabins with no single supplement. With only one sailing a season, cabins on this voyage tend to go early.
Your Fare
International flights, travel insurance and optional excursions are not included. Our what's included page explains the differences between cabin and suite fares in more detail.
Make More of It
In Antarctica you can book a Discovery Kayak outing (around £112) or a Guided Sea Kayaking Adventure (around £173), and a night camping on the snow in a bivvy bag (around £304) or a tent (around £382). These are booked on board and depend on the weather.
Optional excursions in Stanley, priced per person:
In Puerto Madryn, an optional excursion to the Valdés Peninsula is offered. After the voyage, the Iguazú Experience (around £2,186) or the Buenos Aires Dinner & Tango Show (around £164) are both easy to add, and the Highlights of Buenos Aires tour (around £63) is a good use of the first afternoon. Ask us for details.
Other Voyages
The Antarctica & Falklands Expedition covers Antarctica and the Falklands in sixteen days, returning to Ushuaia. For twice as long in Antarctica and the same kind of finish by sea, see Antarctica & Falklands, From Punta Arenas on MS Fram. If a one way voyage appeals, the new Antarctica & Patagonia Expedition sails from Valparaíso through the Chilean fjords to Antarctica in October 2027. Every voyage is compared on our Antarctica cruises page.