Antarctic Solar Eclipse

14 days
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Small Ship Cruise
Discover what it means to be a true Antarctic explorer on a 14-day expedition to the Great White Continent. On board the sophisticated Ocean Endeavour, gain an insight into wildlife spotting, solar eclipse viewing, photo taking and weather watching with a series of lectures and workshops to make the most out of your voyage. On this special voyage you'll also ...

Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • Witness a rare total solar eclipse on board the Ocean Endeavour deep in Antarctic oceans. You’ll have onboard experts – including the incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable Dr John Mason MBE – to not only explain this natural phenomenon, but also help you snap the perfect shot.
    • Get up close and personal with Antarctica’s incredible wildlife – Adelie and gentoo penguins, leopard seals, sea birds, whales and so much more will greet you along the way.
    • Hate looking from afar? With custom Zodiac boats to transport you close to the action and ashore on the Antarctic Peninsula, you’ll be waddling with penguins with all the gear (and some idea).
    • Discover the sweeping vistas and stunning sunsets of the South Shetland Islands, toasting to your multiple days exploring Antarctic inlets.
    • Sea days between Ushuaia and Antarctica aren’t just cooped up in a cabin. Get insider info with a series of presentations from expert guides, as well as an expedition vessel decked out with all the mod cons.

What's this trip about?

    Discover what it means to be a true Antarctic explorer on a 14-day expedition to the Great White Continent. On board the sophisticated Ocean Endeavour, gain an insight into wildlife spotting, solar eclipse viewing, photo taking and weather watching with a series of lectures and workshops to make the most out of your voyage. On this special voyage you'll also be joined by a special guest – none other than eclipse enthusiast and all-round astrophysics, space exploration and geophysics expert John Mason MBE. Aside from the rugged icy landscapes, once-in-a-lifetime wildlife spotting and immersive Zodiac explorations, gear up for the main event: an early morning viewing of a total solar eclipse, captivating all eyes on the main deck. How could you eclipse that?

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeGroup - max of 200 people
Age range8 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityUshuaia
End CityUshuaia

Travel Themes

  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • South America
  • Argentina
  • Antarctica

Attractions

  • Antarctic Peninsula
  • Shetland Islands
  • Ushuaia

Activities

  • Wildlife viewing

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Ushuaia

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Ushuaia. With nothing planned apart from an important welcome meeting this evening, you’ve got today to begin exploring the world’s southernmost city. Take a stroll down Avenida San Martin, or for the more adventurous, how about tackling part o...

Day 2 Ushuaia – Embarkation Day

You’ll jump aboard the Ocean Endeavour for your Antarctic expedition later in the day, so this morning, continue to explore Ushuaia. Perhaps check out the Museo Maritimo to brush up on local history, or just enjoy a morning strolling this languid town. Once you’ve boarded the ship, wave goodbye to Argentina and say hello to the Drake Passage. Next stop: the Antarctic.

Day 3-5 At Sea

The next three days are all about chilling out and learning about the wildlife, geography and natural weather events coming up. You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy presentations from marine biologists, astrophysicists and meteorologists to get you up to speed on all ...

Day 6 Total Solar Eclipse (Eclipse Point)

This morning is your best chance to view an incredibly rare total solar eclipse in one of the best places to do so. Overnight, the ship will have travelled into what’s called the zone of 100% obscuration – a specific region of coordinates which will allow the eclipse ...

Day 7 Elephant Island

Catch a glimpse of the first stretch of land since the Beagle Channel as Elephant Island comes into view today. This land mass sits in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, close to the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The island is where British ex...

Day 8 Weddell Sea

Continue your exploration further south towards the Antarctic Peninsula and stop by the eastern shores of Joinville Island. Here you’ll go in search of Adelie penguins, easily recognised by the white ring around their eyes. Adelies nest at this time of year, and if yo...

Day 9-10 Antarctic Peninsula

Head towards the main Antarctic Peninsula today – this is where the south really comes to life. During the summer months, tens of thousands of gentoo penguins find a piece of rock that they can nest on and incubate their eggs. You’ll get the chance to jump on a Zodiac...

Day 11 South Shetland Islands

The Antarctic adventure isn’t over just yet. Your ship will head north towards the Shetland Islands, known for their elephant and fur seal colonies, water-bound volcanos and a number of scientific bases. Be sure to spend twilight out on deck, too – the Shetlands have some of the best sunsets in the south. With a drink in hand and surrounded by your shipmates, toast another Antarctic day in style.

Day 12-13 Drake Passage

It may be time to cross the Drake Passage and head back to civilisation, but these sea days on board the Ocean Endeavour are not without things to do. Gaze out to the horizon to spot orca and seabirds, participate in onboard workshops, learn a thing or two about photo editing, and catch up with some travel pals over a drink, sharing your best memories of the expedition.

Day 14 Ushuaia – Disembarkation Day

Arrive in Ushuaia port early in the morning for disembarkation. With no other activities planned for the day, you are free to depart from the port at any time for another day of exploring Ushuaia or to catch a connecting flight. Arriving back doesn’t mean your adventu...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $11,995
Price per day$857
Last Updated: 2/23/2024

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

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History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
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Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
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Logistics

Accommodation

1 night comfortable hotel,12 nights expedition cruise ship,

Transportation & Flights

Expedition cruise ship,zodiac,

Transportation & flights

Expedition cruise ship,zodiac
Guides
Your expedition will be led by an experienced expedition leader and at least one assistant leader. In addition, there will be a team of Polar experts who will be with you throughout. These experts will have various areas of expertise to inform you about the wildlife you may see, the terrain you'll pass through, the history of the area and to help you get the most out of photography opportunities, there will be a photography guide on board. In addition there will be specialist guides for kayaking, a yoga instructor and on some voyages, special guest presenters. With a passenger to guide ratio of 8:1, there will always be someone around to answer any questions you may have.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of travel that you have taken out a comprehensive travel insurance policy to cover you for all eventualities and that covers you for travelling in the Polar regions. Your travel insurance must provide cover against personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation with a recommended minimum coverage of US$500,000 for each of the categories of cover.
Visa requirements
No visas are required to visit the Antarctic continent or its offshore islands. However, you will need to have your passport with you on the ship, as port authorities will wish to inspect passports on departure from Ushuaia and also again at the end of your voyage. For all departures, the Ocean Endeavour departs for the Antarctic continent from the port of Ushuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina. At the time of printing, no visas for Argentina are required by holders of Australian, New Zealand, British, Canadian, U.S.A. or European passports. Passengers holding passports issued by other countries should carefully check the situation with their travel agent or Argentinean consular authorities. For the voyages scheduled to visit the Falkland Islands, visitors from Britain, the Commonwealth, North America, Chile and the European Community do not need visas as at the time of printing. Visitors should check their particular situation with us, their travel agent, the nearest British Consulate, or contact the Travel Co-ordinator at the Falkland Island Government Office in London (tel: 020 7222 2375). PASSPORT You will need a valid passport to travel internationally. As a general rule, most countries require that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity remaining. Your passport details are required to complete your booking. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets exactly and contact us immediately if there are any errors. We recommend taking copies of the main passport pages and other important documents with you as well as leave copies at home with family or friends. VISAS Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time. It is important that you check your government's foreign travel advisories along with the consular website of the country or countries you are travelling to for the most up to date information specific to your nationality and circumstances. Please be aware that not all visa information found online from other sources may be valid while COVID-19 restrictions are in place. Visas can take several weeks to process, so make sure you research the requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for obtaining any necessary documents as well as the application and processing time. Your booking consultant can advise on a visa processing service or you can apply yourself directly through a consulate. COVID-19 Entry and Exit Requirements Below you will find general visa advice about the destinations on your trip. Due to constantly evolving COVID-19 requirements and restrictions, please refer to your government's foreign travel advice for the most up to date information.You may also refer to our travel alert page for more info https://www.intrepidtravel.com/en/travel-alerts Make sure you are familiar with the current border measures and entry requirements as these are quite complex and changing frequently without notice. Please also ensure you have a travel insurance policy that covers your travels as well as medical or COVID-19 related expenses within the country. RETURN TRAVEL Please ensure you stay up to date with any current testing or quarantine requirements for returning to your home country or transiting through other destinations after the completion of your tour. We are able to help facilitate taking a COVID-19 test while on trip. Please ensure you have funds available to cover the cost of this test which will be payable directly to the testing site. Your Intrepid Tour Leader will provide more details at the group meeting as well as assist with booking appointments for all travellers who need to be tested.
Age Requirements
8 years and up
Additional Information
Finish point Ushuaia Array Ushuaia ARGENTINA
Trip ID
intrepid-GQMEA

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