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Cruise Itinerary

Date	Port	Arrive	Depart
8 Feb 2026	Punta Arenas, Chile		Hotel
9 Feb 2026	Punta Arenas, Chile	Fly to King George Island
9 Feb 2026	King George Island, South Shetland Islands	Embark
10 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
11 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
12 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
13 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
14 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
15 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
16 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
17 Feb 2026	Antarctic Peninsula	& Antarctic Circle
18 Feb 2026	King George Island, South Shetland Islands	Disembark - Fly to Punta Arenas
18 Feb 2026	Punta Arenas, Chile		Hotel
19 Feb 2026	Punta Arenas, Chile	Transfer to airport

9 Night Cruise sailing from king George Island roundtrip aboard Sylvia Earle. Hotel stays pre & post cruise in Punta Arenas.

Day 1 Arrive Punta Arenas
Arrive in Punta Arenas, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our hotel. We ask that you arrive no later than 2:00pm on this day. In addition to ensuring your arrival in time for our important pre-flight briefings, if weather conditions deem it necessary, we may depart for King George Island on Day 1 as opposed to Day 2.

Please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby between 10.00 am – 6.00 pm to collect your luggage cabin tags. Our team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information about where to dine or purchase last minute items.

Overlooking the Straits of Magellan, the city sits astride one of the world's most historic trade routes. Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great blend of cultural backgrounds, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors. It remains an utterly fascinating testament to Chile's rich history. Modern day Punta Arenas is home to many popular restaurants, and bars, offering a mix of local and international fare (meals at your own expense today).

At 7.00 pm this evening, meet your fellow expeditioners at a voyage briefing where we will reconfirm your transfer times for tomorrow, explain the procedures for your flight to King George Island and outline important IAATO regulations for visitors to Antarctica.

Day 2 Embarkation
This morning we will be transferred to Punta Arenas airport for our charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica (weather permitting). The flight will take approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. On arrival into King George Island our expedition team is on hand to greet you and to prepare you for your Zodiac transfer to the vessel. You will have time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings.

Note: King George Island is located at the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required for safe take-off and landing. A contingency plan will be applied to your itinerary should your flights not proceed today. Your safety is our upmost priority. We apologise in advance for any delays caused due to this unpredictable situation. Please refer to our terms and conditions for a more detailed explanation.

Days 3-10 Antarctic Peninsula & Antarctic Circle
It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.

Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.

Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.

You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.

While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!

In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.

On this voyage, conditions permitting, we plan to cross the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line located at the Antarctic Circle at latitude 66°33' South (approximately). Crossing below The Circle is certainly a special highlight for many people, and the moment will be celebrated with a toast out on the deck (weather permitting). You have earned some boasting privileges, joining a small group of lucky adventurers who have ventured to this part of the world.

As we approach and cross the Antarctic Circle, you will notice subtle changes in the landscape, and also in the distribution of wildlife. The waters at this time of year are rich with krill and we hope to see plenty of whales - particularly humpbacks and minkes and enjoy the spectacle of penguins feeding their ravenous chicks.

Day 11 Fly King George Island to Punta Arenas
As we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell Antarctica and our amazing adventure before boarding our flight to Punta Arenas, Chile. There is time for reflection and discussion about what we have seen and experienced. We hope you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.

In Punta Arenas, you will be transferred to our group hotel for an overnight stay.

Note: King George Island is located at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required for safe take-off and landing. We apologise in advance for any possible delays.

Day 12 Depart Punta Arenas
After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers as we continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature (breakfast included). A transfer to the airport is included in the voyage fare.

Note: Should your flight not proceed due to local conditions; you will remain on the ship until it is deemed achievable to return to Punta Arenas. Refer to our terms and conditions for further details.

Sylvia Earle honours the highly accomplished marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer, Sylvia Earle. As the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998 – this vessel pays tribute to Sylvia’s long standing conservation efforts for marine protected areas and ocean wildlife. Sylvia Earle will be actively involved in the development of her namesake.

Crossing the notorious Drake Passage or the Denmark Strait, our expeditions face some of the most intense conditions nature can throw at us. The Greg Mortimer is at the cutting edge of nautical technology: robust, powerful and up to the task.

At Aurora Expeditions wilderness is a passion they share with others by taking small groups of like-minded people to some of the most isolated places on our planet. From the polar regions of Antarctica and High Arctic to the wilds of Costa Rica, Scotland, Patagonia and more, Aurora Expeditions aims to create special expedition-style cruises that foster an understanding and appreciation of our natural world.

The Australian-owned adventure company was initially established in the early 1990¹s by adventures Greg Mortimer and Margaret Werner when they began sharing their love of remote places by organising ship-based trips for keen friends and fellow travellers. Their style to push the boundaries¹ has remained unchanged and they are proud of the fact that their spirit of adventure and exploration is as strong as ever. Their adventure activities are proof of this; with many of their voyages offering polar scuba diving, sea kayaking, camping and mountain climbing.

Deeply committed to education and preservation of the environment, Aurora Expeditions were the founding member of both the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). All their voyages have expert expedition staff who will help to unlock the wonders of these special places.