Antarctica

A typical Antarctic Peninsula rhythm

This is an illustrative shape, not a fixed departure — Jo tailors it to your dates, your ship and the forecast, and the ice and weather decide the rest. On a dark shoulder-season crossing there's a real chance of the aurora australis, but it's a wild bonus, never a promise.

1. 1
   Day 1

   Ushuaia, Argentina

   Gather in the world's southernmost city, hemmed in by the snow-streaked Martial mountains and the Beagle Channel. A night to find your sea legs and board before the open water begins.

2. 2
   Days 2–3

   Drake Passage

   Two days crossing the most exposed stretch of ocean on Earth, with albatross and petrels shearing the swell behind the ship. On a dark shoulder-season run, clear night skies can bring the first chance of the aurora australis overhead.

3. 3
   Days 4–7

   Antarctic Peninsula

   The heart of the journey: zodiac landings among gentoo and chinstrap penguin colonies, humpback and minke whales surfacing alongside, and vast tabular icebergs glowing in the low light. Each day's route is shaped by ice and weather rather than a timetable.

4. 4
   Days 8–9

   Drake Passage

   The northbound crossing, the rhythm of the swell now familiar. Cloud permitting on a winter-shoulder return, another window for the southern lights before you leave the polar dark behind.

5. 5
   Days 10–11

   Ushuaia, Argentina

   Back into the Beagle Channel and alongside in Ushuaia to disembark. A final morning to let the scale of it settle before onward travel.