Expedition Voyages on MS FRAM
All voyages on MS Fram include a minimum of 6 landings on the continent (weather permitting).
Call Toll Free 1 800 345 3324 (within India) or 033 2473 8096 or click here to enquire online.

Explore the white continent

With its incredibly rich fauna, the Southern Ocean is a drama on a grand scale in which the struggle for survival is constant. Elephant and fur seals, minke whales, many of the world’s 17 species of penguin, large flocks of sea birds – not forgetting the wandering albatross – give life to this surrealistic and beautiful landscape. This tour is a fantastic opportunity to take a close-up look the world’s most fascinating and charming continent. On board our comfortable ship you can hear presentations by experts in Antarctica’s rich history, so that you can get even more out of what you will experience along the way.

On this expedition you will have a unique opportunity to travel to the mighty frozen wastes of the south, as well as seeing the beautiful fjords of Chile.
Join us for a close and genuine experience on the Chilean coast and the white continent!


Day and ports of call

Day 1: Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Day 2-6: Chilean fjords
Day 7: Drake Passage
Day 8-13: Antarctica
Day 14: Drake Passage
Day 15: Ushuaia


Day 1: Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Our voyage departs from the Island of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia.

Cruise&flight guests:
At Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Domestic Airport you will find the check in counter for our charter flight to Ushuaia. The flight duration is approximately 4 hours during which a light meal will be served.
Our local representatives will greet you at the airport and conduct you on a short sightseeing tour of Ushuaia. Time permitting; you will have a chance to explore Ushuaia on your own before embarkation at 1700.

Cruise-only guests:
Please present yourself at the pier for embarkation at 17:00h

Once onboard there will be a welcome meeting during which the Captain will present his officers and expedition staff. They will introduce you to the ship’s safety procedures and outline the programme for the coming days.

In the evening we set a course through the scenic Beagle Channel towards Chile.

Optional excursion: To be confirmed

Day 2-6: Tierra del Fuego

The mighty nature of the area around South America’s southernmost point is rich in history and impressions.
We will use the following 4 days to explore this rarely visited region.

The magnificent Chilean fjords are practically unknown to all but a few expedition vessels. You will have the chance to see several majestic glaciers during the cruise. Whilst we sail through the Beagle Channel you can see traces of the glaciers’ inexorable journey from rugged valleys to the sea – huge pieces of ice which mark the glacial route.

Safety is always the first priority and the final sailing schedule will be decided by the ship’s captain during the voyage. During our voyage we will attempt to pay a visit to some of the places below, among others:

Diego Ramirez
The Diego Ramírez Islands are a small group of islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile. Their land area is little more than 1 km². They were first sighted on 12 February 1619 by Marco Ramirez, and named after the cosmographer of the expedition, Diego Ramírez. They were cited as the southernmost land mass plotted as of that time, and retained the honor for 156 years, until the discovery of the South Sandwich Islands in 1775.
The Chilean Navy established a meteorological station above Caleta Condell, a small cove on the northeast side of Isla Gonzalo (Gonzalo Island), in 1957. This is the southernmost manned outpost of South America. The next southerly manned outpost in the area is the lighthouse of Cape Horn. The islands are an important nesting site for a number of southern seabirds, including the Black-browed Albatross, Shy Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Rockhopper Penguin and Southern Giant-Petrel.

Cape Horn
This is the southernmost point of Chile and South America and lies almost 56 degrees south. The region is of great significance on account of its location, history, discoveries and trade routes.
If the weather permits, we will anchor off Cape Horn, where you will be able to leave the ship to explore this deserted and yet romantic piece of land at the end of the world. Going ashore at the capricious Cape Horn can be very difficult because of the sometimes extreme weather in this area. We will do all we can to enable a landing with all safety. Whether or not a landing occurs will be the sole decision of the ship’s captain.

Puerto Williams
Puerto Williams is one of the world’s southernmost towns and lies on the little island of Navarino. The town was named Williams after the prominent Chilean admiral who founded Fort Bulnes in 1845. It is only the narrow Beagle Channel which divides it from the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego, where high, snow covered peaks create a monumental background. The town was founded as a radio station in 1953 and was later developed into a naval base. About 2,400 people live here today.

Beagle Channel
It was named after the ship which carried Charles Darwin on his voyage of discovery – HMS Beagle. Near the southern tip of Chile the southern Andes mountains plunge into the icy water and leave a region which is so wild and remote that it seems almost undisturbed. In these Chilean fjords, the ice has scoured its way between the mountains, leaving isolated islands and hidden bays.
The Beagle Channel is about 240 km long and about 5 km wide at its narrowest point. To the west the Darwin Sound connects it to the Pacific Ocean. The biggest settlement on the channel is Ushuaia in Argentina followed by Puerto Williams in Chile, two of the southernmost settlements of the world.

Magellan Strait
Before continuing through the fabled waters of Patagonia, you will sail in one of the world’s most remote, undisturbed and beautiful places.
The Magellan Strait lies right in the south of the continent of South America. The area comprises the strait itself, all the channels and fjords around the Brunswick peninsula. The Magellan Strait bears the name of the Portuguese seafarer who discovered the southern passage in 1520.

The Magellan Strait is of permanent significance for navigation between the oceans and for domestic maritime communication between Chile and Argentina. It separates the American continent from Tierra del Fuego. It is 560 kilometres long from the Dungeness Light, where is meets the southern Atlantic, to its western mouth, where it meets the Pacific. The strait is also the main gateway to the continent of Antarctica.

Magdalena Island
One of Chile's largest and most important Magellanic penguin breeding sites is situated on Magdalena Island in the Straits of Magellan. The island has been designated a national nature reserve because of its importance as a penguin breeding site. The island is a popular tourist destination, so monitoring the effects of tourism is essential, in order to ensure sustainable use of the penguins as a tourist resource. Many years ago commercial fishing in the Straits of Magellan caused penguin populations to decline. However following designation of Magdalena Island as a nature reserve, the Chilean government established a no-fishing zone to protect the penguins.

Punta Arenas
The capital of the Magellan region was the centre for trade, seafaring and culture. History is still being made here.
Punta Arenas is the capital of the Magellan region. With 130,136 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the whole region. The town was founded in the mid 1800s and grew into a centre for trade, culture and society, spreading its influence over the entire region. The town has European architecture and interesting historical places. The town centre (Plaza de Armas) is known for the government buildings, the well kept gardens and the memorial to Ferdinand Magellan.

Optional excursions: To be confirmed

Day 7: Drake Passage
This is where two oceans meet. On the way through the straits you can learn a great deal about Antarctica’s fantastic animals and history.

The Drake Passage connects the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Here the warm water from the north meets the cold, less salty water from the south. This makes the ocean particularly rich in nutrients and is the basis of the unique marine life here.

Whilst we cross the sea towards Antarctica, a number of presentations will be given on board about various aspects of the history and wildlife of the Antarctic. You will also be given a thorough introduction to the current guidelines for visiting this vulnerable environment.

The Antarctic Treaty has made the continent an area without military activity and it is the treaty which regulates all activities in the area. Hurtigruten ASA follows these regulations to the letter to ensure that the vulnerable environment will not be disturbed. Our programme of presentations on board helps in this, since we aim to prepare you for this unique experience, so that you will derive the greatest possible benefit from your Antarctic experience.

We will be on course for the northern tip of the continent, the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, and we hope to arrive on the afternoon of the eight day.


Day 8-13: Antarctica
This unending, white wilderness of a continent is full of fantastic impressions. There are more penguins, and penguin species, here than anywhere else on earth.

This enormous white and weather bitten continent is almost as big as North America. Weather, wind and ice conditions have a great influence on our programme and our schedule. Safety is always the first priority and the final sailing schedule will be decided by the ship’s captain during the voyage. During our voyage we will attempt to land at some of the places below, among others:

Deception Island, South shetlands
The British merchant William Smith rounded Cape Horn in February 1819 in his brig ”Williams”. A powerful storm drove the ship southwards and brought about the discovery of the South Shetland islands. On an expedition together with the British naval officer Edward Bransfield, Smith was later credited with the discovery of Antarctica. According to historians, the German Thaddeus von Bellingshausen was the real discoverer of Antarctica whilst on assignment from the Russian military – just three days before Smith.

When part of the wall of the volcanic crater on Deception Island collapsed and the crater filled with water, a natural harbour was created. The entrance to this fascinating natural phenomenon is 200 metres wide and known as Neptune’s Bellows, on account of the howling noises produced when the wind blows through.

There is a submerged peak towards the middle, making it very shallow on one side. For this reason the ship has only about 100 metres to navigate in. Once we are safely through Neptune’s Bellows, Whaler’s Bay will come into view on the starboard side. This bay housed whaling ships as early as 1905, as well as the Norwegian base ”Hektor” which was established here in 1912 to process meat and bone waste from whaling. We will go ashore in Whaler’s Bay on Deception Island if conditions permit.

Cuverville Island
The Errera Channel – the waterway between Rongé Island and the Arctowsky Peninsula on the mainland – is narrow and beautiful. It was discovered by the Belgian professor Léo Errera. Here lie the islands of Danco and Cuverville, the latter being home to one of the largest known colonies of chinstrap penguins. The shallow water between the islands often causes icebergs to become stuck here, offering a fantastic spectacle when it occurs.
Early in the season the snow makes it difficult for the penguins to reach their nesting sites. The penguins are not put off by this and they carve out their own “penguin motorways”, visible as intricate networks in the snow.

Neko Harbour
Andvord Bay stretches far into the Antarctic Peninsula. From here it is just 50 kilometres to the Weddell Sea. The bay is surrounded by the mountains and alpine glaciers of the peninsula and its wildlife makes it a perfect arena for beautiful impressions. Neko Harbour is attractively located in the innermost part of the bay and takes its name from a whaler which was anchored here in the early 1900s.
Neko is one of the very few places on the Antarctic Peninsula where one can come ashore on the Antarctic mainland. On land there is an Argentinian refuge cabin and a colony of chinstrap penguins.

Paradise Harbour
This place got its descriptive name from the whalers of history. When the storms were at their worst, this is where they came to seek shelter. On the northern tip, right across from Lemaire Island, lies the well known Waterboat Point. This was known as a base for daring expeditions in former times and is today the base for the Chilean research station Gonzàlez Videla.

Lemairekanalen
Lemaire Channel was discovered by the German whaler Eduard Dallman in 1873 and later mapped and researched in 1898 by Adrien de Gerlache, who named it after his Belgian colleague Charles Lemaire. This 11 kilometre channel is a fantastic sight and is known as one of the most beautiful passages in Antarctica. If there is no wind, the clear water can reflect the steep mountains in a spectacular way.

Petermann Island
The same whaler, Eduard Dallman, also discovered this island and named it after the geographer August Petermann. The island is perhaps better known as an Argentinian hiding place from around 1950. It has been visited and maintained by the members of the Ukrainian base Vernadskiy close by and has been used in connection with expeditions in the area. There is also a fantastic view over Penola Strait from the island.
It is also the location of the southernmost colony of chinstrap penguins. The blue-eyed cormorant and adelie penguin also nest on the island.

Port Lockroy
Port Lockroy was a British station from the 2nd world war which was turned into the museum of the Antarctic Heritage Trust (ATH) in 1996 and is one of the most visited attractions in Antarctica. As well as the museum, there is also a post office and a little souvenir shop. All the profits go to ATH, which works on the conservation of historic buildings in Antarctica.
Port Lockroy is surrounded by mountains, glaciers and ice-covered rocks and is known as the haunt of chinstrap penguin and the blue-eyed cormorant.

Wilhelmina Bay
The mountains and high glacier walls of the Antarctic Peninsula around Wilhelmina Bay convey a mighty impression of ice and water. Everything from calving glacier fronts to floating ice, the magnificent contrasts of the interplay of the elements.This is where Shackleton came when he took his expedition across the ice on the Weddell Sea, in the hope of finding whalers who could come to their aid. The bay provides plenty of nourishment for wildlife, so it was also an attractive hunting arena for whalers. There are opportunities here to see whales, crab-eating seals, leopard seals, Weddell seals and giant starfish.

Antarctic Sound
The Antarctic Sound lies between the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the Dúrville, Joinville and Dundee islands. Large flat icebergs from the calving glaciers in the Weddell Sea are driven here by powerful tidal currents. The area is known as Iceberg Alley among expedition people and offers a staggering assortment of floating ice of all sizes. The sound did not get its name from its location but from the ship used by Otto Nordenskjöld´s Swedish South Pole expedition in 1903, led by the legendary Norwegian Carl Anton Larsen.
Even though the 48 kilometre sound is often difficult to navigate, it offers the most imposing spectacle of ice we can expect to see on our voyage. The area is home to a huge number of adelie penguins, estimated at nearly half a million breeding pairs at its greatest.

Brown Bluff
On the coast of Antarctic Sound, on the western side of the Tabarin Peninsula, lies this volcanic elevation with its descriptive name. Here adelie penguins, chinstrap penguins, kelp gulls and cape petrel nest below the spectacular cliff, which rises 745 metres towards the sky. The stone beach is very suitable for landing outside the nesting seasons.

Day 14: Drake Passage
With our bow pointed north and unforgettable images and experiences in our souls, we are invited to a new understanding of the Antarctic and Chile.

During the voyage we will summarise the Antarctic themes and begin on the Chilean programme. The voyage from the Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Horn on the southern tip of South America is about 800 kilometres – about 40 hours sailing in good weather. This sea passage was notorious among the early polar explorers and is a unique voyage which only a few have the chance to experience.

Day 15: Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
After a spectacular voyage with endless impressions, we make landfall at the world’s southernmost town.

We arrive at the Argentinian town of Ushuaia in the morning. Ushuaia is counted as the world’s southernmost town and lies on Tierra del Fuego, south of the Magellan Strait and here our voyage ends.

Disembarkation will be after breakfast, in the morning hours.

For guest with cruise&flight programme:
After breakfast you will be taken to the airport for the flight to Buenos Aires (approx. 4 hours). A simple meal will be served on the flight.

Optional Excursion: To be confirmed
Price includes: 14 night voyage Ushuaia to Ushuaia in cabin grade of your choice including full board and domestic charter flights between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires.
Not included: travel insurance, international flights, luggage handling, optional excursions, gratuities, fuel surcharges

Call Toll Free 1 800 345 3324 (within India) or 033 2473 8096 or click here to enquire online.
Kolkata: +91 98300 53005            Jaipur: +91 94140 70017                Chennai: +91 92831 90875