OEX Antarctic Basecamp - 13 days | Polar Frontiers

©christoph.gniesser

©morten.skovgaard

©ross.wheeler

credit:robert van kempen

©joerg.ehrlich

©joerg.ehrlich

©erwin.vermeulen

©erwin.vermeulen

©andrew.peacock

©joerg.ehrlich

©sandra.petrowitz

©folkert.lenz

©folkert.lenz

©folkert.lenz

©max.draeger

Antarktische Halbinsel, Danco Island, Bergsteiger mit Eispickel im Schnee, Antarktis 17.11.2013 Engl. Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula, Danco Island, mountain climber with ice axe in the snow, travel, cruise, polar cruise, expedition cruise, polar region, 17.November 2013

Antarctica Basecamp

From

US$9,350 ^{per person}

Duration

13 Days
Ships
Hondius Ortelius Plancius
Embark

Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina
Disembark

Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina

Routes
Activities
Dates & rates
What's included

Routes

Depart

Route information

Embark: Ushuaia, Argentina

Disembark: Ushuaia, Argentina

Destinations: Melchior Islands and the Schollaert Channel, Wiencke Island, Petermann Islands, Neko harbour & the Erra Channel

Ships: Hondius, Ortelius, Plancius

Duration: 13 days

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 Embark Ushuaia

Boarding is in the afternoon at Ushuaia, on the southern tip of South America, and the evening is spent sailing the mountain lined Beagle Channel towards open water.

Days 2 & 3 The Drake Passage

Two days on the Drake follow the path of the early polar explorers. Beyond the Antarctic Convergence the water cools sharply and the birdlife changes: wandering, grey headed, black browed and light mantled sooty albatross, cape pigeons, southern fulmars and a suite of petrels are all possible around the ship.

Days 4 - 10 Basecamp Antarctica

Seven full days are devoted to the Peninsula, beginning past the snow capped Melchior Islands and the Schollaert Channel between Brabant and Anvers Islands. In the sheltered waters of the Neumayer Channel the ship may take up position off Wiencke Island and open its full menu of activities: Zodiac and kayaking trips on the water, snowshoe hikes and guided soft climb mountaineering inland, all according to the weather. Port Lockroy, the former British station turned museum and post office, is a possible visit, with gentoo penguins and blue eyed shags at nearby Jougla Point and snowshoeing at Damoy Point, a favourite camping site. If the ice allows a passage through the Lemaire Channel, Pleneau and Petermann Islands bring Adelie penguins, humpback and minke whales and leopard seals, along with glacier walks and more ambitious climbs. Neko Harbour offers landings beneath vast glaciers; Paradise Bay is the classic spot for a night camping ashore like a polar explorer; and the Errera Channel offers Danco, Cuverville and the lesser known Orne Island and Georges Point. The final activity day passes the Melchior Islands with a sharp lookout for humpbacks in Dallmann Bay, and Half Moon Island in the South Shetlands may add one last landing.

Days 11 - 12 The Drake Passage

The seabirds of the southbound crossing rejoin the ship for the passage home, familiar company after the intensity of the Peninsula.

Day 13 Disembark Ushuaia

The voyage ends where it began, in Ushuaia. Every itinerary in these waters is a guide rather than a promise: ice, weather and wildlife set the programme, and the expedition leader makes the final call each day.

Activities

©max.draeger

Camping

Spend a night ashore under the vast polar sky, swapping the ship's comfort for the profound stillness of the ice. With minimal equipment and a guide's careful briefing, it is a memorable immersion in the silence and scale of Antarctica.

©christoph.gniesser

Mountaineering

Rope up with qualified guides to ascend snow slopes and modest peaks, taking in views few ever see. Suited to active guests with a head for effort, the climbs are matched to ability and conditions, rewarding the work with sweeping vistas across ice and ocean.

©folkert.lenz

Sea Kayaking

Paddle quiet inlets away from the ship, threading between ice floes. Guided in small groups, it offers an intimate, water-level perspective on the coastline and its wildlife, well suited to reasonably fit guests seeking time on the water.

©joerg.ehrlich

Snowshoeing

Strap on snowshoes to cross terrain that would otherwise be impassable, following your guide across firm snowfields and gentle ridges. The pace is steady and the focus is on the landscape — its silence, its tracks, and the wildlife that shares it.

Hiking

Explore remote landscapes on foot, with guided hikes available for all ability levels—from relaxed walks to more challenging routes for experienced hikers.

Photo Workshop

Sharpen your eye alongside an onboard photographer, from composing icebergs to capturing wildlife in fading light. Sessions blend practical fieldwork with deck-side guidance, helping you return home with images that do justice to what you have seen.

Polar Plunge

A brief, bracing leap from the beach into polar waters — a rite of passage taken with the crew standing safely by. Exhilarating and quickly over, it is the kind of shared moment that defines an expedition and warms the retelling for years.

Zodiac Cruising

Aboard a sturdy inflatable, you sit just above the waterline as your guide noses among brash ice and towering bergs. It is the closest encounter with the polar world, seals hauled out nearby, a whale surfacing, the deep quiet broken only by cracking ice.

Dates & rates

Dates

Nov 3 - Nov 15, 2026
Start/End

Ushuaia, Argentina
Ship

Ortelius
Price from (per person)

US$9,350

was US$12,500

Twin Porthole

Guests

2, Twin
Size

13.3-16m²
Deck

3

Price from (per person)

US$9,350

was US$12,500

Twin Window

Guests

2, Twin
Size

12.1-14.3m²
Deck

4

Price from (per person)

US$9,850

was US$13,150

Quad Porthole

Guests

4, Two upper + two lower berths
Size

16m²
Deck

3

Price from (per person)

US$10,150

Superior

Guests

2, Double
Size

21m²
Deck

6

Price from (per person)

US$11,300

was US$15,050

Triple Porthole

Guests

3, 2 lower berths & 1 upper
Size

12m²
Deck

2

Price from (per person)

US$12,500

Twin Deluxe

Guests

2, Twin
Size

19.4-21.3m²
Deck

6

Price from (per person)

US$14,350

Dates

Nov 23 - Dec 5, 2026
Start/End

Ushuaia, Argentina
Ship

Hondius
Price from (per person)

US$10,150

Quad Porthole

Guests

4, Two upper + two lower berths
Size

16m²
Deck

3

Price from (per person)

US$10,150