Itinerary

Day 1: Departure from Christchurch ✈️

• Highlights: Flight to Antarctica or boarding the expedition vessel, safety briefing, & Southern Ocean crossing.

• Details: Begin your journey from Christchurch, New Zealand. Board your polar expedition vessel or specialized aircraft heading south toward the majestic Ross Sea and the legendary Ross Ice Shelf.

Day 2: Sailing the Southern Ocean 🌊

• Highlights: Open ocean cruising, icebergs, seabird spotting, & expert lectures.

• Details: Navigate south across the Southern Ocean. Attend fascinating lectures by polar historians and glaciologists on the history of Antarctic exploration and the unique ecosystem of the Ross Sea.

Day 3: Ross Island & Historic Huts 🛖

• Highlights: Mount Erebus views, Cape Evans, & Scott's or Shackleton's historic huts.

• Details: Arrive at Ross Island, dominated by the active volcano Mount Erebus. Step back in time as you view the remarkably preserved historic expedition huts left behind by early polar explorers like Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton.

Day 4: Exploring the Great Ross Ice Barrier 🧊

• Highlights: Sailing along the massive ice cliffs, tabular icebergs, & wildlife.

• Details: Marvel at the sheer scale of the Ross Ice Shelf—the largest body of floating ice in the world. Cruise in Zodiacs alongside towering 30-meter-high blue ice cliffs and spot Minke whales and Weddell seals resting on ice floes.

Day 5: McMurdo Sound & Polar Wilderness 🏔️

• Highlights: Antarctic wildlife, unique ice formations, & glacier views.

• Details: Explore the dramatic landscapes of McMurdo Sound. Witness breathtaking views of surrounding glaciated peaks, pristine ice formations, and the untouched wilderness of the southernmost continent.

Day 6: Journey North Across the Ross Sea 🌊

• Highlights: Ocean cruising, photography sessions, & recap celebration.

• Details: Begin your northward voyage back toward New Zealand. Share photos and highlights with fellow expedition members, and enjoy a final celebratory recap evening with the expedition team.

Day 7: Return to New Zealand & Departure ✈️

• Highlights: Arrival in Christchurch & final departure.

• Details: Arrive back in Christchurch, disembark your vessel or flight, and transfer home with extraordinary lifetime memories of the remote Ross Ice Shelf and Antarctica.