Cape to Cape: A Voyage from Cape Horn to Cape Town

Arrive today in Buenos Aires and check in to the excellent Alvear Art Hotel. Set out on a guided tour of this seductive city on the Rio de la Plata, seeing its Beaux Arts palaces and parks. Visit Recoleta—the final resting place of Argentina's iconic first lady, Eva Perón—and enjoy a private visit to El Zanjon de Granados, one of the city’s premier museums. This evening, gather for a welcome reception at our hotel.

Meals Included: Lunch

Fly to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Lunch today will be memorable on a catamaran cruise of the Beagle Channel where we might see sea lions, penguins, whales, and albatrosses against the backdrop of snowcapped mountains and glaciers. Later today, embark National Geographic Explorer.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Awaken well into the journey to the Falklands, with time to settle into shipboard life. Discover the many amenities of our beautiful ship and hear talks from our staff that will prepare us for the exciting days ahead.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Falklands are reminiscent of Great Britain — grazing sheep, tea and crumpets — because they remain resolutely British. Get an insider’s view of this isolated outpost of the United Kingdom and meet the rugged, friendly islanders who call it home. Visit the picturesque Victorian town of Port Stanley, hoist a couple at the local pub, and see the Anglican Cathedral with its unusual Gothic archway of whalebones. Time permitting, we’ll head out of town to Gypsy Cove to see a small colony of Magellanic penguins.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During our days at sea, we will learn about the fascinating history of Antarctic exploration as well as the flora, fauna, and geology of South Georgia. Our naturalists will help identify the seabirds that follow us: wandering albatross, prions, and blackbrowed albatross.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Renowned for its beauty and vast colonies of king penguins, this is also the final resting place for the legendary polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. We make the most of our three days, keeping a flexible schedule to take advantage of the unexpected. Walk the beach, mere yards from a huge elephant seal. Paddle a kayak as curious fur seals play alongside. Hike mountain passes along Shackleton’s epic route and stand amid a sea of 300,000 king penguins!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Choose from an array of shipboard activities. Attend a photo workshop with our National Geographic Photography Expert, treat yourself to a massage or a wellness class, or visit the Bridge to learn about navigation. As we approach the remote islands of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, spot active volcanic cones from the ship’s deck.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we step foot on the planet’s more remote inhabited island, Tristan da Cunha, a far-flung outpost of the United Kingdom. The fiercely proud islanders were evacuated to England in 1961 due to a volcanic eruption, and most voted to return to Tristan. Get to know some residents—learn firsthand about their culture and history, and discover what rush hour is like on an island of fewer than 300 hardy souls.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

With no human inhabitants, neighboring Nightingale and Inaccessible islands are pristine wildlife havens where we are likely to encounter Life List bird species such as the rare northern rockhopper penguin and the Tristan albatross. Aptly named “Inaccessible Island,” this outcrop is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The island is edged by sheer cliffs rising from the sea that have allowed its native species to flourish almost untouched by humans. Discover these pristine wildernesses as you explore by Zodiac, kayak, and on foot.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend these last few days relaxing at sea. Presentations on a wide array of topics are punctuated with deck time to enjoy the warmer, sunnier days of the subtropics. Look for marine life, read in the Library, work out in the Fitness Center, or relax with a massage in the Wellness Center. The unhurried pace of life at sea is a tonic for the soul, a time to live in the moment and bask in the change from normal daily life at home. Tonight, we celebrate our epic adventure at a festive farewell dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An ocean away from our starting point, we arrive in beautiful Cape Town, cradled picturesquely in a natural amphitheater at the edge of the Atlantic. Ride a cable car to the top of the city’s landmark, flat-topped Table Mountain (weather permitting), and take in extraordinary panoramic views of the city, the coast and the ridge of mountains that lead to the Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope. Pay a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and stroll among the unusual fynbos and the huge showy blossoms of protea, the national flower of South Africa. Depart on overnight flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch