Brazil, Patagonia, the Falklands & Antarctica
Nov. 27 - Dec. 22, 2009
Price: From $9,995 (Air additional from selected gateways)
Tour Length: 24 days

View brochure (PDF)

Just Announced: New itinerary with 2-for-1 price savings

As winter falls upon North America, join an epic voyage pairing the exotic ports of the eastern South American coastline with the stunning vistas of Antarctica's ice fields.

From the unrivaled beauty of Rio de Janeiro, cruise aboard the elegant, 114-guest Corinthian II along the coast of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina's remote Patagonia and Tierra del Guego.  From the southernmost tip of the continent, leave the inhabited world behind to experience the wonders of Antarctica, nature's antidote to a world digitalized and hyperlinked. 

For four full days, explore the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands amid the forgiving temperatures of the austral summer, with sturdy Zodiac landing craft allowing for up-close observation and an unmatched team of experts who will make this a trip of a lifetime. Your voyage takes place at the beginning of the austral summer when the days are long and relatively mild, when seabirds are courting and massive icebergs thaw into beautiful sculptures of brilliant form and color.

Each day presents a new discovery whether you're cruising through ice-filled channels, observing crowded penguin rookeries or viewing minkes, humpbacks and orcas cavorting in the sparkling waters. The French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot described Antarctica's allure as "powerful and tenacious," and the few travelers who have been fortunate enough to visit have returned home changed by an experience so elemental that it touches their very core.

Read a July 2008 Condé Nast Traveler article that describes a similar journey.

Day 1                   Depart U.S. for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Day 2                   Arrive Rio de Janeiro and embark Corinthian II

Day 3                   Santos/São Paulo or Guaruja/Santos

Day 4                   Paranagua/Curitiba/Paranagua

Days 5-6             At sea
 
Day 7                   Montevideo, Uruguay

Day 8                   Mar del Plata, Argentina

Day 9                   At sea

Day 10                 Puerto Madryn and the Valdés Peninsula

Days 11-12         At sea

Days 13-14         Westpoint Island/Saunders Island/Stanley, Falkland Islands

Day 15                 At sea

Day 16                 Ushuaia, Argentina

Days 17-18         At sea

Days 19-20         Antarctic Peninsula and islands

Days 21-22         At sea

Days 23              Ushuaia/Buenos Aires, Argentina/Return to U.S.

Day 24                Arrive U.S.

Note: Tour schedule is subject to change due to local conditions. Many excursions in this program involve an element of walking as some of the finest attractions are located in areas not closely accessible by motorcoach.

Antarctica Discovery itinerary still available. If you are interested in the 13-day Antarctica Discovery trip, Dec. 10-22, 2009, you may book only that portion of this trip. 

For more information about this trip or any alumni trips, please contact Steffi Kinton '05, coordinator of alumni education and travel, at alumni_travel@unc.edu or (877) 962-3980.