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Fire & Ice 2028: Buenos Aires & Antarctica
Celebrating the New Year in Buenos Aires before sailing to the White Continent — the ultimate bucket-list expedition
From $11,550 per person, double occupancy · HX expedition
Buenos Aires → Ushuaia → Drake Passage → Antarctic Peninsula region → Drake Passage → Ushuaia → Buenos Aires
Join me aboard HX Expeditions’ MS Fridtjof Nansen for the 12-day, 11-night Highlights of Antarctica expedition. Cross the Drake Passage, take in Antarctic glaciers and icebergs, and look for penguins, seals, and whales with the HX Expedition Team.
The HX package begins with an included hotel night in Buenos Aires on January 2. On January 3, we fly to Ushuaia and board the ship. On January 13, we fly back to Buenos Aires.
Cruise-only guests must arrive in Buenos Aires by 3 p.m. local time on January 2, 2028. Book return flights after 8 p.m. on January 13, 2028.
Optional New Year’s Eve in Buenos Aires
December 29, 2027–January 2, 2028 · From $1,000 per person · Final pricing to be confirmed closer to departure
Explore the optional Buenos Aires program
Cabins & Pricing
Based on two travelers sharing an RR Polar Outside cabin. The optional Buenos Aires program is priced separately.
| Cabin | Per person, double occupancy | Solo occupancy |
|---|---|---|
| RR · Polar Outside | $11,550 | $16,007 |
| XT · Arctic Superior with balcony | $14,005 | $19,567 |
| ME · Expedition Suite with balcony | $16,367 | On request |
Trip at a Glance
- DestinationArgentina & Antarctica
- DatesJanuary 2–13, 2028
- Duration12 days / 11 nights · expedition
- Group SizeOneSuitcase hosted group
- Travel StyleExpedition, Wildlife, Culture
- Activity LevelModerate
- AccommodationMS Fridtjof Nansen · 10 ship nights + 1 Buenos Aires hotel night
Highlights
- Antarctica aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen: Sail from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. When conditions allow, go ashore with the HX Expedition Team or take a small boat past glaciers and icebergs. Look for penguins, seals, and whales, then take in the views from the Explorer Lounge, join a talk at the Science Center, or unwind in the sauna or hot tub.
- Optional Buenos Aires extension · Two sides of Buenos Aires: See La Boca’s colorful streets, San Telmo’s historic market, and Plaza de Mayo. On the second tour, visit Recoleta and see the embassy mansions of Palermo Chico.
- Optional Buenos Aires extension · New Year’s Eve in Buenos Aires: Join us for a festive dinner and a midnight toast to 2028. During the extension, there’s also time for a tango show or a day in the countryside at an Argentine estancia.
Day by Day
Highlights of Antarctica · January 2–13, 2028. Day numbers follow the full journey from the optional December 29 departure. January 6–10 is planned in the Antarctic Peninsula region; the captain and Expedition Team choose sites and outings based on weather, ice, and sea conditions.
The HX expedition begins with an included hotel night in Buenos Aires. If you’re joining us for the cruise only, you must arrive in Buenos Aires by 3 p.m. local time on January 2. Guests on the Buenos Aires extension will move to the hotel assigned by HX.
Start early with the HX airport transfer and flight to Ushuaia. From there, we’ll head to the pier and board MS Fridtjof Nansen.
Meet the Expedition Team, join a talk about Antarctica, and watch for seabirds from the deck or lounge as we cross the Drake Passage.
Spend time at the Science Center and learn how small-boat outings and landings work. The Expedition Team will brief us on what to expect ashore.
Watch for our first icebergs as we reach Antarctic waters. The team will assess conditions for our first outing.
A small-boat outing may take us past glacier fronts and floating ice, with time to watch for wildlife along the way.
If conditions allow a landing, go ashore with the Expedition Team and look for penguin colonies or seals near the coast.
Spend another day along the coast, with time to watch for whales and seabirds from the ship between outings.
The Expedition Team will choose the day’s outings before we turn north.
Begin the return crossing. Join an onboard talk, look for wildlife from the deck, or spend a quiet afternoon in the lounge.
Spend your last full day aboard sorting photos, revisiting the Science Center, or relaxing before we reach Ushuaia.
Disembark in Ushuaia, transfer to the airport, and fly back to Buenos Aires with HX. Onward travel depends on the arrival time of the HX flight.
What’s Included in the HX Expedition
- Ten nights aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen in your selected cabin
- January 2 hotel night in Buenos Aires, with breakfast
- Round-trip economy flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia
- Transfer from the HX hotel to the Buenos Aires airport before the cruise, plus round-trip transfers between the airport and ship in Ushuaia
- Onboard meals, standard drinks, Wi-Fi, and access to the pool, hot tubs, sauna, and fitness room
- Guided Antarctic landings and Zodiac cruises among icebergs and along the coast, when conditions allow
- The Polar Plunge, an optional dip in Antarctic waters when conditions allow
- Expedition talks, workshops, and Citizen Science activities, including Science Boat outings when available
- An HX expedition jacket, loan of boots for landings, and a selection of photos from the onboard photographer
What's Not Included
- International travel · Flights to and from Buenos Aires, extra hotel nights, and transfers outside the HX package.
- Optional Buenos Aires extension · Starts at $1,000 per person, with final pricing confirmed closer to departure. City tours, the private tango lesson, the tango dinner show, and the estancia visit are optional and priced separately. Meals and drinks outside your selected activities are extra.
- New Year’s Eve celebration · OneSuitcase Travel will cover the celebration if our group reaches 15 travelers.
- Optional HX activities · Guided sea kayaking, camping, snowshoeing, and other paid excursions, when available.
- Lindstrøm specialty dining · I’ll provide the same per-person reimbursement in all three cabin categories (RR, XT, and ME), equal to the cost of two meals at Lindstrøm. HX includes Lindstrøm dining for Expedition Suite (ME) guests, who will receive the same reimbursement. Any dining charges beyond the reimbursement are at your expense.
- Onboard extras · Spa treatments, premium drinks, minibar purchases, and laundry outside your cabin benefits.
- Travel insurance and personal expenses · Insurance is purchased separately and must include medical evacuation and repatriation coverage for Antarctica. Luggage handling services are also extra.
Important Info
- Arrival & onward flightsCruise-only guests must arrive in Buenos Aires by 3 p.m. local time on January 2, 2028. Book return flights after 8 p.m. on January 13, 2028; onward travel depends on the included flight’s arrival time.
- DepositA deposit of 15% is due within 7 days of adding names to a booking. Deposits are refundable up to 120 days prior to departure. Ask us for the booking-specific cancellation policy.
- Final paymentFinal payment is due October 4, 2027 (90 days prior to departure) for all guests.
- Travel insuranceTravel insurance is purchased separately and must include medical evacuation and repatriation coverage for Antarctica.
- Expedition conditionsWeather, wind, ice, and local conditions determine the exact route, landing sites, and schedule. The captain makes the final sailing decisions; all advertised routes and outings are indicative.
Optional New Year’s Eve in Buenos Aires
December 29, 2027–January 2, 2028
Depart the U.S. on December 29, 2027, and arrive in Buenos Aires on December 30. Join us for neighborhood tours, tango, and a New Year’s Eve celebration before we head south.
From $1,000 per person · Final pricing to be confirmed closer to departure
If our group reaches 15 travelers, New Year’s Eve is on OneSuitcase Travel. Share the trip with any friends or family who’d love to join us.
Take your overnight flight to Buenos Aires.
After arrival, join an optional private half-day tour. See the Casa Rosada and Metropolitan Cathedral at Plaza de Mayo, then visit San Telmo’s market and La Boca’s colorful Caminito. An optional private tango lesson can round out the day.
Join an optional six-hour private tour of Recoleta Cemetery, Avenida Alvear, and the embassy mansions of Palermo Chico. We’ll also see El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Teatro Colón, and the Obelisk, then finish in time to get ready for the evening.
For our optional New Year’s Eve celebration, think dinner by the water in Puerto Madero with a light show and dancing, a Recoleta hotel gala with live music, or a rooftop party with city views and a midnight toast. We’re planning round-trip transportation and will share details once we choose the venue.
If our group reaches 15 travelers, New Year’s Eve is on OneSuitcase Travel. Share the trip with any friends or family who’d love to join us.
Take the morning and afternoon at your own pace. Spend time by the pool or in the sauna if available, or take a walk through the quiet city streets. In the evening, join us for an optional tango show with dinner or have a low-key dinner on your own.
Drop off your bags at the hotel assigned by HX before heading to the countryside. Enjoy local food and Argentine wine, with a chance to ride horses or take a cooking class, depending on the estancia. We’ll return by early evening so you can get an early night before our flight to Ushuaia.
Potential landing sites in the Antarctic region
Weather, wind, ice, and local conditions determine the exact route and schedule. The captain makes the final sailing decisions during the voyage. Every expedition is unique, and these are possible sites, not guaranteed stops.
Deception Island, South Shetland Islands
One of the highlights of the South Shetlands, Deception Island is a distinctive ring-shaped volcanic caldera, a portion of which has collapsed and created a navigable opening into the flooded interior. The natural harbour within includes Whalers Bay, home to an abandoned whaling station known as Hektor, as well as a derelict British base
Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands
Staggeringly photogenic and blessed with some of the most spectacular Antarctic scenery imaginable, Half Moon Island is a glittering gem amongst these island treasures. Its serrated and creviced cliffs are home to a large colony of chinstrap penguins, as well as Antarctic terns, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Wilson’s storm petrels and several species of seals who are regular visitors to the island.
Yankee Harbour, Greenwich Island
Early sealers in the area used Yankee Harbour on Greenwich Island as a frequent base of operations, its remarkable setting providing a natural safe haven for the sailors. Remnants of those early days can still be seen littering the shoreline. The big draw for visitors here is the large colony of Gentoo penguins, whose numbers are estimated to be around 4,000 breeding pairs.
Cuverville Island
Situated in the scenic Errera Channel, Cuverville Island boasts the largest known colony of Gentoo penguins. The narrow Errera Channel offers a spectacular passage to and from Cuverville as icebergs become trapped and grounded in the nearby shallows. Watching from the observation decks as our navigators weave the ship carefully between the icebergs is as exciting as being surrounded by the throngs of nesting penguins onshore.
Neko Harbour
Neko Harbour, with its Gentoo penguin colony, lies nestled in Andvord Bay, surrounded by the mountains and high glacier walls of the peninsula. Named after a factory whaling ship from the early 1900s, Neko is one of the rare places in this area where you may land on the Antarctic mainland.
Lemaire Channel
This 11-kilometre long and 1.6-kilometre wide channel is one of the most beautiful passages in Antarctica. It bestows upon the traveller a glimpse into what fascinates us most about this incredibly contrasting environment; it is sublime yet imposing, delicate yet daunting, alluring yet inhospitable.
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