Day-to-Day Experience – Ashore

Optional Activities & Adventures

Whether it’s adventure at sea or on land that makes you tick, we have a huge range of optional activities to help you make the most of your time in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

We’ll get you out on your optional activities as often as possible, and this will be your main mode of exploration during your voyage. Your guides will assess the conditions at each landing, and you’ll have the option to join whenever conditions allow.

Optional activities are popular and group sizes are limited, so if you’re interested, get in touch with our team as soon as possible. Optional activities are listed on each itinerary page and additional fees apply. See the price list or website for further details.

Sea Kayaking

Latin America and Oceania/Asia rating: Antarctica, British Isles, Arctic, Alaska, Russian Far East rating: South Georgia rating: Silent and sleek, sea kayaks are perfect for exploring wild coastlines. Accompanied by your expert guides, you will have multiple sea kayak excursions throughout your voyage (weather permitting).

Scuba Diving

Get under the surface of the sea and discover the hidden wonders beneath on a guided diving option. NB: Polar diving participants must have extensive experience diving in drysuits in cold environments and relevant qualifications.

Snorkelling

Relax and catch a glimpse of the captivating underwater world just below the surface as you drift along at a leisurely pace.

Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP)

Put your balance to the test on the newest addition to our activity program. Paddleboard your way to a truly memorable adventure experience.

Experience icebergs from below, Antarctica ©Waterproof

Alpine

Ice Camping

Roll out your sleeping bag and mat and fall asleep in the antarctic twilight to the sound of water lapping on the shore and the distant rumble of glaciers (camping in Antarctica happens once per voyage, weather permitting).

Snowshoeing

Stretch your legs as you walk across the snow, hiking up slopes to viewpoints over some of the most remarkable and wild landscapes on earth.

Ski and Snowboard Touring

Experience the ultimate in ski and snowboard touring on the only truly white continent on earth – Antarctica.

Climbing and Alpine Trekking

A thrilling alpine experience in Antarctica. Climb seldom-visited peaks, trek over technical alpine passes and go ice climbing on the continent known for its icy splendour.

Rock Climbing

Climb the striking granite peaks of remote East Greenland. Towering over ice-strewn fjords, this is a rare opportunity for a supported, guided climbing expedition in this remote, spectacular region.

Shackleton’s Crossing, South Georgia

This historic, seldom-repeated alpine crossing navigates intricate glaciers and high alpine passes in one of the most remote, uncharted regions on earth.

Rock climb with safety equipment in East Greenland; T.Pilkington 1. Easy to moderate activity, some experience is beneficial

2. Moderate activity, some experience required

3. Challenging activity, extensive experience is necessary

Ski Yankee Harbour Summit, Antarctica; T.Pilkington

Expedition Team

From Expedition Leaders to passionate Naturalists and Historians, expert photography guides to experienced activity guides, you will be accompanied by a team of remote expedition professionals on your voyage.

Whether you’re enjoying an informative presentation, hiking in a remote valley or being whisked away for the Zodiac cruise of a lifetime, our expedition team is by your side to enrich your experience and ensure you have the best possible expedition.

Expedition Leaders

Most of our expedition leaders have been travelling to remote destinations with Aurora Expeditions for many years. Each being a recognised authority within the expedition cruising industry, they bring a unique blend of remote area expertise, local knowledge and a passion for creating transformative, adventurous experiences in the wildest places on earth.

Christian Genillard

Christian is an accomplished sailor with decades of experience in polar waters. In 1983 he helped organise a Swiss sailing expedition to the Far North, spent seasons in Spitsbergen and Greenland, and made the challenging crossing from France to Quebec in a sailboat. Christian also worked as an engineer for the ‘Round the World Race’ and the ‘America’s Cup’ and in 1995 he sailed to Antarctica on a 13-metre sailing boat. Christian is a recognised PTGA (Polar Tourism Guides Association) Senior Polar Guide.

Stephen Anstee

Stephen is inspired by wilderness and has spent the majority of the last 25 years sharing that love with others. From a surveying background in Australia, he moved to operating wilderness tourism and research vessels on Canada’s west coast before moving to polar regions where he has now spent over a decade guiding. An avid outdoorsman, he has hiked, cycled, kayaked and sailed in many parts of the world including two Pacific Ocean crossings. As a PTGA Senior Polar Guide, Stephen assists with training and assessing our expedition team members. “The Expedition teams’ knowledge was PHENOMENAL! I learned so much from the lectures and their experience- unlike any other adventure I have been on! The entire crew was educated, accommodating, friendly and fun as well!”

- Mary M, 2019

Antarctica; D.Sasse

Dr Liz Pope

Liz has an eclectic background that reflects her endless curiosity and fascination with the natural world. She has been working with Aurora Expeditions since 2009, prior to which she led overland safaris in Eastern and Southern Africa, managed a lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, worked in conservation and environmental education at Taronga Zoo and attained a PhD in Microbiology. Liz is a PTGA Senior Polar Guide and PTGA Assessor.

Florence Kuyper

Florence first visited Antarctica in 2004, and her passion for this big white desert keeps drawing her back. She began working in the polar regions in 2012, having completed a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and a long career as a consultant-manager.

Since then she has worked on yachts in the Arctic and Antarctica, and as Base Leader at Port Lockroy on the Antarctic Peninsula. With a passion for history, nomadic people and deserts across the world, Florence looks forward to sharing her knowledge and unlimited passion for the polar regions with you.