Day 1 - Ushuaia, Argentina
	You are greeted by the ever present wind carrying the call of seabirds, a sound that, tomorrow, will accompany you across the Drake Passage into the Southern Ocean.  Visit our hospitality desk in the lobby of the hotel for answers to last minute questions then explore the city that has become a major embarkation point for Antarctic expeditions.
Day 2 - Embarkation
	The day begins with a guided tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. While getting to know your companions, watch for caracaras, black-faced ibis, Magellanic woodpecker, ringed kingfisher, and Andean condors, in the skies overhead. Savour a traditional asado BBQ lunch, before boarding the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov.  For the next 12 nights, she is home base for the expedition.  The included series of briefings led by our Expedition Team covers a diverse range of topics. Once the ship is underway, the first one is presented. Learn about Zodiac landing craft, an essential tool for exploration in open water.  Become familiar with helicopter protocols.  Without helicopters, a visit to the rookery on the sea ice south of Snow Hill Island is impossible.
Days 3 & 4 – At sea
	As you cross the Southern Ocean, our team of digital photography experts conducts workshops to ensure that you are properly prepared to get the most from your camera during the expedition.  Onboard ornithologists deliver backgrounders to bring you up to date on the biology of emperor penguins, their unique habitat, and remarkable adaptive behaviour.  Emperors are the only bird to spend their entire life at sea, in the water and on the ice.
Day 5 – Antarctic Sound and the Weddell Sea
	Having reached the Weddell Sea, look for tabular icebergs that can be larger than a European principality. Pause a moment to imagine Weddell, Nordenskjöld, and, of course, Ernest Shackleton attempting to navigate the unpredictable sea aboard vessels much less powerful than the Khlebnikov.  An ardent historian recounts their exploits, answering your questions, while separating fact from fiction.
Days 6 to 9 – Snow Hill Island, in the Weddell Sea
	As we approach the Snow Hill emperor penguin colony, the Captain and Expedition Leader rely on reconnaissance flights to assess the best possible approach.  Unlike many Antarctic expeditions, this one offers photographers and nature lovers extended time at the rookery. We plan to park the icebreaker in the ice as close as possible to the colony.  Should there be open water nearby the elegant, curious emperors may seek us out, before we seek them. The final few miles will be covered by a helicopter shuttle operation.  Our team takes painstaking care not to jeopardize the integrity of the colony.  They follow well established guidelines for aircraft operations near wildlife concentrations.  Expect to walk the last mile or so to the rookery. Dress warmly and in layers.  The rookery is located on frozen sea. You approach silently, pausing a short distance from the rookery.  While you wait for the birds to adjust to your presence, watch and listen for noisy "feeding exchanges" accompanied by displaying. Quietly our expedition team members point out "scrums": groups of adults - generally females - that try to steal a chick.  Often a great commotion ensues.  At a signal from the Expedition Leader you move closer to the colony.  Remember to breathe, because the sight of adult emperors tobogganing single-file across the ice is breathtaking. If the skies remain clear during our stay in the area, try to capture with your camera the enchanting light of an austral spring night, or, the unforgettable Antarctic pink sky.  The Expedition Team maximizes the long daylight hours, offering you and your fellow travelers the unique chance to visit the emperor penguin colony at night.
Days 10 & 11 – Antarctic Sound & the Antarctic Peninsula
	Although the focus of this expedition is on the majestic emperor, you will visit other penguin colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula – an Adélie and a Gentoo colony.  For the first time during the voyage, either at Hope Bay or Brown Bluff, participate in a shore landing that enables you to set foot on the great white continent, something only a few humans can claim.
Days 12 & 13 – At sea
	Every expedition is unique however they share one thing in common – a lively debate about the future of Antarctica as the expedition draws to an end.  Join our Expedition Team as they continue to present engaging lectures and lead recap sessions that challenge you to become an ambassador for Antarctic conservation.
Day 14 – Ushuaia, Argentina
	After your last superb meal onboard, you and your fellow travellers are transferred from the Kapitan Khlebnikov to the airport in Ushuaia for your flight home.
Please note:
Depending on weather and ice conditions the Expedition Leader may choose to modify the itinerary.  Our goal will be to approach the emperor penguin colony with the best weather conditions possible.