Ross Sea Odyssey
Aurora Expeditions · 26 days · Hobart → Dunedin
| Operator | Aurora Expeditions |
|---|---|
| Available departures | 1 |
| Typical duration | 26 days · Hobart → Dunedin |
| Price range (per person, USD) | $30,171 – $99,442 |
| ships | Greg Mortimer |
| Prices last verified | 48-hour verification methodology |
Upcoming departures — Ross Sea Odyssey
| Departure | Ship | Duration | Availability | From | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 14, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 Best price | Greg Mortimer · 130 guests | 26 days | Available |
$30,171
|
Day by day
Itinerary and landing sites are indicative and subject to change based on weather, sea ice, and wildlife conditions.
DAY 1 Arrive Hobart
Arrive in Hobart, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Hobart, we ask you to make your way to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby to collect your luggage tags. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. Our team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last minute items.Enjoy your evening in Australia’s southernmost capital city. You may like to indulge in a sumptuous meal at one of Hobart’s celebrated restaurants, or perhaps enjoy a leisurely stroll along the historic waterfront. Assigned accommodation: To be advised
DAY 2 Embarkation
This morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. By 11.00 am, take your cabin luggage to hotel reception, prior to, or at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.Your morning is at leisure to explore Hobart. Settle into your beautifully appointed cabin and discover the many public spaces designed with your comfort in mind. This luxurious vessel is yours to explore! As we throw the lines and set sail down the Derwent River, join your expedition team on deck to enjoy panoramic views of the Hobart foreshore, and the dramatic fluted columns of the Tasman Peninsula. From Storm Bay we set a southerly course, following in the wake of the vessel Aurora, which carried Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) 100 years ago.
DAY 25 At Sea
As your journey draws to a close, take some time to reflect on the experiences of the past few weeks. Perhaps take some time to organise your photos, jot some more notes in your journal or simply relax and soak up the ambiance on board as you farewell your travel mates . . . until next time! We hope you become ambassadors for the great Southern Ocean, advocating for its conservation and preservation, and share your experiences with your loved ones, so they might visit and become ambassadors themselves.
DAY 26 Disembark Dunedin
After breakfast, farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
Ships operating this itinerary
Activities
11 optional add-on
Kayaking & paddling
Paddle in near-silence through mirror-calm glacial bays, drifting alongside iridescent ice sculptures and listening to the deep exhales of surfacing humpback whales.
Visited Regions
5Ross Sea
The Deep Field • Scott & Shackleton Huts
Macquarie Island
Royal Penguin Haven • UNESCO Subantarctic Reserve
Ross Ice Shelf
The Great Ice Barrier • France-Sized Floating Glacier
Campbell Island
Subantarctic Flora • Megaherbs & Royal Albatrosses
Auckland Islands
Subantarctic Wilderness • Sea Lions & Yellow-Eyed Penguins
More Antarctic itineraries by Aurora Expeditions
6Across the Antarctic Circle
Beagle Channel · Drake Passage · South Shetland Islands · Deception Island · Bellingshausen Sea · Lemaire Channel · Antarctic Peninsula · Antarctic Circle
Spirit of Antarctica
Beagle Channel · Drake Passage · South Shetland Islands · King George Island · Deception Island · Bellingshausen Sea · Antarctic Peninsula · Lemaire Channel
Antarctica Active: All Inclusive Activities
Beagle Channel · Drake Passage · South Shetland Islands · King George Island · Deception Island · Antarctic Peninsula · Lemaire Channel
South Georgia, Falklands & Antarctic Odyssey
Beagle Channel · Falkland Islands · South Georgia · Scotia Sea · South Orkney Islands · South Shetland Islands · Drake Passage
Antarctica Complete
Beagle Channel · Drake Passage · South Shetland Islands · Antarctic Peninsula · Lemaire Channel · Bellingshausen Sea · Weddell Sea · Antarctic Circle · Scotia Sea · South Orkney Islands · South Georgia · Falkland Islands
In Shackleton’s Footsteps
Beagle Channel · Drake Passage · South Shetland Islands · King George Island · Elephant Island · South Orkney Islands · Scotia Sea · South Georgia
Wildlife on this route
Whales & Dolphins
Orca
Black and white apex predator instantly recognizable by its pale eye patches, the orca is the largest of the dolphins and one of the ocean's most capable hunters. Sightings often involve a tight-knit family pod working the ice edge together.
Penguins
King Penguin
The king penguin is the second-largest penguin species, closely resembling but smaller than the emperor penguin. Look for its dense, noisy colonies on South Georgia's beaches, one of the more reliable large penguins to watch up close on these voyages.
Penguins
Adélie Penguin
One of the most widespread penguins in Antarctica, the Adélie is often the first tuxedoed local guests meet ashore. Its stark white eye-ring and brisk, purposeful waddle make it easy to pick out along the ice edge.
Seals & Sea Lions
Southern Elephant Seal
The southern elephant seal is the largest of all pinnipeds, with bulls roughly twice the bulk of a walrus. Watching a beachful of them roar and shove over territory is one of the most physical wildlife spectacles the Southern Ocean offers.