Falkland Islands itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Everything hangs on the weekly flight from Punta Arenas or the UK airbridge, and on FIGAS, the air-taxi service that links the islands. You do not choose the order freely: FIGAS sets it, and may route you via other settlements. Build the trip around fixed flight days, not around a wish list of islands.

Step 1: fix your flight days. The scheduled link is the weekly flight from Punta Arenas, Chile, with the UK airbridge as the other main option. Both land at Mount Pleasant, roughly an hour's drive from Stanley. Arriving and leaving on set days is what makes the rest of the plan possible.

Step 2: book FIGAS sectors and lodge beds at the same time as the international flight. Island lodges are small, and December–February fills months ahead. If a lodge is full, change the island, not the dates.

Step 3: put Stanley first and last. Two or three nights at the start absorbs a delayed flight; the last night in Stanley protects the Saturday departure. Use the days for Christ Church Cathedral and the whalebone arch, the Historic Dockyard Museum, the 1982 Liberation Memorial and Gypsy Cove.

Step 4: add Volunteer Point as a guided 4x4 day from Stanley. There is no scheduled transport, and the drive crosses rough peat and track; go with a local operator.

Step 5: spend the middle nights on the outer islands. Sea Lion Island is the easiest first choice for elephant seals, penguins and possible orcas. Saunders Island adds black-browed albatross and rockhopper colonies. Carcass Island suits birdlife and caracaras, Pebble Island rockhoppers and wetlands.

Step 6: keep one buffer day. Weather delays on FIGAS are normal, and a spare day in Stanley is cheaper than a missed international flight.

Three weeks is where the trip changes character. With three weekly flight cycles you can add West Falkland farm settlements such as Port Howard, with its small war museum, and North Arm, and still keep two or three nights per stop. This is slow travel: days are spent walking colonies, not moving between them.

Costs add up fast. Island lodge nights, FIGAS sectors and 4x4 day trips are the big items; Stanley has the cheapest beds and food. Check current prices on the travel costs page rather than budgeting from old figures.

Money: the Falkland Islands pound is at parity with sterling. Cards work in Stanley; outer lodges may prefer cash or settle on departure (check). Tipping is not expected but is appreciated for guides and lodge staff.

Entry: most visitors need to clear entry requirements in advance, including a return ticket and proof of accommodation. Confirm the current rules for your passport before booking.