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Antarctica
The White Continent
The Southernmost Continent on the Antarctic Circle
Why
The Why, When & How to visit...
It's exhilarating! Whether it be a Bucket List destination or desire to visit all 7 continents (like yours truly), experiencing Antarctica is absolutely exhilarating! Being able to witness scenery unlike any other with whales, seals, and penguins galore! A trip to the White Continent is truly magical and unique unlike anywhere else in the world. After all, it is the coldest, driest, iciest, and windiest place on the planet.
Only about 100,000 people visited Antarctica during the 2022-2023 cruise season. So if a trip to Antarctica is on your Bucket List, have the desire to visit all 7 continents, or are in need of some adventure & to be in awe, start planning a trip now!
When
How
The short answer is by ship, but which one and from where is the big question. Ships sailing to Antarctica often depart from Ushuaia, Argentina and take 1.5 days to reach Antarctica cruising past Cape Horn, Chile where the Pacific & Atlantic Oceans meet through the Drake Passage. Cruises go to the northern tip of Antarctica along the Antarctica Peninsula and neighboring islands, just north of the Antarctic Circle.
Cruises are available around the Summer season (in the Southern Hemisphere) from October to March when water conditions are best and temperatures are highest. Wildlife is also most active during this time. The warmest months are January and February when coastal temperatures can reach ~30 degrees F on average.
There are flights to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires on Aerolineas Argentinas and Santiago on LAN Chile. Cruises originating outside of Buenos Aires often include the flight from there. Longer cruise options are also available departing from Buenos Aires or Puerto Madryn, Argentina and take 3 days to reach Ushuaia. There are many cruise operators to choose from of varying size and cost noted below.
Alternatively, a 2 hour flight can be chartered from Punta Arena, Chile to King George Island, Antarctica with Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions or from Puerto Natales, Chile with the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic 8-day itinerary to save time and avoid the infamous Drake Passage. Longer cruise journeys also originate from Invercargill, New Zealand and Hobart, Australia. There are also fly-over options from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, Australia with Antarctica Flights.
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In order to step foot on Antarctica, the ship has to carry less than 500 passengers and no more than 100 guests can land on one site at one time per the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) regulations. The ship then uses small, inflatable power boats called Zodiac boats to carry small groups of passengers from the ship to Antarctica for excursions. Starting April 4, 2024, guests travelling to Antarctica do not need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to visit. The IAATO has a good FAQ page here to provide more insights on a trip to Antarctica, in addition to what's covered within this guide.
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For trips including Buenos Aires, check out my Buenos Aires Guide too!
Where
to stay...
Most of the large cruise companies offer Antarctica cruises, including Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Viking, etc. Then the luxury, smaller scale cruise companies, like Seabourn and Silversea, and group tour companies, like Intrepid and G Adventures with their own ships too.
Last, but certainly not least the expedition travel companies that specialize in expeditions to the Arctic & Antarctic, including Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, Hurtigruten and Quark. A full list of all the IAATO Members able to access Antarctica is available here, highlighting a few top picks below.
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1) Hurtigruten Expeditions - A leader in expedition cruising, Hurtigruten Expeditions has been sailing polar waters since 1893 and Antarctica for over 20 years. As of March 2024, their Antarctica cruises start around $8,000 USD pp for 12 days on the very nice MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen, built in 2019 and 2020, respectively with capacity for 530 passengers each (noting 500 for Antarctica expeditions).
The longer cruises also include the MS Fram recently refurbished in 2022 with smaller capacity of 250 passengers. The trips start in Buenos Aires and include accommodations in Buenos Aires for 1 night, flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina where the ship departs, airport transfers, onboard & landing activities, in addition to the ship room, meals & drinks, wifi, etc. The shortest 12 day itinerary has 10 days on the ship with 5 days in Antarctica. More details, along with the ability to book is available here.
2) Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic - Lindblad Expeditions brought the first travelers to Antarctica in 1966 when adventure tour pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad led a small group of "citizen scientists" to the Antarctic Peninsula on a chartered Argentine navy ship. Lindblad started partnering with National Geographic in 2004 and has two ships: the National Geographic Endurance and Resolution with capacity of 138 passengers each both built for polar travel.
Options start at $8,000 USD pp with an 8 night option to fly over the Drake Passage on a 2 hour charter flight from Puerto Natales, Chile and land in King George Island, Antarctica. There are also longer trips for 10+ days starting at $11,000 USD pp with sailings from Ushuaia, Argentina. Both options provide 4 days to explore Antarctica with 5 days on longer trips. The options with details are available here.
3) Celebrity Eclipse - For those looking for a less expensive option, Celebrity offers a 14 day cruise round-trip Buenos Aires to Antarctica with stops in: i) Ushuaia, Argentina, ii) Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, iii) Puerto Madryn, Argentina, and iv) Montevideo, Uruguay. The cruise also sails past Cape Horn, Chile and Schollart Channel, Paradise Bay, Gerlache Strait, and Elephant Island in the Antarctic Peninsula.
The large cruise ships are accessible and family-friendly and have more entertainment, F&B, and activity options. This is one of the least expensive options to visit Antarctica since it is a larger ship with capacity for 2,850 passengers. However, as a result, passengers are not able to step foot on Antarctica, only sail past it.
There's one full day sailing through Antarctica and a second afternoon sailing past Elephant Island. Prices for 2026 sailings start at $2,000 USD pp with no sailings scheduled for 2025 as the ship undergoes regularly scheduled maintenance. For more information and the ability to book, click here.
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For more Antarctica cruise options and details, Gene Sloan, an avid Antarctica traveler since 2004, wrote an article for The Points Guy summarizing and comparing his Top 11 choices for Antarctica Cruises here.
What
Do
to...
1) Take in Nature - The main thing to do in Antarctica is take in the striking beauty of the unique scenery and marine life across penguins, whales, and seals. Excursions for those on ships of < 500 passengers will vary and be offered through the cruise company selected.
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2) Visit The End of the World - Journeys to Antarctica often start in or include a stop in Ushuaia, Argentina - the Southernmost City of the World referred to as "The End of the World" (or "Fin del Mundo" in Espanol). The main site in Ushuaia is the Tierra del Fuego National Park, part of Patagonia, which contains the End of the World train and post office. There are many tours of the Tierra del Fuego National Park, often including the End of the World train. However, most start between 7-8:30am before my cruise arrived, so I chose this 5 hour small group guided tour starting at 11am, which aligns with the cruise schedule.
After the tour, stop at the End of the World Sign for a picture and in the Visitor Center for a commemorative stamp and visitor certificate, both near the port terminal. There are also commemorative stamps in the End of the World post office for $4 USD. Many people will apply the stamps to their passport, however passports are only supposed to contain official customs stamps and could result in being turned away from a country (more on that here). Also, when visiting the End of the World Post Office, I recommend having the postcard filled out with postage purchased elsewhere in advance to only mail the postcard from there to avoid the line and enjoy the surrounding scenery instead.
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3) Explore the Falkland Islands - Trips to Antarctica often include a stop at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory, on the way back. There is a Penguin Shuttle Bus for $20 USD or 15 GBP (credit card accepted) to take passengers every 30 minutes round-trip from the port to Gypsy Cove for an opportunity to see Gentoo and Magellanic penguins on the beach around beautiful bays. King penguins can also be seen, along with Gentoo and Magellanic penguins at Volunteer Point, a 2 hour bumpy drive from Port Stanley. Port Stanley also has a great direction totem pole on the main road to Gypsy Cove, a distillery and tavern adjacent to the port and Visitor Center where postcards & stamps can be purchased and mailed, along with other souvenirs.
Eat
Seafood. In Ushuaia, king crab is popular, along with Kalma Resto for a local, upscale dining experience.
Drink
The ice makes me think of vodka & gin and hot chocolate to stay warm. There's also Godet Antarctica Icy White Cognac and Shackleton British Antarctic Expedition Scotch to try.
*If of legal drinking age to drink responsibly
Wear
Warm & waterproof clothes
Watch
The Last Continent by Jean Lemire and Thierry Piantanida
Listen
"Glacial Journey"
by Aleksey Chistilin
Gift
Click here for Gift ideas