Antarctica Tours & Cruises

As travel destinations go, Antarctica is the definition of “extreme”: extreme cold, extreme sports, and most importantly, the extreme beauty of its glacial landscapes. With our Antarctica Tours & Cruises, you’ll be able to experience this magical place in all its glory. Embarking from Patagonia, you’ll witness the stark force of the southern oceans while en route to a host of indelible adventures. Searching for wildlife by Zodiac, kayaking, camping: it’s all here in our guided intros to one of the Earth’s last remaining frontiers.

Antarctica Tours & Cruises

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Leopard Seal, Antarctica

Classic Antarctica Cruise Aboard the Ushuaia

10 Days/9 Nights from $5,210

Discover the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula on this Classic Antarctica cruise. The journey’s first sightings will be of icebergs and snow-capped mountains…

Weddell Seal, Antarctica

Antarctica Express Air-Cruise

6 Days/5 Nights from $5,995

Travel from Ushuaia, Argentina, through the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn before cruising across the Drake Passage to King George Island, the largest of the…

Gentoo Penguins, Antarctica

Weddell Sea Quest Aboard the Ushuaia

11 Days/10 Nights from $8,570

Navigate from South America to Antarctica and back on this fascinating expedition cruise. After crossing the Drake Passage, the first stop is the Weddell Sea…

Orcas, Antarctica

Polar Circle Quest Aboard the Ushuaia

12 Days/11 Nights from $8,810

Setting off from Ushuaia, Argentina, you will cross the Drake Passage on the way to the continent of Antarctica. Your first sightings will be of…

Camping, Base Camp Plancius, Antarctica

Antarctic Peninsula – Basecamp Plancius

13 Days/12 Nights from $9,100

Basecamp Plancius offers adventure seekers the opportunity to camp for two nights on the Antarctic Peninsula and to kayak, snowshoe, or mountain hike, amidst the awe-…

Emperor Penguin Colony, Antarctica

Weddell Sea – Emperor Penguin Voyage

11 Days/10 Nights from $11,750

This itinerary includes a visit to one of nature’s most fascinating spectacles, the Emperor Penguin rookery south of Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea…

5 Best Antarctica Cruises for 2024-25

Tour Name Price Duration Description
Classic Antarctica Cruise Aboard the Ushuaia $5,210 10 Days Discover the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula on this Classic Antarctica cruise. The journey’s first sightings will be of icebergs and snow-capped…
Antarctic Peninsula – Basecamp Plancius $9,100 13 Days Basecamp Plancius offers adventure seekers the opportunity to camp for two nights on the Antarctic Peninsula and to kayak, snowshoe, or mountain hike amidst the…
Weddell Sea – Emperor Penguin Voyage $12,100 11 Days This itinerary includes a visit to one of nature’s most fascinating spectacles, the Emperor Penguin rookery south of Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea…
Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula $13,550 19 Days Explore the Falkland Islands and South Georgia en route to the Antarctic Peninsula on this fascinating journey. The Falkland Islands are located 310 miles east…
Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise $13,595 8 Days Fly from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George Island in the South Shetlands to avoid the rough seas of the Drake Passage and discover the…

Antarctica Cruise Information

When is the best time to travel to Antarctica?

Antarctica is only accessible by tourists from November to March, when the pack ice has broken up, and the 20 hours of sunlight per day brings warmer temperatures. See all Antarctica FAQ.

The Best Places to Visit on an Antarctic Cruise

Antarctica owes its name to the Greek word ‘Antarktikos’, which means opposite to the Arctic. That’s why it’s also known as ‘the land of no bears.’ But don’t be deceived. Although it lacks the striking, white-furred terrestrial mammals of its Arctic counterpart, the Earth’s southernmost and driest continent is by no means devoid of life…

The Antarctic Peninsula

This northward extension of Antarctica bends toward the southern tip of South America, located only 600 miles (970 km) away, and it’s the most populated area of the white continent, with 43 research stations versus 37 distributed throughout the remaining territory. Because of its expansive ice sheet, wildlife in Antarctica is restricted to the sea and shores, which host over 200 nesting sites for 32 bird species, including eight of the world’s 18 penguin species. This is a great place…

The South Shetland Islands

Comprised of 11 islands and named after the Shetland Islands north of Scotland, this archipelago is a popular stop along Antarctic cruise routes and with good reason. It’s not only the scenery of many significant moments in the history of Antarctic exploration, but also provides great sites for viewing birds and marine mammals such as the southern elephant seal. King George Island, the largest one in the archipelago and considered the unofficial capital of Antarctica, is the second largest…

The Weddell Sea

Largely covered by ice shelves, or ice sheets floating on the sea, the Weddell Sea is a key spot along the Antarctic cruise route and a place of many tales of bold and intrepid voyages. It’s named after British captain James Weddell, who explored the area in 1823 during his third expedition to the Southern Ocean. While sailing, be alert in case you get to see the awe-inspiring emperor penguins or the Weddell seals, the most southerly breeding terrestrial mammal in the world…

South Georgia Island

Circling back to South America, after a U-turn through the Weddell Sea, this island was a famous base among whalers and scientific expeditions during the 19th century. With three fourths of its area covered by snow and the rest by tundra vegetation, this almost barren island might seem an unlikely place to live. But at least four penguin species call this place home, and in St. Andrews Bay you’ll find the largest colony of king penguins…

The Falkland Islands

Finally, before returning to firm-ground, you will find the Falkland Islands, an archipelago that is officially a British territory, although it has been historically disputed by Argentina due to its proximity to its shores. Their rocky and windy terrains harbor one of the largest colonies of the Southern rockhopper penguin, the smallest penguin species of Antarctica. The abundance of wildlife in these islands attracts killer whales, one of the apex predators of the Antarctic ecosystem…

Antarctica Wildlife

Antarctica Cruise Ships

Greg Mortimer / Hondius / Le Boreal / Magellan Explorer / Ocean Nova / Ortelius / Plancius / Sylvia Earle / Ushuaia

Antarctica Travel Articles

Arctic Cruise Versus Antarctic Cruise: What’s The Difference?

To many of us, the North and South Poles are similar – massive areas of snow and ice, with uncompromising conditions and barren landscapes. In our mind’s eye, perhaps there’s a polar bear or penguin involved, too. However, take a closer look and you’ll find myriad differences between an Arctic cruise and an Antarctic cruise, from geography and climate to wildlife and activities…

A Brief History Of Antarctic Exploration

Antarctica may only be the fifth largest continent, but in many other ways it is ahead of the pack. It is the driest, coldest and windiest continent, and it also has the highest average elevation. It is the only continent with no permanent residents and it is home to 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of global fresh water reserves. Although the idea of a Terra Australis Incognita (Undiscovered Southern Land) was first proposed by the Greco-Roman thinker Ptolemy as early as…

10 Cool Facts About The Penguins Of Antarctica

Penguins have inspired human imagination for centuries. They’re cute and cuddly. They can’t fly but are great swimmers and divers. They breed in large colonies, and they’re only found in the Southern Hemisphere. The black and white feathers serve to protect penguins by misleading predators. From the air…

8 Cool Facts About The Seals Of Antarctica

They look so harmless, warm, and fluffy that everybody loves them. Sometimes too much. Although they’re common throughout the world, seals are mainly found in the Arctic and Antarctica. There are two types of seals. You can tell them apart because some seals don’t have external ears and are better swimmers…

Following In The Footsteps Of Antarctica Explorer Ernest Shackleton

On August 30, 1916, a ship bearing the celebrated British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed up to a tiny beach on Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula. There, huddled on the beach, were 22 men from Shackleton’s third failed Antarctica expedition. Half-starved, freezing, and filthy…

The Bonanza Of Wildlife In Antarctica

In Antarctica, the “White Continent” at the bottom of the earth, humans – mostly scientists and support personnel working at the research stations there – come and go after a few months or years. None are permanent residents. But Antarctica does have millions of annual residents: its wildlife. And they are some of…

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