Your Antarctica Adventure
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The daily goal aboard expedition vessels is two excursions per day, depending on weather and ice conditions. Excursions can be land visits to go for a hike, zodiac cruises through bays to observe ice and wildlife or station visits. Each excursion ranges from 1-3 hours. All activities in Antarctica are dependent on weather and wind conditions.

Antarctic trips run during the southern hemisphere summer – from late October through the end of March. Each part of the season has its particular highlights. You should choose your trip based on your interests in Antarctica.

October –November (late spring, early summer)

This is the most pristine and adventurous time to visit Antarctica. The White continent is undisturbed by earlier travelers, snow is deep and ice is just starting to melt. Temperatures may be colder during these trips, but this offers breathtaking icebergs, pristine icescapes and incredible scenery. Wildlife is not as plentiful as later in the season, but it is penguin mating season and you will see penguins busy at work building nests.

December – February (high summer)

Days are very long (up to 20 hours of sunlight a day), allowing you to explore Antarctica later into the evening. Wildlife is plentiful and very active – penguin chicks start to hatch and in later January-February baby penguins are a highlight. These trips sell out early and must be booked in advance to guarantee space.

Fly cruises that operate in and out of Punta Arenas, Chile run during this part of the season (early Dec – Feb)

Mid-February – March (later summer)

Late summer is the best part of the season for whale watching. A lot of ice and snow has melted, revealing different landscapes than earlier in the season and allowing ships to enter areas that were inaccessible due to ice or to travel farther south.

You can travel to Antarctica by expedition cruise ship, or by taking a charter flight across the Drake Passage. Crossing by cruise ship is by far the most popular way to travel to Antarctica, with the most variety of voyage options.

By cruise ship, the 1,000 km crossing takes two days at sea. This route follows in the footsteps of the early explorers and provides a great opportunity to meet fellow passengers and to look for sea birds and whales. These two days also offer a lecture and presentation schedule by the naturalists onboard. Seas can be rough across the Drake Passage, so we recommend some preparation (more details below).

By charter flight, the 1,000 km crossing takes approximately three hours. This saves you four days at sea, however these trips are limited from Dec – Feb, and carry a price premium. These trips typically start and end in Punta Arenas, Chile.