Antarctica Itineraries

A land of shimmering ice, majestic peaks and dazzling beauty, Antarctica is the least visited continent at the bottom of the world. Explore the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of the last continent, where you’ll delight in one of the world’s most pristine and unforgettable natural environments. Your trip will be highlighted by penguins, seals and whales accompanying the ship during your journey along the Antarctic coast.  Your first steps on the continent will be unforgettable as you visit breathtaking sights and historic places.

In brief:

• Perfect for first time visitors to Antarctica
• Witness and explore the highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
• Learn about the environment and wildlife from onboard lecturers and specialists
• Witness the abundant wildlife – penguins, seals, whales and more!

Like the ‘Antarctica Classic’, this 13-day expedition will introduce you to the magic of the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, and offers you two additional days to explore the Peninsula.

The In-Depth itinerary allows you to explore less-visited sites on the Peninsula and to become even more fully immersed in the Antarctic experience. Encounter leopard seals lazing on ice floes and immense rookeries of penguins surrounded by towering glaciers. Expert expedition staff guides and lecturers offer knowledge and insights that really bring the nature and history of the region to life and serve to create an adventure of a lifetime.

This epic 20-day expedition brings you to a side of the Antarctic Peninsula even the luckiest of travelers don’t often see. You’ll experience the best of polar travel, including abundant wildlife, important historical sites, and ice—lots of ice. Embarking from Ushuaia, Argentina, you’ll traverse the legendary Drake Passage to arrive at Elephant Island, which gave Ernest Shackleton’s crew refuge in 1916. From this significant start you’ll move on to see enormous penguin colonies up close; zodiac cruise among icebergs that look like art; walk around and explore historic and operating scientific bases; sail across the imaginary but important line of the Antarctic Circle; and take a zodiac ride to see humpback and killer whales—all the while surrounded by the spectacular scenery of Antarctica.

Expedition in Brief
• Get to know Antarctica intimately during this 20-day trip
• Venture into the Weddell Sea on the remote east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula
• Cross the Antarctic Circle at 66°33′ S
• See a penguin colony of over 100,000 breeding pairs on volcanic Paulet Island
• Step back in time to experience Antarctic exploration in abandoned yet perfectly preserved bases
• Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the tango capital of the world, and let us take care of the rest of your journey

Like the ‘Antarctica Classic’, this 13-day expedition will introduce you to the magic of the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula during the pristine Antarctic spring, and offers you two additional days to explore the Peninsula.

Anticipate exciting ice navigation on the ship and be among the first to visit many of the well known sites this season. What makes this journey so special is the enhanced program of off-ship activities available. Taking advantage of the optimal snow conditions in November, this voyage offers a range of additional activities which complement the already busy schedule. For those with some experience, back-country ski touring is offered. Snow-shoeing is another exciting option with maximum snow coverage and hard packed base. The expedition also plans to camp ashore at least one night and a full day ‘field photography’ workshop. All this is complemented with an exceptional series of onboard presentations, led by adventurers, marine biologists, naturalists, historians and a resident photography professional.

Ice Axe is happy to announce our 2018 Antarctica Adventure Cruise. We have sub-chartered a 132-passenger ship for a 13 day, 12-night expedition. It is a great mix of international and local adventurers, explorers and humanitarians. Lock in your spots now and rest easy that you have the cabin of your choice on this one in a lifetime trip to the white continent. Deposits are 50% of total berth.

You have just joined the ranks of a group of intrepid explorers and adventurers! The journey ahead of us is one filled with great company, good food, and amazing natural and physical experiences. Your memories of your Antarctic journey will be something you will cherish for the rest of your life.

The classic Antarctica voyage with an adventure twist. Explore the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the world’s most pristine and unforgettable natural environments, and participate in extra activities every day. Each day the expedition team offers a variety of activities, including kayaking, mountaineering, hiking, zodiac cruising, photography workshop, snowshoeing & camping.  The ship will stay at one landing site for an extended period to allow for more in-depth exploration of the area. The trip will be highlighted by penguins, seals and whales accompanying the ship during your journey along the Antarctic coast.  Your first steps on the continent will be unforgettable as you visit breathtaking sights and historic places.

In brief:

• Perfect for first time visitors to Antarctica who are interested in extra activities
• Witness and explore the highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
• Participate in kayaking, camping, mountaineering & more!
• Learn about the environment and wildlife from onboard lecturers and specialists
• Witness the abundant wildlife – penguins, seals, whales, birds

These voyages combine the splendor of the Antarctica Peninsula voyages with a specific goal – to get to 66 degrees 33.7′ South. These expeditions offer you the most in-depth exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula and very few travelers have ever been so far south. By crossing the Antarctic Circle, you will experience seldom visited iceberg graveyards and scientific bases. You’ll enjoy more time for communing with penguins and visits to less-frequented landing sites.

In brief:

• Extend your time in Antarctica and make landings in less frequented sites south of the Antarctic Circle;
• Incredible icebergs
• Millions of penguins – Adélie, gentoo, chinstrap
• 5 species of seals – crabeater, Weddell, leopard, fur and southern elephant
• Whales – humpback, minke, orca
• Visit historic research stations in the area of Marguerite Bay

Get the full Antarctic experience with one Drake Passage crossing, but save a day and fly the other way. Take advantage of the most direct way to Antarctica with a short three-hour flight that takes you to the white continent where you will enjoy everything the Antarctic has to offer. Immense penguin rookeries and icy landscapes await your arrival. Get the best of both Ushuaia, Argentina and Punta Arenas, Chile. If you would rather fly over the Drake both ways from Punta Arenas, Chile, check out the Classic Air Cruise itinerary.

In Brief:

• The speed and convenience of a flight to Antarctica
• The excitement of one Drake Passage crossing
• In-depth Antarctic Peninsula exploration
• On board lecturers and educational presentations from Polar specialists.

For those who are limited by time but want a taste of Antarctica, this is the voyage for you.  Experience the best of both worlds with one-way cruise and one-way flight, from Ushuaia and ending in Punta Arenas, Chile. This voyage adds in the bonus of a landing on mythical Cape Horn, if conditions allow. Experience the southernmost reaches of the world in an “express” version.

This extended expedition encompasses the wildlife paradise of South Georgia, the remote Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), as well as the extraordinary beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula. Depart from Uruguay capital Montevideo, saving one flight to Ushuaia and adding three days of education and experience onboard. You’ll experience a great diversity of environments and landscapes, which will provide unprecedented wildlife viewing opportunities.

In brief:

• Explore the world’s seventh continent on the Antarctic Peninsula by ship, Zodiac and on foot.
• Learn about Antarctica’s unique geology, history and wildlife with an expert team of lecturers.
• See the incredible wildlife of South Georgia, often referred to as ‘the Galapagos of the South’. This includes more than 30 species of breeding birds, including four species of Penguin.
• Follow in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s perilous voyages on South Georgia and pause for a moment at his graveside.
• Explore the quaint, British town of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
• On board lecturers and educational presentations from Polar Specialists.
• Experience Montevideo before embarkation.

This extended expedition encompasses the wildlife paradise of South Georgia, the remote Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), as well as the extraordinary beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula. Depart from Puerto Madryn, Argentina, a growing Peninsula Valdes town with whale watching and penguin viewing. This trip saves one flight to Ushuaia and adds two days of education and experience onboard en route to the Falkland Islands. You’ll experience a great diversity of environments and landscapes, which will provide unprecedented wildlife viewing opportunities.

In brief:

• Explore the world’s seventh continent on the Antarctic Peninsula by ship, Zodiac and on foot.
• Learn about Antarctica’s unique geology, history and wildlife with an expert team of lecturers.
• See the incredible wildlife of South Georgia, often referred to as ‘the Galapagos of the South’. This includes more than 30 species of breeding birds, including four species of Penguin.
• Follow in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s perilous voyages on South Georgia and pause for a moment at his graveside.
• Explore the quaint, British town of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
• On board lecturers and educational presentations from Polar Specialists.
• Experience Puerto Madryn before embarkation.

Summer comes to South Georgia’s remote, untamed landscape like a freight train. Famed for its abandoned whaling stations and Shackleton’s heroic journey, South Georgia is home to millions of fur seals and penguins, wallows of elephant seals, and nesting albatross. We arrive at the breeding cycle peak, as chicks become juveniles, parents shuttle fish and seal pups thrill with mock charges. Retracing Shackleton’s boat voyage, we visit Elephant Island before continuing south along the Antarctic Peninsula. Days remain long, and filled with humpback and minke whales, penguins and leopard seals, historic sites and scientific stations

Voyage Highlights
South Georgia

• Witness the incredible wildlife of South Georgia, one of the greatest wildlife concentrations on the planet
• Visit some of the world’s largest king penguin rookeries and search for wandering albatross on nests
• See beaches thick with elephant and fur seals
• Cruise past Elephant Island’s dramatic north coast (weather permitting)
• Trace the final leg of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s perilous journey from Fortuna Bay to Stromness
• Pay your respects to the great explorer at a visit to his gravesite at Grytviken

Antarctica

• Explore the most accessible and wildlife-rich region of Antarctica
• Daily shore visits and Zodiac cruises offer close encounters with penguins, whales, seals and sea birds
• Visit historic research huts and working scientific stations
• Cruise past massive icebergs and ancient glaciers
• Enjoy the pristine beauty and vast landscapes
• Witness the endless sunlight of the midnight sun
• Learn about Antarctica’s unique geology, history and wildlife from our expert team
• Kayakers will glide through narrow sheltered waterways and fjords, paddle amongst ice floes and drift quietly alongside wildlife

During this once-in-a-lifetime experience, journey to the bottom of the world—cruising past masses of dense ice and thick, tabular icebergs—aboard the legendary icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov. True to the explorer spirit, this exclusive Antarctic adventure, last offered by Quark Expeditions in 2010, is your chance to be a part of polar history. You’ll have the rare opportunity to observe one of the most spectacular sights in the wild: the elusive emperor penguin colony off the coast of Snow Hill Island, whose existence was first confirmed in 1997, and to which the first ground visit was conducted by Quark in 2004.

Imagine flying in a helicopter to the vicinity of this astounding rookery, then walking across the sea ice to come within several feet of chicks so young they’re huddling with their parents. Watch in awe as these extraordinary creatures toboggan across the ice on their way to the ocean to dive for food. If you’re lucky, some may even approach you! An experience like no other, it’s like a wildlife documentary come to life.

In brief:

• Experience thousands of pairs of emperor penguins—including chicks—in their natural habitat
• View other iconic Antarctic wildlife, such as whales, seals and seabirds
• Travel aboard the legendary Kapitan Khlebnikov, the storied icebreaker and the only vessel to circumnavigate Antarctica twice
• Cross the famous Drake Passage on your way to explore the Snow Hill emperor colony
• Enjoy helicopter sightseeing and Zodiac cruising for a unique perspective of the Antarctic Peninsula

Enjoy Antarctica in style — by flying and then cruising south of the Antarctic Circle! For those who don’t have the time or are not interested in cruising across the Drake Passage, this is the trip for you. Take a three-hour flight over Cape Horn and the mythical waters of the Drake Passage, landing you on one of the most spectacular places on earth: the coldest, highest, windiest, driest, and remotest continent – Antarctica. This trip takes you in-depth on the White Continent to explore below 66 degrees south. Prepare for incredible ice, curious wildlife and an adventure of a lifetime.

Want to fly one Drake Passage and cruise the other? Check out the Fly & Cruise the Drake itineraries.

Your adventure begins in Buenos Aires, where you’ll enjoy its heavily European-influenced heritage before being whisked away on a private charter flight to explore Ushuaia prior to embarkation. At sea, photograph massive albatross and pintado petrel as they swoop and soar around the ship, guiding us toward South Georgia. Beaches teeming with king penguins and elephant seals greet us on this fabled island, where we’ll pay our respects to famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Antarctica awaits, with its geographic contradictions and overwhelming enormity. Relax on a Zodiac ride, hike glistening glaciers, share comical moments with inquisitive penguins, or witness the rugged peninsula from a sea kayak. Antarctica will surprise and delight, and never disappoint.

Expedition in Brief:
• Experience the quintessential wildlife experience of the “Galapagos of the Poles”
• Visit South Georgia’s king penguin rookeries – the largest in the world
• Reflect at the resting place of the great explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton
• Visit abandoned whaling stations and learn stories of inhabitants who called this island home
• Enjoy on-board lecturers and educational presentations from polar specialists
• Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the tango capital of the world, and let us take care of the rest of the journey

South Georgia has been called ‘the most staggering wildlife show on earth’. After our in-depth exploration, we are certain you will agree. This seldom-visited corner of the planet is a place we know intimately and cherish sharing with our guests every season.

Our October departure is timed to coincide with the arrival of spring, as South Georgia emerges from the long and icy winter. This marks the beginning of the wildlife migration and breeding cycles for many species. The late January departure visits at the height of the polar summer. Days are long and the wildlife will be relaxed after the earlier breeding frenzy in spring.

Both voyages feature a shipboard photography symposium open to all guests. For lovers of remote, small-ship expedition cruising, this voyage ticks every box you could possibly imagine.

This extended expedition encompasses the wildlife paradise of South Georgia, the remote Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), as well as the extraordinary beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula. You’ll experience a great diversity of environments and landscapes, which will provide unprecedented wildlife viewing opportunities.

In brief:

• Explore the world’s seventh continent on the Antarctic Peninsula by ship, Zodiac and on foot.
• Learn about Antarctica’s unique geology, history and wildlife with an expert team of lecturers.
• See the incredible wildlife of South Georgia, often referred to as ‘the Galapagos of the South’. This includes more than 30 species of breeding birds, including four species of Penguin.
• Follow in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s perilous voyages on South Georgia and pause for a moment at his graveside.
• Explore the quaint, British town of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
• On board lecturers and educational presentations from Polar Specialists.

Follow in the footsteps of the great explorers during a crossing between South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Leaving from Montevideo, you will set sail for a 16-day expedition cruise into the heart of the White Continent.

Begin by discovering the coastlines of South Georgia, an island deeply marked by its whaling activity of the past. In Fortuna Bay, set off to meet the immense colony of king penguins, the real rulers of the roost. Your stop at Grytviken will enable you to relive the adventures of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the famous British explorer who lies here, before setting sail for the Antarctic Peninsula.

Don’t miss out on the shore visit to Deception Island, which long served as a refuge for sailors during heavy storms. You will come across elephant seals and fur seals, sharing the spotlight with chinstrap penguins. You’ll then go to Port Lockroy where you’ll be surprised to find a small museum and the most southern post office in the world.

You will disembark in Ushuaia, the Argentinean capital of Tierra del Fuego, whose landscapes will take your breath away.

The Weddell Sea is a rarely visited, heavily iced and beautiful area of Antarctica that holds penguin rookeries and is home to many seals and marine birds. These trips combine the ‘classic’ West side of the Antarctic Peninsula with the less visited eastern Weddell Sea. Famous for the ill-fated polar expedition led by British explorer Ernest Shackleton, the Weddell Sea is known for amazing ice formations and a variety of wildlife. Take this trip to journey to a little-known part of Antarctica and pass through the route of Ernest Shackleton.

In brief:

• Visit the pristine, icy Weddell Sea on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, as well as the highlights of the western side of the peninsula and the South Shetland Islands
• Sail in the waters of the 1914 Ernest Shackleton expedition
• Learn about the environment and wildlife from onboard lecturers and specialists
• Witness the abundant wildlife – penguins, seals, whales and more!