Antarctica holidays

Planning a trip to Antarctica

While Antarctica remains the habitat of intrepid explorers and scientific expeditions, its extraordinary wildlife and jaw-dropping scenery is also accessible to discerning travellers wishing to discover one the most pristine areas of the planet, under strict environmental guidelines.

The wildlife-rich Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands are the most accessible parts of the continent, and hence are the focus of many expedition voyages departing from South America. Longer voyages also take in South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, the former, with its links to Shackleton’s fabled trek across the glaciers, being a must for many intrepid travellers. The lesser explored Weddell Sea region hugs the Peninsula and is home to emperor penguins nesting on the frozen oceans; little wonder that this area is known as ‘iceberg alley’.

We’ll help you navigate the choice of routes available including fly-in options to bypass the Drake Passage, and the range of small-ship expedition vessels to find the best for you.

Antarctica’s spectacular scenery and wildlife

Antarctica is the world’s fifth largest continent and much of it is blanketed by a vast permanent ice sheet, averaging 2,000 metres in thickness. The wider region comprises a much larger area than the continent itself, including ice shelves, seas and islands off the coast of South America and Australasia.

Some may argue that it’s impossible to describe the scenery of Antarctica in a single word, but ‘breathtaking’ comes close! It really is the world’s last true wilderness area and during its fleeting summer, this inhospitable land plays host to some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth. Millions of pairs of penguins, albatrosses, petrels and other sea birds breed in the region; five species of seal are regularly observed hauled out on ice floes; orcas, humpback and minke whales are often encountered feeding on the ocean’s rich pickings, adding to the impressive list of marine mammals.