Antarctica
The Last Great
Wilderness.

No roads. No crowds. No footprint but your own. Antarctica is the final frontier of expedition travel, a continent of staggering scale and silence that changes every person who reaches it.

Begin your Expedition
Gentoo penguins on rocky snow by Antarctic ocean with cruise ship and snowy mountains in the background

Antarctic Peninsula

The Continent
Vast. Pristine.
Utterly Untouched.

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on earth. It holds 70 percent of the world's fresh water, supports almost no permanent human presence, and remains one of the very few places where the natural world exists entirely on its own terms.

Getting there is an expedition in itself. The journey south from Ushuaia, Argentina crosses the legendary Drake Passage, two days of open Southern Ocean sailing that sailors have respected for centuries. For many travelers, the crossing is as memorable as the continent itself. Some itineraries offer flight options over the Drake for those who prefer to save the sea passage for the return.

Once in Antarctic waters, the world transforms completely. Icebergs the size of city blocks drift in silence. Humpback whales surface alongside the vessel. Thousands of penguins crowd rocky shores with an indifference to human visitors that never stops being remarkable. Every day on the ice brings something that cannot be planned, only witnessed.

Every expedition we plan is aboard a small, purpose-built vessel, never more than 100 to 200 passengers, with an expert naturalist team, Zodiac landing craft, and the flexibility to follow wildlife and weather wherever they lead. This is not a cruise. It is an expedition.

Redonna Bilbo, Senior Travel Advisor

Points of Interest
Moments That
Stay With You

Emperor penguins standing on cracked ice near a reflective icy water body under a bright blue sky.

Antarctic Peninsula
Penguin Colonies

Gentoo, chinstrap, and Adelie penguins in their thousands, completely unbothered by your presence. Landing by Zodiac and walking among a colony at full breeding season is one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters on the planet.

Group of people in a boat exploring massive icebergs in clear blue Arctic waters under a sunny sky

Southern Ocean
Among the Icebergs

Zodiac cruises through iceberg fields reveal every shade of blue the eye can process: translucent mint, deep cobalt, ancient compressed white. Sculpted by wind and sea into cathedrals and arches, they are unlike anything above water on earth.

Stormy ocean waves with white foam under cloudy sky and distant foggy mountains in background

Drake Passage
The Drake Passage

Two days crossing the world's most storied stretch of open ocean. Albatrosses wheel overhead, petrels skim the swells, and the ship's naturalists fill each hour with context that makes arrival at the ice even more profound.

Humpback whale tail rising from ocean near tourists on inflatable boat with snow-covered mountains in background

Antarctic Waters
Whale Encounters

Humpbacks, minkes, and orcas feed in the nutrient-rich waters surrounding the peninsula. Watching a humpback breach beside your Zodiac, close enough to hear the exhale, is a stillness that outlasts the voyage itself.

Elephant seals resting on a beach with king penguins and rocky cliffs in the background under a cloudy sky

South Georgia Island
South Georgia

On extended itineraries, South Georgia offers King penguin colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands, elephant seal beaches, and the grave of Ernest Shackleton, one of the most moving sites in the history of exploration.

98
Percent of Antarctica is Covered in Ice

Woman in warm clothing gazing at snowy mountain range reflected on calm icy waters from a ship deck under clear blue sky.

"Antarctica is the only continent with no indigenous human population and no permanent residents. Every person who reaches it arrives as a guest. We help you arrive as a prepared one."

Your Expedition Awaits
Ready to Reach
The Ice?

Antarctica requires more lead time than almost any other journey. The best ships and cabins fill a year or more in advance.
Start the conversation now and we'll find the right vessel, route, and season for you.

Start Planning Today

70%

Of the World's Fresh Water

Antarctica

12 Million

Breeding Pairs of Penguins

Antarctica

6

Species of Seals in Antarctica

Antarctica

1.2 Miles

Average Thickness of the Ice on all but 1% of the Continent

Antarctica