Traveling to Antarctica & South Georgia

Traveling to Antarctica has been on my list ever since I heard it is possible to visit Antarctica. The Antarctica cruise is hands down one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had and certainly bucket list-worthy. 

The mysterious, icy world of Antarctica is both calming and impressive at first sight. Its silent beauty occasionally broken by sounds of wildlife and glaciers breaking off. Yet, the sight of massive glaciers and naturally craved icescapes took my breath away as I marveled at the grandeur of mother nature. 

Can you even go to Antarctica? One of my friends asked, when I recounted why I’ve been “missing-in-action” for more than 2 weeks.

How to go to Antarctica?

You can get to Antarctica by taking a charter flight or an expedition cruise ship via the Drake Passage. Flights mostly depart from Punta Arenas, in Chile, and is approximately a 3-hour flight journey. Charter flights to Antarctica come at a premium price and are only available during the high summer season (Dec – Feb).

A cruise ship is the most popular way to travel to Antarctica and follows the route of early explorers. A trip to Antarctica is not completed without surviving the Drake Passage 😉 Despite being quite a rough crossing, you get to see wildlife along the way. It takes around two days at sea to make the 1,000km crossing to get to Antarctica.

Where do you find an Antarctica expedition cruise? 

Ushuaia, Argentina, is the most popular port of departure to visit Antarctica because it is at the world’s southernmost tip. The majority of the cruises depart from this touristic town. There are a variety of Antarctica cruise options and itineraries for your selection.

Getting to Ushuaia is relatively easy. Most travelers head to Buenos Aires, Capital, or Punta Arenas first and catch a flight to Ushuaia. These are two cities that have good flight connections. You can even take a bus to Ushuaia from Punta Arenas. 

Since many people have asked me about this Antarctic adventure and how they can go about doing it. I have decided to put down some useful information to help you plan your travels to Antarctica. There will also be a collation of photos and some notes on my own journey.

Antarctica Expedition General Brief

Here is a brief summary of my trip to Antarctica just to give you some context. I ended up going with a 16-day expedition in March that starts from Ushuaia, sails to Antarctica, then to South Georgia, and back to Ushuaia. The expedition team was Albatros Expedition, onboard the ship Ocean Atlantic. 

The Ocean Atlantic has a capacity of 199 passengers (excluding staff). We were below full capacity since it was already the end of the season. In fact, this was the last trip to Antarctica for this ship for that season. Most of us last-minute travelers are in a duo-shared cabin, but I was lucky enough to get a cabin to myself since it was not full capacity.

The cruise was a Chinese Charter. I have noticed these charters often have lower prices. What’s a Chinese Charter? All activities and lectures are actually in English but with Chinese translation. The expedition team and crew members are international, coming from different parts of the world. It’s a Chinese charter because the bulk of the cruise passengers consisted of 3 Chinese Tour Groups. The rest were international travelers who bought last-minute ticket deals.

Is this a good thing, you ask? I thought the small international group was the perfect size because it’s small enough for us to form a close connection. Much better than trying to talk to 200 different people. Since most of the passengers were Chinese, we also had both International and Asian cuisines during meals. 

Furthermore, since I speak/understand Mandarin, there was no problem interacting with everyone.

How to get a last minute deal for Antarctica Cruise?

For many travelers, one of the main concerns of going for Antarctica cruises is the cost. Traveling to Antarctica is not cheap. The best way to get a “budget” trip to Antarctica is to find last minute deals! Most of the international travelers on the cruise were on last minute deal tickets. I have been keeping track of these deals many months before departure. However, some of my fellow last-minute ticket holders even got them right in Ushuaia without actually having planned for it. 

When you have flexibility, you can take advantage of it. That has always been the rule in traveling 😉

Don’t want to risk being too last minute? Fortunately, you don’t have to. You can email some of the travel agencies to put you on the Antarctica Cruise deals email newsletter. They will send you the availability of last-minute cruise deals with the pricing and routes periodically. Two agencies I contacted are Freestyle Adventures, and Antarctica Travels.

Feel free to tell them you heard about them from Rax. We are not affiliated, they are just well-rated, and I had good communications from them.

I ended up purchasing through Freestyle Adventures, because they offered a payment method that incurred lower fees from my home bank. I noticed most of the individual travelers booked from either agency. A group of us bumped into each other again when returning borrowed gears at the office.

When is the best time to visit Antarctica?

The Antarctica season typically ranges from October to March. In my opinion, there is no specific best time to travel to Antarctica. Come on, it’s Antarctica! However, you see differing scenery and animal behavior during various parts of the season. 

I’m going to just copy and paste this information that the awesome people at FreeStyle Adventures provided:

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.

How much do Antarctica cruises cost?

As a last-minute deal, I paid US$6,999 for the 16 days itinerary to Antarctica and South Georgia. The cheapest deal I have received for a classic 10/11 day cruise to Antarctica is US$4,999. However, this is just to satisfy your curiosity to know the price but not a good reference. Prices are increasing every year. I remember reading that it was US$2,999 for a classic trip a few years ago before my own trip. That’s one reason I always say if you are planning to visit Antarctica at least once in your lifetime, do it sooner rather than later because it gets more expensive.

Just get looped into the last-minute deal newsletters and check the prices when you plan to go.

Important things to take note of when booking Antarctica Cruises

The price and route were most important for me during booking. I didn’t really care about the ship or brands etc. Some cruises like Quark Express are known more for being party cruises etc., and those were not a priority for me. The whole expedition was fantastic anyway. 

I feel that the nitty-gritty stuff probably would not matter much. You are almost guaranteed to meet amazing people and be wow-ed. This is, after all, a trip to Antarctica!

However, you should definitely take note of a couple of items before booking.

First, note that there are packages on board huge cruise ships which are usually cheaper. These big cruise ships do not do landings; this means you only sail around Antarctica on the cruise ship and never get to set foot on the land of Antarctica. Make sure to check what a particular cruise is offering and if they ever do any landings. And you definitely want to do landings, because… come on.. why would you go all the way there and not set foot on Antarctica. Can you even claim you have been to Antarctica without setting foot on it!?

Secondly, only 100 people are allowed to make landings at any one time. Our ship had a capacity of 199 passengers. We were divided into 2 groups, taking turns to make landings on each site. While one group explores the land, the other group will cruise around in a zodiac boat. And then we will switch. You can imagine that if your ship has too many passengers, then landings might be tricky, or you might not get to disembark on all sites. Do check what the landing arrangement is like.

Special Things to do in Antarctica

This is another thing you might want to consider, but I don’t think it is very critical. Some expedition comes with extra activities. These can include kayaking, paddleboarding, or camping overnight on Antarctica. I did kayaking at an additional cost. We also had the polar plunge, where you get to jump into the freezing cold ocean. 

If there are particular activities you want to do, check if the expedition offers that. However, if you’re looking at last-minute deals, it is not always easy to find something that matches your criteria.

How many days is the Antarctica Trip?

The classic trip is usually 10 or 11 days depending on the route and landings. However, some cruises go to more locations, and these will stretch over more days. The longest itinerary I have seen is around 21 days. 

What are these other locations?

Two common locations outside of Antarctica covered by the Antarctica cruises are South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

I have not been to the Falklands Islands, so I can’t comment on that. However, I strongly recommend doing South Georgia, especially if you are a wildlife lover. At our first briefing, the expedition leader told us the itinerary gets better as the trip progresses. He wasn’t lying. Antarctica was really remarkable, with the majestic landscape and breathtaking glaciers. There were some wildlife sightings in the early days, but South Georgia was where we really saw heaps of wildlife. These were large penguin and seal colonies.

I think all of us on the trip would agree that South Georgia was truly worth it.

What to pack for Antarctica? My Antarctica Packing List

Looking at the Eskimos on TV wrapped in thick Antarctic clothing (Isn’t this what we all imagine when we think about Antarctica?), you might think it is a huge hassle. Packing for Antarctica is actually not as daunting as you might think. 

It is pretty similar to packing for winter travel. Layering is important. If you are missing anything, you will likely be able to rent them in Ushuaia. Furthermore, some agencies will loan you some items like waterproof pants or gloves for free, so check with your agency on that.

Antarctic boots (welly boots with warm interior) are provided by the cruise, and you will use that for all landings. We were also given a warm parka with a waterproof shell during the cruise.

I had all my travel gear with me since I travel extensively, but here is a packing list for Antarctica with items that I would recommend having.

• 1-2 set of Thermal Wear (Top and Bottom)
• Beanie or earmuffs
• Pair of Gloves. Consider getting a touch screen pair if you are going to use your phone as your camera because you will be taking a lot of photos.
• Waterproof pants and additional warm jacket for layering, if needed
• Day-to-day jacket when on board ship. (I now use the Transcendr Hoody from KÜHL that is fashionable and functional for both daily use and working out.)
• Parka with Waterproof shell (We were given these by the expedition team)
• Dri-fit T-shirts and pants (Comfort wear while on the cruise)
• Under Garments (I travel with Uniqlo AIRism ones)
• Warm socks. I am not a big fan of long socks but those would probably work better here.
• Photography and Videography gear. Waterproof covers.
• Covered shoes for walking around the ship 
• Slippers to use in cabin
• Travel Power Adaptor
• Waterproof bag or waterproof cover for the bag
• Any Personal Medication (Consider bringing seasickness pills)
• Packing cubes to organise all your stuff
• For the fun people: If you have space, consider bringing a penguin onesie for photos

Other questions about Traveling to Antarctica

Here are other details that you might be interested in. I am just answering them based on my own experience, and most of these will likely vary depending on your cruise. 

Do I need insurance to travel to Antarctica? 

Yes, you need to have insurance coverage for Antarctica. This is applicable regardless of which Antarctica cruise trip you take. The travel agency will check for that during your booking.

During the Antarctica trip, I had travel insurance from WorldNomads and IMG Global.

How do you charge your electronics?

The cruise cabin and ship comes with power outlets. You will be able to charge all your electronics. Just remember to bring a travel adaptor in case the plugs are different. I also recommend that you have a power bank just in case.

 Is there WiFi on the Antarctica Cruise?

There is an option to purchase WiFi for an expensive cost on our cruise. I wouldn’t really count on it being high-speed internet. AND, why would you go to Antarctica to stick your face in the phone? This is the perfect time to really get in touch with nature and people. Don’t worry, you can survive without internet for a few days.

Would I get seasick on the trip to Antarctica?

This is different for everyone, but the Drake Passage is the roughest portion of the journey. Most people experienced seasickness to a certain extent. There were vomit bags available like every 10 steps through the ship. In our case, the cruise provided seasickness pills daily, which you can request from the service counter if needed. I took 1 tablet daily, half in the morning and then half after lunch, when sailing through the Drake Passage. You don’t want to take too much because the pill does make you sleepy.

How is the food situation? Do I need to bring food?

I actually brought dried snacks along but had no use for them at all. We had 3 buffet-style meals every day and tea in midday. There was also a small pantry with coffee, tea, and cookies available all day. Never hungry is an understatement; I was constantly bloated from all the delicious food. However, I am sure the meal plans vary across cruises.

What about Laundry?

Laundry service comes with a cost and this probably applies to all cruises. It is not cheap. However, it is also not really necessary since you don’t perspire much due to the cold. I mainly do quick wash of my underwear while showering. (This is why I am a fan of the Uniqlo AIRism boxers, easy to wash and dry)

Cameras and Photography for a visit to Antarctica

If you can, bring your best gear as traveling to Antarctica might be a once in a lifetime chance. A good portion of the other travelers had huge lenses and DSLR cameras. You can get excellent wildlife and close up shots with more professional gear. I mainly used my phone and GoPro. Not optimal but it’s not all bad.

Drone flying is not allowed.

I stress again: Make sure you have a plan to protect your expensive gear from water as the weather and ocean can change while you are out exploring.

What are the animals in Antarctica and South Georgia?

You might be wondering what wildlife or animals would you get to see in Antarctica. This is a list of animal sightings (Antarctica and South Georgia) during our expedition. There are definitely some others that we did not see.

If you are wondering where are the polar bears, sorry to disappoint. Polar bears are only in the North Pole, so the Arctic is where you need to go to potentially catch a glimpse of those majestic bears. Conversely, there are no penguins in the Arctic.

What is your Antarctica trip itinerary like?

I am just going to share the itinerary of my visit to Antarctica here for reference. Again, this does change according to your cruise.

• Day 1: Set off from Ushuaia
• Day 2: Sailing through Drake Passage
• Day 3: Landing at Great Wall Research Station
• Day 4 & 5: Antarctica Landing, Cruising (Kayaking & Polar Plunge)
• Day 6 -8 : Sailing to South Georgia
• Day 9-11: South Georgia Landings and Cruising
• Day 12 -15: Sailing back to Ushuaia. Arrived at night.
• Day 16: Disembark

More details in the photo journal below.

What are things to do on the Antarctica cruise? Is there a lot of free time?

There were interesting activities during sailing days. We had lectures about wildlife and historical expeditions. There were also activities and classes like painting, dumpling making, dance, stretching exercises, etc. These activities were all optional in participation. Our ship also had a gym and a lounge with board games. Never really had a dull moment.

Traveling to Antarctica

Here are some photos and small journal notes I made for throughout the Antarctica trip about each landing. 

Great Wall Station

62° 13’345 S / 058° 55’887 W
Didn’t take many photos at this location. This was our very first disembarkation after crossing the rough drake passage. We were excited simply at the prospect of setting foot on land after swaying on the ship for a few days and overcoming seasickness. Great Wall Station is the research base station for China, and thus, the visit was a big deal for some of our Chinese companions. It was interesting to see some of the modern-day research after learning about historical expeditions in the lectures.

Hydruga Rocks 

64° 08’822 S / 061° 36’582 W
This felt like the first official landing for most of us as we are finally going to see some wildlife. The weather was not particularly favorable; We were lucky to be the first group to head out as the weather deteriorated over time and restricted the 2nd group from landing.

It was our first close sighting of Gentoo Penguins as we trotted around the area. These are actually relatively small clusters compared to what we will see down the journey, but I remember the excitement then, being one of our first landings. Many of them were still molting and thus stood silently facing the rocks; that seemingly miserable behavior happened to fit in well with the weather as it got more windy, snowy, and wet. 

One of the main highlights was the bumpy ride back to the ship as the Zodiac bashed through the rough waves and weather under the driver’s firm control. We were all wet, but no one could deny the adventure. What a welcome from Antarctica!

Portal Point 

64° 30’628 S / 061° 45’264 W
Kayaking in Antarctica – A team of 8! Kayaking was an extra chargeable activity that you can opt-in for. I was initially concerned about safety as it has been quite a long time since I last kayaked, and this was in open, freezing waters with potentially quick changing weather conditions. Capsizing would not be fun. Nonetheless, we psycho-ed each other into going for it anyway! Fortunately, the water was relatively calm, with some light snow, setting the stage for an incredible experience.

The tranquility of the environment, surrounded by icebergs and amazing landscape, was calming to the mind as we kayaked around the open waters. We managed to see a couple of seals up close with this quieter mode of approach compared to the zodiacs. With some luck, we also got to see some crumbling blocks fall off a giant iceberg, the rumble breaking the silence in the air.

Portal point was more of a landscape viewpoint rather than for wildlife. We got on land after the kayaking session for some exploration. We were wading and crawling around in our wet suits that were not ideal for walking on snow/ice. It was a memorable experience nonetheless.

Cierra Cove 

64° 09’112 S / 064° 54’239 W
There was no landing made on Cierra Cove, and we did an extended period of Zodiac cruising instead. The main thing that defined this area for me was these gigantic blocks of ice. Each majestic and captivating in its own right, as every single one is uniquely shaped by nature. The landscape here was terrific and with the half gloomy weather, it gave off a drastic end of the world vibe. We also managed some wildlife sightings, spotting some penguins hiding amongst the big white clusters. Perhaps the most significant one being a close sighting of whales as some zodiacs circled around at a safe distance to observe their behavior.

Mikkelson Harbor 

63° 54’235 S / 060° 46’646 W
Mikkelson Harbor was a small anchoring bay used by sealing and whaling vessels in the past. We had pretty decent weather here, and this is by far the closest we have seen of the penguins. Some of our paths crossed as a few waddled adorably across a temporary walking path that we kept to. It was to minimize our disturbance to the natural inhabitants, always giving the “locals” the right of way. There is a decent colony of penguins here, way smaller than what we were about to see subsequently, but one of the largest we have seen in our landings so far.

Cooper Bay 

54° 47’303 S / 035° 48’262 W
After another few days at sea, we arrived at South Georgia, a feast for the eyes with amazing landscapes and large wildlife colonies. In contrast to Antarctica’s icescape, we are now seeing a mixture of snow mountains and greenery (perhaps the most prominent being tussock grass, which provides an excellent habitat for seabirds). 

Cooper Island gets it name from one of James Cook’s Lieutenant and is a protected area for wildlife. We did not make a landing here and had a zodiac cruise around the island to get our first welcome look at South Georgia. Groups of penguins and fur seals line the shores, with hundreds more playing in the water. While Antarctica is defined by the impressive icescapes, one of the most captivating factors for South Georgia is undoubtedly the abundance of wildlife. 

Throughout the journey, we will continue to add to our collection of sightings, including various species of petrels, albatrosses, penguins, seals, and whales.

Gold Harbour 

54° 37’531 S / 035° 56’140 W
The journey gets better at Gold Harbour, where we had our first landing in South Georgia. During both the zodiac cruising and landing, we got a close look at fur seals and elephant seals, as well as large colonies of king and gentoo penguins. While the elephant seals were busy sleeping, most of the other animals were relatively active. Playful fur seals went around charging at everything, humans, birds, each other… The molting baby penguins and fur seals certainly pulled a lot of heartstrings that day.

Grytviken 

54° 17’285 S / 036° 28’805 W
Amazing, amazing weather at Grytviken! I remember waking in the morning to the stunning scenery. Exiting to the ship’s deck, the fresh air and panoramic view of the landscape was pretty overwhelming. Grytviken used to be a whaling station where they processed whales they caught. Some remains of the processing stations still stand. Today, Grytviken mainly houses a museum and a graveyard, the final resting place of explorers Ernest Shackleton and Frank Wild. Tons of fur seals were just lazing under the sun, swimming, and playing around.

St Andrews Bay 

54° 26’554 S / 036° 10’465 W
Moving on to St Andrew’s Bay in the afternoon, it was a sight to behold as we saw our largest colony of penguins yet. We managed to catch some lovely landscape and wildlife activities while on the Zodiac. 

Upon landing, we followed a path from the shore through the grassland. Groups of king penguins greeted us along the way as we finally ended up at a vantage point overseeing a massive spread of king penguins. The incredible scene that unraveled before us was probably the most memorable moment of South Georgia for me. 

Fortuna Bay 

54° 07’939 S / 036° 49’521 W
Our last day of landings – The foggy weather wasn’t as great compared to the day before, but it was still good enough for us to head out. We got an eye feast of wildlife as clusters of penguins and seals continue about their daily activities. We also managed to finally catch some action from an elephant seal bobbing its way to the ocean.

Salisbury Plain 

54° 031’17 S / 037° 19’415 W
Salisbury plain was our final landing, and also where we saw our largest penguin colony stretching from the shores up into the hills. Penguins were streaming in line by line from somewhere to the large colony. Fur seals were playing on the coasts and in the water, penguins wadding around, gathering as if they were having a meeting. (King penguins in their black/white furs, standing straight and in big clusters, always felt to me like business executives in blazers walking around Wall Street). This is actually becoming a very familiar scene, yet one that continues to captivate our eyes and hearts.

A trip to Antarctica soon!

Despite having visited many impressive places, traveling to Antarctica is definitely one for the books. An Antarctica cruise expedition is one of the best ways to make the trip. I highly recommend visiting as soon as you can because prices will continue to get more expensive.

If you are planning a trip to Antarctica, here are travel guides to Ushuaia and Buenos Aires that will come in handy.

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