The Antarctic Peninsula by small expedition ship from Ushuaia: penguin colonies, blue ice and landings by inflatable boat.
Antarctica has no hotels, no airports for visitors and no country to arrive in. Almost every trip is an expedition voyage, and most leave from Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina. You cross the Drake Passage in about two days, then spend five or so days among the islands and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Each day brings one or two landings by inflatable boat, at penguin colonies, whaling relics and old research huts, and cruises among icebergs where seals haul out on the floes. Expedition staff choose sites around the weather and the ice, so no two voyages are the same.
The honest trade-off is the Drake. It can be calm or it can be rough for two days each way. Longer voyages add the Falklands and South Georgia; fly-cruise options skip one crossing but depend on weather at the airstrip.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
The Lemaire Channel is a narrow strait between the peninsula and Booth Island, with sheer peaks close on both sides. On a still day the peaks are reflected in the water. Ice can block it early in the season, so it is never guaranteed. Be on deck with a warm drink as the ship turns in.
Gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins nest on exposed rock along the peninsula through the southern summer. Landings at sites such as Cuverville Island or Neko Harbour last a few hours. Visitor guidelines ask you to keep your distance and give way, and penguins often walk right past anyway.
When landings are not possible, or as an extra, guides take you out by inflatable boat among grounded icebergs. Leopard seals and crabeater seals rest on the floes, and humpbacks sometimes surface close by. For many of our travellers it is the part of the trip they talk about afterwards. Waterproof trousers and a dry bag for your camera matter here.
Port Lockroy on Goudier Island began as a secret wartime British base in 1944 and became the birthplace of the British Antarctic Survey. Today the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust runs it as a museum, shop and post office, and gentoo penguins nest around the huts. Send a postcard; it can take weeks to arrive.
Many ships offer sea kayaking in small groups for guests with some experience, and a few offer a night camping ashore in bivvy bags. Both add cost and are weather-dependent, and places are limited, so request them when you book. Paddling past a calving glacier face is worth the effort.
A voyage of around three weeks adds the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, where king penguins gather in colonies of many thousands and Shackleton is buried at Grytviken. It is a bigger commitment of time and money, but for wildlife it adds a great deal.
Your ship is your hotel, so the choice of ship shapes the trip. Smaller ships mean more time ashore, because only a limited number of people may land at a site at once. Before and after, we use a comfortable hotel in Buenos Aires and a night in Ushuaia as a weather buffer.
Ponant's Polar Class 2 icebreaker, which goes deep into the Weddell Sea ice with Alain Ducasse on the menu.
Aurora Expeditions' 130-guest X-BOW ship, small enough for plenty of landings and set up for kayakers, divers and ski tourers.
A 199-guest polar ship with two helicopters on board, built to take you beyond the landing sites every other ship shares.
Sample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
A night in Buenos Aires and one in Ushuaia, then 11 nights on a small expedition ship across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, with Zodiac landings among penguin colonies and cruises through the ice.
Tourist voyages run from November to March. November brings clean snow and penguins returning to nest, with eggs by mid-month. In December the chicks hatch, and by January they gather in crèches while both parents fish.
February and March trade chicks for whales and a wilder, emptier feel as the season winds down. Christmas and New Year voyages sell out first, and the most popular cabins in any month go a year or more ahead.
A classic small-ship voyage from Ushuaia, with a night in Buenos Aires on the way out and a buffer day before embarkation. 11 nights.
Land after the overnight flight from Heathrow and rest in a hotel in Recoleta or Palermo before an early flight south.
Fly about 3.5 hours to Ushuaia and board your ship in the late afternoon as it sails down the Beagle Channel.
Two days at sea with lectures on wildlife and ice, briefings on visitor guidelines and albatrosses following the ship.
Landings and boat cruises around Cuverville Island, Neko Harbour and the Gerlache Strait, chosen day by day by the expedition leader.
South through the Lemaire Channel if ice allows, then a visit to the museum and post office at Port Lockroy.
Two more days at sea for recaps, photo sharing and watching for Cape Horn on the approach.
Disembark in Ushuaia early and fly to Buenos Aires to connect with the overnight flight to London.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Antarctica (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Fly direct from Heathrow to Buenos Aires, about 14 hours, then on to Ushuaia with Aerolíneas Argentinas, about 3.5 hours. Most expedition voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula leave from Ushuaia. Plan a night in Buenos Aires and ideally one in Ushuaia before sailing.
You enter Argentina on the way to and from your ship; UK passport holders do not currently need a visa for tourism. For Antarctica itself, the tour operator usually arranges any permit. Read the FCDO pages for Argentina (opens in a new tab) and Antarctica (opens in a new tab) before you book.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Antarctica (opens in a new tab)
Medical facilities are very limited and rescue can take days, so insurance must name Antarctica and cover evacuation. Bring seasickness remedies for the Drake and strong sun protection for glare off ice. Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) before you travel.
Voyages are paid in advance. On board, extras go on a cabin account in the operator's currency, often euros or US dollars. You need a few Argentine pesos or a card for Ushuaia.
There is no mobile network to rely on. Ships use satellite connections for email and wifi, and some include a daily data allowance, but speeds vary. Treat the voyage as time offline.
Each operator sets its own approach to crew gratuities, and any tip is added to your cabin account in the ship's currency. We confirm your ship's policy before you sail.
It varies from glassy to very lively, and you will not know until you sail. Most people feel some motion, so bring remedies and take them before you need them. Ships are built for it, and the crossing days are filled with talks and bird watching. A fly-cruise avoids one crossing but can be delayed by weather.
December and January offer the longest days and penguin chicks, and they are the busiest and most expensive. November has clean snow and courting penguins. February and March trade chicks for whales and quieter landings. There are no tourist voyages from April to October.
For confident, curious children, yes. Operators set their own minimum ages, and the Drake can be hard on anyone prone to seasickness. The landings, penguins and Zodiac cruises hold the attention of school-age children well.
Visits follow guidelines under the Antarctic Treaty: do not touch or disturb wildlife, keep your distance, stay with your group and bring nothing that could introduce non-native species. Boots are cleaned before and after landings. Your operator briefs you in full on board.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: December to February.
Buenos Aires evenings, the Iguazú falls and the glaciers of Patagonia, joined by short domestic flights.
The Atacama's high desert and the granite towers of Patagonia in one trip, with Santiago's wine valleys in between.
The high Arctic three hours from Oslo: glaciers, walrus and polar bear country, reached on a scheduled flight.
The Northwest Passage by expedition ship: Franklin's route through Arctic Canada, narwhal waters and Inuit communities.
Ship size decides how often you go ashore. The Drake Passage decides how you feel on the way. The month decides what you see. How the landing rules work, whether to fly or sail, and what changes through the season.
