Antarctica: where to start

The best ways to travel to the Great White Continent.

Looking into travel to Antarctica can be confusing to say the least. There are now so many different options but coming to cazenove+loyd can demystify this completely. We can talk you through exactly what journey would be right for you and plan your extraordinary trip from start to finish.

From Latin America, the best options are broadly the following:

The Classic Peninsula: This is the shortest trip, which involves sailing from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage, spending four or five days exploring the peninsula before sailing back.

Crossing the Antarctic Circle: This is a slightly longer version of the Classic Peninsula. The extra couple of days mean that you can cross the Antarctic Circle and you are also able to access more research stations. This is a great option for those with a particular interest in the history of the White Continent.

Fly and Cruise:You can do either of the above options but by flying over the Drake Passage instead of sailing. For the time poor, this is a good option but think carefully before foregoing the adventure that is the Drake, which some see as a crucial part of their Antarctica experience.

Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica: You need three weeks for this, but having done any of the above options, this is what you’ll want to do next. South Georgia is widely regarded as the absolute Mecca for wildlife lovers. This is where to go to see nesting, wandering albatrosses and king penguins in their hundreds of thousands.

Weddell Sea: You can’t do this in all-out luxury, but if you’re happy to live a bit more simply in a cosy, expedition-style ship, this is your way to go round to the lesser-visited side of the peninsula and, on specialist trips, get up close to emperor penguins.

South Pole: For the real adventurers with a large budget, you can be one of the intrepid few to camp on the ice and, from your base camp, fly to the South Pole. Visit the US research station and take that special photo with the pole itself. Now, it is even possible to camp a kilometre away from the South Pole marker.

Ross Sea: Home to Scott’s hut at Hut Point, this rarely visited corner of Antarctica is reached either directly from New Zealand or as part of an epic semi-circumnavigation of the continent from Ushuaia to Hobart.