This story was originally published in October 2024 and was updated on September 28, 2026, to include current information.
As more and more adventure seekers and nature lovers flock to Antarctica, expedition cruise lines are responding with new, increasingly diverse options for exploring the fascinating White Continent, experimenting with how to get there and where to go.
Want to spend as much time as possible outdoors? Or are you looking for a slightly more relaxed, soft adventure experience with luxury accommodations? Is your main goal to nerd out with a scientist or wildlife photography expert? Afraid your stomach can’t handle the Drake Passage (a stretch of sea that can be notoriously rough)? Or looking for a women-only trip that is solo-traveler friendly? Not to worry. There’s an expedition cruise that meets the needs and style of just about every type of Antarctic explorer.
Sustainability in Antarctica
No cruise, however, is immune to the sensitive question of whether any of us should travel to this vast, unspoiled, and environmentally sensitive region. Thankfully, some expedition cruise outfits are asking that same question; they operate according to strict safety and environmental standards and are committed to sustainable sailings.
If you want to be certain you are traveling with a responsible operator, check its records and environmental programs before booking. And remember, size matters. Only ships with fewer than 500 people can let passengers off the vessel to explore the seventh continent and the surrounding islands. And only 100 passengers are allowed off at once. So the more passengers on board, the fewer landings you can make per day, because ships rotate who can disembark.
What to expect on Antarctica cruises
When you sail in Antarctica, be aware that conditions and itineraries can change on a dime due to the region’s wild, unpredictable weather. The key to travel in the region is being incredibly flexible. Not sure whether you want to sail in Antarctica or the Arctic? See our complete guide on choosing between the two regions.
When you find the right operator and itinerary for you, you’ll be rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime adventure filled with the awe-inspiring drama of Antarctica’s wild seas, icy landscapes, and unique wildlife.
When to sail in Antarctica
The Antarctic cruise season runs from late November through March. Weather conditions are notoriously unpredictable, but December and January are considered the “warmest” months (in January, Antarctica experiences a mean temperature of 34.8°F and an average high of 40°F, according to longtime operator National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions) and are when penguins, seals, and birds are most active. February and March are best for whale watching.
You’ll find the most options if you book a year or more in advance. But with the number of new ships and operators in the region, you can often find last-minute specials.
Here are our top picks for Antarctic sailings in 2027 and 2028.
Antarctica and the Falkland Islands through a photographer’s lens with Atlas Ocean Voyages
Atlas Ocean Voyages’ expedition vessels have sophisticated interiors, like this lounge area offering prime views of the passing scenery.
Courtesy of Atlas Ocean Voyages
Price: Starts at $17,386 per person
For a traditional round-trip sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, Atlas Ocean Voyages sails two 190-passenger yacht-style ships—World Navigator and World Traveller—that handle the rough seas of the Drake Passage with surprising stability. The day-to-day itineraries are “captain’s choice,” meaning where and how far you go depends on the weather. The fare includes twice-daily excursions (if the weather allows). If it’s too rough outside, enjoy the casual luxury of these modern yachts, which have cozy libraries, domed observation lounges, and spacious cabins, most with balconies. There are onboard lectures, and the fare includes unlimited alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.
Although Atlas is one of the newer entrants to polar cruising, it has amassed teams of veteran expedition leaders and knowledgeable guest lecturers. The best part is the diversity of its clientele, which includes new-to-cruise travelers as well as cruisers from around the world. This March, Atlas hosts a 17-day sailing through Antarctica and the Falkland Islands with wildlife and conservation expert and photographer Ron Magill aboard World Traveller.
Bypass Drake Passage and start on King George Island with Silversea
Skip the Drake Passage (aka “Drake shake”) and head directly to King George Island, where this luxurious Silversea cruise kicks off in style.
Courtesy of Silversea
Price: Starts at $31,400 per person
Travelers prone to seasickness or with limited time can skip the four days (two days each way) of travel through the notoriously unpredictable Drake Passage with this itinerary from luxury line Silversea that includes private charter flights from Santiago via Puerto Williams in Chile to King George Island, the gateway to Antarctica. And with the opening at the end of 2026 of the Cormorant at 55 South, Silversea’s purpose-built 150-room hotel, guests will enjoy overnights with options for hiking and kayaking before and after their sailing.
While Silversea and other lines have long offered Antarctic sailings with charter flights one or both ways over the Drake Passage to King George Island, the opening of the hotel means Silversea guests will have comfortable accommodations if weather delays their outgoing flights.
Once on King George Island, you’ll set sail on 220-passenger Silver Endeavour for six days and begin weaving through towering icebergs and enjoying the breathtaking scenery and wildlife watching straightaway. Each cruise includes three excursions: hiking, kayaking, and a Zodiac expedition. The Silver Endeavour is one of the luxury line’s newest yacht-style, all-suite ships and provides a butler for each suite. There are three onboard restaurants, 24-hour room service, an indoor pool, a spa, and a fitness center. Fares include all alcoholic and other beverages and free Wi-Fi.
Nearly one month in Patagonia, Falklands, and Antarctica with National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions
Sleep under the stars in one of the National Geographic Resolution‘s bubble-dome deck-top rooms.
Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions
Price: Starts at $50,000 per person
Travelers who want traditional expedition cruising on state-of-the-art ships won’t go wrong with National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad pioneered expedition cruising more than 50 years ago and boosted its credentials in 2004 when it partnered with iconic nature and wildlife brand National Geographic. If you are going to take the time to travel to the tip of the earth, you may as well go all in.
National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions offers one of the most comprehensive journeys in the South Pole, bringing travelers to remote, seldom-seen locations across four regions of the Southern Ocean. This epic journey aboard one of the company’s newest ships, the 138-passenger National Geographic Resolution, which launched in 2021, includes Patagonia along Chile’s coastal fjords, the Falklands, and the wildlife-rich South Georgia Island, home to elephant seals and gentoo penguins and hundreds of thousands of king penguins. During the cruise, you can explore the icy seas and landscapes by Zodiac and kayak and sleep under the stars in one of the ship’s deck-top glass igloos. Photography lovers may want to join the January 15, 2027, sailing, when Ralph Lee Hopkins, a popular photo instructor and geologist, will be on the expedition team.
Southern Antarctica on French line Ponant’s luxury icebreaker
There’s not a bad seat in the house in the Sunroom on Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, the most luxurious icebreaker in the world.
Photos by Gilles Trillard/Ponant
Price: Starts at $34,430 per person
Go where no other ships can go with Ponant’s icebreaker, the 245-passenger Le Commandant Charcot, the only cruise ship with a polar class rating that allows it to sail into the heart of the pack ice. This itinerary follows the wake of the ship’s namesake, explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot, across the infamous Drake Passage and into the far south of Antarctica. Explorations take Charcot’s path around the Marguerite Bay and Pourquoi Pas Island and into the Bellingshausen Sea, where the icebergs and ice floes become increasingly extreme as you make your approach to the rarely visited, mountainous, ice-covered Charcot Island.
In addition to onboard programming with guest scientists who are actively doing research in the region, activities include snowshoe hikes, polar diving, and Zodiac boat landings. And just because the ship is an icebreaker doesn’t mean it skimps on amenities. Le Commandant Charcot seems more like a yacht than a ship when you’re aboard, with 123 suites and staterooms, all with private decks or terraces. There’s also an indoor pool, a fitness center, a spa, even a nail bar. And this being a French line, the onboard dining is elegant and refined, with signature dishes by culinary adviser Alain Ducasse.
Whale watching with scientists on Terra Nova Expeditions
Observe whales in their natural habitat and help collect data and information about them with Terra Nova Expeditions.
Photo by Rod Long/Unsplash
Price: Starts at $10,980 per person
If you’re looking for a slightly lower price point that doesn’t skimp on adventure, consider Terra Nova Expeditions. This small-ship operator is one of the newer entrants in the region, but its team members are not. Founder Greg Carter has been traveling to Antarctica since 2007, and this is the second company he has built from the ice up (he cofounded Chimu Adventures in 2003 and sold that company to Intrepid Travel in 2019). The teams supporting him—from the expedition guides, crew, and scientists to the adventure-travel operators—have decades more experience.
Terra Nova currently has two ships. Its flagship, Terra Nova Adventurer, can carry up to 138 passengers but averages 98 per sailing, which maximizes the amount of time guests can be off board. While the Terra Nova Adventurer is an older, more traditional-style polar expedition vessel than the luxury yachts that are increasingly plying these waters, it has been refurbished and offers modern luxuries such as a spa, a gym, hot tubs, and a full science lab.
For an even more dramatic and truly intimate adventure, travel to the White Continent aboard the company’s polar sailing yacht, Icebird, which carries six to eight passengers and has small cabins with shared facilities. The payoff is its ability to go even farther off the grid. Fares include everything, including options such as kayaking, diving, ski-touring, snowshoeing, and camping. Most other vessels sailing the region offer daily Zodiac and/or hiking excursions. But most charge hundreds of dollars extra for the adventures that Terra Nova not only includes but excels in.
Travelers interested in serving as citizen-scientists can join the company’s special whale-focused science expeditions that are designed to incorporate observations and research into the sailings.
Yes, you can snorkel in Antarctica, courtesy of Aurora Expeditions.
Photo by Marcus Westberg
Women-only journeys with Aurora Expeditions
Price: Starts at $15,296 per person
Take the girls’ trip to the next level with women-only sailings from Australia-based Aurora Expeditions, which has been leading polar sailings for more than 30 years. The women-only sailings are led by all-female expedition crews and include special guests, including former astronaut Sandra Magnus. The sailings are, of course, aboard the small, casually luxe expedition vessel the Sylvia Earle, named after the American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, writer, and lecturer.
The first women-only sailing is a 10-day “Fly the Drake” sailing departing February 23, 2027, that includes charter flights over the Drake Passage from Punta Arenas, Chile. In March of 2028, the company hosts a second women-only sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, through the Drake. For women age 50 and older, Road Scholar is hosting 24 women on the 2028 sailing who will travel together with their own group leader. The Road Scholar program includes additional educational opportunities and exclusive lectures. Road Scholar can also connect solo travelers with like-minded cabin mates to avoid the solo surcharge. The Road Scholar program starts February 29, 2028, in Buenos Aires, then joins Aurora’s March 3, 11-day sailing to Antarctica. Because the Sylvia Earle typically caps its polar sailings at 126, guests enjoy maximum time off the ship, with options that include hiking, kayaking, and scuba diving.
