How to visit Antarctica: a first-time traveller’s guide

But if you’re wondering how to visit Antarctica – or even asking yourself, can you visit Antarctica as a tourist – our first-time traveller’s guide has everything you need to know to turn your bucket list wish into reality.

Can you visit Antarctica?

In short, yes! Unsurprisingly there are restrictions as to the number of people who can visit and permits are required as there are fines and possible prison sentences for people who travel to any part of Antarctica without permission. However, if you’re joining an organised tour to Antarctica, the permit is arranged by the tour operator so you won’t need to arrange the paperwork yourself.

There is no visa required for Antarctica, although you may need a visa to visit the country your cruise departs from; usually Argentina, although some trips also run via Chile. Currently UK citizens do not need a visa for either country for stays of up to 90 days. Requirements can change, though – for the most up-to-date information on visas, please use the quick-check tool on our visa requirements page

There are also some restrictions on the numbers allowed on Antarctica, with no more than 100 guests allowed at any single site at the same time, while ships carrying more than 500 passengers are not allowed to land anyone while in Antarctic waters.

How to get to Antarctica from the UK

The vast majority of people visit Antarctica on an organised cruise departing from Ushuaia in Argentina, crossing Drake Passage to Antarctica itself.

To get to Antarctica from the UK, you can fly direct to Buenos Aires from London, which takes around 13 hours 30 minutes, with connecting flights to Ushuaia which take around three hours 30 minutes. These can be cancelled during bad weather, so if you’re not travelling as part of an escorted tour, it’s best to allow at least one or two days in Ushuaia before your departure.

While it is possible to travel overland to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires, it’s a long journey of around 2,000 miles and you have to cross into Chile and take a ferry to reach the final destination, with additional time needed for border formalities. Unless you’re planning a cruise to Antarctica as part of a longer trip to Argentina, flying is the most straightforward option by far.

Alternatively, it is also possible to fly from Punta Arenas, Chile, to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands which lie around 75 miles off the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean, and join a cruise there.

There are no commercial flights to Antarctica, and you can only fly to Antarctica as part of an organised cruise or expedition.

Chinstrap penguins on Half Moon Island, Antarctica

The best time to visit Antarctica

The only time you can visit Antarctica is during the Antarctic summer which runs from November to March. Antarctica has only two seasons, with Antarctic winter lasting from April until October, when Antarctica is complete inaccessible. Temperatures can drop as low as -40C or colder with very little sunlight, and permanent darkness during midwinter. But choosing the best time to visit Antarctica isn’t only down to the weather. During certain months, you have more chance of particular wildlife sightings and other Antarctic attractions.

November

In November, the early summer months are one of the best times to see ice formations and dramatic icebergs before the sun melts them (although these can prevent the ship from accessing landing points), while it’s also mating season for seals, with some dramatic battles between elephant seals, while Adelie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins come ashore to begin their nesting too.

December

December sees 24 hours of daylight, so if you’re determined to make the most of every minute in Antarctica, you’ll have more chance of trips to shore during the long days. There are also more areas accessible as the weather gets warmer, with nesting penguins to spot too and the first chicks born later in the month.

January

January is the most popular month to visit Antarctica with the warmest temperatures in the height of summer, as high as around 10C. With the peak of the ice melt this month, there’s also the chance to cross into the Antarctic Circle where you can spot Weddell seals.

February

By February, the weather is cooler but it’s a fantastic month for seeing wildlife in Antarctica, with whales migrating to feed on the krill here, including humpback, blue, minke and sperm whales along with Antarctic orcas. On land, penguin chicks are getting more active so you might spot them learning to swim or hopping after their parents.

March

Temperatures drop below freezing again by March, the end of the Antarctica tourist season, with ice reforming and more snow. It’s much quieter and often cheaper this month, with many cruises finishing in February, but with some fantastic whale-watching and fur seal activity, a good chance of seeing leopard seals hunting, and inquisitive penguin chicks getting close to human visitors. The weather is less predictable though, so you may find chances to go ashore are more limited, but you will get a chance to see the magical Polar sunrises and sunsets.

Is a trip to Antarctica affordable?

A trip to Antarctica isn’t a budget option; travelling to one of the most remote corners of the world, plus the cost of flights to South America and all your food and activities, means you won’t find bargain prices. Cruising is still the cheapest option however and you might find that an Antarctic cruise isn’t as expensive as you expect.

While longer luxury cruises can have a price tag of as much as £50,000 for three weeks, most cruises tend to last for around half this time, including the journey from Ushuaia, and prices are closer to a tenth of the luxury price tag (excluding flights). As you’ll be flying to South America in order to join the cruise, the majority of people also choose to spend some time in Argentina as well, sometimes including neighbouring Chile or Brazil, to make the most of the journey, or opt for a longer cruise visiting the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

Our cruise to Antarctica includes time in Rio de Janeiro, at the Iguazu Falls, and in Buenos Aires, along with five days in Antarctica itself, and includes flights, along with the all-inclusive trip on an HX Hurtigruten Expeditions ship.

How do you visit Antarctica and save money? If you’re looking to cut the cost of an Antarctic cruise, consider travelling at the start or end of the season, outside the most popular months, and look at booking indoor cabins which are usually cheaper (and may be better if you do encounter rough seas at any point).

A whale in Antarctica

Why do tourists visit Antarctica?

It’s not hard to answer the question ‘why do people visit Antarctica?’ with the majority of the visitors drawn by Antarctica’s spectacular scenery and unique wildlife. It’s a holiday like no other, with many tempted by the continent’s sheer remoteness and the chance to enjoy some of the more adventurous activities on offer, from kayaking through the icy landscapes to a polar plunge into the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean.

If you’re wondering how many people visit Antarctica each year, more and more are turning their bucket lists into reality. A record 105,331 people visited Antarctica over the 2022-23 season, mostly from the US, followed by Australia, Germany and the UK.

Antarctica’s wildlife

You might be surprised to discover there are around 235 species living in Antarctica, despite the apparently inhospitable conditions. These include a string of different types of penguin, whale and seal, as well as marine birds such as the albatross.

Penguins

Antarctica is home to 18 penguin species, but the ones you’re most likely to see include the Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins. You may also be lucky enough to spot Macaroni and King Penguins in South Georgia Island and Falkland Islands, plus Emperor Penguins in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula.

Seals

Seal species include fur seals, crabeater seals, huge elephant seals and the ferocious leopard seals, which can be seen hunting towards the end of the Antarctic summer. Rarer species include Weddell Seals, found on the Northern Antarctic Peninsula, and Ross Seals, more solitary hunters who tend to stay on pack ice in the Southern Ocean, and are most likely to be seen at the start of the Antarctic summer before the ice melts.

Whales

Whales can be found in Antarctica throughout the summer season, although you have much more chance of spotting them in the later months. Species include the blue whale, the largest creature ever to have lived on earth, along with Humpback, Minke, Southern Right, Fin and Sperm whales, and Antarctic orca.

Birds

Antarctic birds include the rare Wandering Albatross, with its 3.5m wingspan, and Stormy Petrels, which only come in to land to nest between November and January. You can also spot various species of cormorant, gull, shearwater, skua and tern.

Antarctic activities

Any day in Antarctica is an adventure, whether that’s hoping for whale sightings from your cruise ship or boarding a Zodiac RIB boat to land on the continent itself. But there’s also the opportunity for some other activities while you’re exploring Antarctica.

Kayaking among the icebergs is one of the most popular, paddling past penguins zooming through the icy waters or towards seals lolling on the shore. On land, you can try snow-shoeing in the earlier months of summer, another way to get even closer to the frozen landscapes.

Some cruises also allow you to camp overnight, an unforgettable experience as you could find yourself dozing off a snowball’s throw from a penguin colony. Experienced divers can even venture under the waves, or there’s a chance to take a polar plunge – a very brief dip into these heart-racingly chilly waters.

Historic Polar sites

While few people have ever made it to the world’s most southernmost point, today’s visitors are still travelling in the icy footsteps of explorers and scientists who’ve gone before. And depending where and when you travel, there may be a possibility of seeing some of the historic sites in Antarctica.

If you visit South Georgia as part of your Antarctic cruise, you can see the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton, who sailed here following his own failed expedition. There’s also a small museum about the island.

During the middle of the Antarctic summer, when the ice has reached peak melt in around January and February, it’s possible to venture further into the Ross Sea and visit Ross Island. The island is home to Shackelton’s Hut, while on Cape Evans, the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913 erected a cross in 1913 as a memorial to Captain Scott’s party who died on their return from the South Pole.

There are also historic whaling huts which can be visited, as well as sites linked to Norwegian and Swedish expeditions to the South Pole.

Learning more about Antarctica

While there’s nothing quite like seeing the world’s most isolated continent with your own eyes, the best Antarctic cruises also give you a chance to learn more about this remote place. With scientists and other expert members of the expedition team on board, there are regular talks to help you get the most out of your cruise.

These can cover everything from the history and geology of Antarctica to the marine wildlife you might see and even photography tips on getting the best photographs of this mesmerising icy wilderness.

It’s not only a great way to pass the time as you journey through Drake Passage, travelling from Ushuaia to Antarctica, but it will help you identify the species you’re seeing once you arrive. There’s often a chance to learn about the early voyages to map the continent, a far more dangerous undertaking than today’s cruises.

Tourists watching seals on the Antarctic Peninsula

The best places to visit in Antarctica

Once you’ve answered the question ‘how can I visit Antarctica’, the next one to ponder is ‘Where can you visit in Antarctica?’ And while the itinerary will be decided by the cruise operator, as well as the weather conditions, there are some destinations in this wild unspoiled land which are particular highlights.

South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are located in the Drake Passage and are called the gateway of the Antarctic, around half a day from the main Antarctic Peninsula, so these tend to be the first stop on most cruise itineraries.

Deception Island has one of the world’s safest natural harbours, with its high cliffs around a horseshoe shaped bay, which made it a haven for whalers and the remains of these whaling stations are still dotted across the island. The port is actually the flooded crater of a volcano, one of only two active peaks in Antarctica (currently dormant) and Pendulum Cove is a highlight, where the water is warmed by volcanic activity – if you can find the right spot where the icy Atlantic and boiling thermal heat meets.

Yankee Harbour has a similarly safe harbour and was used for years by sealers. Surrounded by glaciers, you can look out to the snowy peaks of Livingstone Island as well as Half Moon island, a favourite spot for breeding birds.

The largest island in the group is King George, where planes from Chile land for those looking to avoid the Drake Passage crossing, and also home to penguins and marine birds including giant petrels.

Antarctic Peninsula

The mountains which create the Antarctic Peninsula are a continuation of the Andes, thousands of miles to the north, their icy peaks rising up to 3,000m high. One of the most accessible parts of the Antarctic mainland, this is a great place for whale watching and seeing leopard seals hunting.

Cruises may call at sites such as Wilhelmina Bay, Paradise Bay and Neko Harbour, transporting you onto the Antarctic mainland so you can officially set foot on Antarctica itself. Wilhelmina Bay and Paradise Bay are also known as ideal locations for whale-spotting, while there’s a chance to see calving glaciers at Neko Harbour, with icebergs crashing into the water, watched by some of the colonies of penguins.

The northern areas of the Antarctic Peninsula are also where you’ll find Emperor Penguins, although this more remote corner is less visited by most cruise ships.

Antarctic Archipelago

There are islands dotted along the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, making up the Antarctic Archipelago, many of which can be visited on an Antarctic holiday with zodiac boats taking you to their isolated harbours. Most cruises will sail through the Lemaire Channel, a highlight of trips of Antarctica, with icebergs and glaciers towering high above the mirror-still water in eerie shades of white and blue as humpback whales swim below.

Cuverville Island is a great stop for those who love penguins, a popular breeding ground for Adelie and Gentoo Penguins - up to 4,000 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins choose to nest here, and you may well smell them before you see them. Or Danco Island is a good place to see rarer Weddell seals as well as crabeater seals.

For history, Wiencke Island was once used for whaling, before becoming a military base and later a research station; there’s now a museum and post office, although half the island is closed to anyone except penguins. Further south, Petermann Island is usually the southernmost point visited by Antarctic cruises.

Ross Sea

There are only a couple of months each year when the pack ice breaks up sufficiently to visit the Ross Sea, and the sights of Ross Island. Home to Mount Erebus, one of Antarctica’s active volcanoes, you can also see some of the continent’s historic sites including Shackleton’s hut and a memorial cross for Captain Scott’s ill-fated expedition. It’s also home to penguins galore and some giant glaciers.

South Georgia

Part of the isolated South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia is included in some Antarctic cruises for its fascinating wildlife and links to the southernmost continent. Home to the grave of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, it’s also one of the places you can see King Penguins, as well as elephant seals. There’s also a museum on the island’s history.

The Falkland Islands

While the Falkland Islands aren’t part of Antarctica, they’re often combined with an Antarctic cruise, for a chance to see the penguin colonies. Four species of penguin nest on the islands, while it’s also a great place to spot albatross and dolphins, as well as one of the most remote corners of Britain.

Discover our holidays to Antarctica to explore the Great White Continent for yourself on a cruise from Argentina