A zodiac passing a vast blue-white iceberg in still Antarctic water

64.7500° S, 62.5000° W · Antarctica

Antarctic Peninsula

The only continent with no permanent residents, reached across the Drake

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Best time: Late October to March; December to January for chicks and long light
How long: 10–12 days
Language: None native (English on most voyages)
Currency: US dollar (USD) on ships
Weather: Peninsula summer temperatures hover between −5°C and +5°C, with wind chill the real factor. Conditions change fast and landings are cancelled without notice.
Coordinates: 64.7500° S, 62.5000° W

The overview

A ten-day expedition voyage from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage to a coastline of ice shelves, penguin colonies and research stations.

Almost all Antarctic tourism happens on the peninsula, the arm of the continent reaching towards South America, and almost all of it departs from Ushuaia in Argentina. The crossing of the Drake Passage takes about two days each way and is famously rough — the alternative is a flight to King George Island, which halves the sea time and doubles the price. Once south, days are structured around zodiac landings at penguin rookeries, glacier bays and historic huts, all governed by IAATO rules that cap group sizes and enforce strict biosecurity. The season runs from late October to March: early for pristine ice and courtship, mid-season for chicks, late for whales. It is the most expensive trip in this journal by a wide margin, and the one people most often describe as unrepeatable.

Highlights

Zodiac cruising among icebergs in flat calm
Gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie colonies
The Lemaire Channel when the ice allows
Deception Island's flooded volcanic caldera
Humpback and minke whales in February and March

Best seasons

Summer

A gentoo penguin colony spread across a snow-covered rocky slope — Colonies are noisy, and considerably more pungent than photographs suggest.

A humpback whale's tail rising in front of glaciated mountains — Late season is whale season.

An expedition ship threading the narrow ice-lined Lemaire Channel — The Lemaire is only passable when the ice allows.

What to do

Things to do in Antarctic Peninsula

Choose a small ship

Vessels under 200 passengers get more landings; those over 500 cannot land passengers at all under IAATO rules.

Consider the fly-and-cruise option

Flying the Drake to King George Island saves four days of sea and a great deal of discomfort.

Take the polar plunge, or don't

It is exactly as cold as it sounds and entirely optional.

Visit a research station

Some voyages call at working stations or the museum and post office at Port Lockroy.

A suggested route

10–12 days in Antarctic Peninsula

A structure that works, not a schedule to follow to the minute. Move the days around to suit the weather.

Days 1–2
Ushuaia and the Drake
Embark, cross the passage, lectures and seabird watching from the deck.
Days 3–7
Peninsula
Two landings a day, weather permitting: rookeries, channels, ice shelves, historic huts.
Days 8–10
Return
Northward crossing, briefings and the long look back.

What to eat

Ship galley cooking
All meals are aboard; most expedition ships run a good kitchen with dietary requirements handled if flagged early.
Argentine asado in Ushuaia
Worth a night either side of the voyage for the grilled lamb alone.
Centolla
King crab landed in Ushuaia, at its best in the town's oldest restaurants.

Local etiquette

IAATO rules cap landings at 100 people ashore and require 5m distance from wildlife.
Biosecurity checks on boots, bags and velcro are mandatory before every landing.
Nothing may be taken, not even a pebble, and nothing left behind.

Practical notes

Fly to Ushuaia at least a day early — a missed connection means missing the ship entirely.
Take seasickness medication before the Drake, not once it starts.
Most operators lend a parka and boots; check before buying either.
Travel insurance with polar evacuation cover is a condition of boarding.

From the archive

Stories from Antarctic Peninsula

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A zodiac carrying passengers past a large blue iceberg on still water

Luxury Travel

Antarctica · Antarctica

What an Antarctic Expedition Voyage Is Actually Like

A day-by-day account of a peninsula voyage: the Drake, the zodiac routine, the biosecurity, and whether the cost can be justified.

January 17, 20266 min read

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Antarctic Peninsula

Things to do in Antarctic Peninsula

Choose a small ship

Consider the fly-and-cruise option

Take the polar plunge, or don't

Visit a research station

10–12 days in Antarctic Peninsula

Ushuaia and the Drake

Peninsula

Return

Stories from Antarctic Peninsula

What an Antarctic Expedition Voyage Is Actually Like

Nearby destinations

Patagonia

Antarctic Peninsula

Things to do in Antarctic Peninsula

Choose a small ship

Consider the fly-and-cruise option

Take the polar plunge, or don't

Visit a research station

10–12 days in Antarctic Peninsula

Ushuaia and the Drake

Peninsula

Return

Stories from Antarctic Peninsula

What an Antarctic Expedition Voyage Is Actually Like

Nearby destinations

Patagonia