Getting to South Georgia

Sailing from the southern Argentinian port of Ushuaia by expedition cruise ship and incorporating visits to the Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, this is the traditional way for visitors to visit the island. This great arching loop cherrypicks the highlights of the Southern Ocean and is ranked among one of the world’s great sea journeys. This classic route remains as popular ever. Voyages vary in length between 17–23 days, depending on the time spent in each destination, and operate from late October to the end of the austral summer in March.

Under normal sailing conditions it takes two days to sail from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia, and two days to cross the Scotia Sea from South Georgia to the South Shetland Islands off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula

Although there is no airport on South Georgia (there simply isn't enough flat land to build a runway), a couple of options exist for fly-sail cruises for those looking to reduce their time at sea.

A small number of departures leave every year from Stanley in the Falkland Islands. These voyages typically take in just the Falklands and South Georgia. Air access to the Falklands is via a weekly scheduled flight with LATAM from Punta Arenas in Chile (airport code PUQ) to Mount Pleasant (airport code MSD), 34 miles (55km) from Stanley. The flight takes 90 minutes and will save you around 36 hours at sea travelling from Ushuaia. On arrival in the Falklands, if you’re booked on a voyage you will be transferred to your waiting ship to set sail.

There is also a twice-weekly direct flight from RAF Brize Norton in the UK. The flights takes around 18 hours, with a short refuelling stop in Cape Verde (passengers are not allowed to disembark here). Civilian passengers may only request seats on these flights directly via the London office of the Falkland Islands Government. 

A small number of expedition cruise ships also offer fly-sail cruises to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Passengers fly from Punta Arenas to King George Island in the South Shetlands, allowing them to bypass the Drake Passage crossing from Ushuaia.

It is 750 nautical miles from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia, a crossing under sail of approximately five days in good weather. This is expedition sailing in its truest sense: taking on everything the Southern Ocean has to offer. A round trip from Stanley to South Georgia and back typically takes three to four weeks, depending on the usual variables of sailing in this region. Skippered yachts are available for charter from the Falklands. Alternatively, some yachts offer set date departures and can simply be booked by the berth.

If arriving by yacht, you'll need to complete a detailed Yacht Application Form prior to your voyage from the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, and take an online assessment after viewing a permit holder briefing (expedition leaders on cruises ships must do the same). Yachts must call at Grytviken, where the vessel is inspected by a government officer. Visitors must also submit a Post Visit Report within 30 days of departure for monitoring purposes. For more information see the website of the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. 

It certainly wasn’t part of the original plan for his Endurance expedition, but the 800 mile/ 1300 km open-boat journey in the James Caird which Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of five men made in 1916 from Elephant Island to King Haakon Bay on South Georgia remains one of the greatest feats of seamanship ever recorded. While a brave few over the years have re-enacted the crossing it's unlikely to catch on as a regular route. When you see the replica of the James Caird in the South Georgia Museum in Grytviken and reflect on its tiny size compared with the ship you arrived on, you'll understand why. Far better to toast 'the Boss' at his grave in the Whalers' Cemetery and reflect on his achievements there.