Antarctic cruise costs explained
Antarctica is the destination of a lifetime. Our guide offers everything you need to know about how much an Antarctic cruise costs, whatever your type of trip.
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How to get to Antarctica: Essential information
- The vast majority of visitors to Antarctica visit the Antarctic Peninsula, via the bottom tip of South America
- Most travellers sail to Antarctica, making the two day voyage from Ushuaia in Argentina across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula
- It's also possible to fly direct to the Antarctic Peninsula, joining a ‘fly-sail’ cruise ship after a two hour flight from Punta Arenas in Chile
- The international gateway cities for Antarctic cruises are Buenos Aires in Argentina for cruises, or Santiago in Chile for fly-sail cruises
- There are a small number of alternative routes to Antarctica, including sailing from New Zealand to the Ross Sea or even flying direct to the South Pole from Chile or South Africa
Swoop's advice on how to get to Antarctica
Swoop says
Sailing and flying to the Antarctic Peninsula definitely offer slightly different experiences, but it's important to note that there's no 'best' way to get there – it's all about choosing what's right for your particular trip.
Maddison Clare Antarctica Specialist
Getting to Antarctica by ship
Sailing to the Antarctic Peninsula
The majority of visitors to the Antarctic travel sail from Argentina’s southern port of Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula, taking two days to sail across the Drake Passage.
As the expedition cruising gateway to Antarctica Peninsula cruises offer the widest variety of choice when it comes to the size and style of ship.
Ships range in size from under 100 passengers to more than 500, with a large variety of cabin types from simple quads to balcony cabins and luxury suites. Swoop knows every ship in the polar fleet inside and out: we’re the only polar travel agency that sends every member of its sales team to Antarctica every year to keep our knowledge the best in the business.
Crossing the Drake Passage
The Drake Passage is the name given to the stretch of ocean that lies between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. For many travellers, crossing the Drake is an essential part of their Antarctic journey, accompanied all the while by albatrosses and other seabirds that glide gracefully alongside the ship.
The Drake Passage can be lively at times, thanks to the strong currents and winds generated where the Southern Ocean funnels through this narrow stretch of water. You’ll hear of two types of crossing: a benign Drake Lake and a rougher Drake Shake. While the latter can certainly generate some big waves, people also seem to enjoy talking up the fear factor: in reality you’re far more likely to encounter calm seas than turbulent ones.
Swoop says
The two day voyage to the Peninsula is the perfect way to build excitement for your grand arrival in Antarctica: meeting your fellow travellers, watching albatrosses follow your wake and excitedly scanning the horizon for your first iceberg.
Daniel Brooks Antarctica Specialist
Sailing to South Georgia & other Antarctic destinations
The Antarctic Peninsula is known as the gateway to Antarctica for a good reason: cruising here allows you to visit a variety of different regions.
The most popular variation is to combine your trip with South Georgia, with its king penguin colonies hundreds of thousands of birds strong set against a background of epic mountains. South Georgia cruises also take in the Falkland Islands, another great wildlife watching destination.
Accessible east of the Peninsula is the haunting Weddell Sea, with its immense tabular icebergs. You can also choose to continue further south to sail below the Antarctic Circle.
Finally, a small number of cruise ships explore Antarctica's Ross Sea region, following in the footsteps of explorers like Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen. These cruises depart from New Zealand.
Getting to Antarctica by ship
Our top Antarctica cruises
Price Match Promise - We’ll match any price you find elsewhere for the same trip
Flying to Antarctica
The quickest way to reach Antarctica is on a fly-sail cruise. These depart from Punta Arenas (with a handful of departures from Puerto Williams or Puerto Natales) in Chile, flying on special charter flights in just two hours to King Georgia Island in the South Shetland Islands, off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. On arrival, you transfer directly to your expedition cruise ship: there’s no faster way to start exploring Antarctica.
If you only have a short time available for your trip, or are keen to avoid the voyage across the Drake Passage, fly-sail cruises are an excellent option. However, planes are more susceptible to polar weather delays than ships, so you’ll need to be ready for flexibility if choosing to fly. These trips also have higher operating costs than regular cruises, making them a slightly more expensive option.
Swoop says
Flying to Antarctica is an incredible experience. Spotting your first icebergs from the air, landing on a remote island airstrip and then taking a zodiac out to your ship all feels like a scene from a James Bond movie.
Marta Laver Antarctica Specialist
Our top fly & sail Antarctica cruises
Price Match Promise - We’ll match any price you find elsewhere for the same trip
Flying to the Antarctic interior & South Pole
A handful of flights every year offer lucky travellers to experience the Seventh Continent where few have ever walked before.
It’s possible to explore the Antarctic Interior from camps like Union Glacier or Whichaway, which can be reached by air from Punta Arenas in Chile or Cape Town. Specially adapted planes are used to land on the blue ice runways here.
From here, you can even obtain a true travel holy grail by flying across the vast emptiness of the Antarctic Plateau to the South Pole itself.
What our customers think of travel to Antarctica
My advice is to review the videos that are out there on a trip to Antarctica. Read the reviews of the different type of cruises and determine what works best for you. Get in touch with Swoop and let them help with narrowing down the choices. Read the full review
Travelled: December 2018
Terrie Mandina - United States Of America
If you have never been, there is no way of preparing for the impact of being there. The untouched, natural beauty, the mighty icebergs, the silliness of the penguins. You will be spending hours just sitting in one spot adoring the view. Read the full review
Travelled: January 2018
Zoltan & Stephen Nemeth - Florida
For ease and efficiency few things beat flying to Antarctica. If I'd have known it was that easy I would have gone years ago!
Travelled: December 2016
Agi - Hungary
Dear Swoop family, we would like to thank you for all the amazing effort you made in getting us to Punta Arenas in time.
Travelled: December 2015
Erik & Natascha - The Netherlands
From One to One Hundred
Swoop has catered for travellers of every group size. Whether you’re adventuring solo or bringing a group of over 100. We can help.
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Solos
- Working with over 30 different ships to find you the most solo-friendly ships, with the lowest single supplements, and the best solo deals available. Discover More
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2 - 5 people
- With over 100 collective years of Polar experience our team will help you find your perfect trip, so you’re on the right ship, in the right cabin, and at the right point of the season. Discover More
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6 - 80 people
- We’ve worked with all sizes of groups, from large families to small schools. Travelling with Swoop means you’ll be the best prepared customers on the voyage and you pay nothing extra for this service. Discover More
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Large Groups
- We are experienced charter consultants that can build tailored experiences for both part and full charters of vessels. Discover More
How to get to Antarctica from your front door
Cruises to Antarctica sail from Ushuaia in Argentina, while fly-sail cruises depart from Punta Arenas in Chile (with a few departures also leaving from nearby Puerto Williams or Puerto Natales). There are no international flights to these destinations, so to get to the start of your trip you will to have to fly via Buenos Aires in Argentina (airport code EZE), or Santiago in Chile (airport code SCL).
Most luxury Antarctic cruises automatically include a first night in either Buenos Aires and Santiago and charter flight down to join your ship.
Flying to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires There are multiple daily flights to Ushuaia (USH, three hours 30 minutes) with either Aerolíneas Argentinas or LATAM, from the city's domestic Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery. We recommend allowing five hours to transfer between the international and domestic airports.
Flying to Punta Arenas via Santiago From Santiago, there are multiple daily flights to Punta Arenas (PUQ, three hours 30 minutes) with LATAM, as well as daily connections from Santiago to Puerto Natales.
How to get to Antarctica from the USA
Flying from the USA to Antarctica via Buenos Aires
Both Aerolíneas Argentinas and American Airlines fly direct to Buenos Aires (EZE) from New York (JFK, 11 hours) and Miami (MIA, nine hours). American Airlines also fly direct from Dallas (DFW, 10 hours 30 minutes). Aerolíneas Argentinas and Delta Airlines fly direct from Atlanta (ATL, (10 hours). There are no direct flights to Buenos Aires from California.
Flying from the USA to Antarctica via Santiago
Santiago is well connected to the USA. LATAM flies direct to Santiago from New York (JFK, 10 hours 30 minutes) and Miami (MIA, eight hours) and from Los Angeles via Lima (LAX, 13 hours 50 minutes). American Airlines fly direct from Dallas (DFW, nine hours 30 minutes), Miami (MIA, eight hours 10 minutes). Delta fly direct from Atlanta (ATL, nine hours 10 minutes).
How to get to Antarctica from the UK
Flying from the UK to Antarctica via Buenos Aires, Argentina
LATAM fly from London Heathrow (LHR) via São Paolo to Buenos Aires (EZE) . Useful indirect flights include with Iberia through Madrid or with Air France via Paris.
Flying from the UK to Antarctica via Santiago, Chile
British Airways fly 14 hours direct from London Heathrow (LHR) to Santiago (SCL). LATAM fly from London via Madrid or São Paolo, while Iberia fly via Madrid.
How to get to Antarctica from Australia
Flying from the Australia to Antarctica via Buenos Aires, Argentina
There are no direct flights between Australia and Argentina. The quickest way to complete this journey is to fly to Santiago via Sydney or Aukland and then take a connecting flight to Buenos Aires (a travel time of around two hours).
Flying from the Australia to Antarctica via Santiago, Chile
Qantas and LATAM both operate direct flights from Sydney (SYD) to Santiago. The flights take around 12 hours 40 minutes. An alternative route is to travel via Aukland in New Zealand, which also direct flights to Santiago.
How to get to Antarctica from Canada
Flying from Canada to Antarctica via Buenos Aires, Argentina
Air Canada operate a service between Toronto (YYZ) and Buenos Aires, with a stop at either Bogota or São Paulo. Wider connections are available through New York (JFK), Miami (MIA), Dallas (DFW), Atlanta (ATL) and Los Angeles (LAX).
Flying from Canada to Antarctica via Santiago, Chile
Air Canada operate the only direct flights from Canada to Santiago, departing from Toronto (YYZ, 10 hours 40 minutes). Wider connections are available through the US hub airports of New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Dallas (DFW) or Atlanta (ATL).
How to get to Antarctica: FAQs
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How long does it take to get to Antarctica?
It takes two days to sail to the Antarctic Peninsula by cruise ship from Ushuaia in Argentina, and just two hours by plane from Punta Arenas or Puerto Williams in Chile.
Sailing to the Falkland Islands from Ushuaia takes approximately 36 hours, and a further 36-48 hours reach South Georgia island. From South Georgia, it is two days by sea to the Antarctic Peninsula. It is not possible to fly to South Georgia as there is no
To reach the Ross Sea, it takes around ten days sailing from Queenstown in New Zealand, calling in at many Subantarctic Islands along the way.
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Where do Antarctic cruises depart from?
All Antarctic cruises depart from the tip of South America, with the exception of the small number of departures to the Ross Sea.
If you sail to the Antarctic Peninsula, your ship will depart from Ushuaia in Argentina. If you fly to the Antarctic Peninsula, your plane will depart from Punta Arenas in Chile, with a small number of departures also flying from Puerto Williams.
The few Ross Sea cruises depart from Queenstown or other ports in southern New Zealand.
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Do you need a visa to visit Antarctica?
No. Antarctic is international territory so there are no immigration requirements.
You will need to check whether you require a visa for either Argentina or Chile, depending on where your Antarctic cruise starts. The majority of international travellers do not require a visa: check our visa page for more information.
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Can I visit Antarctica as a solo traveller?
Yes. Antarctica is a very popular destination for solo travellers. We have a dedicated solo travellers page for more on why the Seventh Continent is such a great destination for those travelling alone.
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Can I add time in South America before or after my Antarctic trip?
Absolutely. It's easy to make the most of your time in either Argentina or Chile.
We have a variety of tailored packages that can easily be added on to your Antarctica trip in Buenos Aires, Santiago and Ushuaia, as well ranging farther afield to Torres del Paine, Iguazú Falls, the Atacama Desert, and beyond.
Our team at Swoop Patagonia are the experts on the region, having lived, guided and travelled widely there: get in touch to let us know how we can extend your adventure.
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Can you travel to Antarctica?
Of course! Deciding which route to take, where you want to visit, and whether to cruise or fly are all the questions you need to answer next – and planning your adventure is half the fun.
At Swoop, we've visited Antarctica more than times than we can remember and collective have decades of Antarctic experience under our belts. We send our sales team out to Antarctica every year to keep our knowledge of the region and the polar fleet the best in the business – and we’ll put this expertise at your service at no extra cost to you. We'll listen to exactly what you want from your once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we can find the perfect ship and itinerary at the right price for you.
Discover more about Antarctic cruises
What to expect on an Antarctic cruise
From stepping foot on polar shores to zodiac cruises, and wildlife encounters to adventure activities, here’s what you can expect from an Antarctic cruise.
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When to go to Antarctica
Choosing when to go to Antarctica is a key part of planning a cruise, with each month of the season offering a different side of the continent.
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Antarctic Adventure Activities
Picture a humpback whale gliding past your kayak or sleeping out in the pristine snow of a polar campsite. An adventure activity can take your Antarctic cruise to the next level.
Discover MoreReady to plan your Antarctic adventure?
1
Listen
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
2
Match
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
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Reserve
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
With over 100 years of Antarctic experience between us, we can help guide you to exactly the right trip for you.
1 888 970 4570
Impartial advice, a bespoke service, and at no extra cost. Let our Polar Specialists help you find your dream trip...
