Antarctica in January

January is the peak of the Antarctic summer, so you'll enjoy magical 20+ hours of sunlight each day. These extra daylight hours gives you more time each day to explore,…
Discover MoreSpecial Offers Available: Swoop has access to the widest range of offers and can help you find the right trip, cabin, & price.
A depth of knowledge on board: As a team of ex-guides, tour leaders, & polar adventurers our Antarctic knowledge is leagues ahead of the rest.
Expert impartial advice at no extra cost: We help you choose the right boat, the right cabin, and at the right point in the season.
For the ends of the Earth: Sustainability is more than our carbon footprint (but we’re reducing that too).
Make memories of a lifetime with a visit to Antarctica in 2026. For your top choice of itinerary on the most suitable ship, it's worth planning well in advance. Get the best pick of cabins and early booking deals for your voyage to the White Continent.
Antarctica's high season is from December to February, when temperatures are at their mildest and wildlife at its most abundant. During December's long days of daylight, you can expect to see humpbacks arriving from their time in the tropics. Penguin chicks explore their new home throughout January, while seal pup colonies are a hive of activity. The continuing melt of the sea ice opens up the greatest access along the peninsula in February, with wonderful opportunities to see whales as you venture far into the region.
January is the peak of the Antarctic summer, so you'll enjoy magical 20+ hours of sunlight each day. These extra daylight hours gives you more time each day to explore,…
Discover MoreFebruary's the time for sailing all the way to the Polar Circle, the Sun's rays through December and January having weakened the pack ice significantly enough to allow for …
Discover MoreThe summer sun bathes the continent in 20-24 hours of daylight in December, making it a popular time to visit. It's also a busy time for the penguin rookeries as the chicks begin …
Discover MoreSpecial Offers:Swoop has access to the widest range of offers and can help you find the right trip, cabin, & price.
Soak up the spectacular wildlife and landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula from the ultra comfort of this modern, luxury ship. Balance time exploring ashore with sumptuous relaxation on board, where your every need is catered to by the highly-trained onboard…
Special Offers:Swoop has access to the widest range of offers and can help you find the right trip, cabin, & price.
Soak up the spectacular wildlife and landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula from the ultra comfort of this modern, luxury ship. Balance time exploring ashore with sumptuous relaxation on board, where your every need is catered to by the highly-trained onboard…
This is the ideal voyage if you're looking to explore the spectacular wildlife of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia without compromising on time in Antarctica. Off-ship adventures are perfectly balanced with relaxation time on board your comfortably appointed 5*…
November is a thrilling time of year to be in Antarctica as it's the beginning of summer when everything seems to wake up from the long, dark winter. Penguin rookeries come to life, while elephant seals are busy battling on South Georgia Island. Come March, as the winter draws closer again, you can expect encounters with whales. Watch waddling groups of penguin adolescents and experience an increase in predator activity too.
March marks the end of the travel season to Antarctica. You'll be able to enjoy the mesmerising colours of blooming green and pink algae against the water and ice, as well as …
Discover MoreIn November Antarctica opens its arms to the season's first visitors. You'll not only enjoy the excitement of walking on virgin snow, but you'll also appreciate its beauty as you …
Discover MoreNo trips to show - please get in touch if there's something you'd like to see!
Antarctic travel options are complicated. We help you choose the right boat, the right cabin, and at the right point in the season.
As a team of ex-guides, tour leaders, & polar adventurers our Antarctic knowledge is leagues ahead of the rest.
Swoop is proud to be B Corp Certified as we know sustainability is more than our carbon footprint (but we’re reducing that too).
We’ll make sure you have the adventure of a lifetime.
Polar operators typically release their forthcoming departure dates and prices at least 18 months or so in advance, some even earlier. This is great news for travellers who like to plan ahead and get their cabin reserved early on, particularly if you can take advantage of an early booking incentive.
Given that there is only a finite number of places available on each departure, it really is a case of 'the early bird gets the worm' - or in this case the best dates and the widest choice of cabins - so early booking is strongly recommended.
Trips which include time-saving flights to Antarctica and avoid the Drake Passage are incredibly popular and are the earliest of all voyages to become booked up.
Due to strong demand and the relatively modest number of ships, particularly during High Season, to be confident of securing your first choice we would strongly urge that you begin planning at least 12 months in advance. December and January are particularly busy times and typically are fully booked up 10 months ahead.
For the most popular Fly & Cruise trips or those incorporating South Georgia, 18 months ahead isn't too early.
Yes it's true, the Shoulder Season months of November and March tend to be priced approx. 10-15% less than during the High Season (December - end February) and as a result are a good place to look for the budget-conscious or bargain-hunter.
The reason for this is partly the less predictable weather and slightly lower wildlife numbers, but it's also simply the case that many who live in Northern Hemisphere countries like to holiday during their worst winter months.
In our opinion a great time to travel is in early December when it's still Shoulder Season pricing but you get all of the benefits of High Season.
There certainly are: as well as securing your first choice, with many of the ships offering really quite generous early booking incentives of up to $1,500 per person to those willing to commit early, getting organised can really pay dividends.
Given the strong demand for Antarctic cruises boat operators rarely need to resort to offering any late availability discounts - particularly on the more popular ships and voyages - as cabins are normally all booked months ago in advance.
Any remaining unsold cabins tend to be left on the shelf for a reason and choice will be poor at best, so it's not an approach we advocate.
However, if you're flexible on dates and don't mind paying a last minute premium for your flights, there are normally odd cabins available.
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
With over 150 years of Antarctic experience between us, we can help guide you to exactly the right trip for you.
1-855-369-8288Our Global Sales Team has Polar Specialists in the US, Canada, South America, UK, Europe & Australasia allowing us to get back to you quickly, and work with you at times most convenient to you
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