Not sure which Antarctic itinerary is right for you? Use this guide on ways to explore Antarctica to find your dream itinerary. Whether you want to see the steep-sided mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula, the enormous king penguin colonies of South Georgia or venture as south as the Antarctic Circle, we’ve got an Antarctica expedition for you.
Discover the Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula is the most popular location to explore on an adventure to the region. An epic wonderland full of penguins, whales, seals, birds and breath-taking ice formations. The stunning landscape features steep-sided mountains that descend dramatically into the sea. The area is actually a part of the Scotia Arc and a continuation of the Andes mountains – resulting in beautiful steep mountain scenery. You’ll be in awe around every corner.
Spirit of Antarctica
Antarctic Peninsula | 12 Days | Sail Only
This itinerary sails both directions of the Drake, so you can experience a more traditional crossing like the seafarers of old. Travelling earlier in the season (late October to early January), this is the perfect trip for those who wish to see penguins building nests and forming colonies, seals having pups on the ice and seabirds forming their nests with chicks hatching.
Activities
You can enjoy snorkelling and kayaking on these voyages, and because they are earlier in the season, take advantage of our special camping on the ice, snowshoeing and ski/snowboard additional activities (additional costs apply).
Antarctic Explorer
Antarctic Peninsula | 11-13 Days | Fly/Sail, Sail/Fly & Fly/Fly
This is a fantastic option for those who wish to incorporate a flight component into their trip, with fly/sail, sail/fly and even fly/fly options available. This itinerary travels later in the season (early January to late March). This means you will have near 24 hours of daylight, there will be more whales in the Peninsula and penguin chicks will be hatching and fledging.
Activities
You can enjoy snorkelling and kayaking on these voyages, as well as scuba diving (additional costs apply).Antarctic Explorer Express
Antarctic Peninsula | 9 Days | Sail/Fly
For travellers who are short on time, fly across the Drake Passage in at least one direction for a condensed version of the Antarctic Explorer voyage. This voyage is tailored for travellers seeking a quick adventure to the frozen continent. Enjoy Zodiac excursions to explore rugged coastlines, where unexpected appearances from curious whales are known to occur.
Activities
Discover the underwater world of Antarctica by snorkelling or kayaking on this expedition (additional costs apply).
Spirit of Antarctica featuring the Chilean Fjords
Antarctic Peninsula | 13 Days | Sail Only
Sail across the famed Drake Passage to and from Antarctica, admiring spectacular seabirds and approaching the ice as the explorers of old did – by sea. With one eye on the sky, watching for skuas, terns or cormorant chicks, you will also need one eye on the water’s surface. This time of year is when humpback whales are peaking in numbers and when you may see penguin chicks heading out for their first swim.
Activities
You can enjoy snorkelling, kayaking, paddling and diving on these voyages, and because they are earlier in the season (additional costs apply).
Antarctic Explorer featuring the Chilean Fjords
Antarctic Peninsula | 14 Days | Fly/Sail
On this voyage, the splendid scenery extends from the Antarctic Peninsula through to the Chilean Fjords, with channels flanked by majestic mountains. This itinerary travels later in the season, in March. This means you will have near 24 hours of daylight, there will be more whales in the Peninsula and penguin chicks will be hatching and fledging.
Activities
You can enjoy snorkelling, paddling and kayaking on this voyage, as well as scuba diving (additional costs apply).Antarctic Peninsula in Depth
Antarctic Peninsula | 15 Days | Sail Only
The ultimate expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula that seeks to include visits to some well-known locations and opportunities for surprise discoveries. Enjoy nine full days to discover the wonders of the Antarctic Peninsula in the peak of summer, when tiny penguin chicks are growing quickly, fur seal pups are being weaned and whales start to arrive in larger numbers to feed on krill.
Activities
Near-endless hours of daylight means more time for exploration – Zodiac cruising, walking, snowshoeing, snorkelling and kayaking (additional costs apply).
Antarctic Peninsula: Fly the Drake
Antarctic Peninsula | 12 Days | Fly/Fly
For expeditioners who prefer to focus their energy on adventures in Antarctica, flying over the Drake Passage in both directions is the ideal way to reach the white continent. In the safe hands of experienced pilots, your pulse will quicken as you glimpse the first icebergs in the Southern Ocean, where your vessel awaits, ready to take you on an exhilarating adventure.
Activities
You can enjoy snorkelling, paddling and kayaking on this voyage (additional costs apply).
Antarctica Active (All Inclusive Activities)
Antarctic Peninsula | 15 Days | Sail Only
Aurora Expeditions is renowned for the variety and volume of activities offered to expeditioners on our voyages. On these activity-packed sailings, you will experience the wonders of Antarctica on a deeper level. Not only will you enjoy Zodiac excursions and guided walks offered on all our voyages, but you will also sample a suite of our renowned activities. Experience unspoiled Antarctic wildlife up close; creatures that are equally as curious about you as you are about them.
Activities
you will also paddle in among icebergs in protected bays and perhaps glimpse wildlife close up. Step into your snowshoes for a gentle hike and pack a sleeping bag for a sleepover on the ice.
Trails of Antarctica & Patagonia
Antarctic Peninsula | 23-25 Days | Fly/Sail & Sail Only
Adventure lovers can aim to tick two boxes off their bucket list with this unique expedition combining an Antarctic voyage with a trek through Chile and Argentina’s Patagonian region. Witness spectacular, towering cliffs and glittering icebergs, and see playful penguins and ice seals such as leopard and crabeater seals resting on ice floes. Then shake off your sea legs with a small-group trek, focusing on the natural wonder and stunning sights of Los Glaciares National Park and Torres del Paine National Park.
Activities
Take your adventure to the next level with our kayaking, paddling and snorkelling additional activities (additional costs apply).
Antarctica & Patagonia Explorer
Antarctic Peninsula | 25 Days | Fly/Sail
Activities
Elevate your experience in Antarctica with sea kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling and paddling additional activities (additional costs apply).
Venture South to the Antarctic Circle
Further South as you cross the Antarctic Circle, it feels more remote and even colder, with great swathes of pack-ice and dreamlike icebergs.
Across the Antarctic Circle
Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Circle | 13-14 Days | Fly/Sail, Sail/Fly & Sail Only
As the name suggests, this extraordinary itinerary ventures where few dare. You’ll explore not only the wonders of the Antarctic Peninsula, but you’ll also join a privileged few who can claim to have crossed the Antarctic Circle (as far south as 66 33’ S). Here you will enter a different world that will give you sensory overload like you’ve never felt before.
Activities
In addition to snorkelling and kayaking, you can also do scuba diving, alpine trekking, snowshoeing and camping on the ice (additional costs apply).
Head East to the Weddell Sea
The Weddell Sea has a very different appearance to the Peninsula, with mountains set further back from the coast coming down to gravelly plains, in what some describe as having a similar look as the Wild West or Badlands – arid terrain eroded by wind and water.
With harsher weather conditions, it can be more difficult to travel to this side. That also means there will be fewer other ships in the area as you explore the incredible landscapes that characterise the Weddell Sea. Plus, you will be rewarded by richer paleontology discoveries as the area is home to many fantastic fossils dating back to 200 million years ago.
Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea
Antarctic Peninsula & Weddell Sea | 12-14 Days | Fly/Sail & Sail Only
The Wild Antarctica itinerary explores the icy perimeter of the Weddell Sea, as well as the more traditional Antarctic Peninsula region. These voyages depart later in the season (February and March) so expect somewhat shorter days, tremendous tabular icebergs as you head further and further south, and an immense array of wildlife, which play and hunt in the Antarctic Sound.
Activities
Additional activities on offer include kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving (additional costs apply).
In Shackleton's Footsteps
Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia & Weddell Sea | 20 Days | Sail Only
Activities
Participate in sea kayaking or attempt to repeat Shackleton’s crossing in South Georgia by foot (additional costs apply).
Deep Weddell Following Nordenskjöld
Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea | 14 Days | Sail Only
This is the perfect voyage for history buffs who crave an adventurous expedition. With favourable conditions we hope to spend more time enjoying the mind-blowing icy landscapes of the Weddell Sea region than on any other voyage in our collection. Follow in the footsteps of polar pioneers Otto Nordenskjöld and Sir Ernest Shackleton, and hear their tall tales of heroic exploration, tragedy and triumph.
Activities
Let our experienced Expedition Team guide you through kayaking, snorkelling or scuba diving in this region (additional costs apply).
Choose South Georgia and the Falklands~Malvinas
South Georgia is known for its enormous king penguin colonies (the largest in the world) and beaches lined with elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals, so this is certainly the area to visit if you are a wildlife enthusiast. In South Georgia, you will also have the opportunity to trace the history of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s perilous journey and, if conditions allow, retrace parts of his footsteps from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.
The Falklands~Malvinas are steeped in history and are also a beacon for bird lovers, with an incredible diversity of charismatic penguin species including king, macaroni, Southern rockhopper, Magellanic and gentoo. If conditions permit, you will have the chance to visit Stanley, capital of the Falklands~Malvinas, full of terraced town houses, pioneer cottages and even an iconic red telephone box.
South Georgia, Falklands & Antarctic Odyssey
Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia & Falkland~Malvinas | 20-21 Days | Sail/Fly & Sail Only
This voyage encompasses the best of the Antarctic Peninsula and the enchanting wildlife haven of South Georgia. Discover the historic Falklands~Malvinas and stand in awe before the world’s largest king penguin colonies in South Georgia. In Antarctica, experience the serenity and grandeur of the most remote place on earth, where penguins nest, whales feed and captivating seals frolic in ice-speckled seas.
Activities
In addition to kayaking, snorkelling and showshoeing, this itinerary offers the special activity of Shackleton’s crossing (additional costs apply).
Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia & Falkland~Malvinas | 21 Days | Sail Only
Take in the wonders of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, but add in the Falklands too! Similar to the above itinerary, you will have one less day in South Georgia but additional time in the Falklands~Malvinas to discover the fascinating history of the islands and encounter the spectacular birdlife found there.
Activities
On this voyages, you will be able to participate in kayaking, snorkelling and alpine trekking (additional costs apply).
South Georgia & Antarctic Odyssey feat. the South Sandwich Islands
Falklands~Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands | 24 Days | Sail Only
On this epic voyage, not only will you explore the famed white continent, discover the Falklands~Malvinas and South Georgia, you will also sail to the South Sandwich Islands, a chain of seldom-visited volcanic islands located 740 km (460 miles) south-east of South Georgia. Simply reaching these wild, far-flung islands is an adventure.
Activities
Go kayaking or snorkelling in a corner of the world rarely visited by travellers. (additional costs apply).
Ross Sea & East Antarctica – from Australia & New Zealand
Embark on an odyssey that traces the footsteps of legends like Scott, Shackleton and Mawson, as you navigate through the icy realms of the Ross Sea, Commonwealth Bay and the enigmatic coast of East Antarctica on a small, purpose-built expedition ship.
In this remote and seldom-travelled region, prepare to uncover the secrets of history hidden within the iconic huts of explorers past. Brace yourself for tales of extraordinary endurance against the harshest elements, and bear witness to the breathtaking majesty of Antarctic ice shelves that seem to defy belief.
Ross Sea Odyssey
Ross Sea, East Antarctica & New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands | 25 Days | Sail Only
Experience one of the most remote, historic sectors of the deep South. Spot yellow-eyed penguins waddling through wizened rātā forests and royal albatross nest amid megaherb moors. Cross the Antarctic Circle and cruise the pack, keeping watch for emperor and Adélie penguins porpoising along the ice edge, and snow petrels soaring against a backdrop of the vast Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Activities
Participate in our kayaking activity to see this unique area though a different prerspective (additional costs apply).
Mawson's Antarctica
Tasmania, Ross Sea, East Antarctica & New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands | 24 Days | Sail Only
Retrace the historic voyage of Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) and experience the grandeur of remote East Antarctica. Cross the Antarctic Circle and cruise the pack ice, skirting majestic ice cliffs and marvelling at beautifully sculpted icebergs. Conditions permitting, make landfall to explore what remains of Mawson’s main base, and be transported back to the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Then onwards to the ruggedly beautiful New Zealand subantarctic islands, nesting royal albatross, the endemic yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho), and lush megaherb meadows await.
Activities
Go kayaking in a corner of the world rarely visited by travellers (additional costs apply).
Epic Antarctica: Crossing the 7th Continent
Ross Sea, East Antarctica, New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands & Antarctic Peninsula | 34 Days | Sail Only
Calling all pioneers, history buffs and adventure lovers for an epic adventure across the southern seas. Follow in the footsteps of explorers such as Scott, Ross, Amundsen and Shackleton and embark on a journey very few people on this planet have made. Sail beyond the Antarctic Circle, uncover wonders of the Ross Sea, explore the Peninsula and the incredible sights in between! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the beauty and majesty of this remote and pristine environment.
Activities
Enjoy sea kayaking on this in depth-voyage (additional costs apply).
Or do you want to see it all?
That’s OK, we’ve crafted the ultimate voyage for you!
Antarctica Complete
South Georgia & Falkland~Malvinas | 23 Days | Sail Only
If you just can’t decide between the wonders of the Subantarctic Islands, the majesty of the Antarctic Peninsula or the thrill of crossing the coveted Antarctic Circle – this itinerary covers them all.
Over 23 Days, you will have the chance to step ashore on the Antarctic continent to experience unforgettable vistas, raise a glass as you join a small club of people as we attempt to cross the Antarctic Circle and stand in awe at the world’s largest king penguin rookeries of South Georgia.
Activities
Take your adventure to the next level with our kayaking and snorkelling additional activities (additional costs apply).
Circle and Weddell
Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Circle, Weddell Sea | 18 Days | Sail Only
Antarctic adventurers can aim to tick two boxes off their bucket list on this voyage, where you have the opportunity to visit regions in Antarctica that most people will never experience, not even among those who have been to Antarctica – below the Antarctic Circle and attempting to forge a path through the ice into the Weddell Sea.
Activities
Marvel at some of the most dazzling icy landscapes from above or below the water by kayaking, snorkelling or scuba diving (additional costs apply).
