Antarctica: Travel to the great beyond

The best time to go to Antarctica

It’s always cold, of course, but in spite of what the movies show us, there are many blue-sky days in Antarctica for getting off your cruise liner and out onto a kayak or zodiac. The best time to visit Antarctica is between November and March when the seas are calmer, the wind is not as fierce and more wildlife will come out to say hello.

Getting to Antarctica from New Zealand

Orion Expeditions departs from Australia and New Zealand and heads to Antarctica via the Antarctic Circle and Macquarie Island. You’ll cover some of the polar region chartered by explorers Scott and Shackleton during the first race to the South Pole.

What will you see?

Ask our Concierge Traveller specialists about travelling with Orion, which makes this a journey of a lifetime in the lap of luxury, with onboard entertainment, gourmet cuisine, daily lectures by environmentalists and no more than 100 fellow passengers for that intimate cruising experience. There’s even a top deck hot tub so you can stay warm while marvelling at all those icebergs, elephant seals, New Zealand sea lions, penguins and endangered wandering albatrosses.

Getting to Antarctica from South America

Silversea Expeditions’ Silver Explorer departs from Argentina’s Ushuaia in South America and heads to the Sub-Antarctic Peninsula via South Georgia. With Silversea you’ll see the modern explorer’s final frontier in style.

What will you see?

Ogle at calving glaciers, come face to face with seals on slow-moving ice floes and even spot whales hunting in the icy waters – all while living in comfort on a luxurious, modern ship. By day, head ashore in the Zodiacs, indulge in a spa treatment or a martini tasting, watch a movie in the theatre, take a photography workshop and make lifelong friends as you share this unique adventure to the White Continent.

If Antarctica is calling, you’d better book your place on a cruise ship soon as places tend to fill up fast. Call our Concierge Traveller team for expert advice and booking made simple, and you’ll be following in the footsteps of Shackleton before you know it.