If you have ever wondered, how do you get to Antarctica? You’re in the right place. I’ve traveled to Antarctica twice and most recently, during Christmas of 2022 with my husband Ken.
There are two ways to get there: cruise or flight.
We highly recommend the cruise option so travelers can spend more time with the penguins and explore the beautiful landscapes and icescapes of Antarctica.
We flew from Atlanta to Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and finally a domestic flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Ushuaia, Argentina. The flight travel time is approximately 15 hours one way. That’s a lot of flying and does not include the travel time to the airport, layovers, etc. Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. From the Ushaia airport, it is a 10-15 minute taxi drive to the cruise port where many cruise lines set sail to Antarctica.
Cruise Option
There are cruise ships that pass by Antarctica and you do not leave the ship. You’re technically in Antarctica waters. You can see Antarctica from the viewing deck and that’s enough for some travelers. Alternatively, there is expedition cruising, where you step foot in Antarctica. We highly recommend expedition cruising.
For expedition cruising, the cruise ship is a smaller ship. The capacity usually ranges from 120-250 passengers. Most travelers who visit Antarctica travel from South America, either Ushuaia, Argentina, or Puerto Williams, Chile. These two destinations are the most popular because it takes 2 days to sail to Antarctica and that’s considered a short amount of time. If you’re lucky and experience great weather, it can take a day and a half to sail to Antarctica from South America. The average sailing lasts between 7-10 days. If you want to travel to Antarctica from New Zealand, Tasmania, and South Africa, it would take approximately 7 days to reach Antarctica one way and the average cruise trip lasts 20 days or longer.
The most significant advantage of expedition cruising to Antarctica is that you get to spend more time on land. You have more opportunities for landings (physically putting your feet on Antarctica), wildlife sightings, kayaking, hikes, and even camping in Antarctica. More days equal more adventures. You will get more for your money when you cruise. Flying to Antarctica is typically double the price for half the time visiting. The biggest negative to cruising is you must sail through the Drake Passage, which has the worst seas in the world. I highly recommend taking seasickness medication (oral or skin patches) in advance to alleviate any symptoms. You will see me rocking a sea sickness patch below.
Flight Option
If you decide to fly to Antarctica, it will take approximately two hours. There are companies that offer a day trip to Antarctica or if you want to stay longer, there is a flight/cruise combination. With the flight/cruise combo, you would fly to Antarctica and then stay on a cruise ship throughout your stay. The average length of these voyages is 5 days. This option is best for people who are short on time or frankly, people who don’t want to be in Antarctica for that long. The biggest positive of flying to Antarctica is skipping the Drake Passage, which has the roughest seas in the world. So, if you are concerned about getting seasick, flying is your best option. The risk of flying to Antarctica is that there is a good chance your trip will be shortened due to the weather, which can change in an instant as Safety is the highest priority and the pilot will not take off in poor conditions. Expect to pay a premium to reach Antarctica within a couple of hours.
What We Did
We sailed with Swan Hellenic – a new cruise line that offers luxury accommodations on a small ship. We sailed with 80 passengers and it took less than 2 minutes to walk from one side of the ship to the other to give you an idea of how small the ship was.
I will continue to write more about Antarctica, If you have any questions or topics you want me to cover, please comment below. Until next time!
