This guide outlines how to go to Antarctica by cruise ship, yacht, or with lecturers, plus pointers about guidelines and permits.
Antarctica is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places on the planet, and a trip that should be on every adventurer’s bucket list. Of course, one of the reasons it has remained unspoiled is because it is so far away from everywhere else. But that doesn’t mean it’s not reachable — and it’s certainly worth going the distance!
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How to go to Antarctica
Below we present several different ways to go to Antarctica, and an outline of each way.
How to go to Antarctica by cruise ship
Traditionally, the majority — namely 95 percent — of all visitors to Antarctica reach the continent and its offshore islands by ship. There are three categories of ships to choose from for the trips.
The majority are expedition cruise ships with fewer than 200 passengers. This is followed by medium-sized cruise ships with 200 to 500 passengers and a few large, so-called “cruise-only” ships with more than 500 passengers. However, the latter are not allowed to make any landings in the Antarctic Treaty Area and are therefore only limited to the cruise itself.
Tourists today take advantage of numerous leisure activities in Antarctica that go beyond a simple land walk. The travel companies’ offers range from diving to kayak tours, camping, guided hikes to climbing tours and mountain climbs. Some providers even offer helicopter or submarine trips.
However, the wide range of options is also associated with concerns, as there are specific guidelines for very few of the activities on offer and visitors can cause major damage to sensitive areas through incorrect behaviorEcosystem the Antarctic.
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Go to Antarctica accompanied by trained lecturers
During this kind of trip, visitors are accompanied by a trained team of lecturers. Lectures on board about the peculiarities of Antarctic flora and fauna as well as correct behavior prepare travelers for the special conditions.
During shore leave, one lecturer must be available for a group of a maximum of 20 travelers. As responsible travelers, please always pay attention to the instructions given by the on-board staff and also keep an eye on your fellow passengers. This is how you can help protect Antarctica and preserve its uniqueness for future generations.
Go to Antarctica by yacht
If you prefer something a little more adventurous, want to get involved yourself and appreciate a more private atmosphere, you can take a trip to Antarctica on a yacht. Travel on commercial boats that travel to the area each season is very popular. But owners of sailing or motor yachts can also fulfill their lifelong dream of sailing to Antarctica themselves.
Travel by sailing or motor yachts to the Antarctic Treaty Area has been documented since the 1960s. In addition to cruise ships, yachts are part of everyday life in Antarctic tourism. Every year, several hundred tourists now take part in private and commercial yacht trips.
A popular excursion destination is Port Lockroy – a former British station on the West Antarctic Peninsula. The United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust runs a museum there, as well as a small post office and a souvenir shop.
Only a small proportion of yachts traveling in the Antarctic Treaty Area are members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and are therefore subject to its regulations. The Antarctic Treaty Consultative States also published guidelines for yacht operators in Antarctica in 2012. However, individual sailors in particular mostly move uncontrolled in the Antarctic Treaty Area.
Go to Antarctica by plane
Even seen from a ship, Antarctica’s huge ice sheets are breathtaking. However, the full extent of the ice-cold blanket remains hidden from cruise tourists. Flying over the Antarctic continent gives you a better idea of how big the coldest desert in the world really is.
The first tourist overflight over the Antarctic continent took place in 1956 with 66 tourists by a Chilean airline. Between 1977 and 1980 a total of 44 flights were made with more than 11,000 passengers. Overflight tourism came to an abrupt and dramatic end when Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed on November 28, 1979 in bad weatherWeather collided with Mount Erebus. In the serious accident, 257 passengers died and overflight tourism came to a standstill for years.
Since the mid-1990s, the approximately 10,000 km long sightseeing flights have occasionally been offered again as day trips. Until the first icebergs can be seen, videos will be shown or lectures from Antarctic experts will be offered.
The aircraft fly over particularly interesting points to provide guests with views on both sides of the aircraft. Since then, several thousand tourists have seen the white continent from a bird’s eye view.
Tourist adventure activities
A few hundred tourists each season use the offers of individual operators on the Antarctic mainland or the offshore islands – but the trend is continually increasing. Travelers can choose between a wide range of offers for “special adventures” or other extreme experiences. Participants in expeditions on the Antarctic mainland travel by plane or ship. The first private company began organizing landings at the South Pole and mountain tours in the Patriot Hills in 1985.
On land, the opportunity is taken to ski or run marathons on ice, climb mountains or skydive from rocks. An integral part of many expeditions is a visit to the South Pole. More rarely, visitors cross Antarctica on skis, sleds with kites or motorized vehicles, or circumnavigate the continent in a sailing boat. Ski competitions over shorter distances also occasionally take place. In the 2010/2011 season, for example, a German film team accompanied a ski race with four cars over around 400 km over the ice.
Camping in Antarctica
On the mainland, accommodation is mostly offered in tents. One of the largest camps is currently located at Union Glacier and hosts a few hundred guests annually. These camps are the starting point for numerous activities in the surrounding area, such as visiting emperor penguin colonies, mountain climbing, excursions with small aircraft or kite surfing on the ice. Overall, the number of sports and adventure tourism offerings in the Antarctic Treaty Area has increased steadily in recent years.
Since all commercial operators are currently members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), their activities are subject to the control of the IAATO and are therefore at least partially regulated. Nevertheless, both the increasing demand and the corresponding supply of land-based tourism offerings are being watched with concern.
Risks for people and nature
Tourists have the opportunity to travel to previously completely untouched areas of Antarctica and therefore pose a per se threat to the untouched wilderness. Misbehavior by individuals can not only cause great damage to the environment, but also endanger human lives. Some tourist activities, such as mountaineering in remote massifs or crossing the continent on foot, are sometimes associated with high risks. Both rescue and combating the consequences of accidents are much more difficult and time-consuming in Antarctica than in populated areas. Due to the lack of infrastructure and the harsh climate conditions, relief and rescue measures often cannot take place or cannot take place immediately.
Antarctica rules of conduct
Since the beginning of Antarctic tourism, which is primarily focused on the Antarctic Peninsula, the number of visitors has increased significantly. In order to preserve the unique flora and fauna in its originality in the future despite the growing interest from visitors, internationally binding rules of conduct apply to visitors to Antarctica. If you follow these rules of conduct during your stay on site, you will personally make a contribution to protecting Antarctica.
Misbehavior by individual tourists – based on ignorance or arrogance – poses a great danger to both people and the Ecosystem Antarctica.
Visit this handy brochure and a more detailed guide to correct behavior in Antarctica.
Antarctica Visitor’s Permit
As a passenger on a yacht visiting the Antarctic Treaty Territory, you should ensure in advance that you have the necessary permits for the trip.
Even if you are traveling by sea, land or air with a travel provider who normally ensures that all regulations are adhered to, it is important that you, as a visitor to Antarctica, are also aware of the code of conduct.
Guests of travel providers do not have to apply for a permit to visit Antarctica themselves. The tour operator usually takes care of this. Interested travelers can get an insight into the permit and further documents on the legal basis on the ship or in the camp.
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