The polar specialist since 1991: Zodiacs, helicopters and a parka to keep.
Quark Expeditions has done nothing but the poles since 1991, when it took the first tourists to the North Pole on a Russian icebreaker, and today it runs more Antarctica departures than any other line. It suits travelers who want the most time on the ice with the most ways to use it: Ultramarine carries two helicopters for heli-landings and flightseeing, World Explorer and Ocean Explorer carry 20 Zodiacs each, and kayaking, camping, stand-up paddleboarding and the polar plunge are on the menu. Antarctica from Ushuaia or by air from Punta Arenas runs November to March; Svalbard, Greenland and the Northwest Passage fill the Arctic summer. SmartCruiser shows every Quark sailing with taxes and fees included, puts SmartCruiser picks first, and adds SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit per stateroom on sailings where the line allows it.
Three ways to sail with Quark
Pick one and the list below filters to it; the peninsula is the classic, South Georgia is the upgrade, the Arctic is the other summer.
The Antarctic Peninsula
- 10 to 12 nights from Ushuaia: two days across the Drake each way, five or six among the icebergs
- Two Zodiac landings a day, penguin rookeries, kayaking, camping on the ice
- Ultramarine adds heli-landings on spots no ship can reach
Best for: first Antarctica trips, photographers, active travelers
Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica
- 18 to 20 nights across the Scotia Sea: three ecosystems in one voyage
- South Georgia’s beaches with 100,000 king penguins and elephant seals the size of cars
- Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, the Falklands’ albatross colonies, then the peninsula
Best for: wildlife above all, second Antarctica trips
The Arctic
- Svalbard circumnavigations for polar bears and walrus, June to August
- Greenland’s east coast fjords and Disko Bay icebergs, the Northwest Passage in September
- Same ships, same expedition team, 24-hour daylight
Best for: polar bear seekers, summer vacations
Quark deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Quark Expeditions departure on every ship, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or a Special SmartCruiser rate. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting by date, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Quark sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where Quark sails
Pick a region and the list above filters to it.
Lines you may also like
Quark is the specialist; these lines sail the same ice with different ships and styles.
When to go
Two short seasons, one at each end of the earth, and each month on the ice is different.
Quark questions we answer every day
What is included on a Quark expedition?
A Quark parka to keep, boots to borrow, every Zodiac landing and cruise, the lectures and the expedition team, Wi-Fi, and on most departures a hotel night and the transfers in Ushuaia or Punta Arenas. Kayaking, camping, paddleboarding and the helicopter programs on Ultramarine are paid or sign-up extras that we book with the cruise. Drinks and gratuities policies vary by ship, so we confirm your sailing before you pay.
How bad is the Drake Passage, and can I fly it?
Two days each way from Ushuaia, anything from glassy to 30-foot swells; the ships are stabilized and the doctor hands out patches. Quark’s fly-the-Drake departures replace the crossing with a two-hour charter from Punta Arenas to King George Island, where the ship is waiting, so the whole trip takes 6 to 8 nights and you never cross the open water. Weather can delay those flights by a day, so build a buffer into your air.
How big are the ships and the cabins?
Ultramarine carries 199 guests with two helicopters, 20 Zodiacs, a ready room for fast launches and balconies on most cabins. World Explorer (172) and Ocean Explorer (138) are all-balcony or nearly so, with glass-domed observation lounges. All three keep landings under the 100-ashore limit, so you get two outings a day. Solo travelers can share a cabin at the per-person rate, which saves the single supplement.
Is a fly-cruise or flight package available?
Yes. Besides the fly-the-Drake voyages, Quark packages the charter flight between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia on most Antarctica departures and sells air from the US on many; in the Arctic the charters to Longyearbyen and Greenland are often included. We price the package against booking your own air.
Do I need a passport or visa?
A passport valid six months beyond your trip. US citizens need no visa for Argentina, Chile, Norway, Iceland or Greenland, and the Falklands and South Georgia stamp you in on the ship. Antarctica itself has no border control; Quark holds the permits.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the expedition fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels beyond the included night, gratuities and optional activities are extra unless the fare you choose says otherwise.
Talk to a Quark specialist
Tell us whether you want to cross the Drake or fly it, and we match the ship, the month and the add-ons from kayaking to the helicopter. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.