Kayak, dive or climb in Antarctica with 130 guests and an X-Bow ship.
Aurora Expeditions is the Australian line founded by mountaineer Greg Mortimer in 1991, and it still sails like a climbing expedition: three small X-Bow ships of about 130 guests, named for Mortimer, oceanographer Sylvia Earle and polar explorer Douglas Mawson, whose wave-piercing bows take the Drake with less pitching than a conventional hull. It suits travelers who want to do things on the ice, not just look at it: sea kayaking, polar diving and snorkeling, ski touring, alpine trekking and camping are run by dedicated guides in Antarctica, Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland, with Patagonia, Costa Rica and the Kimberley in the other seasons, and the whole operation is certified carbon neutral. SmartCruiser shows every Aurora 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 Aurora
Pick one and the list below filters to it; Antarctica is the heart of the program, the Arctic is the other summer, and the warm-water seasons fill the gap.
Antarctica with the activity program
- 10 to 12 nights from Ushuaia, or fly the Drake from Punta Arenas on select dates
- Sea kayaking, polar snorkeling and diving, ski touring, camping and alpine trekking alongside the Zodiac landings
- South Georgia and the Falklands on the 20-night-plus voyages
Best for: active travelers, divers, repeat polar guests
Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland
- Spitsbergen circumnavigations for polar bears and walrus, June to August
- East Greenland’s Scoresby Sund and the Northwest Passage in late summer
- Iceland circumnavigations with the puffin cliffs, geothermal coast and whale-rich bays
Best for: wildlife and landscape photographers
The Kimberley, Costa Rica and Patagonia
- Australia’s Kimberley coast between Broome and Darwin in the dry season: waterfalls, rock art, Zodiacs up tidal rivers
- Costa Rica and the Panama Canal in the northern winter with rainforest hikes and snorkeling
- Chilean fjords, Cape Horn and the Patagonian ice fields on the way to and from Antarctica
Best for: expedition travelers who want sun between polar trips
Aurora deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Aurora Expeditions departure on all three ships, 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 Aurora 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 Aurora sails
Pick a region and the list above filters to it.
Lines you may also like
Aurora is the activity specialist; these lines sail the same waters with their own emphasis.
When to go
The ships chase summer between the poles, with the Kimberley and Costa Rica in the months between.
Aurora questions we answer every day
What is included on an Aurora expedition?
A three-in-one polar jacket to keep, boots to borrow, every Zodiac landing and cruise, the lectures and recap sessions, house wine and beer with dinner, Wi-Fi, and on most departures a hotel night and transfers at the start. Kayaking, diving, snorkeling, ski touring, climbing and camping are paid programs with limited places, booked with the cruise and worth reserving early. Gratuities are at your discretion.
How fit do I need to be, and what about the Drake Passage?
For landings, fit enough to climb in and out of a Zodiac with crew help and walk on snow and rock; the activity programs have their own requirements, from a current dive certification to a recent kayaking history, and we check them with you. The Drake takes two days each way; the X-Bow hull cuts through swell rather than riding over it, which most guests find noticeably steadier, and the fly-the-Drake departures skip it altogether.
How big are the ships and the cabins?
Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle carry about 130 guests, Douglas Mawson a few more, which keeps every landing inside the 100-ashore limit so you get two outings a day. Most cabins have balconies, the observation lounges are glass on three sides, and there is a gym, sauna and small pool. Solo travelers can share a twin at the per-person price.
Is a fly-cruise or flight package available?
Yes. Aurora’s Antarctic fly-the-Drake voyages run a charter from Punta Arenas to King George Island on select dates, and the line packages the charter between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia on many sailings. Air from the US is sold separately or through us, and we compare both before you pay.
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, Greenland or Costa Rica; Australia requires an electronic visa for the Kimberley, which takes minutes online. Antarctica itself has no border control; the ship holds the permit.
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, the activity programs and gratuities are extra unless the fare you choose says otherwise.
Talk to an Aurora specialist
Tell us what you want to do on the ice, kayak, dive, climb or just land, and we match the ship, the date and the activity places before they fill. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.