Zodiac landings among penguins, or the continent from your balcony.
Two very different Antarcticas. Expedition ships of 100 to 500 guests cross the Drake Passage from Ushuaia for 10 to 12 nights with Zodiac landings, kayaking and camping on the ice, on Quark, HX, Lindblad, Ponant, Silversea, Seabourn, Viking, Aurora and Atlas. Or a 14 to 20 night big-ship cruise from Buenos Aires spends three or four days cruising the peninsula with no landings, on Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian. Both run November to March. SmartCruiser shows every sailing with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus credit at the top.
Land on it, or sail past it?
Pick one and the list below filters to it; the two are different trips at different prices.
Expedition from Ushuaia
- 10 to 12 nights: two days across the Drake each way, five or six on the peninsula
- Two Zodiac landings a day, penguin colonies, kayaking, the polar plunge
- Quark, HX, Lindblad, Ponant, Silversea, Seabourn, Viking, Aurora and Atlas
Best for: bucket lists, photographers, active travelers
Antarctica in a week
- Fly Punta Arenas to King George Island and board the ship on the ice
- 6 to 8 nights with no Drake Passage crossing
- Quark, Aurora and Silversea on select dates
Best for: short on time, worried about seasickness
Big-ship scenic cruising
- 14 to 20 nights from Buenos Aires or Santiago with Cape Horn and the Falklands
- Three or four days cruising the Antarctic Sound and the Gerlache Strait, no landings
- Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian prices
Best for: comfort, families, a first look at the ice
Antarctica deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Antarctica sailing from every expedition and ocean line, 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, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Antarctica 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.
Ushuaia or Buenos Aires
Pick a port and the list above filters to it.
Which line for Antarctica?
Expedition lines differ in ship size, toys and price; the ocean lines give you the ice without the landings.
When to go
The season is short, late October to March, and each month shows a different Antarctica.
Antarctica cruise questions we answer every day
How bad is the Drake Passage?
Two days each way, and it ranges from the Drake Lake to the Drake Shake; you will not know until you are in it. Modern expedition ships have stabilizers and the doctor hands out patches. If it worries you, take a fly-cruise that skips it, or a big ship, which barely notices.
What is included on an expedition?
All landings and Zodiac cruises, a parka to keep and boots to borrow, lectures and the expedition team, and on most lines drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Kayaking, camping and the polar plunge are extra or sign-up activities. Flights to Ushuaia are extra unless the line’s offer includes them.
Do I need a passport or visa?
A passport valid six months beyond your trip. US citizens need no visa for Argentina or Chile. Antarctica itself has no border control; your ship holds the permit.
Expedition ship or big ship?
If setting foot on the continent matters, expedition: only ships under 500 guests may land, and only 100 people ashore at a time. The big ships give you the icebergs, whales and the Antarctic Sound from a balcony for roughly a third of the price, as part of a longer South America cruise.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities and optional activities are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise.
How fit do I need to be?
Able to climb in and out of a Zodiac with crew help and walk on snow and loose rock. Landings are optional and you can always stay on board. Big-ship scenic cruises have no physical requirement at all.
Talk to an Antarctica specialist
Tell us whether you want to land on the ice, and we match the ship, the month and the flights to Ushuaia. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.