How much time should I set aside for a trip to Antarctica?

Welcome, polar pioneers,

The duration of your Antarctic voyage depends on the distances you cover on your itinerary.

To give you a simple point of reference, let's assume that your ship departs from Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina).

After departing from Ushuaia, it takes 1.5 days at sea (approx. 36 hours in total) to pass Cape Horn and through the Drake Passage to the pack ice boundary. After another day at sea, you will reach the South Shetland Islands just before the Antarctic Peninsula.

This means you will have been traveling for two and a half days before you reach the northernmost tip of Antarctica from the southernmost tip of South America.

Then cruise through the bays and islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, landing on volcanic islands, former whaling centers, hot springs, and penguin colonies. Depending on where you start your return journey to Ushuaia, you can expect another 2.5 to 3.5 days of travel back to Ushuaia.

Antarctic expeditions—the ship voyage alone—last at least 10 days.

[There are some short tours lasting five to six days, but these can be disregarded. Although you fly over the Drake Passage, you only spend one day in Antarctica itself. It's a shame, as it's far too short and not worth the money!]

Please add the travel timeto the 10 days. As you already know, it takes about 3 to 4 days to get to Ushuaia, for example, and another 2 to 3 days for the return journey .

So, please plan at least 14 days (including travel to and from Germany) for the trip, or longer for more intensive experiences and more remote regions.

Here are some examples of the duration of Antarctic trips:

Unusual routes in Antarctica:

At inventia, we develop exclusive trips for you that are off the beaten track. Here you will find very special itineraries and experiences that only inventia newsletter readers get to know about.

Skip the Drake:

You fly over the Drake Passage and board your expedition ship on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. The flight saves you two to three days.

Duration: 6 days (short trip), 8 days, or 11 days (trip crossing the Antarctic Circle) from/to Punta Arenas in southern Chile.

Classic Antarctica:

This is the centerpiece of all Antarctic voyages: the journey along the Antarctic Peninsula.

Duration: from 10 days from/to Ushuaia

The Great Antarctic Expedition:

The grand tour for a particularly intense expedition experience: including the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Orkney Islands, Antarctic Convergence, and Antarctic Peninsula. If you want to see more: penguins and explorers.

Duration: between 18 and 23 days from/to South America

Basecamp trips to Antarctica:

For adventurers and sports enthusiasts: base camp expedition with camping, canoeing, (snowshoe) hiking, diving, and swimming in the Southern Ocean.

Duration: from 10 days with an active sports program from/to South America

Flying expedition to the South Pole:

The most intense Antarctic experience is probably the flight expedition to the geographic South Pole.

15-, 16-, or 17-day flight expedition from/to Punta Arenas (Chile)

If you are unsure how long your trip to Antarctica should be, please ask us. We will use our experience to help you make the right decision.

You can reach us here. Request a callback

With polar regards,

Yours, Stephanie Gräf