The old saying goes that if you can describe an Antarctica tours trip you haven't actually been there. Well, the travelers who wrote the trip reports about their experience summarized below tried the best they could but it's up to you to decide if they have done Antarctica justice.
It's an incredible place and one of the last unspoiled wilderness areas left for man to explore on the globe (with more people visiting every year it might not stay that way for long).
You can expect to see an amazing variety of wildlife here from several species of penguin, leopard and fur seal, to mink, orca and humpback whales.
Bird life on Antarctica tours will also put in an appearance in the form of albatross (huge 3 meter wingspan), giant skuas, petrels and mollymauks.
And then there are the icebergs that are being continually calved into the bay areas as the glaciers push inexorably towards the sea which come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes.
Deception Island lives up to its name because it is very hard to believe that you will be able to swim in a natural hot pool (volcanic activity heats the water just below the surface) at the coldest place on the planet. Antarctica holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded on the earth's surface at a spine chilling (and everything else) minus 89º C.
But in spite of the cold I have yet to read an Antarctic tours travel report (I have read many) where the participant were disappointed by their experience. In all cases everyone was amazed and bewitched by this destination and all say that it is well worth the money spent on getting there (which can be considerable).
I use trip reports to rank the best adventure trips in the world and after you read the summaries below and the full versions you will see why Antarctica tours make it into the top 20 on the list.
I also update the reports here periodically so that you can make use of the most recent information to help plan your own Antarctica tours.
When you spot the telephone icon it means that the trip report was obtained by me phoning the Antarctica tours traveler to ask questions about their journey.
Been To Antarctica Already?
Then add your own trip report which will be a great help to others who still want to visit this incredible destination.
Ship Name & Trip Operator: Explorer, GAP Adventures
Destinations: Ten day Antarctica tours trip including landings at Wilhemena Bay, Port Lockroy, Deception Island and Vernadsky research station
Wildlife Seen Minkie and Humpback whales, Adelie, gentoo, macaroni and chinstrap penguins, fur, leopard and elephant seals, wandering albatrosses and giant skuas
20 March 2006 Luke McAdams (UK)
Source: TravelBlog
Luke had a great time in the Antarctic and one of the highlights for him was the zodiac trip around Iceberg Alley where they saw pieces of ice falling into the water as they passed by.
The trip through Drake Passage which everyone going on Antarctic tours are warned about (the roughest seas in the world occur here) was reasonably calm and Luke didn't suffer from seasickness (but he did take the tablets as a preventative measure).
They saw wildlife around every corner and they came very close to a pair of minkie whales in the zodiac.
At Deception Island there is a layer of water heated by volcanic activity about four feet beneath the surface. The crew dug the hole and all the passengers could amazingly enjoy a swim in one of the coldest places on earth...
Ship Name & Trip Operator: Explorer, GAP Adventures
Destinations: Ten day Antarctica tours trip including landings at the South Shetlands and Aitcho Islands, Gerlache Strait, Danco Island, Neko Harbour, Port Lockroy and Livingstone Island
10 March 2006 Marc and Cathy
Source: TravelBlog
One of the tips about Antarctica tours that Marc and Cathy picked up too late (they prepared in haste) was that they should have brought their own alcohol with because purchasing drinks on board is a lot more expensive.
Lectures are regularly given by trained experts in ornithology, geology and marine biology to those passengers who are not too overcome by seasickness after the Drake Passage crossing like Cathy. Marc unfortunately had to remain on deck with his vision fixated on the horizon to combat seasickness.
But they were soon making landings and visiting a penguin colony which is a very entertaining affair as long as you can stomach the smell. The penguins are very curious and if stand still for a short time they will waddle up to you to have a closer look.
Marc says that the Antarctica tour was an unmissable experience and well worth the money spent on it...
Ship Name & Trip Operator: Explorer, GAP Adventures
Antarctica Tours Destinations: Ten day trip to (amongst others) Brown Bluff, Devils Island, Livingstone Island, Deception Island, Peterman Island and Lockroy Station
21 January 2006 Stuart Morgan Hurlbut (UK)
Source: TravelBlog
Stuart lists the wildlife, the food on board the boat and the fantastic scenery as the positive and fantastic things about Antarctic tours.
On the negative side (you've probably guessed it), was the Drake passage crossing where they had to contend with force 5 - 9 winds, but what would an adventure tour be without a little bit of excitement?
One of the many small pleasures of Stuart's trip was to be able to wander out on the ship's deck at 11pm while it was still light and admire the beauty of the Antarctic ice.
They were very lucky to see Humpback whale on two occasions very close to the boat...
From exhilarating to highly informative and educational, Tim and Leanne found their trip to be more than just a little breathtaking. With their first landing at Livingstone Island they already encountered gentoo and chinstrap penguins a plenty.
They were fortunate to see one Adelie penguin even though during the time of year they visited Danco Island it is not a common place to find these.
An Argentinean styled barbeque on the ship for lunch before venturing onto Foyn Harbour (where the wreck of a whaling ship from 1915 still rests) marked a fabulous, and in Tim and Leanne's opinion the best meal on this Antarctic tour.
Just before leaving Neko Harbour, a calving glacier thundered through the air and gave them a sight they'll not likely forget. Surely, they thought, it cannot get better than this, but as their luck would have it on that fine St Patrick's day, it did get better when two minke whales accompanied them back to the M.V. Ushuaia by swimming under the zodiacs taking them from shore to ship
Antarctica Tours Ship Name: Ushuaia
Destinations: Nine day trip to Hannah Point, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands and Deception Island amongst others
05 April 2006 Ryan (Canberra, Australia)
Source: TravelPod
On an Ushuaia Antarctica tours boat cruise, the first person to spot an iceberg wins a bottle of red wine but unfortunately for Ryan someone else claimed the prize.
On their South Shetland Island landing they saw penguins, elephant seals molting and watched fur seals play fight along the shore.
They indulged in some hot spring swimming on Deception Island but first jumped into the freezing Antarctic water and then into the volcanically heated pool that was constructed by simply digging a hole on the beach.
Four sightings of Minke and Humpback whale, numerous seals, birds, more penguins and icebergs collapsing into the sea completed a tour that was in Ryan's own words..."brilliant, breathtaking, amazing, unique and I'm one very lucky person to have got the chance to see it, smell it and touch it!"...
Ship Name: Ushuaia
Destinations: Ten day trip with landings that included Neko Harbour, Deception Island and Port Lockroy
10 March 2006 Patrick T (Hong Kong)
Source: Realtravel
The highlight of the whole Antarctica trip for Patrick was a close encounter with a humpback whale which came so close to the boat that they could almost reach out and touch it.
They also got to see a variety of penguin species namely Gentoo, Chinstrap and Mariconi with most of them being in the process of molting.
One of the things Patrick didn't expect to find in Antarctica was high mountains but there are some that are over 1000m high.
They made a total of nine landings in the zodiac including Deception Island where they swam in the hot water and Port Lockroy where they met some of the scientists stationed there.
For Patrick this Antarctica tours experience was an unforgettable once in a lifetime journey...
Ship Name: Ushuaia
Destinations: Ten day trip which included trips to Livingston Island, Cuverville Bay, Hannah Point, Paradise Bay
19 February 2006 Russ S (Canada)
Source: TravelBlog
Russ had some amazing luck in that he was able to video some orcas (killer whales) hunt and catch penguins and a leopard seal making a meal of an unfortunate Chinstrap penguin.
On their Paradise Bay Antarctica tours landing they saw a huge portion of the glacier break off and fall into the water causing a mini tidal wave.
Russ also had the misfortune of being chased by a fur seal that he had got too close to while trying to photograph it.
The rule on Antarctica tours is that you shouldn't get closer than 5 meters to the animals but of course the wildlife don't know that - especially the penguins who are naturally curious...
Ship Name: Akademik Shokalskiy
Destinations: Ten day Antarctica tours trip that included Coronation Island, Elephant Island, Half moon Island, Telefon Bay, Danco Island
25 February 2006 Roger & Karen Biddle
Source: TravelBlog
Dinner on this Antarctica tours boat consists of a five course Russian meal which those who weren't seasick from the Drake Passage crossing enjoyed to the full.
They visited a place called the Iceberg Graveyard where the large chunks of ice become wedged in the shallower water and marvelled at the different shapes and colors that they take on.
The Gentoo penguin colony on Danco Island nest all the way up to the highest peak and the fluffy chicks were very active and hungry, slapping their wings together in an attempt to get their parents to feed them.
The view from the top of the island of the channels and the surrounding sea was a spectacular Antarctica tours highlight...
Ship Name: Akademik Shokalskiy
Duration & Travel Agent: Ten day cruise, Quark Expeditions
30 November 2005 Jeff Schewe
Source: PhotoshopNews
This was an Antarctica tours expedition which included 42 photographers so there was a large amount of camera equipment on board ship.
Jeff found the food to be rather good and the group consumed a lot of wine during the trip. Dinner included fish, meat and vegetables with lots of fruit, cheese and breads. Soup was available at every meal.
When crossing the Drake passage you can experience the "Drake Lake" (calm) if you are lucky or the "Drake rock and roll" which is more likely. They had the latter and at times the ship was canted over at an angle of 53 degrees.
Once they had reach Antarctica they enjoyed a barbeque on the bow which is a Quark expeditions tradition...
Ship Name: Akademik Shokalskiy
Destinations: Five day Antarctica tours trip to Cuverville Island, Damoy Point, Half Moon Island, Brown Bluff, Paulet Island and Triangle Point
09 February 2005 David and Annie
Source: TravelPod
David and Annie found Antarctica to be an indescribably wonderful and beautiful place.
They spent a magical (if somewhat chilly) night on the ice in a tent at Damoy point. They chose a spot where they could watch the icebergs calve in the bay and greet the moon rise with a bottle of Argentine malbec. The ship's crew fortunately remembered to come and fetch them the next morning.
They shared a half an hour in the company of a pod of six humpback whales listening to the occasional sound of a whale blowing but otherwise being surrounded by perfect silence.
One of the Antarctica tours days was spent walking on the surface of a glacier at Brown Bluff and visiting a colony of 25,000 Adelie penguin
breeding pairs...
Aircraft Used: Qantas Boeing 747-400 chartered by Croyden Travel
Departure Point and Flying Time: Sydney, Australia for a 14 hour flyover
31 December 06 - 01 January 2007 Maureen Gay
Source: Review Submission
It is as they say, no words can describe the sensation of
flying over this pristine destination. Hang the money just put it on your to do
list before it is too late.
My sister and I had the most fantastic experience.
It was just sensational from the time we left Sydney, the four hours it took
to reach Antarctica seemed to 'fly'. The Qantas staff were wonderful the tour
guides and the staff from Croydon Travel made us feel so special.
But they
couldn't prepare us for the sight that was before our eyes. We seemed to spend
hours flying over the Antarctic Coast taking in areas including Anare
Mountains, Mt Minto, Cape Adare, Cape Hallett Terra Nova base, Mt Melbourne, Mt
Murchison and Reeves Glacier, Campbell Glacier.
The outside temperature was -48 ºC (-54ºF). We flew 8886km and saw the new year in with Champagne over Tucker Glacier.
We dined in style and were entertained by a wonderful Jazz band.
The return
trip saw us with new seat allocations, but not many passengers were in their
seats, the viewing was magical.
As a Queenslander the only complaint I had was that we celebrated in the New
Year, on DLST, and we felt we could have celebrated again on Queensland Time.
The trip was well and truly worth true celebration.
I suggest you save your dollars and make this a special 'experience' of a
lifetime. With the amount of fuel that the Qantas plane uses, I'm sure it wont
be long before these fantastic flights cease. What a sensational time we had...
Aircraft Used: Qantas Boeing 747-400 chartered by Croyden Travel
Departure Point and Flying Time: Melbourne, Australia for a 14 hour flyover
24 November 2003 Brent
Source: TravelCentre
The added bonus of the Antarctica tours flight that Brent went on was being able to see a total solar eclipse which only happens every 18 years (the next one there is in 2021).
He says that the flight was without a doubt one of the best things he has ever done and worth every cent.
The photos that he took came out perfectly and the weather was clear and open which made viewing the eclipse and the spectacular Antarctica landscape a pleasure.
The ticketing rules are that halfway through the flight everyone changes seats with the person next to them so that they can spend some time right next to the window too but Brent found that most people were very generous in sharing their window view with people who didn't have access...
Aircraft Used: Russian Ilyushin 76 TD
Departure Point and Flying Time: Cape Town, South Africa for six hours before landing
23 November 2003 Ellen Drake
Source: Icstars Astronomy
There were approximately 80 passengers from all the corners of the globe for this two day Antarctica tours flight which landed at the Antarctic Logistics camp near Novolazarevskaya, Dronning Maud Land.
They were all there to experience the total solar eclipse and in true Antarctic style were greeted by freezing -24ºC (-11ºF) weather.
The eclipse lasted for just over a minute and Ellen watched the sky darken and the sun turn into a big, black bowling ball resting on the horizon with a silvery corona shimmering around it from a flat, featureless plain devoid of anything except ice.
Twenty four hours unforgettable later after a hot meal and some sleep they were back on the aircraft because the next storm was on the way and they had to leave before it hit...
Duration & Travel Agent: 15 day trip, Lindblad Expeditions
November 2006 Sandy Callanan, USA
Source: Review Submission
"Antarctica was the most beautiful place that I have been to so far. We traveled to coastal islands and to the Antarctic Peninsula. The scenery was unbelievable, with icebergs and glaciers everywhere.
The land excursions with the penguins were terrific. We also visited Palmer Station, a US research station which was a treat. We saw a leopard seal feeding on some penguins and saw several varieties of whales.
I got the most amazing pictures.
I highly recommend this trip - it was worth the money and worth the crossing of Drake's Passage (roughest water in the world).
[It was] our 3rd trip with [Lindblad] and they did an outstanding job - as usual."
Duration & Travel Agent: 10 day cruise, Peregrine Adventures
05 March 2006 Endor
Source: Flyertalk
Endor's original Antarctica tours booking was cancelled by her travel agent and due to the inconvenience of the re-booking he was upgraded to his own cabin on the ship at no extra charge which was a very good start to the trip.
There were a total of 50 crew members on the boat including 16 from Peregrine adventures who worked closely with the captain to plan excursions. She was really impressed with the crew's knowledge and capabilities in running the ship efficiently.
Each morning while they were crossing the Drake passage there were 2 lectures after breakfast, another in the afternoon and a final lecture after tea, all covering interesting aspects of Antarctica like: The Adventures of Shackleton and Lifestyles of the Blubbery (the whos who of Antarctica tours whales)...
10 days from 18 Febuary 2008 Norma Sinclair, Australia
Source: Review submission
Norma's Antarctica cruise experience will stay with her forever and reminds her of nature's beauty.
She was very happy with both her travel agent and the ship and its crew but not with her airline.
She unfortunately got very seasick thanks to rough seas but says the medical help on the ship was wonderful. So, should one use pills or patches? Find out what Norma thinks... » Tour to Antarctica
Antarctica Tours Destinations: Half Moon Island, Port Lockroy, Elephant Island, Paradise Harbour
07 February 2006 Scott
Source: TravelPod
The Marco Polo carries 750 passengers but for this Antarctica tours expedition there were about half that number. Scott struggled with seasickness on the crossing but it wasn't bad enough to stop him from eating and attending the interesting and informative Antarctica lectures.
To prevent the possibility of transmission of diseases from the penguin guano, passengers are issued with rubber galoshes before each landing (and to keep their feet dry) and before they board the cruise boat again the galoshes are washed carefully by the crew and disinfected with a strong germ killing spray.
The landing at Elephant Island was cancelled due to very bad weather conditions but it can sometimes happen that all landings are cancelled due to bad conditions so Scott counted himself fortunate that it was only the one...
Ship Name: Marco Polo
Duration & Travel Agent: 10 day cruise, Orient Lines
05 January 2005 Mark Andrews
Source: BTconnect
Mark says that few trips can ever be described as perfect but this one came as close as it is possible to be.
Orient Lines arranged a champagne reception with live musical accompaniment for their welcome to the Antarctica tours ship and for the remainder of the trip they traveled in grand style becoming accustomed to faultless service and excellent food and wines on the comfortable liner.
The Marco Polo is a large ship with horizontal fin stabilizers which helped ease the discomfort of gale force winds in the Drake Passage crossing which was completed a lot faster than normal because of the boat's size...
Recently Added Review!!
Great crew, great food and great wildlife/location experts on a relatively small ship. Taking a kayak option added a bit of flavour to an already exciting adventure.
Duration & Travel Agent: 10 day cruise, Quark Expeditions
27 December 2006 Andy Ford
Source: Blogging Antarctica
Andy found the conditions on the boat to be spartan but more comfortable than he was expecting.
The bed was very snug (one of two in the cabin) and he was able to sleep well in it even during rough seas. Toilet facilities were shared.
Passengers are encouraged to visit the bridge on Antarctica tours and Andy did this a number of times to watch the captain and crew running the ship. The Drake Passage crossing was rough and many of the passengers became seasick.
One of Andy's favorite moments was kayaking in the face of a pretty fierce snowstorm. He felt as if he was living in some sort of dream...
Ship Name: Professor Multanovskiy
Antarctica Tours Travel Agent: Quark Expeditions
21 February 2006 Olly
Source: TravelPod
Captain Sergei is the man in charge of the Multanovskiy for Antarctica tours and he has a vast amount of sailing experience and told Olly when he visited the bridge in broken English that they were expecting a reasonable swell in the Drake Passage. Then they got underway with three blasts of the ships horn.
The first iceberg that they spotted was staggering in size, dwarfing the ship even though it was a long way off.
They made landing at Desolation island using the zodiacs and Olly met the Antarctic wildlife at close quarters as the fur seals bark at them and saunter closer to try and scare the humans away...
Eoin was humbled by the power and splendor of Antarctica which surpassed any other place he had been on his around the world trip to date.
It wasn't the best time of the year to see whales but they were lucky enough to see some Minke whales floating past in the freezing water. They also managed to spot an emperor penguin which had seemingly lost its way because it was so far south.
Eoin was impressed with the way the crew managed the zodiac landing craft which always had enough provisions of emergency food, water, medical and shelter for 10 people to last 48 hours. This is due to the fact that the weather can turn nasty very quickly on Antarctica tours...
Tole and Jessica normally travel the world by bicycle but in this case they had to leave them behind in Ushuaia and their Antarctica tours cruise boat proved to more than an adequate substitute.
They were given a private room with a bathroom for the same price that would have only commanded a dorm room on another ship and the fact that there were less than 90 passengers means that the zodiac landings proceed a lot quicker...
Ship Name: Antarctic Dream
Travel Agent Used: Cox & Kings
December 2006 Mark Crosby
Source: Blogspot
Mark can't come up with enough superlatives to describe his experience so he just sticks to some of the highlights like the albatross that follows behind the ship for hours, so close that it can almost be touched.
And skirting the Antarctic circle even though the ice becomes too thick to proceed which just drives home the fact that Antarctica tours are full blown adventures and not just another holiday...
Being one of the few younger of the 160 travellers on board Elizabeth found herself delighted to mingle with the ship's crew and staff who were all wonderfully friendly, entertaining and knowledgeable people and she even found herself volunteering behind the bar when things got a little busy.
The cruise was not entirely free of obstacles, ice barricading the way ahead on more than one occasion, but the captain handled the ship gracefully.
Trips to now deserted huts where travellers of old found respite during the dark winter months left her with a taste of ancient explorations and a respect for those who ventured out there without the aid of modern technology we have at our disposal today, in conditions as extreme as only the Arctic can offer
Recently Added Review!!
For those considering to take the MS Fram to Antarctica, Patty has some useful advice. It's a large ship and personally she would rather have preferred one with less than 100 passengers.
On the other hand, if you're prone to sea-sickness, this vessel has a state of the art stabilization system.
She loved the penguins and other wildlife, and recommends a few books to help enhance your Antarctica tour.
Related Content: (opens in a new window)
Learn more about Antarctica tours from the Exploratorium website (check out the ice gallery)...
= Trip Summary 
= Full trip report 
= Video clip
