Visiting Antarctica is on many people’s bucket lists, and it can be quite a daunting task to even begin to plan this trip of a lifetime. I know when I started planning, I easily spent months deciding which company to take this trip with. The following post goes over some of the best Antarctica cruises and Antarctica tour companies to use.
This post hopefully helps take some of the legwork and guesswork out of which company to book and I have compiled reviews of some of the more popular options. This way, you can find the best Antarctica tour company for you! Also, make sure to check out these tips for visiting Antarctica once you book your trip and learn more about the cost of visiting Antarctica.
Table of Contents
Best Time To Visit Antarctica
The best Antarctica cruises run from November to March as this is summertime in Antarctica. Wildlife is most active during this time and it offers the most hours of daylight. The best time to visit during these months depends on what you would like to see. Prices are typically cheaper in November and March.
- Largest Icebergs: November to December
- Penguins Chicks: December to February
- Whales: December to April
- Breeding Elephant Seals: November to December
- Ross Sea: January to February
- Warmest Weather: December to February
What is the Best Antarctica Cruise to Choose?
When deciding on the best Antarctica cruises or Antartica tour company, there are several things you should think about. Knowing what you want for the following questions will help narrow down some options for you.
- What is my budget?
- How long do I want my Antarctica trip to be?
- How large of a ship do I want to be on?
- What amenities do I want on the ship?
- What excursions do I want to take?
- Do I want flights to Ushuaia included?
The Best Antarctica Tour Companies
Hurtigruten
Cost: $8000 and up
Length: 12-23 days
Passengers: 500
Hurtigruten is one of the best Antarctica tour companies for those wanting to spend the least amount possible while still being able to step foot on the continent.
Their cruises range from 12 to 23 days that begin in Buenos Aires and includes a charter flight to and from Ushuaia. Cruises start at around $8000 with longer voyages starting at $17,000.
Included with your Hurtigruten Cruise are flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, all meals, beverages at meals, a parka you get to keep, boots and hiking poles to borrow for the trip, educational lectures onboard, and photography help.
There are a lot of pros to traveling with Hurtigruten. The staff was all very friendly and had a lot of knowledge. The educational lectures were very interesting and we learned a lot from them. There were a lot more amenities on the ship since it was a larger ship. The biggest pro for me was it included flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
Nevertheless, there were still some cons to booking with Hurtigruten. While it was nice to be on a larger ship, it meant less time on land as only 100 people can get off the ship at once. This also meant it was not as intimate as the staff-to-passenger ratio was about 1:4.
Another con is that all of the excursions are a lottery and you cannot pre-book any of them. Thus, if you have your heart set on camping or kayaking, it is better to go with a company where you can book these excursions from the beginning. This was also not communicated to us upfront. Nevertheless, Hurteigruten is still one of the best Antarctica cruises.
Viking Cruises
By Amanda (a friend I met on a Panama Canal Cruise)
Cost: $12,000 and up
Length: 13-35 days
Passengers: 378
Viking Cruises is one of the best best Antarctica cruises and Antarctica tour companies for many reasons. A Viking cruise to Antarctica is an all-inclusive cruise where you do have to worry about additional costs once on board. They even include activities like kayaking and a submarine voyage.
They offer three different cruises that range from $12k to $68k depending on the length of time, type of room booked, and the number of people in a room. All three cruises start in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and include a charter flight to and from Ushuaia.
Viking has two Expedition ships: The Octantis and Polaris. Both ships are exactly the same model and hold up to 378 guests. Each passenger gets an outer jacket to take home. Boots, outer pants, and poles are provided.
The ships have zodiacs, two special operation boats, two submarines, and pedal “kayaks”. The zodiacs are used to go ashore or just travel around in a smaller area. The Special Operation Boats hold twelve people in shock-absorbing seats and can travel further from the ship. The submarines hold six passengers and a pilot. The pedal kayaks hold two people and are powered by foot power.
At both lunch and dinner, beer and wine are included; if one wants other alcoholic beverages, there is a beverage package, or you can buy additional drinks. There are three eating areas: World Cafe, Restaurant, and Manfredi’s (an Italian restaurant). Both the Restaurant and Manfredi’s require a reservation.
The cons of Viking Cruises is the selection of activities depending on room classification. Another con, which applies to most cruise lines, is that there is no reduction for a solo traveler. A solo traveler has to pay the price of almost two people.
G Adventures
By Cherene of Wandering Redhead
Cost: $9400 and up
Length: 11-22 days
Passengers: 130
I did G Adventure’s 14-day “Quest For the Antarctic Circle” trip on the MS Expedition ship which holds 130 guests. I chose this trip because of the length (12 nights on the ship and 7 days on Antarctic Peninsula) and because it crosses the Antarctic Circle.
The cost of this trip was $10,000. I saved money by booking a quad room but spent $1000 more by adding kayaking. I received a 5% discount because it was my 2nd G Adventures tour. The prices for 2024 start at $9399 for this exact trip (they offer many other trips). The prices change depending on the time of year and the type of room.
All meals are included. They provide a parka which you can keep as well as waterproof boots for excursions which you do not keep. There is no single supplement so great for solo travelers.
G Adventures has over 30 years of history of polar expeditions and has strong environmental and sustainability initiatives, thus making it one of the best Antarctic tour companies. They attract a younger and more adventurous type of guest. I honestly cannot think of any cons except it is not THE most luxurious ship in the Antarctic.
I was pleasantly surprised by how luxurious the MS Expedition ship was! It exceeded my expectations in every way. The crew was excellent and the food was spectacular. There was never a dull moment.
They had many scientists and we enjoyed presentations by whale and seal experts, bird experts, geology experts, Antarctic history experts, and more. I came away from this trip with so much knowledge. They had fun nighttime activities such as karaoke, a ship musician, and game nights
I enjoyed this trip immensely and cannot imagine how it could have been any better, making it one of the best Antarctica cruises. I am actually planning to do their Arctic trip on this same ship someday.
Oceanwide Expeditions
Cost: $8000 and up
Length: 10-33 days
Passengers: 100
Oceanwide Expeditions is one of the most experienced and one of the best Antarctica cruises and cruise operators. Based out of the Netherlands, Oceanwide has an international staff of guides, captains, chefs, and support staff. The staff is all very knowledgeable about Antarctica and local wildlife, many having backgrounds in biology or other sciences.
What really sets Oceanwide apart from other similar operators is their attentiveness to your experience. The guest-to-staff ratio is 2:1 and they only allow slightly over 100 guests on each cruise. The 100 number is significant since in Antarctica, no more than 100 visitors can be on land at each landing point at a time due to regulations.
There are numerous different Antarctica cruises offered by Oceanwide and just about all of them leave from Ushuaia, Argentina. While the most popular is the “classic” Antarctica cruise, which takes you to the tip of the Antarctic peninsula and back, Oceanwide also offers regular departures for South Georgia Island and the Falkland Islands. This iconic cruise adds these two penguin paradises onto four days in Antarctica. They also offer some other less common cruises that take you much deeper into the White Continent.
Cruises with Oceanwide start at about $8000 per person for the classic Antarctica cruise and can go up to over $30,000 for the longer cruises. They do, however, participate in the last-minute deals program, where unsold cabins are offered at discount rates in the days prior to disembarkation. So if your dates are flexible you can wait for prices to drop and book last-minute.
The ships themselves are former research vessels. The downside of Oceanwide is that it’s not as luxurious as some other cruise operators. Cabins are very basic and there is limited entertainment on board. The food is excellent though, and what it lacks in luxuries, it surely makes up with the amazing crew whose one goal is to make sure you have the experience of a lifetime. And when you cruise to Antarctica on Oceanwide Expeditions you certainly will!
Intrepid Travel
By Elli of The Wandering Quinn
Cost: $7340 and up
Length: 11-21 days
Passengers: 200
The well-known tour company Intrepid is fairly new in the Antarctica game but following my recent Antarctica cruise with them, I can’t fault them at all as it was one of the best Antarctica cruises
Their ship is the Ocean Endeavour, and I did the 11-day Best of Antarctica tour. They also do longer expeditions, there’s a 14-day tour available to book which offers more stops on the Antarctic Peninsula, and a 21-day tour visiting South Georgia and the Falkland Islands as well as the Antarctic Peninsula.
Following my trip and how long it takes to get to Antarctica, including time spent in Ushuaia at the start and end, I really think if you can stretch your time and money to go on a longer tour, it would be well worth it
Our ship the Ocean Endeavour was a great ship to be on. It is not a luxurious ship, but that is reflected in the competitive price, with prices starting from $7400 for an 11-day Best of Antarctica tour, and it still had great facilities such as a hot tub, sauna, small gym, yoga room, library, and many other rooms to relax and socialize in.
Food is a big part of a cruise, even a cruise to Antarctica, and I was really impressed by our meals on board, which often included a 3-course a la carte dinner.
The Intrepid staff were all really professional, and they tried really hard to get us out on all the excursions and to genuinely give us the best possible experience in Antarctica the staff is a huge asset to Intrepid.
A highlight of the trip for me was the educational program that the expedition staff delivered throughout the trip. The staff was really passionate about their jobs and Antarctica, and it was a real privilege to learn from them as well as to see Antarctica with them.
Quark Expeditions
By Merry of Virginia Vacation Guide
Cost: $5000 and up
Length: 8-23 days
Passengers: 200
Quark Expeditions is one of the best Antarctica tour companies that specialize in polar voyages to both the Arctic and Antarctica. Quark offers a wide range of trips to Antarctica. Some are as short as eight days, while others are as long as 23 days.
The longest trip they offer is titled Epic Antarctica and includes two days at the Falkland Islands, four days at South Georgia, and seven days on the Antarctica peninsula, including a trip south of the Antarctic Circle. For travelers with a shorter time frame, Quark offers flying tours that reach Antarctica much quicker by plane from Punta Arenas, Chile.
Antarctica trips with Quark range in price from about $5,000 per person up to $40,000 or more per person. These prices are based on the type of trip, the length of the trip, and the room type. Some travelers choose to share a room with one, two, or even three other guests to keep costs lower. Quark also offers sales throughout the year.
The price of the tour generally includes a cabin on the ship, all meals, and complimentary wine and beer. You will also get a free waterproof parka to keep and rental muck boots for traveling by zodiac around Antarctica. Due to the cold climate, you will still want to make sure to bring proper cold-weather travel gear, including wool socks, base layers, and hand and feet warmers.
One of the pros of booking with Quark is the wide range of activities you can book as part of your trip, including kayaking, camping, hiking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Quark is also known for its excellent, knowledgeable guides, many of whom are expert scientists in their field.
Quark also features excellent ships with extra amenities. The Ocean Endeavor focuses on wellness and has free yoga classes, a fitness center, a spa, and even a pool and hot tub! The newly built Ultramarine features state-of-the-art amenities like a theater, multiple restaurants, a spa, a sauna, and even two helicopters on board to really take your Antarctic adventure to the next level.
Quark is also known for serving excellent food onboard. The meals feature a wide variety of fabulous meat, vegetable, and fish dishes, along with an assortment of delectable desserts. The food makes it one of the best Antarctica cruises.
One of the major drawbacks of Quark is that they operate some of the bigger expedition ships in Antarctica. Some of the ships have as many as 200 guests on board. This means that you will generally have less time on shore because more groups will need to rotate into zodiacs for landings. Antarctica strictly limits the number of people who can be on land at any given time in order to preserve the environment.
Albatros Expeditions
By Ruma of The Holiday Story
Cost: $9400 and up
Length: 10-20 days
Passengers: 186
Albatros Expeditions is a travel company from Denmark famous for its cruise tourism in Antarctica. They specialize in providing sustainable polar expeditions, thus making them one of the best Antarctica tour companies. The company was established in 1986 by Søren Rasmussen. Today, it’s operated by the Rasmussen family, who started the Antarctica expeditions in 2017.
Ocean Atlantic and Ocean Victory are the two ships deployed for these expeditions. Among them, Ocean Victory is a new model with top-notch amenities and a capacity of 186 guests. They offer nine different tour plans to explore the southern polar region. The shortest tour takes ten days to complete. The longest is their 20-day voyage.
This tour includes South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica. All trips to Antarctica begin at Ushuaia, Argentina. The price for one varies between $9,999 to $14,999 according to the time of booking.
The booking includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon snacks. Beverage options are tea or coffee. Rubber boots, parkas, and other necessities are provided for all excursions.
Expeditions are led by an experienced guide who gives a detailed tour of each place. Many of these excursions include hiking and Zodiac boats. Onboard activities include certain workshops and lectures. The need for more entertaining activities onboard might tire the guests on long trips.
Albatros Expeditions takes special care of both its guests and pristine Antarctica, thus making it one of the best Antarctica cruises. Their strive to sustainably educate people about this fascinating White Continent has brought them to the top of their game.
Poseidon Expeditions
By Kay of The Awkward Traveller
Cost: $7000 and up
Length: 11-17 days
Passengers: 111
Poseidon Expeditions offers some of the best Antarctica cruises. Their cruises range from 11-17 days. Depending on the length of the cruise, room prices per person start at $7,000 to $16,000 for triple suites and $15,000 to $30,000 for more luxurious rooms.
All meals, happy hour snacks, 24-hour tea and coffee, and special event cocktails and mocktails are included in the price of the cruise. As far as clothing items, you get a branded parka to keep, excursion boots, and hiking poles to borrow.
Prior to embarking, you get a luxury hotel night stay in Ushuaia and airport transfers before and after the cruise. After the cruise, you get a USB drive of all professional wildlife and personal photos taken by the onboard photographer and a digital log of every day’s itinerary.
Poseidon had many pros, which included a small boat that allowed for longer landings (2-4 hours each), complimentary photography lessons (and photography-specific excursions), and language interpreters/translators available. If you have chosen the kayaking add-on, you are able to kayak as often as the weather permits.
Nevertheless, there are still a few cons when booking with Poseidon. Poseidon does not include the price of extra activities such as camping ($285 USD) or kayaking ($895 USD). Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are also not included.
The Best Scenic Antarctica Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
By Karen of Forever Karen
Cost: $2100 and up
Length: 14 days
Passengers: 2,850
Celebrity Cruises offers an Antarctica cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse for 2024 and Celebrity Equinox for 2025. The 14-day round trip itineraries sail from Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is one of the best Antarctica cruises because of its price.
Expect to pay about $2,100 per person for an inside cabin or $2,900 per person for a balcony stateroom, with taxes and port fees included. All meals, coffee, tea, and juices are included, but alcoholic drinks, WiFi, and gratuities are extra.
The itinerary typically includes four port days in Ushuaia (Argentina), Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), Puerto Madryn (Argentina), and Montevideo in Uruguay. But the highlight of any Antarctica cruise is sailing around Cape Horn and to the frozen landscape of the South Pole.
You will enjoy a day savoring the massive icebergs in the Schollart Channel, followed by a day of seeing Gentoo penguins in Paradise Bay. The Gerlache Strait offers whale sightings, and Elephant Island is a wildlife haven for elephant seals and several types of penguins.
Celebrity vessels also have an indoor pool, complimentary saunas, and steam rooms, ideal for cruising to a cold destination.
By sailing with Celebrity Cruises, you will see a bucket list destination at a price you can afford.
However, guests on a Celebrity vessel will only enjoy views of the frozen landscape from the ship. If you go on a smaller expedition cruise, they will allow guests to take day trips by Zodiac to the bays.
The Best Antarctica Flightseeing Tours
Chimu Adventures
By Alyse of The Invisible Tourist
Cost: $830 and up
Length: 1 day
Passengers: 178
Did you know it is possible to take a day trip to Antarctica from Australia? Yes, it’s true! Departing a few times a year, Chimu Adventures has teamed up with Antarctica Flights and Qantas to bring us specialized sightseeing flights from Australian cities over our icy continent.
As the sightseeing flight does not actually land in Antarctica, it is considered a domestic journey, so no passport is needed for Australians. Sit back and relax on this 12-14 hour flight, with a good 4 hours flying at low altitude over glaciers, mountain peaks, and icebergs the size of large cities.
One of the pros of this experience is prices range from $830 for an Explorer Economy seat to $5,530 for Business Class, so there is an option to suit every budget.
Included in the price is commentary from expeditions, an info pack, and an in-flight auction for artifacts from Antarctica. Meals and beverages are also included and are the same as would be served on a long-haul international flight. You are even able to have a celebratory glass of sparkling wine if you wish.
As mentioned in this Antarctica Flights review, the only downside of this Chimu Adventures/Antarctica Flights trip is if you purchase the cheapest seat. It has no window so it would be difficult to try and see much through other passengers’ windows. Nevertheless, it is one of the best Antarctica cruises by plane!
Final Thoughts on the Best Antarctica Cruises
Other popular Antarctica cruises and tour companies include Lindblad Expeditions, which often partners with National Geographic, Silversea, Heritage Expeditions, and Bark EUROPA. Holland America also does a fabulous scenic Antarctica cruise. No matter which of the best Antarctica cruises or tour companies you choose, it will be the experience of a lifetime and well worth all of the planning.
10 thoughts on “10+ of the Best Antarctica Cruises: Which Antarctica Tour Company Should You Book?”
Great collab! I want to go to Antarctica again! I would definitely do G Adventures again but Intrepid or Quark would be a solid choice for me as well 🙂
Thank you for contributing! Quark and GAdventures sound awesome!
Wow this is such a great guide !! My parents are super interested in these cruises so I can’t wait to share this with them 🙌🏼
Antarctica is truly a bucket-list travel experience. I hope I have an opportunity to visit one day. Your thorough guide will be immensely helpful in choosing a tour operator. Thank you for your thoughtful insights.
As a travel agent, I can attest that Gadventures, Hurtigruten, and Intrepid Travel are all top-notch tour companies. Antarctica cruises are so pricey!
A cruise to the Antartica is so high on my bucketlist. Unfortunately, I’m a solo traveller so I’d have to pay double so I doubt I’ll ever get there. I didn’t realize there were so many cruiselines that went to the Antartica.
I would love to go to Antarctica!
I bet the wildlife would be amazing to see
This is so helpful! I’ve been dreaming of going to Antarctica for a long time and now it’s time to start saving to make it happen. These tours aren’t cheap but I’m sure it’ll be worth it
I’m going on a Princess Cruise to Antarctica in 3 weeks. I was a little bummed to see it didn’t make your list, so I’m hoping it’s still a good one.
With the Princess cruises you do not get off an go on land, so they are a little different!