A Guide to visit Antarctica, the world’s coldest continent

Visiting the coldest continent on earth is atop many bucket lists. Incredibly remote, with an untouched and dramatic landscape, it’s one of the genuinely pristine places left to explore in the entire world. Glaciers, icebergs, mountains, and incredible wildlife await, with stunning scenery around every turn. Getting there is no easy feat, though. A small ship cruise is the best way to explore Antarctica, with the opportunity to get off the boat and actually set foot on land, through various excursions that are only allowed on ships with less than 500 guests.

Hurtigruten Expeditions has been sailing to Antarctica for more than 20 years and is a top-notch choice for small-ship travel. They do a fantastic job of showing guests what Antarctica has to offer with a wide array of on-land and water-based adventures. The season runs from November to March, during Antarctica’s summer months, and ranges in length from 12-23 day cruises.

Spot whales at breakfast, learn about the history of Antarctica through onboard lectures, hike to a penguin colony, and drool over stunning scenery…and this is all just over the span of one day. A cruise to Antarctica is a trip of a lifetime, but we’ll let these photos do the talking.

How To Get There
Antarctica is far: fact. Although there are a couple of different ways to travel to Antarctica, a cruise ship is the most popular. With Hurtigruten Expeditions ‘Highlights of Antarctica’ 12-day cruise, you’ll fly into Buenos Aires where you can enjoy a pre or post-trip excursion, like the Buenos Aires city tour or exploring Tierra del Fuego National Park out of Ushuaia. Tacking on a few extra days either before or after your Antarctica cruise is a fantastic idea to maximize your trip as well as to rest between the legs of your journey.

From Buenos Aires, you’ll embark on a 3-hour flight to Ushuaia, aka the “end of the world” located at the southernmost edge of Argentina. In addition to being a major hub for cruise ships leaving and returning from Antarctica, it’s also a jumping-off point for exploring Tierra del Fuego National Park and boat tours that venture into the Beagle Channel. Once you board your ship in Ushuaia, it’s two days through the Drake Passage, notorious for rough waters, however, when you wake up that first morning once you reach Antarctica, it’ll all be worth it.

What To Pack
Packing for a big trip like Antarctica can be a bit overwhelming, but Hurtigruten Expeditions makes it a lot easier by providing water and windproof jackets (that you can keep!) and warm, waterproof boots that you can use for the duration of your trip (you’ll have to return these). A reusable water bottle is provided and optional trekking poles are available as well for hiking excursions. This saves some room in your luggage for other essentials, like wool baselayers, hats and gloves, waterproof pants, fleece mid-layers, sunglasses, a drybag, and plenty of socks. Even if you don’t typically get seasick, it’s key to bring something for motion sickness, such as Dramamine, sea-band wristbands, or a prescription patch. Another item that’s nice to have on board, is a pair of slippers for walking around the ship’s interior.

When traveling to such a beautiful and unique destination, you’re going to want to have some sort of camera with you to capture the magic. Of course, our smartphones typically can do a fairly good job, but for this type of trip, having a camera with capabilities for higher quality photos and a zoom lens will get you memorable shots, particularly of wildlife. For travel, the Sony Alpha mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are both lightweight and capable. If you’re serious about getting solid wildlife images, the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS Full-frame Telephoto Zoom G Lens is the way to go. It produces crisp, tight shots, and paired with the Sony A 7 IV or V, has superior auto-tracking and eye recognition specifically for animals and birds. If you’d prefer a compact camera that still offers high-quality images, the Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100M3 is a great choice as well.

Life Onboard
Even if you’ve traveled on a cruise before, an Antarctic cruise is a touch different. For two days on both ends of the cruise, you’ll be venturing through The Drake Passage, allowing for plenty of free time onboard. For safety purposes, the pool and hot tub are off-limits until calmer waters are reached, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a ton of other things to keep you occupied. Of course, eating and grabbing drinks in the Explorer’s Lounge with sweeping views is enjoyable, but if you want to expand your agenda to include some education as well as relaxation, that’s possible too. Yes, there is also, somehow, wifi in this remote section of the world, and, in fact, Hurtigruten Expeditions has installed Starlink in partnership with Speedcast across their fleet, so perusing the internet is doable. However, there are still some areas where the signal might be weak or non-existent.

Visit the spa or take in the epic views from the wide windows of the steamy sauna. Stop into the library and pour over amazing photography books or borrow a title that’s perfect for kicking up your feet and diving in. Attend one of the many onboard lectures with topics ranging from penguins and polar exploration to the history of Antarctica and climate change; it’s an amazing opportunity to learn about the place you’re visiting from knowledgeable staff. Feeling artsy? Join the knitting or clay modeling art workshops. Walk around the outdoor deck and take in the gorgeous surroundings, watch for wildlife, absorb a sunrise or sunset, and listen to the pure silence.

**Pro tip: book your spa treatment on day 1, as they fill up quickly!

Wildlife Sightings
Antarctica isn’t just pretty scenery (though icebergs and glaciers are amazing). Incredible wildlife calls this continent home and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see all different kinds of creatures during your visit. Penguins are one of the main wildlife sightings to get excited about, with species like Adelie, Chinstrap, and Gentoos the most likely types you’ll view. Keep an eye out for whales such as humpbacks, minke, fin, blue, and even orcas; be ready at all times to hurry out to the deck to snap a photo. Perhaps you’ll sail past a leopard seal sprawled out on an iceberg, or a Weddell seal taking a nap in the midst of a penguin colony. Above, you might see birdlife such as diving petrels, cormorants, or blue-eyed shags. Of course, this is just the tip of the wildlife iceberg.

**Pro tip: if you want to plan your trip based on particular wildlife sighting opportunities, it’s key to note that penguin chicks typically hatch in December and January and whale watching is best in February and March.

Hiking in Antarctica
Setting foot on Antarctica is a feeling unlike any other. Participating in one of the hiking excursions will land you in the thick of the continent’s stunning scenery. Hike up the mountainside in picturesque Orne Harbour, where, when you reach the top, you get to see a colony of Chinstrap penguins first-hand. Sweeping views of icebergs bobbing in the water, windswept snow, and nearby glaciers will leave you swooning, but your trekking poles will help keep you steady. The trails are marked by the expedition leaders prior to arriving, and it’s crucial to stay on the dedicated path to keep the environment as pristine as possible. Other hiking excursions might include Damoy Point where a colony of Gentoo penguins resides, Cuverville Island, where 7,000 Gentoo penguins can be found, and Deception Island, where you can trek on an active volcano and then do the polar plunge.

Explore Old Huts and Research Stations
Get a glimpse of what it was like to live in research housing in Antarctica. There are various research stations and huts built by the 12 countries in the Antarctic Treaty. One such station that you may have the opportunity to venture inside, is the Wordie House, located on Winter Island. Built in 1947 and named after British scientist and Antarctic explorer James Wordie, this hut is now a preserved historic site and contains original artifacts such as typewriters, pots and pans, and cans of coffee and Ovaltine. A walk-through of this hut is a portal to the past and a glimpse at what life might’ve looked like to live in Antarctica for a period of time.

**Landings are subject to the specific schedule/itinerary, which can differ for each sailing, as well as weather dependent.

Photography Tips for Antarctica
You’ll likely want to have your camera on you at all times to capture the utterly ridiculous beauty and wildlife surrounding you on your Antarctica trip. There are, however, rules and restrictions for taking photos that are helpful to know about, as well as certain tips and tricks that will be beneficial in assisting you to get the best shots you can get. Due to the fragile environment and prioritizing the safety of wildlife in Antarctica, everything needs to be as clean as possible when setting foot on land, and that includes tripods. Boot washing stations serve as a great spot to clean your tripod feet in between landings. Additionally, it should be noted that you may not set a camera bag (or any bag for that matter) down on the ground to change lenses, or set up your shot. Be prepared before you head out, and keep your bag slung over your shoulder or on your back the entire time. The fickle weather will certainly keep things interesting, so it’s best to have a waterproof bag and lens wipes to keep things clean and dry.

As tempting as it is to approach the wildlife, the rule is to keep at least 5 meters (16.4 feet) of distance between yourself and those cute little penguins (and anything else). So, although the penguins may approach you, they have the right away and space should be carefully made for them to pass. This is where a good zoom lens comes into play so you can get those tight shots without breaking any wildlife rules. Additionally, since it’s a cold climate, it’s key to have backup batteries on you, as they drain faster in the chilly temperatures. Keeping an extra battery in an interior coat pocket is a good idea as it’ll stay warmer against your body versus in your bag.

Lottery Landings
While aboard the Hurtigruten Expeditions ship, you’ll have the opportunity to enter the lottery to win a spot on the additional excursions offered, which include one night of camping on Antarctic soil, snowshoeing, kayaking, and joining a science boat as they do their research, such as whale tracking. With limited spots available, these excursions require guests to submit their names for a chance to participate, and if you’re chosen, it does, in fact, feel like winning the Antarctic lottery. Imagine paddling around icebergs as penguins glide in and out of the water next to you, or spending the night in a tent next to a calving glacier.

Polar Plunge
A polar plunge in Antarctic waters is the grand finale of your trip and is likely, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The cold (okay, very cold) water will certainly be invigorating, and what better way to commemorate your trip than with a dunk in the ocean? You’ll even get a nice, signed certificate saying that you successfully polar-plunged that you can frame for your wall at home, in addition to the photos, videos, and memories of doing it. If your last stop in Antarctica is Deception Island, you can expect to hike around first and take in the scenery, and then strip down to your suit and walk willingly into the frigid waters to the cheers of other guests from your ship.