Antarctica
Antarctica is a continent set aside for peace and science, and it feels like stepping into another world. Gentoo penguins waddle along well-worn highways in the snow, humpback whales surface beside icebergs glowing electric blue, and mountains rise straight from the sea under a sky that stays bright late into the night. It is the coldest, windiest, and wildest place on Earth, and the animals greet you with remarkable curiosity.
The magic of Antarctica is how it changes you. Your days follow the ice and weather, with Zodiac landings among penguin colonies, kayaks gliding through still bays, and evenings on deck watching the light turn the glaciers gold. The route you choose, the ship you sail on, and the month you travel all shape what you’ll see, from penguin chicks and whales to king penguins on South Georgia. I love helping you find the journey that fits your dream of the White Continent!
A Note from the Field:
PiperMoments Worth the Journey
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![Two gentoo penguins standing face to face on a pebble beach.]()
Gentoo penguins and their pebble politics
Gentoo penguins build their nests from small stones, and the best pebbles are always in short supply. Watch from the edge of the colony as one penguin carefully steals a stone from a neighbor’s nest, then waddles back with an air of complete innocence.
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![Snowcapped Antarctic peaks beneath a soft pink sky, mirrored in calm water.]()
Sailing the Lemaire Channel
Sheer peaks and glaciers rise on either side of this narrow, mile-long passage. On calm days the water turns to glass, mirroring every mountain as your ship weaves between icebergs.
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![A humpback whale surfacing in a calm bay beside a floating iceberg and a towering glacier.]()
Humpback whales in the bays
Late in the season, humpbacks gather to feed in the sheltered bays of the Antarctic Peninsula. From a Zodiac you hear them exhale before they surface, and on lucky days they roll right alongside to take a look at you.
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![A kayaker in a red jacket paddling a green kayak past icebergs in still water.]()
Kayaking among the icebergs
Paddle through a bay filled with floating ice sculptures, each carved into a different shape by wind and water. Crabeater seals rest on the floes and penguins porpoise past your kayak.
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![A spotted leopard seal raising its head while resting on a snowy ice floe.]()
Leopard seals on the ice
With their spotted coats and wide grins, leopard seals are the top hunters of the Antarctic waters. You often find one stretched out on an ice floe, watching your Zodiac with lazy interest.
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![A group of king penguins standing on mossy rocks in South Georgia, with snowy mountains behind them.]()
King penguins of South Georgia
On the beaches of Salisbury Plain and St Andrews Bay, hundreds of thousands of king penguins gather in one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth. Fluffy brown chicks huddle together while elephant seals snore nearby on the sand.
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![The old whaling station at Grytviken, with red buildings, a white church, and historic boats along the harbor beneath rugged mountains.]()
A toast to Shackleton at Grytviken
At the old whaling station of Grytviken on South Georgia, explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton rests in a small cemetery overlooking the harbor. Travelers gather at his grave to raise a glass of whisky in his honor, a tradition that dates back generations.
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![An aerial view of Deception Island’s ring-shaped volcanic caldera surrounded by dark sea.]()
Sailing into Deception Island
Your ship slips through a narrow gap in the cliffs into the flooded caldera of an active volcano. Walk past the remains of an old whaling station on black sand beaches where steam drifts up from the shore.
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![The black and red wooden buildings of Port Lockroy on a rocky island, with snowy mountains reflected in the water.]()
The Penguin Post Office at Port Lockroy
At a historic British base on a tiny island, a small team runs the world’s southernmost public post office, open during the Antarctic summer. Send a postcard home while gentoo penguins nest right outside the door.
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![A line of penguins walking along a snowy slope above a calm bay scattered with icebergs.]()
Crossing the Antarctic Circle
When the ice allows, your ship sails south past 66°33', where only a small share of Antarctic travelers ever go. Mark the moment on deck with a celebration and a little ceremony.
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![A large colony of emperor penguins gathered on the sea ice beneath snowy mountains.]()
Emperor penguins on the sea ice
Early in the season, select icebreaker voyages bring travelers to emperor penguin colonies on the frozen sea. Standing nearly four feet tall, the emperors gather by the thousands as their chicks stay warm on their parents’ feet.
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![A wandering albatross gliding low over deep blue ocean waves.]()
Albatrosses over the Drake Passage
The crossing between South America and Antarctica is famous for its waves, and the albatrosses love it. Wandering albatrosses, with wingspans of more than ten feet, glide alongside the ship for hours without a single flap.
Ways to Experience the Arctic
Most Antarctic journeys begin in Ushuaia, Argentina, at the tip of South America, followed by two days at sea across the Drake Passage. Once you arrive, only one ship can visit a landing site at a time, and no more than 100 guests can be ashore together. Ships carrying more than 500 guests cannot land at all, so smaller ships mean more time on the ice and more places to explore.
Small Expedition Ship
These ships welcome around 100 to 200 guests, so everyone can head ashore at each landing and the expedition team gets to know you by name. Many offer kayaking, camping on the ice, and talks from naturalists and polar historians.
Best for couples and travelers who want the most time ashore and a close-knit group.
Luxury Expedition Ship
& Icebreaker
These ice-class ships bring the comforts of a boutique hotel: suites with balconies, a spa, fine dining, and experts in polar science and photography. A few polar-class icebreakers go even further, reaching emperor penguin colonies and the remote Ross Sea.
Best for travelers who want more space and amenities, families with older children, and anyone dreaming of the most remote corners of the continent.
Luxury Ice Camps
Fly from Cape Town deep into the Antarctic interior to a luxury camp of heated pods set on the ice. Spend your days exploring ice caves, climbing nunataks, and visiting an emperor penguin colony, then return each evening for a gourmet dinner and a warm bed.
Best for travelers who want a once-in-a-lifetime adventure far beyond the Peninsula.
The Other End of the Journey
Every year, the Arctic tern, the bird behind the name Tern & Meridian, flies from the Arctic all the way to Antarctica to enjoy a second summer. If the White Continent has you dreaming, follow the tern north and discover the other end of its journey.
