A luxurious safari to the heart of the great white continent; this safari is one of our favourite ways to see Antarctica. Be one of the few to visit the very bottom of the planet and stand on the South Pole before visiting the Akta Bay Emperor Penguin colony. Witness over 14,000 breeding pairs and their newly-hatched chicks as they start leaving their parent's feet for the first time!
Emperor Penguins Migrations
You hear them before you see them. A loud and almost brash call that alone would be shrill enough to make you jump. As the Emperor penguins call out to each other it sounds almost like a welcoming song
Visit the Akta Bay Emperor Penguin colony as the chicks are just leaving their parents feet for the first time and venturing out to explore.
Spend a night at an expedition camp in the beauty of the High Polar Plateau.
Explore the wilderness of Antarctica, trekking, hiking, venturing through ice tunnels and seeing magnificent ice waves from atop a 200ft cliff.
Enjoy the luxury of Whichaway Camp or Echo Camp and the surrounding area with your expert guides.
Be one of the few to visit the very bottom of the planet and stand at the South Pole.
Day 1: Cape Town - Antarctica
We advise you arrive in Cape Town at least two days before your scheduled flight to Antarctica. We fly to Antarctica (5 hours) and cross thousands of icebergs as we pass over the Southern Ocean. During the flight, we cross into the polar circle and into 24 hours of continuous daylight.
Cape Town
The distinctive Table Mountain sits in the city’s heart as its rather celebrated backdrop, protected within a national park that covers some 75% of the Cape Peninsula. The city itself is both architecturally vibrant and culturally diverse and looks and feels as European as it does African. It also offers an array of interesting places to visit, making it a hub that usually figures on a South African itinerary at some point, even for repeat visitors who are enchanted by its charms.
Settle into your camp and do as much or as little as you like each day. Activities range from gentle treks out to the incredible ice waves, to kite-skiing, summiting a nunatak, ice climbing and even abseiling into crevasses!
Whichaway Camp
Become one of only a few guests to ever stay at the most luxurious camp in the Polar Regions. The camp has a very easy and friendly feel to it and is run to strict environmental guidelines to minimise the impact on the environment. Accessible only by private charter flight, and with space for just 12 guests, Whichaway Camp is a once in a lifetime experience.
Fly 2 hours across Antarctica, providing immense views of the high polar plateau, before landing at the Emperor Penguin colony on the Weddel Sea ice shelf. Be among the very few who have ever witnessed such a spectacle, observing the real-life stars of ‘March of the Penguins’.
Emperor Penguins Migrations
You hear them before you see them. A loud and almost brash call that alone would be shrill enough to make you jump. As the Emperor penguins call out to each other it sounds almost like a welcoming song
Spend the day exploring the ice waves beneath our camp, delving into the series of ice tunnels. Wind your way through the snow and ice to an incredible vantage point on an Arctic Truck safari, taking in the panoramic views.
Wildlife in Antarctica
Following in the footprints of explorers such as Shackleton and Scott, you can experience incredible wildlife in Antarctica, which seems surprising on first glance in this land of superlatives – the coldest, windiest and driest location on Earth.
Leave early in the morning to fly across the mountain ranges before landing at 83° South to refuel. Walk around the high Polar Plateau before continuing to the South Pole itself. Take photos and stamp your passport before flying back to 83° South to overnight on the plateau.
Whales
Encounters with the Ocean’s Giants
One of the most memorable experiences, catching eye-contact always brings a sense of understanding between the two species, creating a connection and memory that will last long after your encounter ends.
After a night spent camping, you will be given a hearty breakfast, before boarding the plane once again for the flight back to to camp. The flight is the perfect chance to really appreciate the immense scale of Antarctica, before you return to camp for a three-course dinner.
Echo Camp
Inspired by the seminal age of Space exploration, Echo sits in quiet solitude encircled by pitted rock formations on the continent of Antarctcia. Echo is as close as you can get to feeling like you’re off the planet without leaving Earth. The space-age design of the ‘Sky Pods’ makes them look like they’ve been beamed down from Mars. Futuristic and luxurious, the six bedrooms are created from composite fibreglass with floor to ceiling windows allowing guests to soak in the moon-like landscape beyond. Perfect for exclusive use groups and catering for up to 12 people, Echo is an ultra-luxury experience on the 7th Continent. Echo is designed to be dismantled once used, leaving no trace on the Antarctic landscape. There is a whole range of activities and excursions for you to choose from during your stay at the Echo. Each morning after breakfast your personal guides will give you a number of options; the philosophy at this camp is that everything is entirely up to you! Whether you want to push yourself to the limits each day or take a few steps back - you decide. The expert guides are able to teach you everything you will need to become a polar explorer, from technical rock climbing to abseiling and kite-skiing to visiting the nearby 28,000 strong Emperor Penguin colony.
An adventurous hike along a winding cliff face affords guests stunning views over pressure ridges of ice that have been folded over millennia by the ocean. Our world-class mountain guides will lead you on this challenging hike, ensuring your safety at all times.
When to Go
The best time to visit Antarctica is during the the austral summer and Antarctic travel season run from mid-October through to March. Outside these times, it is not possible to travel to Antarctica. Weather, sea conditions, sunlight and wildlife sightings vary greatly as the continent’s climate can change from minute to minute, a true wilderness.
The flight out of Antarctica will be the last of your unforgettable Antarctic memories before you delve back into the noise and heat of Africa. You will be transferred to your hotel where you will have a chance to relax in a hot bath and think back to your Antarctic adventure!
Antarctica Guide
The free, beautiful and comprehensive guide to Antarctica safaris and travel.
The largest of all penguins—an average bird stands some 45 inches tall. These flightless animals live on the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters. Penguins employ physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors in order to deal with an incredibly harsh environment, where wind chills can reach -76°F. They huddle together to escape wind and conserve warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group’s protected and relatively toasty interior. Emperor penguins spend the long winter on the open ice—and even breed during this harsh season. Females lay a single egg and then promptly leave it behind. They undertake an extended hunting trip that lasts some two months!
Whichaway Camp
Become one of only a few guests to ever stay at the most luxurious camp in the Polar Regions. The camp has a very easy and friendly feel to it and is run to strict environmental guidelines to minimise the impact on the environment. Accessible only by private charter flight, and with space for just 12 guests in six luxury sleeping pods.
Echo Camp
Inspired by the seminal age of Space exploration, Echo sits in quiet solitude encircled by pitted rock formations on the continent of Antarctcia. Echo is as close as you can get to feeling like you’re off the planet without leaving Earth. The space-age design of the ‘Sky Pods’ makes them look like they’ve been beamed down from Mars. Futuristic and luxurious, the six bedrooms are created from composite fibreglass with floor to ceiling windows allowing guests to soak in the moon-like landscape beyond. Perfect for exclusive use groups and catering for up to 12 people, Echo is an ultra-luxury experience on the 7th Continent. Echo is designed to be dismantled once used, leaving no trace on the Antarctic landscape. There is a whole range of activities and excursions for you to choose from during your stay at the Echo. Each morning after breakfast your personal guides will give you a number of options; the philosophy at this camp is that everything is entirely up to you! Whether you want to push yourself to the limits each day or take a few steps back - you decide. The expert guides are able to teach you everything you will need to become a polar explorer, from technical rock climbing to abseiling and kite-skiing to visiting the nearby 28,000 strong Emperor Penguin colony.
