What Makes this Antarctica Adventure Stand Alone?
While Antarctica is an epic destination for adventure travelers, most never experience the fullness of this pristine polar realm. The majority travel via cruise ship, often with more than a hundred other passengers. And while such voyages generally include shore excursions and Zodiac outings, there’s still a level of buffering from the elements, from silence and solitude, that define an authentic encounter with this incomparable polar wilderness. That’s why we’ve created a different kind of Antarctica expedition – one that immerses you completely in the wilderness of the White Continent.
- An Exclusive Itinerary — No One Else Offers This Trip
Natural Habitat Expeditions is the world’s only company to offer this unique sailboat-based adventure. While others cross the Drake Passage via cruise ship, we do it like the legendary explorers of old did – on an authentic sailing vessel! Except our modern sailboat has an ice-strengthened steel hull and state-of-the-art navigation and safety equipment, ensuring that our thrilling voyage is also a much safer one than expeditioners endured a century ago.
- A Small-Group Wilderness Immersion
We take a maximum of just 8 travelers. Most Antarctica cruise ships carry from 80 to 150 passengers. On such voyages, you’re in the most remote place on the planet, yet you never get a break from the presence of many traveling companions, nor the noise of the ship. Our small-scale journey ensures a profound sense of solitude and quiet — ironically rare commodities on most Antarctic journeys!
- Exclusive Camping Opportunities
While some ships offer a chance for a single night’s camping on the ice, it happens in the company of up to 50 or 60 or more fellow travelers – not exactly the feel of a remote wilderness experience. We hold special permits from the National Science Foundation that allow us to spend six nights camping ashore, in locations far away from any other human presence. When we camp, it’s just us and the penguins and seals. While camping is optional, it’s usually a major highlight of our travelers’ experience.
- The Best Expeditionary Equipment
As part of our unwavering commitment to safety and comfort, we use the best and most up-to-date equipment available on the market, including top-quality safety and survival gear, tents, camping equipment and kayaks. Our gear is meticulously maintained, reducing the chance for unexpected mishaps as we travel.
- Highly Personalized Guiding
While most Antarctica ship operators travel with onboard experts from naturalists to polar historians, few guests have a chance to interact with them personally. Most are consigned to attending lectures in the ship's lounge, rather than traveling with them side by side, asking myriad questions, and developing the kind of friendship that typically accompanies any shared genuine adventure. In contrast, our naturalist Expedition Leader provides a level of personalized service you just won't find on other Antarctica trips. With tremendous depth of knowledge and experience in the southern polar realm, as well as training and resources from WWF’s renowned scientists, our guide embodies why we hold a global reputation for hiring the very best! See Expedition Leader bios with traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders.
- Our Quality Guarantee Ensures Your Antarctica Expedition
With Natural Habitat Expeditions, you receive our exclusive quality & value guarantee, clearly stating that we will meet the lofty expectations we set in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise.
- Feel Good About the Way You Travel
We all care about the planet, and on this adventure you can travel knowing that the emissions from your trip are 100% carbon-offset — Natural Habitat is the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company.
- Natural Habitat is WWF's Travel Partner
Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our worldwide adventures, we have been chosen by World Wildlife Fund -- the world's leading environmental conservation organization -- as its worldwide travel partner, a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!
Location of Adventure
Ushuaia, Argentina / Punta Arenas, Chile / Antarctic Peninsula
Group Size Limit
Due to the limited capacity of our sailing vessel, the S/V Australis, this trip can accommodate a maximum of just 8 travelers, plus our Natural Habitat Expeditions guide and crew. Such an intimate group guarantees an inimitable experience of Antarctica, and highly personalized encounters with the guides and naturalists we travel with.
Included
Accommodations including breakfast in hotels in Ushuaia and Punta Arenas; accommodations on board the
S/V Australis, welcome dinner in Ushuaia on Day 1 and farewell dinner in Punta Arenas on Day 18, respectively. All meals aboard the
S/V Australis, safe drinking water, services of a Natural Habitat Expeditions professional Expedition Leader and staff in Punta Arenas, one-way flight from King George Island to Punta Arenas, commissary equipment, camping equipment, most gratuities, boat transfer between Ushuaia and Puerto Williams, airport transfers in Ushuaia and Punta Arenas, permits for traveling and camping in Antarctica.
Not Included
Travel to Ushuaia, travel from Punta Arenas, dinner on Day 2 and lunches on Days 2 and Day 3 in Ushuaia, some gratuities, alcohol, phone calls, laundry, travel insurance, sleeping bags and pads, some other equipment items of a personal nature.
Mandatory Insurance
Medical Evacuation and Hospitalization Insurance is mandatory for all Natural Habitat Expeditions trips. It can be purchased as part of our Natural Habitat Protection Plan or acquired from another insurance provider. You will be required to submit proof of insurance prior to the trip, along with your insurance provider’s contact information.
Physical Requirements
This trip is rated
Extreme Adventure
This is a serious, expeditionary sailing trip in polar waters. We follow a flexible itinerary, and daily activities are exploratory in nature, requiring from participants a commitment to group unity, a willingness to face the unexpected, and to overcome any challenges we might face. While we will go ashore frequently, hiking will be limited due to ice conditions.
During our crossing of the Drake Passage it is required that everybody—clients, Expedition Leader, and crew—pitch in with the sailing. A watch schedule will be set up so that all get the chance to help sail the boat. You will be asked to be on watch, under supervision of one of the crew, both during the day and at night. This requires both physical and psychological stamina.
Sailing may be rough across the Drake Passage. Expedition members should be prepared for cold and windy weather and high seas, and to take precautions for seasickness. Accommodations on board the
S/V Australis are tight but comfortable, with shared toilet facilities. For onshore camping expeditions we will use North Face VE 25 Expedition 4-season tents. You will supply your own expedition-quality sleeping bag and air mattress or pad.
You will enjoy this adventure most if you are in good physical shape. While we won't be undertaking any activities that require a high level of fitness, you will nonetheless find that assisting with crewing the boat is much easier if you have physical strength and stamina. For a few months before departure, work on building your abdominal, leg, and arm/shoulder muscles. The more fit you are, the easier and better time you will have during our sailboat crossing of the Drake’s Passage.
Important Information
On this sailboat-based nature expedition we welcome men and women with the necessary spirit, a zest for serious adventure, and either experience with winter camping or a hardy constitution and avid enthusiasm for demanding conditions. All expedition members must be flexible and have an expeditionary attitude—the weather and oceans of the Antarctic are notorious for their quick changes and hostile environment. Of course, our trip will be blessed by safer and more comfortable expedition equipment then Shackleton and his crew had, but this is a place where nature tests our judgment and at the same time rewards the intrepid!
The Environment & Weather
Summer in Antarctica can exhibit all kinds of weather—mostly governed by the prevailing westerly winds and the Antarctic Ice Cap. The weather pattern is an unpredictable mixture of marine low-pressure systems and more stable high-pressure inland climate. The weather is largely influenced by the immense, frigid ice cap. Temperatures typically range from 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, you should prepare for all kinds of weather—sunshine as well as showers and snow storms. Winds can be both fierce and shifting, and the Antarctic seas are famous for ferocious katabatic storms (very rare, but possible).
Safety
Your safety is of paramount concern to us. Toward that end we provide highly competent guides and the very best equipment. Our guides are thoroughly trained in emergency wilderness first-aid techniques and have extensive experience in this environment. Ultimately, our guides make decisions with everyone’s comfort and safety in mind, while trying to maximize the adventure experience for each individual. We must stress that listening carefully to your guide’s instructions and directions is ultimately your responsibility and in your best interest and that of the group.
Specialized Equipment
We provide all group gear such as life jackets, tents, stoves and kitchen, a comprehensive first-aid kit and satellite phone for emergency communications. We will supply you with an individual and very comprehensive Clothing & Equipment list.
Getting There & Getting Home
Arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina on Day 1 no later than 5 pm, and depart anytime from Punta Arenas, Chile on the final day.
We can serve you best if our Natural Habitat Adventures Travel Desk makes your reservations, as we are intimately familiar with the special requirements of this program and can arrange the most efficient travel. Please call us at 1-800-543-8917. Note that while we offer you the best possible rates available to us on airfare and additional nights' accommodations, you may find special web rates or better fares online.
Reading List
Longitude Books has created a custom comprehensive listing of
Antarctica: The Ultimate Polar Nature Expedition adventure travel books for this trip.
(800) 543-8917 for Availability 
Print Page
A National Geographic Traveler Trip of a Lifetime! Paddle Greenland’s remote East Coast. Meet the Inuit, pick wild blueberries and soak up the Midnight Sun.
Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month, starting on February 5th! 
Studies suggest that two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population could be gone by 2050. And if current warming trends continue unabated, WWF scientists and other researchers believe that polar bears may disappear altogether within 100 years. WWF is intent on preventing this from happening. 
Our staff is based out of Nairobi, Kenya. Welcome to our home base! 
Our exclusive Quality & Value Guarantee gives our travelers the confidence to make their travel plans knowing that they will have their lofty expectations met and that the fees we charge reflect the quality of the experience provided on our trips.