This adventure has been designed based on years of experience in travelling in this region. We will start our voyage in Ushuaia, on the most southern tip of South America in Tierra de Fuego. Our ship will be the purpose designed and built
Ocean Explorer operated by the Polar experts, Quark Expeditions and featuring the ULSTEIN X-BOW®, a marine engineering innovation that ensures a comfortable and smooth sailing experience thanks to the inverted bow.
We have deliberately chosen this later time of year as any earlier and the fast ice – that is ice sheets held ‘fast’ against the shore – will stop any zodiac landing. Rather than just Crossing the Antarctic Circle, the aim is to also land and explore. While this is not guaranteed - because nothing is guaranteed on a Polar expedition - it is certainly more possible later on in the season!
This is a wonderful time of the season to immerse yourself in the huge penguin rookeries and watch the antics of ‘teenage’ penguins learning to swim, harassing returning parents for food and sky larking around. This is a chance to find a good sitting rock and enjoy the unafraid wildlife. You are not supposed to get within five metres of a penguin, but no-one told them that!
This is also a good time of year for whale interactions, mostly with feeding humpbacks as by February they are getting full from all the feasting on krill and are now more likely to have time to interact with a zodiac. Before that they are very much in a ‘can’t talk, eating’ mode. This is a great chance to see ‘bubble netting’.
Every day is taken up with being surrounded by, and immersed in, the Antarctic experience. Whether that’s from the decks of the Ocean Explorer, or an impromptu zodiac cruise to follow a pod of Orcas, you won’t believe that any holiday will be as good as this again.
Want to ramp the adventure up just a notch? Try some sea kayaking. These ‘safe as houses’ plastic sea kayaks are a perfect way of getting very close to Antarctica. Go off exploring the coast line, or an ice berg alley, then land to wander through a penguin rookery or an old, abandoned Antarctic base. Kayaking is my favourite way to travel. Please be aware that the kayaking costs AUD$1,600 extra. And in case you’re wondering, in my seven kayaking trips down here, I’ve never seen anyone fall in! You will be amazed at the interesting shapes that ice can take. Whether that be archways, tabular icebergs or ice floating with seals or penguins taking a rest.
There is an endless fascination with watching this frozen world.
And for those wanting to really taste the cold and adventure of Antarctica there is nothing like a polar plunge. It may look crazy, but it’s very safe with plungers wearing a harness and secured with a rope! The decks are lined with passengers of all ages waiting to take their turn to do the plunge.
See the price schedule for the cabins below.
Peregrine Travel Centre WA booking bonus - receives an extra US$150 per person onboard ship credit to be spent at the onboard bar or the Polar Boutique.
| Ocean Explorer Cabin Category |
Cabins |
Berths |
Published rate |
Peregrine Travel Centre WA |
| Deluxe Veranda Forward Stateroom |
2 |
4 |
$34,095* |
$25,995* |
| Deluxe Veranda Middle Stateroom |
4 |
8 |
$35,795* |
$26,847* |
| Deluxe Veranda Stateroom |
1 |
2 |
$36,895* |
$31,346* |
| Grand Veranda Stateroom |
1 |
2 |
$38,995* |
$36,146* |
Secure your trip now with a 30% deposit.
View the full itinerary.
Departs 09 February 2026
For further tour options in Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, the Galapagos Islands or Peru that can be designed around this voyage especially to suit you get in touch with us
here.