Fly to Antarctica - Air Cruise
7 or 9 Days - Fly both ways from Punta Arenas, Chile
5, 8, 9 or 11 Days - fly / sail - Fly Punta Arenas, Chile, Sail Ushuaia, Argentina
Departures: more than 20 dates between 11/29/2012 and 2/16/2013  From $3,995

  Testimonials  |  Ship types

An increasingly popular way to visit Antarctica in recent years has been the Fly-Cruise option whereby passengers board a charter flight in Tierra del Fuego and fly to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands in about two hours where they then board their ship. This avoids the traditional way of getting to and from Antarctica by ship which takes about two days to cross the Drake's Passage.

The return journey can be the same, or there is now the possibility of making one leg by air and the other by sea. Either fly down and sail back or sail down and fly back. The South American airport for the journey/s is Punta Arenas in Chile while the seaport is Ushuaia in Argentina,

Fly - Cruise trips sail around the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, which are the most accessible regions of Antarctica, where spectacular scenery abounds as well as all kinds of Antarctic wildlife, penguins, whales, seals and all manner of sea-birds. There are also many opportunities for landings ashore to visit wildlife colonies and walk amongst spectacular landscapes, you can expect daily landings once in Antarctica.

Advantages:

Avoid crossing the Drakes Passage by ship - this can be a very rough crossing which for some people may prevent them going to Antarctica at all if they feel ill on ships.

Time saving - two sailings across the Drakes Passage saves about 4 days in all meaning that is possible to go to Antarctica without spending so much time getting there and back.


Disadvantages:

You don't get to cross the Drakes Passage - there is something magical about arriving in Antarctica by ship where the weather and ice change slowly over a longer period, spotting albatrosses following the ship, the first ice-bergs, first penguins, seals etc.

Delays to your trip - While no Antarctica Fly and Cruise departure has been cancelled due to weather conditions (yet), some departures in the past have experienced delays of up to three days. The current estimate is that the chances of delay are in the range of 5-10%. Ships can operate in conditions in Antarctica that leave planes grounded.

It is important that prospective participants understand that weather conditions could impact the operation. Should weather delay a departure, contingency plans will be put into operation. There is also the possibility of the return leg being delayed so flexibility should be allowed when returning home

For the 2013-2014 season we have three cruise ships taking part:

     Ocean Nova - Expedition Ship - 68 passengers
     Polar Pioneer - Research Ship - 54 passengers
     Sea Adventurer - Expedition Ship - 122 passengers

There is a variety of trips available of varying durations and with the possibility of camping ashore in Antarctica for a night and/or kayaking depending on the facilities available on the ship you are on.

King George Island - this is the largest island of the South Shetlands group, it is part of the Scotia arc situated 75 miles (120 kilometres) to the north east of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is the unofficial capital of Antarctica in that it has ten national research stations and a semi-permanent population of about 500 people largely on the small ice-free area of the Fildes Peninsula at the south-west tip of the island. Semi-permanent in that the population is a fairly steady 500, though people come and go quite frequently, spending from a few months to a year or two. It is the only place in Antarctica with something like a normal human population (at the Chilean Presidente Frei station the location of the air strip) where there are families living and even a small school.

King George Island is also home to a Russian Orthodox church with its own priest and the world's most southerly lighthouse. It is the site of an annual Antarctic Marathon.

Sample Fly-Cruise trips to Antarctica
	Antarctica Express Air-Cruise	Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise	Antarctic Express - Fly the Drake Passage	Antarctica Cruise - The Peninsula - New Years
Ship	Ocean Nova	Ocean Nova	Sea Adventurer	Polar Pioneer
Days	5	7	9	11
Pax	68	68	122	54
Dates	11/29/13, 1/14/14	12/2/13, 12/7/13, 12/12/13, 12/17/13, 12/22/13, 12/27/13, 1/17/14, 1/22/14, 2/1/14, 2/6/14, 2/11/14	12/30/13	12/11/13, 12/20/13
Notes	Sail / Fly sail south, fly north	Fly / Fly Fly south, fly north 6 days in Antarctica, equivalent of 11 day traditional ship cruise	Fly / Sail fly south, sail north Kayaking and camping options	Sail / Fly fly south, sail north Kayaking and camping options
Price	$3,995 - $5,995	$9,700 - $17,995	$6,995 - $12,595	$6,700 - $11,800

Prices are per person based on sharing a cabin of usually two, rarely three berths.

Please use the form to the right to request more details about a Fly-Cruise trip to Antarctica, please specify Fly-cruise in the notes section if this is your interest.

The Aircraft:
Usually used are 70 passenger BAE 146-200 manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace and equipped with 4 turbofan Honeywell engines. It is a high-wing aircraft with very short runway requirements which makes it particularly suited for this kind of destination. It is operated by Aerovías DAP, which has more than 20 years of experience of flying in Patagonia and Antarctica. Substitute aircraft however may be used as necessary.

Luggage Weight Restriction:
Due to the limited carrying capacity of the aircraft, participants in the Antarctica Fly and Cruise programs can only carry 20 kg/44 lb of personal luggage, including carry-on. This weight restriction is enforced strictly. Note that hand luggage will be weighed as well as checked baggage. Softsided luggage is recommended. Some ships will loan heavy and bulky items such as waterproof boots, you should check with your ship as to what is provided.

Included:
Accommodations onboard ship, in accordance with cabin chosen. Hotel accommodation in South America may or may not be provided and varies with the trip, check with your tour operator as to what is included for your particular trip.

Not included:
Airfare to/from Punta Arenas, Chile, visa and/or passport expenses, arrival and departure taxes, if applicable, transfers, lodging and meals other than those offered in the program, mandatory evacuation insurance, recommended travel insurance, personal expenses, such as laundry service, telephone calls, use of Internet or other means of communication, etc. gratuity to ship's crew at the end of the voyage.

Contingency Plan:
Although no Antarctica Fly and Cruise departure has ever been cancelled due to weather conditions, some departures in the past have experienced delays. The longest delay ever experienced by a departure has been three days. Based on past experience, we currently estimate that the chances of delay are very low, in the range of 5-10%. Still, it is important that prospective participants understand that weather conditions could impact the operation. Should weather delay a departure, a Contingency Plan of hotel accommodation and some tours around Punta Arenas will be in operation until such time as a flight is possible.

Please allow for the fact that a delay in return is equally likely.