Travel to Antarctica from India
Cruises with Cool Antarctica and Antarctica Travels
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Regions:
Antarctic Peninsula |
South Georgia |
South Shetland Islands |
Falkland Islands |
Arctic
Travel to Antarctica from India via South America is easier and more affordable than to the east via New Zealand / Australia despite the fact that India is closer to New Zealand and Australia than it is to South America.
There is a wide range of ships and cabins, from the simplest with a porthole or two up to luxurious staterooms with a private balcony and all stations inbetween
While flights from India to ports in Australia or New Zealand cost somewhat less than those to the Argentinan tip of South America for the Peninsula region, the last leg of the journey is by ship only. It is not possible for tourists to fly to eastern Antarctica meaning longer at sea (6-7 days in each direction) than when journeying to the Peninsula (2 days in each direction) with subsequently increased costs.
Visas and Flights
We have had many clients from India traveling with us to Antarctica and fully understand that there is a lot of paperwork associated with booking a trip of this nature as you are required to have a visa to enter Argentina. You may be assured you are in the expert hands of our team who have dealt with this many times providing an efficient and effective service for our clients. Moreover, we have an office in Patagonia, Argentina making it very easy for us to help you with international flights from India to Argentina in addition to all the paperwork for your visa!
Travelling to the Antarctic Peninsula
The large majority of trips that leave for Antarctica are ship based cruises leaving from the Argentinean port of Ushuaia, or fly-cruise trips that leave from Punta Arenas in Chile. These trips visit the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands of the (mainly underwater) Scotia Arc. Peninsula trips typically take 10-12 days with options from 6-16 days and typically 8 days for a fly-cruise. Cruises that take in the Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands are from 15-25 days.
Ships almost always cruise along the western side of the Peninsula, the eastern side and Weddell Sea frequently have much heavier potentially problematic sea ice.
1 - Ushuaia,
Argentina, 2 - Punta Arenas, Chile
3 - Falkland Islands, 4
- South Georgia
5 - South Shetland
Islands, 6 - Antarctic Peninsula
Trips leaving from South America typically visit the South Shetland Islands, 5 and then the Peninsula, 6 some will sail far enough south to cross the Antarctic Circle. Longer cruises may take in South Georgia,4 and the Falkland Islands,3. Almost all combinations are available.
R - Ross Ice
Shelf, 1 - Hobart - Australia
2 - Invercargill / Port of Bluff -
New Zealand
3 - Macquarie Island,
4 - Commonwealth Bay
5
- Cape Adare, 6 - McMurdo / Scott bases
Eastern Antarctica trips spend their time either in the Commonwealth Bay area 4 or the Ross Sea region between Cape Adare 5 and McMurdo 6 with possibly a short trip along the front of the Ross Ice Shelf R. There is usually a visit to wildlife rich islands such as Macquarie Island 3.
Travel to the Ross Sea / Commonwealth Bay Region - Eastern Antarctica
The smaller number of cruises that depart from Australia or New Zealand visit Eastern Antarctica, the opposite side of the continent. These trips are longer and therefore more expensive with a sailing time of 6-7 days there and the same back again in a total trip duration of 25-30 days, there are no shorter voyages. They usually leave from Invercargill, New Zealand or less commonly, Hobart, Australia. Trips may depart and return to the same port though often leave from one and return to another in either direction.
The World's Cleanest Air
The air in Antarctica is used to set a pollution base-line for the planet, there is less air pollution there than anywhere. The WHO guideline for PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter in the air) is an average of 25 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours, levels in Antarctica sometimes peak at 0.4. In the world's heavily polluted cities, the figure frequently exceeds 150 and sometimes reaches 400+. (refs: 1 2)
Antarctica is a relatively expensive to visit niche destination, voyages focus the wilderness and aesthetic experience. A coast-line rich in wildlife backed by snow covered mountains and glaciers with an extreme climate make this a truly magical place to visit unlike any other on the planet. Its remoteness and experiences make it the ultimate destination for many adventurous travellers.
Eastern Antarctica, Ross Sea Region v Antarctic Peninsula Cruises
- Remoteness - You will see few if any other ships
and get a greater feeling of isolation and being at the end of the world,
this is a little visited part of the planet. You are going where the world's biggest icebergs
are and the most extreme weather conditions.
- Greater chance of rough seas due to longer
spent crossing the open ocean which can take 6-7 days in each
direction, no flights available.
- See Emperor Penguins, the birds of the deep
south that rear their young in the depths of the Antarctic winter,
the largest of all penguin species.
- See Mount Erebus, the world's southernmost active
volcano and the Ross Ice Shelf, a 600km long wall of
ice between 15m and 50m high.
- Visit the huts of Scott, Shackleton, Mawson and other
Heroic Age explorers
depending on where your cruise goes. This is the area where
much of the early exploratory history of Antarctica was played out and
where historical remains still stand.
- Exclusivity - of the people who go to
Antarctica, only a small proportion visit regions other than the
Peninsula, there are relatively few trips here and they are often
fully booked up well in advance.
- Trip length of 26-30 days, sometimes there may be the possibility of a semi-circumnavigation over a similar time period from the Ross Sea to the Peninsula.
- It takes 2 days to cross the Drake Passage to reach the
Antarctic Peninsula, rough seas are possible though
short-lived, you can also fly across it in 2 hours on a fly-cruise
trip.
- Varied mountainous scenery with glaciers and icebergs,
some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.
- The most wildlife rich area, with huge penguin colonies,
and many other breeding birds, seals are common and whales may be
seen. The sub-Antarctic islands you may visit en route are
particularly wildlife rich,
especially South Georgia.
- Historic preserved British Base, now a working Post
Office at Port Lockroy,
you may also visit other currently active research bases and historic sites.
- Easier to reach, The closeness of the peninsula
to the tip of South America means that travel time to reach
Antarctica here is much less than in the East. It also
means that a greater portion of the trip is spent in Antarctica
rather than travelling there and back.
- A larger number and variety of trips available, duration from 6-24 days, a wide range of ships and choice of travel dates and itineraries.
Antarctic Peninsula
Sample
Cruises - 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
|
Classic
Antarctic Peninsula Expedition 10 - 15 days |
South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Penguin Rookeries, Lemaire Channel. | from $5,190 typically $12K-14K |
|
Antarctica Peninsula Basecamp 13 days |
Antarctic Peninsula trip with inclusive activities on offer such as hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, and camping out under the South Polar skies. | from $9,700 - $17,150 |
|
Crossing the Circle 11 - 23 days typically 12 - 14 |
Sail down the Antarctic Peninsula and cross the Antarctic Circle, South Shetland Islands, Wildlife, Scenery. | from $8,200 |
Air-Cruise, Fly the Drake
Sample
Cruises - 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
|
Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands. Fly across the Drake
Passage 6 - 12 days typically 8 |
Fly across the Drake Passage in 2 hours to join your ship, cruise the South Shetland Islands and western Antarctic Peninsula. Spectacular scenery, glaciers, icebergs, penguins, seals and whale sightings. A few sail one way, fly the other trips. Some trips cross the Antarctic Circle. | from $7,795 typically $13K-15K |
Ross Sea Region
Sample
Cruises - 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
|
Little visited Eastern Antarctica, Ross Ice Shelf. 25 - 34 days |
Remote even for Antarctica, sailing there and back take 5 days each with visits to sub-Antarctic islands on the way. Historic huts in a region central to the continent's exploration. Wildlife, ice shelves, ice bergs and sea-ice. Some trips are circum-navigations from NZ to South America or vice-versa. | from $28,346 |
South Georgia with the Falkland Islands
and / or Antarctic Peninsula
Sample Cruises
- 2025 / 2026
| Trip | Highlights | Prices USD* |
|---|---|---|
| South Georgia, Antarctic
Peninsula and Falkland Islands 17 - 23 days |
Sub-Antarctic South
Georgia has some of the most unique and abundant wildlife on earth including
the world's biggest King Penguin colony, one of the world's largest
concentration of Southern Elephant Seals, and many other penguins,
whales, seabirds and seals all with a background of the Alps dropped
in mid-ocean. Falklands Islands - a British colony in the South Atlantic with wild places and diverse abundant wildlife. The Antarctic Peninsula is Antarctica proper with icebergs, glaciers and wildlife. |
from $9,900 |
| South Georgia and
Falkland Islands 15 - 25 days |
from $9,995 | |
| South Georgia and
Antarctic Peninsula 15, 16, 18 or 28 days |
from $12,831 |
* Prices are per person. the lowest price is usually for triple occupancy in a basic cabin.
Options such as kayaking are usually booked when the cruise is booked, they may be at additional cost and have limited availability - it may be too late once the cruise has started.
Contact me about my trip to Antarctica!
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Departures from late October to late March
Our partner company, Antarctica Travels, passionately help people to reach their ultimate destination.
All enquiries will be answered from our office in Patagonia, Argentina.
Dozens of trips - unique combinations of ship + itinerary
Choice of ships - 67 to 199 passenger capacity
Prices from $5,900 per person
6 to 28 days
Please note - we cannot help directly to find employment in Antarctica, please do not use this form to request any other information than for Antarctic tourist trips
Picture credit: top banner - ravas51 used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 license