Antarctica can be reached from India via Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America or from New Zealand (less frequently Australia). There are many more South American departures, the distance is closer, shorter trips are available and you can fly or sail, New Zealand departures are to the deep South.

Antarctica Travel From India

Cruise Antarctica, Adventure Travel With Cool Antarctica and Antarctica Travels

Information: Request Contact | Antarctic travel | more details | fly to Antarctica | FAQ's | clothing | boots
Regions: Antarctic Peninsula | South Georgia | South Shetland Islands | Falkland Islands | Arctic


 India is closer to Australia and New Zealand than it is to South America, however it costs less overall to visit Antarctica via South America than it does via Australia / New Zealand.

Flights from India to Hobart, Australia or Invercargill, New Zealand to visit Eastern Antarctica are about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the cost of those to Ushuaia, Argentina at the tip of South America to visit the Peninsula region. There are many more trips that visit the Peninsula with greater variety of itinerary, ships and duration than there are to Eastern Antarctica. It is also possible to fly from South America to join a cruise ship already in Antarctic waters. The journey to the East is by ship only, it is not possible for tourists to fly to that side of Antarctica meaning a longer part of the journey will be spent at sea than when journeying to the Peninsula.

Fig 1.

Distances miles / km
1, New Delhi - 2, Ushuaia, Argentina 9,939 / 15,996
1, New Delhi - 4, Hobart, Australia 6,639 / 10,684
1, New Delhi - 5, Invercargill, NZ 7,667 / 12,339


        1 - New Delhi, India    2 - Ushuaia, Argentina
        3 - Antarctic Peninsula   4 - Hobart, Australia
        5 - Invercargill, New Zealand   6 - McMurdo
        7 - Commonwealth Bay

Visas and Flights

We have had many clients from India traveling with us to Antarctica and we 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!


Travel to Antarctica from India polar holiday antarctica travel antarctica tour antarctica tour antarctica tour antarctica holiday antarctica travel antarctica cruise polar travel

The majority of trips that leave for Antarctica are ship based cruises or fly-cruise trips leaving from the Argentinean port of Ushuaia or Punta Arenas in Chile, flights also leave from Punta Arenas.  These trips visit the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands of the (mainly underwater) Scotia Arc (fig 2) and comprise . This starts at the tip of South America reaching east from Tierra del Fuego across to South Georgia, down to the South Shetland Islands and then to the west through the South Orkney Islands and finally down to the north extremity of the Antarctic Peninsula. Peninsula trips typically take 10-12 days with 6-16 day trips available, peninsula and associated area cruises are from 15-24 days.


There are a smaller number of cruises that depart from Australia or New Zealand visiting the opposite side to Eastern Antarctica. 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 26-30 days. They usually leave from Hobart, Australia or Invercargill, New Zealand, frequently leaving from one and returning to the other.

Antarctica is a relatively expensive to visit niche destination, voyages are educational and 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.

The World's Cleanest Air

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 heavily polluted cities, the figure frequently exceeds 150 and sometimes reaches 400+. (refs: 1  2)

  Travelling to the Antarctic Peninsula

Fig 2. Trips to the Antarctic Peninsula. The majority of tourist trips visit the Peninsula 6 and nearby islands such as the South Shetlands 5. Longer trips may also take in the Falkland Islands 3 and / or the especially wildlife-rich South Georgia 4.

Ships almost always cruise along the western side of the Peninsula, the eastern side and Weddell Sea frequently has much heavier potentially problematic sea ice.

Distances miles / km
1, Ushuaia - 3, Falklands 480 / 770
1, Ushuaia - 4, South Georgia 1,255 / 2,020
1, Ushuaia - 5, South Shetlands 610  / 980
1, Ushuaia - Peninsula tip 724 / 1,165
2, Punta Arenas - Peninsula tip 870 / 1,395
Peninsula top to bottom 765 / 1,230
Peninsula top to Antarctic Circle 280 / 450

Need a Little Guidance? contact our travel partners who will help you find the best cruise for your requirements


        1 - Ushuaia, Argentina    2 - Punta Arenas, Chile
        3 - Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas    4 - South Georgia
        5 - South Shetland Islands    6 - Antarctic Peninsula

  Travel to the Ross Sea / Commonwealth Bay Region - Eastern Antarctica

Fig 3. Trips to the more remote and less visited Eastern side of Antarctica usually depart from Australia or New Zealand, Hobart, Australia 1, Invercargill / Port of Bluff in New Zealand 2, Invercargill has the airport, Bluff, 30km away by road has a deep-water port. Less commonly trips may leave / return from or other ports in New Zealand such as Dunedin or Lyttleton.

Trips may depart and return to the same port though often leave from one and return to another in either direction. It takes about seven days sailing to reach Antarctica in this part of the world, the journey there and back is broken up with visits to the wildlife rich Macquarie Island 3 and other island groups such as Snares, Auckland and Campbell that lie between Macquarie and New Zealand.

Once in 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

Distances km / miles
1, Hobart - 4, Commonwealth Bay 2640 / 1640
2, Invercargill - 4, Commonwealth Bay 2760 / 1720
1, Hobart - 3, Macquarie Island 1500 / 940
2, Invercargill - 3, Macquarie Island 1110 / 690
4, Commonwealth Bay - 5, Cape Adare 1300 / 805
5, Cape Adare - 6, McMurdo 760 / 470

        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, Ross Sea Region v Antarctic Peninsula Cruises

Ross Sea region

  • 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.
Antarctic 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.

Need a Little Guidance? contact our travel partners who will help you find the best cruise for your requirements

Antarctic Peninsula - Sample Cruises - 2023 - 2024

Trip Highlights Prices USD*
8-22 days

Classic Antarctic Peninsula Expedition
South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Penguin Rookeries, Lemaire Channel. $4,860 -
$43,995
13 days

Antarctica Peninsula Basecamp
Antarctic Peninsula trip with several inclusive activities on offer such as hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, and camping out under the Southern Polar skies. $9,100 -
$11,750
10-16 days

Crossing the Circle
Sail down the Antarctic Peninsula and cross the Antarctic Circle, South Shetland Islands, Wildlife, Scenery. $7,700 - $25,995
Antarctica Ross Sea Region Cruise

Air-Cruise, Fly the Drake - Sample Cruises - 2023 / 2024

Trip Highlights Prices USD*
6 - 15 days

Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands. Fly across the Drake Passage
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. Limited number of sail one way, fly the other trips. $4,995 - $19,206
Antarctica Ross Sea Region Cruise

South Georgia / Falkland Islands / Antarctica - Sample Cruises - 2023 / 2024

Trip Highlights Prices USD*
17 - 23 days

Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands
Trips to some of the most unique and abundant wildlife on earth, penguins, whales, seabirds and seals as well as magnificent scenery, ice and seascapes. $11,556 - $48,191
15 or 16 days

Antarctica and South Georgia
$10,500 - $29,196
Notes

* Prices are based per person, the lowest price is usually for triple occupancy in a basic cabin, the highest for double occupancy in the best available suite.

Options may be at additional cost and are usually booked when the cruise is booked - it may be too late once the cruise has started.

Contact me about my trip to Antarctica!

Please complete the form
and an Antarctic Expert will contact you

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

$5,500 to $43,995

6 to 23 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

ice berg, antarctica
gentoo penguins


Picture credit: top banner - ravas51 used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 licence