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Steps
- Choose the right time to visit. Antarctica's tour season covers about five months, mostly over the Southern Hemisphere summer (November to March). All other times of the year are extremely cold, dark, and the pack ice freezes out a long way. Be aware that while there will be less people around later in the season, much of the wildlife will already have left for the sea. During these months, some of the things you can expect include:
- During November, the pack ice starts to break up and it's mating season for the penguins and other birds.
- During December and January, the penguin chicks hatch and are fed and nurtured in the breeding grounds.
- During February and March, the penguin chicks fledge, the adult penguins molt, and the whales are easy to spot.
- During November, the pack ice starts to break up and it's mating season for the penguins and other birds.
- Expect a large hole in your budget. This is one travel destination where budget travel is not much of an option unless you're hired to work hard. At a minimum, you will probably be facing at least US$5,000 and that is for the bare necessities and not necessarily the best seating or opportunities.[1]
- If you can't travel with someone to reduce the costs through shared accommodation, expect to pay a premium for a single berth on a boat or ship.
- Airline ticket prices vary depending on the good to bad visibility from your seat, as well as the usual economy and business class distinctions.
- If you don't want to visit as a tourist, think of other options, such as joining a government expedition to Antarctica. For this, you'll likely need suitable technical, scientific, medical, or other relevant skills like cooking for a large group, as well as having a suitable background for government employment. Another possibility is to travel as an invited part of a crew. Some people get asked to come along as journalists, photographers, artists, etc., and their trip is covered by whoever invited or sent them along. Again, this will depend on your skills.
- If you can't travel with someone to reduce the costs through shared accommodation, expect to pay a premium for a single berth on a boat or ship.
- Decide how you'd like to travel to Antarctica. Most visitors to Antarctica travel by ship, with a few intrepid travelers taking yachts across. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks but none of them will save you many pennies, so it really comes down to preferences on comfort, shore visits, and other amenities offered by the tour organizations in question. Most voyages to the Antarctic Peninsular region leave from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands and a few leave from Punta Arenas in Chile, Buenos Aires in Argentina, or Puerto Madryn in Argentina.[2] There are also voyages on ice breakers and sometimes using helicopters for tourists that visit the Weddell Sea, Ross Sea region and East Antarctica on occasion, to see Emperor penguin colonies, historic huts, the Dry Valleys, etc. These voyages leave from places such as Bluff or Lyttleton in New Zealand, Hobart or Fremantle in Australia, or Cape Town or Port Elizabeth in South Africa.[3] The best way to find ship options is to visit the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) at http://www.iaato.org and to look at its 'membership directory'.
- Traveling on a large ship will provide you with the highest level of comfort but you'll also need to spend time with the highest number of people. In high seas, these ships are the most comfortable but the strict guidelines on how many people can visit the shore will limit your opportunities for shore visits.
- Smaller ships allow for more time on shore. This is because tourist guidelines limit landings of tour groups to 100 people.
- It is possible to reach Antarctica by yacht but this is not commonplace, with only 200 yacht visits in the past 30 years.[4] This is a private party affair and needs to be arranged direct with the relevant yacht owners. Don't expect a fond welcome from stations; they have so many visitors now that they require several months notice in advance of your intended arrival. Yachts tend to leave from Ushuaia or Stanley and are only for the very courageous and adventurous.
- It is possible to travel on French resupply vessels as a tourist, leaving from Réunion in and taking about 1 month. The limit is around 30 tourists and guides accompany the boat. There are choices of staying at the French base Port-aux-Français and even hikes with overnight stays in refuges.[5]
- Traveling on a large ship will provide you with the highest level of comfort but you'll also need to spend time with the highest number of people. In high seas, these ships are the most comfortable but the strict guidelines on how many people can visit the shore will limit your opportunities for shore visits.
- Consider air travel. There are various companies that fly to Antarctica, from Punta Arenas in Chile; from Cape Town in South Africa, and from Qantas in Australia.[6] Some flights are simply fly overs and you can see Antarctica from the air, while some are fly-cruise options. Other flights fly straight into Antarctica and you get to stay at the base or camp set up just for the tourism purposes. Be aware that flights are subject to cancellations due to weather and other safety issues. The best approach to assessing flight options is to read guidebooks written specifically for Antarctica, or check the Lonely Planet site, as the details change yearly depending on availability and interest, etc. As with the voyages, the one thing you can expect again is to pay a considerable amount!
- If making shore expeditions, prepare well. Shore visits tend to be short in duration (around 3 hours or less) and will always be accompanied by a guide unless you've made a private expedition.
- Wear appropriate clothing, such as wicking-away layers next to your skin, warm tops, and winter-weight snow jackets. It is most likely that the tour company will provide you with an expedition coat for shore visits and deck warmth.
- Wear suitable snow walking boots. If you are issued with crampons, use them. Ask if you don't know how to use any equipment provided to you by the tour company, including asking to be shown individually if you didn't grasp a group demonstration.
- Wear appropriate clothing, such as wicking-away layers next to your skin, warm tops, and winter-weight snow jackets. It is most likely that the tour company will provide you with an expedition coat for shore visits and deck warmth.
- Understand the health and safety issues. The Antarctic environment is dangerous for human beings. The weather is extremely changeable and it is always cold, even in the summertime (highs in the summer along the coast generally range from 41-56°F). There are dangers such as crevasses on ice fields and glaciers and fire hazards are high in the very dry environment, so handling anything flammable must be done with care.
- There are no vaccination requirements for Antarctica but you should be fit and in good health because medical treatment will be basic and spread thin among all your passengers. Any medical conditions that you do have should be detailed by your doctor in letter form, especially if you need to bring along medication.[7]
- There are no vaccination requirements for Antarctica but you should be fit and in good health because medical treatment will be basic and spread thin among all your passengers. Any medical conditions that you do have should be detailed by your doctor in letter form, especially if you need to bring along medication.[7]
- Respect the fragility of the Antarctic environment. The Antarctic environment is fragile and apart from expeditions, bases, and some tourists, there has been little human change. Wildlife remains unafraid of humans because of the lack of long-term negative interaction. It is important to respect the pristine nature of Antarctica and to ensure that tourism doesn't have a negative impact. There are Visitor Guidelines adopted under the Antarctic Treaty that regulate visitors' actions at Antarctica and it is worth reading them as part of your preparation for the visit.[8] Some of the basics to keep in mind include:
- Don't go too near wildlife and don't do anything to disturb wildlife.
- Don't litter. Pack out all your trash.
- Don't deface anything – all human-built structures have historical value and many huts, etc., have heritage listings. Do not engrave anything into rocks or other land features.
- Take photos and nothing else. Leave all eggs, shells, plants, rocks, fossils, soil, etc., where they are.
- Don't go too near wildlife and don't do anything to disturb wildlife.
- Enjoy your trip of a lifetime. This is one of those trips that people who take it can never forget or stop talking about. If you love pristine beauty, amazing sights, incredible wildlife opportunities, and you don't mind a bit of cold, this might be the perfect trip that will create a lifetime memory.
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Tips
- Search for a few different tours so you can find the one that interests you most, and one that fits in your budget.
- Check with your federal government about how to be a 'good citizen' in the wild. (There is no local sovereignty over Antarctica and your behavior is governed by your federal government's laws.)
- Reputable tour guides subscribe to the visitor provisions of the Antarctic Treaty; review the contents of this treaty and its accompanying guidelines before you go.
- Ensure that you have appropriate travel, medical, health and other relevant insurance organized before leaving. In addition, talk to your doctor about any possible medical conditions that could turn into emergencies; doctors are few when traveling to Antarctica.
- Given the experience to come at some considerable financial cost, it's not unusual to save for many years. If it's something you've been saving up for over time, bear in mind that you'll need to keep checking updated information, especially if you're researching now for later, in order to account for any changes made within the Antarctic travel industry to accommodate Antarctic conditions and research needs.
- Accomodate yourself with sufficient clothing for the weather- no matter if it's the middle of July or January- remember, Antartica is going to be cold.
Warnings
- Travel to Antarctica can be relatively expensive but if you can afford it, it is an amazing tour.
- Weather in Antarctica is extreme. Be prepared for intense sun, wild wind, ice, and extreme cold.
- Verify with your photo equipment vendor that your photo equipment can withstand extreme weather.
- Carry out absolutely everything that you carry in. Leave no trace.
Things You'll Need
- Selected tour company
- Appropriate clothing, footwear, and other items such as goggles, gloves, balaclava, etc. - be sure to ask the tour company for its suggested list of items, as well as finding out what the tour company will provide
- Medications that you normally take with you
- Books and journals to while away travel time
- Camera and batteries, check ability of them to work in the cold
- Personal snacks you'd like to have that you know the tour company won't supply
- Visitor's Guidelines for Antarctica, Antarctica Treaty, etc. - all documentation can be accessed via the internet before leaving
Related wikiHows
- How to Be Good at Geography
- How to Travel by Air
- How to Travel Around the World
- How to Pack for an Antarctica Trip Top Five Items
- How to Prevent Hypothermia
- How to Treat Hypothermia
- How to Dress for Winter
Sources and Citations
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