Antarctica

A week of landings on the Peninsula

The Antarctic Peninsula is the part of Antarctica closest to South America, and it's the classic Antarctica experience: enormous ice, penguin colonies, whales, and some of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet.

We're going in December 2027, during the Antarctic summer, when the days are exceptionally long, the sea ice is opening up, and wildlife activity is in full swing.

You reach the Peninsula by ship from South America, crossing the Drake Passage: roughly two days down, a week exploring Antarctica, and two days back. Because the Southern Ocean circles the continent almost uninterrupted by land, its currents and winds can build up enormous seas. That's what gives the Drake its reputation as one of the roughest sea crossings in the world, so anyone prone to seasickness should come prepared. Once you're across, though, the experience is remarkably civilized.

We're planning to do it on a small expedition ship with around 100 passengers. Larger ships can cruise through Antarctica, but smaller ships can actually put you ashore, usually twice a day, by Zodiac. You're hiking among penguin colonies, cruising between icebergs, watching whales from the water, and getting off the ship rather than simply looking at Antarctica from a deck.

It's still a very comfortable way to travel: warm ship, good food, and a team of naturalists and expedition guides who lead the excursions during the day and then eat and hang out with everyone onboard at night. We'd reserve a block of cabins so our group can stay together without turning the whole thing into a giant group tour.