Confirmed Tour
3 Nov, 2026 – 23 Nov, 2026
- 20 nights, 21 days
- €
- 12,495
Join our Antarctica Tours to discover the country’s beauty. As well as being the company that brings you to “destinations your mother would rather you stay away from”, Young Pioneer Tours is also one of the few tour companies covering all seven continents! Embark with us on a journey of a lifetime and discover the pristine landscapes, incredible wildlife, and the unique stories of exploration that define Antarctica.
In Antarctica, the southernmost and only uninhabited continent, you will see stunning ice formations, colossal glaciers, and an abundance of wildlife. It is a destination like no other where full of penguins, seals, and a variety of seabirds in their natural habitats. For the thrill-seekers, our trips offer opportunities for kayaking, camping on the ice or diving, giving you a taste of the extreme environment.
Our voyages are expedition-style cruises, which means that our goal is to spend as much time on shore as possible. Our itineraries are therefore designed to be flexible, taking advantage of wildlife and weather opportunities. Be careful, after going to Antarctica, you may be hooked for life!
We offer several tours to Antarctica each year, with different scopes.
Setting sail from Ushuaia, it crosses the Drake passage to arrive at the Antarctica Peninsula. Here, depending on the ice and weather conditions, we stop on many different locations, sailing through the Schollaert, Lemaire and Neumayer channels, stopping at Anvers or Melchior islands, or visiting the former British research station at Port Lockroy. Antarctica trips are always unique and breathtaking.
We also propose an epic cruise crossing the whole South Atlantic, from Ushuaia (Argentina) to Cape Verde, via the South Georgia Islands, Tristan da Cunha and Saint Helena. From the cold Antarctic seas to the tropics, you’ll be snapping photos in penguin colonies, watching albatrosses control the skies, spotting whales and maybe even dolphins tailing our ship, marvelling at green turtles on the beaches and tropical fish in the seas off Saint-Helena.
Ever wanted to see the ENTIRE Antarctica region in one epic adventure? Our Complete Antarctica Odyssey covers the Falkland Islands, with its windswept landscapes, charming Port Stanley, and a crazy variety of birdlife; South Georgia, the “Serengeti of the Southern Ocean,” where you’ll visit Shackleton’s grave and witness thousands upon thousands of penguins; the South Orkney Islands, with a potential stop at the Argentine Orcadas Base; and the Antarctic Peninsula, where you will set foot on the Seventh continent.
3 Nov, 2026 – 23 Nov, 2026
27 Dec, 2026 – 06 Jan, 2027
17 Mar, 2027 – 27 Mar, 2027
16 Jan, 2027 – 3 Feb, 2027
16 Jan, 2027 – 3 Feb, 2027
17 Mar, 2027 – 27 Mar, 2027
27 Dec, 2026 – 06 Jan, 2027
3 Nov, 2026 – 23 Nov, 2026
If our scheduled Antarctica group tours don’t match your travel dates or interests, we can offer independent options to cruise to Antarctica. Get in touch to receive the itineraries and availabilities. Those cruises include:
– Cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula
Those 9 nights/10 days or 10 nights/11 days “classic” cruises are one the cheapest and best way to visit Antarctica. They take you into various landscapes of either dark rugged rock or pure white snow and allows you to witness a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins!
– Activity-focused cruises to Antarctica
Those 12 nights/13 days trips are for travellers who wish to do more than taking photos of penguins (not that we have anything against that, as our tour gallery shows!). Our activity-based expeditions allow you to hike, snowshoe, kayak, go mountaineering, and even camp out under the Southern Polar skies.
– Deep South Antarctica cruises
Offering a more in depth stay in Antarctica, those cruises go where almost no other ships go – even by Antarctica standards. They include a visit of the vast George IV and Wilkins ice shelves. More than other cruises, this is the perfect way to get a scale of the real size of Antarctica. The Wilkins Ice Shelf alone is approximately the size of Jamaica!
– Whole Antarctica cruises: Falkland islands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula
The trip of a lifetime for country collectors and adventurers. Those journeys take you, in 19 to 20 days, to the Falkland Islands, then South Georgia, before you go to the Antarctic Peninsula. Those expeditions explore one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife. By the end of the trip, you’ll have a least six different penguin species!
Day 1 – Ushuaia, the end of the world!
Day 2 and 3 – the Drake Passage
Day 4 to 7 – Into Antarctica
Day 8-9 – The Drake Passage
Day 10 – Ushuaia
Our voyages are expedition-style cruises, which means that our goal is to spend as much time on shore as possible. Our itineraries are therefore designed to be flexible, taking advantage of wildlife and weather opportunities.
Depending on the cruise, we travel on the M/V Hondius, which can accommodate 174 passengers, or the M/V Plancius, which can embark 116 passengers. Both vessels offer a restaurant/lecture room and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) with large windows, offering full panorama view. Don’t worry, you won’t be floating on a giant cruise ship: we don’t like them either!
You need to be in good general health and be able to walk on the ship, get up and down the gangway, and get in and out of the Zodiacs. During activities, you can choose to stay on the vessel if you prefer. For safety and logistical reason, landings in Antarctica only cover small areas, in which you can walk freely at your own pace. For people who want a more active experience, our activity-based cruises are the perfect choice: they include long hikes, mountaineering, diving, kayaking, etc.
We require you to bring a waterproof jacket and pants (minimum 15,000mm rating) for Zodiac cruises to shore. Apart from that, our advice is to take warm, windproof, waterproof clothes that you can easily add or remove in layers. Antarctica is obviously very cold, but keep in mind that we’ll be there during the summer season, where temperatures usually range from -5°C to 5°C. If you are used to skiing, mountaineering or hiking in winter, the gear you use for those activities should be enough.
Our goal is to be off the vessel as much as possible, with a landing in the morning and one in the afternoon. The program usually focuses on Zodiac excursions, shoreline walks, and wildlife spotting. We also offer kayak and diving opportunities, on selected cruises.
You’ll see thousands, if not tens of thousands, of penguins on our Antarctica cruises. But not polar bears, because they live in the Arctic region. Antarctica actually means “the land with no bear”, as opposed to the Arctic (which names comes from the Greek word for bear).
While there are southern lights in Antarctica, we usually cannot see them on our cruises due to the midnight sun. The only exception Is our Deep South Expedition, taking place on 21 March – 5th April 2025. While we cannot guarantee they will happen, this cruise takes place at the beginning of the polar night.
There is no visa for Antarctica, any necessary permits will be arranged by YPT beforehand. Most tourists do not need a visa to enter Argentina – this includes visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, the UK, member countries of the European Union, etc.
During landings in Antarctica, penguins often come to us out of curiosity, without any fear. The reason is that there are no land predators there. Antarctica is thus totally fine to travel to. You just need to follow safety precautions on the ship (do not lean over the edge…) and on land (do not leave the perimeter of the landing, as there may be crevasses hidden by the snow).
Our ships are equipped with Internet and phone facilities (subject to satellite connection and coverage). Wi-Fi access is available throughout the ships. There are also laptops available for public use. You can purchase full access to the internet or purchase a ship-specific email account for the duration of the voyage.
We strongly recommend that travellers to all our destinations have travel insurance. Accidents or medical conditions can happen anywhere and it’s best to be prepared since medical facilities in Antarctica are basically non-existent. A proper travel insurance should include coverage for (medical) evacuation/repatriation costs by helicopter, plane or ship.
You should always do your own research about insurance, but we at YPT use IATI. Using our referral link below will give you a 5% discount off their usual price: https://www.iatitravelinsurance.com/en/?r=23612524710385
No matter which Polar Region you choose to explore with us, you can be assured of an incredible adventure. Our experienced guides and expedition leaders will ensure your safety while providing insights into the unique ecosystems and histories of these remote and captivating destinations. Young Pioneer Tours not only offer the cheapest Antarctica Cruises that are scheduled but can also offer the cheapest FIT and group rates through our partners.
