Antarctica
The last true wilderness — a white continent of glaciers, whales and penguin colonies, reached by expedition across the Southern Ocean.
There is nothing else like the far south
Antarctica is the only place most travellers will go that has no towns, no roads and no permanent population — only research stations, ice, and more wildlife than anywhere else on the itinerary. It is reached by sea rather than by air, which makes the journey itself a substantial part of the experience rather than the price of admission.
For travellers from India it is a two-stage trip: get to the southern tip of South America first, then sail. That is a long way and a real commitment of time, so it tends to be a considered journey rather than a spontaneous one — and it is worth planning further ahead than anything else on this site.
Almost everyone sails from Ushuaia
The great majority of Antarctic voyages leave from Ushuaia, at the southern end of Argentina, and cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. It is open ocean and it can be rough, which is part of why the crossing has a reputation of its own. The Peninsula is where nearly all itineraries go; longer voyages add South Georgia, which is the wildlife journey rather than the ice one.
One short season, and that is all
Antarctica has a single travel window, roughly November to March, and outside it ships do not sail. Within that window the season changes character quickly: early on the pack ice is at its most dramatic and the penguins are courting; the middle of the season brings the longest days and the mildest weather; and by the end the ice has retreated further and the whale watching is at its best.
However you want to experience it
Three ways to travel to a continent with no hotels, no roads and no towns.
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