Best of Antarctica vacation
Highlights
Antarctica | Ushuaia | Beagle Channel | Tierra del Fuego | Drake Passage | Antarctic Peninsula | Zodiac land excursions | Penguin rookeries | Whale and leopard seal-spotting | Expert lectures | Spectacular photography opportunities |
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates
2022: 12 Nov, 21 Nov, 12 Dec
2023: 2 Jan, 11 Jan
Expedition cruising
What is Expedition Cruising?This is the name we give to cruising vacations which visit the Polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic. Your small vessel will usually carry around 100 - 130 passengers, accompanied by a crew and Expedition Team consisting of experts in the local landscapes, wildlife and history of the islands you will be visiting. How does it work?
Your trip will consist of a combination of cruising and land based discovery. Days at sea will be spent admiring the view, photographing the sea birds and marine wildlife that you may encounter, cruising past stunning icebergs and attending the talks that your Expedition Team will be conducting.
Shore landings will be scheduled to take place weather permitting throughout your trip. Please be aware that due to adverse weather conditions all scheduled shore visits may not be possible, but traveling in the summer months increases our chances of favourable weather.
You will travel ashore in rigid inflatable boats (RIBS) known as zodiacs; a degree of physical mobility will be required for passengers to climb in and out.
What ship will I be traveling on?
Traveling with us to explore the Polar regions, you will be on one of two ships, more details about your particular vessel can be given by our travel consultants when you inquire about your particular date.
Can I book my flights with you?
Yes! We are a fully ATOL bonded tour operator meaning that we can book flights from the UK as part of your vacation package. Just ask us for a quote including flights when you make your inquiry.
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
We work hard to conserve and protect the polar regions and their fragile ecosystems. We are members of IAATO – the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators and are fully compliant with their rules and guidelines. All our trips are run under strict regulations that ensure the environment of Antarctica remains in a pristine state. Being a member means that we actively support and contribute to the environmental and scientific work being carried out there. Encounters with wildlife are also controlled by a responsible code of conduct.Our expedition vessels are much smaller and less imposing on the polar environment than the bigger cruise ships. Hence, group landings are more easily managed. Plus, due to our low passenger to crew ratio (8:1), we can provide a much more personalised experience. Our expedition staff, who are highly-skilled experts in fields like natural history, glaciology and marine biology (to name but a few), will introduce passengers to the wonders of Antarctica. As well as learning more about the local and global conservation issues facing polar habitats.
The Impacts of this Trip
The places we visit in Antarctica have no permanent residents other than researchers who live there seasonally or overwinter at their research stations. There’s a strong relationship between the researchers at these stations and our expedition staff, meaning our passengers get the opportunity to visit the research stations and find out all about their work. The Ukrainian research station Vernadsky for instance loves to give passengers a tour of their laboratories – the place where the hole in the ozone layer was first discovered. They share their knowledge and stories and passengers can even join them for a beer or vodka at their bar. We also take the research staff with us on board if they need to be transferred back to South America or vice versa.
Travelers are welcome to book pre and post tour accommodation with us. We’ll always do our best to secure rooms at family-run bed and breakfasts or hotels. Our travelers will also be given local restaurant recommendations, so that money is put back into the Argentinian economy. As this trip starts and finishes in Ushuaia, we encourage our clients to buy souvenirs from local vendors and discourage the purchase of endangered animal products or items unduly taken from the environment.
We also support the Mawson’s Huts Foundation which was established in 1997 to conserve the Mawson’s Huts at Cape Denison in East Antarctica. Since then, it has funded over 10 major expeditions to the historic site with further expedition planes.
We work hard to conserve and protect the polar regions and their fragile ecosystems. We are members of IAATO – the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators and are fully compliant with their rules and guidelines. All our trips are run under strict regulations that ensure the environment of Antarctica remains in a pristine state. Being a member means that we actively support and contribute to the environmental and scientific work being carried out there. Encounters with wildlife are also controlled by a responsible code of conduct.Our expedition vessels are much smaller and less imposing on the polar environment than the bigger cruise ships. Hence, group landings are more easily managed. Plus, due to our low passenger to crew ratio (8:1), we can provide a much more personalised experience. Our expedition staff, who are highly-skilled experts in fields like natural history, glaciology and marine biology (to name but a few), will introduce passengers to the wonders of Antarctica. As well as learning more about the local and global conservation issues facing polar habitats.
The Impacts of this Trip
The places we visit in Antarctica have no permanent residents other than researchers who live there seasonally or overwinter at their research stations. There’s a strong relationship between the researchers at these stations and our expedition staff, meaning our passengers get the opportunity to visit the research stations and find out all about their work. The Ukrainian research station Vernadsky for instance loves to give passengers a tour of their laboratories – the place where the hole in the ozone layer was first discovered. They share their knowledge and stories and passengers can even join them for a beer or vodka at their bar. We also take the research staff with us on board if they need to be transferred back to South America or vice versa.
Travelers are welcome to book pre and post tour accommodation with us. We’ll always do our best to secure rooms at family-run bed and breakfasts or hotels. Our travelers will also be given local restaurant recommendations, so that money is put back into the Argentinian economy. As this trip starts and finishes in Ushuaia, we encourage our clients to buy souvenirs from local vendors and discourage the purchase of endangered animal products or items unduly taken from the environment.
We also support the Mawson’s Huts Foundation which was established in 1997 to conserve the Mawson’s Huts at Cape Denison in East Antarctica. Since then, it has funded over 10 major expeditions to the historic site with further expedition planes.
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