Please browse through our featured Antarctica tours. As one of the largest Antarctica tours and Antarctica vacations websites, we are able to offer you an incredible selection. Once you have found the Antarctica tour of your choice, please call our Antarctica tour specialists to book your tour! We only sell companies that are a part of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. We have compiled a list of various Antarctica tour operators and cruise lines who specialize in travel to Antarctica and categorized them by trip length to make your research easier. Book your Antarctica tour today with Atlas Tours, your Antarctica tour headquarters. Antarctica The North geophysical limit of the Antártida is determined by the parallel 60º South latitude, known like the Antarctica Convergence. Their 14 million square kilometers throughout remain under the ice. In addition to being an extensive continent the Antarctica is the highest continent, with an approximated average altitude of 2,050 meters over the sea level, this is because of the thick ice layer that covers this continent. Only 1,000 km separate Ushuaia of the Antarctica Peninsula, this makes our city be a special geographic point for the operational logistic in everything related with the connectíon with the White Continent. Therefore Ushuaia is appreciated as " The Gateway to Antarctica ". The beginning of the Antarctica Season is in the middle of November and finalizes in the middle of March. During these months of the austral summer different boats, mainly cruises and some sail boats, offer to those who love adventure and nature the possibility of traveling towards the White Continent. Departing from the port of Ushuaia the ships sails towards the south to cross the Drake Passage in direction of the northwest edge of the Antarctica peninsula, in two days of navigation, where the tourists have the possibility of visiting sites of incredible beauty. Once in Antarctica area and according to the climatic conditions, the landings start, using zodiacs and passengers can stay ashore for a couple of hours. The passengers overnight and eat always on board while the ship is sailing to new sites, allowing to cross and to know a great variety of places. The duration of the trip and the itineraries are variable, With a minimum of 8 to 9 days up to more than three weeks, including the Antarctica Peninsula, Malvinas, South Georgias, Sandwich and South Orkneys. Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, amazing wildlife, immense icebergs. Our 10-day Antarctica Classic expedition focuses on the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula, home to some of the planet's most impressive wildlife and dramatic landscapes. Experience a voyage of a lifetime to a land where penguins rub shoulders with seals and orcas and whales are often seen plying the icy waters. Expedition Overview 9 nights on board ‘Explorer’ All meals included on board the ship 8 expedition staff and naturalists Scheduled visits to modern scientific research station All shore excursions and Zodiac cruises in Antarctica Expedition Itinerary Day 1 Arrive Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina Arrive in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the World. Embarkation on ‘Explorer’ begins later in the afternoon at the port in Ushuaia. See joining instructions for details. Sitting on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia actually means 'the bay facing westward' in the language of the original Yamna inhabitants. Once a penal colony (the presidio was disbanded in the 1940s) for political prisoners as well as hardened criminals, Ushuaia is now a major tourist attraction, particularly for people such as ourselves cruising to Antarctica. The town of 40,000 is also a major ski resort area for both alpine and cross-country skiers and offers magnificent hiking in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, the only coastal national park in Argentina. Day 2-3 Drake Passage Our adventure begins with a 400-mile crossing of the passage that bears the name of the 16th-century English explorer Sir Francis Drake. The “Little Red Ship” is at home in this part of the Southern Ocean, known for the unimpeded fetch of the winds that encircle the Antarctic. At some point on the second day we cross the Antarctic Convergence, a meeting of cold polar water flowing north and warmer equatorial water moving in the opposite direction. This mixing pushes nutrient rich waters to the surface attracting a variety of seabirds, whales and other species. As we make the passage you have time to become acquainted with the ship and frequent the common areas that include the lounge, dining hall, library and lecture hall where we meet our guides, ship’s crew and expedition staff. We also begin the lecture and information sessions to learn the extraordinary human and natural history of the Antarctic region. Day 4-7 Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands This is what we've all been waiting for - a chance to step foot on the Great White Continent! We normally attempt 2 excursions per day. The Antarctic Peninsula is the most readily accessible part of the White Continent and has some of the best wildlife and scenery. There are enormous rookeries of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags, Kelp Gulls, Cape Petrels, Snowy Sheathbills and Antarctic Terns are just some of the many birds found here in abundance. We are also likely to see Weddell, Crabeater and Leopard Seals, while Orca, Humpback Whales and Minke Whales are often encountered at close range. The Peninsula also has a remarkable history and, during the voyage, we will learn about some of the most important and dramatic expeditions to this remote corner of the world. Keeping a lookout from the Bridge or the deck of the ship, as we thread our way along the continent, you'll feel the same sense of excitement as many of those early explorers. Sailing around the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula we hope to navigate Antarctic Sound, or ‘iceberg alley’ as it is often called, where huge tabular icebergs drift north from the Antarctic continent. If we opt for this northerly route due to weather and ice conditions, we hope to land to see its vast Adélie Penguin rookeries. If the southern route is chosen we hope to visit aptly named Paradise Harbour, or nearby Neko Harbour, where glaciers fill the calm waters with a mind-boggling vista of icebergs; this is where we hope to set foot on the Antarctic Continent itself. Also on this route is Port Lockroy, home to thriving penguin colonies, and a possible visit to a former British scientific station that has recently been renovated to serve as one of the most isolated and intriguing museums in the world. The station also acts as a post office and we have a unique opportunity to send postcards home. During the voyage we hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways in the world (if they are not choked with pack ice and icebergs); two in particular, the Neumayer and Lemaire(often called "Kodak gap") Channels, are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers that are so impressive they are a highlight of the trip for many people. On some voyages we sail south of the Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island where Adélie and Gentoo Penguins, skuas and Blue-eyed Shags nest close to the landing site. Antarctica is a continent of superlatives. It is the coldest, windiest, driest, iciest and highest of all the major landmasses in the world. It is the continent with the longest nights and the longest days and it is home to the world’s greatest concentration of wildlife. It is also one of the last true wilderness areas left on earth – largely unchanged since the early explorers and whalers first landed on its inhospitable shores less than two centuries ago. The continent itself is roughly circular with a spindly arm, called the Antarctic Peninsula, reaching northwards towards Tierra del Fuego. South America is the nearest landmass, some 600 miles away. Considerably larger than either the United States or Europe, and twice the size of Australia, the continent is surrounded by a frozen sea that varies in area from one million square miles in summer to 7.3 million square miles in winter. Beyond the ice are the waters of the vast Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica in a continuous ring several hundred miles wide. The Southern Ocean isolates the continent from the warmer waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans to the north and this meeting point, called the Antarctic Convergence, is the ecologically defined northern boundary of the region. The area abounds with wildlife activity. Penguins gather with their fast-growing chicks, whales are seen in great numbers, seals haul out onto ice floes and beaches, and numerous albatrosses and other seabirds trail in our wake. We may visit scientists working in modern research bases, and there is plenty of time to enjoy the sheer beauty and the breathtaking scenery of ice-choked waterways, blue and white icebergs, impressive glaciers and rugged snow-capped mountains. Whales Thanks to the abundance of the small, shrimp like krill as the basis of the food chain, many species of whales make the water south of the Antarctic Convergence their summer home. Some of the species found in the frigid southern waters include: the Humpback Whale who consumes over a ton of krill each day; the Southern Right Whales easily identified by the whitish callosities on the jaws and forehead; the Sperm Whales made famous in Moby Dick; the Killer Whale which is actually not a whale at all but the largest of the dolphin family; the Sei Whale which can achieve speeds up to 55 km/h over short distances; the playful Minke Whales very common in the peninsula area; the Fin Whale who can attain a length of 25 to 27 meters making them the second largest whales; and the Blue Whale which is not only the largest whale in the oceans but also the largest animal that has ever lived. Penguins The common name for all flightless, aquatic birds, penguins are only found south of the equator. Penguins have been grouped into 18 species and 6 genera, with most making their homes in Antarctica and the sub Antarctic islands, though others are native to the coasts of Australia, South Africa, South America, and the Galapagos Islands. Penguins are speedy and agile swimmers, but extremely slow on land. The regions we visit aboard Explorer are inhabited by 6 different species including the giant King Penguin who can grow up to 1 metre in height; the Adelie Penguin named after French explorer Dumont d’Urville’s wife; the Chinstrap Penguin identified by the distinctive black line connecting the black cap to below the chin; the Gentoo Penguin with its orange bill and white flash above and behind its eyes; the Macaroni Penguin who number roughly 12 million and are easily identified by the orange tassels meeting between the eyes; and the Rockhopper Penguin who are similar to the Macaroni in appearance but slightly smaller and have yellow tassels. HISTORICAL FIGURES Some of the bravest and best known explorers have sailed south in search of adventure and recognition. James Cook, the most travelled explorer of his time, was the first to circumnavigate Antarctica and the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. Roald Engebreth Gravning Amundsen, who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole and reached the pole on December 14, 1911. Captain Robert Scott, famous for being 35 days late, arriving at the South Pole on January 17, 1912 only to find the dark green tent and a note left by Amundsen. All 5 men in the Scott expedition perished on their way back from the pole. The best-known adventurer would have to be Sir Ernest Shackleton. On his attempt at the South Pole his ship, Endurance, was captured by pack ice in the Weddell Sea on January 19, 1915. The ship was destroyed by heavy ice, forcing he and his men to travel over the ice and sea to Elephant Island. However, because the island was uninhabited, Shackleton and 5 others made the 1300 km voyage for help to South Georgia, arriving at Stromness Harbour whaling station on May 20, 1916. Day 8-9 Drake Passage Today we leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. In between bird watching and whale watching and enjoying some final lectures by our expedition staff, this is a chance to relax and review the adventures of the past week before returning to Ushuaia. Day 10 Depart Ushuaia And so our adventure comes to a close. We'll say our goodbyes as we disembark in Ushuaia. Please note: While it is our intention of adhere to the route described above , there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. On the first day of your tour, your expedition leader will give you an expedition overview.