Antarctic Circle Cruises & Tours

Due to its extremely remote location (ahem, the southernmost point of Earth), there's only one way to get to the Antarctic Circle, and that's on a polar vessel like the Ocean Endeavour. A ship like this is designed to handle the ice-strewn seas on the crossing to the Antarctic Circle. 

Most cruises depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, and the journey to latitude 66°33' takes roughly seven to nine days, depending on your itinerary and where you stop off along the way.

The short answer is it’ll be cold! The warmest month in Antarctica is January. Even then, the maximum temperature along the coastal areas reaches a cool 5° to 15°C, and strong westerly winds often make it feel much chillier. 

On the west coast, the temperatures exceed 0°C for three to four months during the summer (December to March) and rarely fall below –10°C during the winter. 

The east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula is much colder, with mean temperatures exceeding 0°C for a month at most, while winter temperatures range from –5°C to –25°C.

The best time to visit the Antarctic Circle – or anywhere in Antarctica – is from late spring to early autumn. This is when the temperatures rise above freezing, and the sea ice melts enough to allow access for polar ships.

Generally, you can’t go to the Antarctic Circle in winter as the weather conditions are too precarious to travel to the region safely. There are also long periods of constant darkness on the high interior plateau.

If wildlife is one of your biggest considerations, it depends on the animals you want to see. February to March offers the best whale sightings of the year, December is the best time to see seal pups (particularly on the Falkland and South Georgia islands), and November to early December is prime time for watching the impressive courting rituals of penguins and seabirds.

Antarctica is one of the most remote and unpredictable places in the world. It's really important to pack everything you'll need as you won't be able to buy anything once you're there.

Some of the essentials you will need include:

• warm base layers – and lots of them
• pair of waterproof and windproof pants
• waterproof and windproof jacket (you might be provided with this on your cruise)
• snug-fitting beanie
• gloves
• swimwear – for your Antarctic dip (optional, but totally worth it!), and swimming in the pool aboard the Ocean Endeavour
• sun protection – yup, it’s sunny enough to get burnt in Antarctica!
• moisturiser
• camera

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of their physical or mental limitations.

Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access on our polar vessels. Some ships have lifts, but these may not access all decks on the ship. There are often stairways, and passengers must be mobile enough to keep themselves steady and get around reasonably without assistance. We can help you to clarify further whether the trip you’re interested in is right for you. 

However, we’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.