Antarctica Expeditions

View itineraries

Scroll to explore this destination

February 20, 2022

Dallmann Bay, Antarctica

-64.308° S -62.81° E

Brett Monroe Garner, Naturalist/Expedition Diver

Benefit from 50+ years of inside know-how

Remote. Untrammeled. Spectacular. Exploring Antarctica is one of the most exhilarating adventures on Earth. There are many reasons to go. See scores of penguins and whales. Fall under the spell of sculptural ice: an entire museum of colossal and magical ice forms defying description. And add the dashing history of the Heroic Age of Exploration. Over 50 years ago, Lars-Eric Lindblad took the first group of "citizen" explorers to Antarctica in 1966. Since then the Lindblad family has operated hundreds of Antarctic expeditions. This is a level of “institutional” experience that ensures your safety and a rich encounter with the region that no one else can offer.

Learn more about this captivating continent and get answers to frequently asked questions with our comprehensive How-To guide. Order your complimentary guide today!

Itineraries for current destination are unavailable

Expedition Highlights

Exploring Antarctica, the wildness of South Georgia, and the rugged Falklands should be a pinnacle event in any traveler's life. Key to your experience is our fleet: top-tier Ice Class vessels, purpose designed and built to venture deep into the ice in comfort and safety. Go with an expedition team hand-picked for their knowledge of polar natural history and their ice skills, with state-of-the-art tools at your fingertips for unparalleled exploration. Observe the antics of penguins. Kayak ice-choked waters. Hike a hillside for a spectacular, otherworldly view of massive ice sheets. Search for whales, and see leopard seals lounging on the ice. Go with the freedom to choose how you want to explore.

See more Highlights

Expedition Leaders

Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Naturalist

Explore Antarctica with a diverse team of naturalists, many of them polar veterans, of a variety of specialties: zoology, biology, ornithology, geology, polar history, and more. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Undersea Specialist

Discover what lies beneath the waves with an undersea specialist aboard who can dive into the cold waters to shoot video or deploy an ROV to depths of 1,000 feet to explore rarely seen regions.

National Geographic Photographer

Travel and shoot with a bona fide National Geographic photographer. These top pros are at your side and at your service—providing advice, inspiration, tips, and slideshows. Access to photographers of this caliber will help you improve your skills and ensure you’ll go home with incredible photos.

Certified Photo Instructor

Every Antarctic expedition also offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to help you become a better, more confident photographer—and to help you understand the movements of wildlife so you can create top shots.

Video Chronicler

A video chronicler accompanies every expedition and shoots vivid HD footage—with no recycled footage ever—to provide you with a professionally edited and completely authentic memento of your expedition. Working during the day and editing into the night, they have your video ready for preview prior to—and available to purchase at—disembarkation.

Wellness Specialist

Our wellness program embodies the belief that nature is vitalizing and that wildness, as Thoreau famously said, supplies a tonic. Wellness specialists are fully accredited and experienced licensed massage therapists and are aboard every ship in the National Geographic-flagged fleet. They lead morning stretch class on the deck, aerobic walks ashore, kayak outings, and more.

When you travel with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, you'll enjoy exclusive experiences on every departure, featuring renowned individuals from the worlds of science, exploration, literature, music, photography, culture, and more—thoughtfully curated to enrich your expedition.

View Team Directory

Michelle LaRue

Michelle LaRue is a Lecturer of Polar Marine Ecology at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she jokes that she spies on animals from space for a living. More technically speaking, she studies biogeography and population dynamics of Antarctic penguins and seals using high-resolution satellite imagery.

Join her on the the January 16, 2023, departure of Journey to Antarctica: the White Continent.

Jamling Tenzing Norgay

Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of the Everest pioneer Tenzing Norgay, is a member of a living dynasty of climbers, with 11 of his relatives summiting Mount Everest. Jamling's spiritual journey has led him to an attachment to the Himalayan region and its magestic jagged 8000-meter peaks.

Join him on the November 27, 2022, or December 7, 2022, departures of Journey to Antarctica: the White Continent.

Michael Melford

Michael Melford has produced more than 50 stories for National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler magazines over the past 30 years. His work has also been featured in LIFE, Smithsonian, Time, and Coastal Living, among other publications. His assignments have focused on conservation, preservation, and celebrating the beauty of wilderness and national parks around the world. His work has garnered prestigious honors, including the Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Photography and recognition from World Press Photo. The United States Postal Service also recently honored him by featuring several of his images on a set of Forever stamps celebrating Wild and Scenic Rivers.

Join him aboard the February 26, 2023, departure of South Georgia and the Falklands.

Tim Laman

Wildlife photojournalist, filmmaker, and field biologist Tim Laman has published more than 20 feature stories in National Geographic magazine and worked on films for the National Geographic Channel, BBC, and Netflix. His work has garnered numerous awards, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016, World Press Photo, and top honors from the North American Nature Photography Association.

Join him aboard the Jan. 27, 2023, departure of Epic Antarctica: From the Peninsula to the Ross Sea & Beyond.

Gabriela Roldan

Dr. Gabriela Roldan pursued a PhD in Antarctic Studies from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Currently, she conducts her Antarctic research at Gateway Antarctica in New Zealand. She is deeply invested with Antarctic education at the international level, serving as a member of the advisory Committee on Capacity Building, Education and Training for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

Join her aboard the Dec. 28, 2022, or Jan. 27, 2023, departures of Epic Antarctica: From the Peninsula to the Ross Sea & Beyond.

Josh Peck

Josh Peck has always been fascinated by the natural world and exploring new destinations. Growing up in the wildlife haven of the Falkland Islands—with the polar regions on his doorstep—Josh has spent most of his life living alongside penguins, seals and whales, most recently in South Georgia where he was based for 4 months working for the Government of South Georgia.

Join him aboard the Feb. 26, 2023, departure of South Georgia and the Falklands.

Susan Seubert

Award-winning travel and editorial photographer Susan Seubert has photographed more than 30 feature stories for National Geographic Traveler. Most recently, She has been participating as a travel expert in a series of workshops hosted by the University of Southern Denmark, where she, along with her academic colleagues, try to solve the issues surrounding sustainable travel in the polar regions. Her work has been recognized by Columbia University's Alfred Eisenstadt Award and the North American Travel Journalists Association for excellence in photography. She also lectures regularly at such institutions as Harvard University and the Portland Art Museum.

Join her aboard the January 26, 2023, or February 5, 2023, departure of Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent.

Jay Dickman

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jay Dickman's career has spanned more than 40 years. Among his more than 25 assignments for National Geographic, he lived in a Stone Age village in Papua New Guinea and spent a week under the Arctic ice in a nuclear attack submarine. A popular photography instructor, he has also published a best-selling guide called Perfect Digital Photography, as well as numerous articles for National Geographic, LIFE, Sports Illustrated, Time, and Forbes.

Join him aboard the Feb. 15, 2024, departure of Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands.

Krista Rossow

Krista Rossow began her career as a photo editor at National Geographic Traveler magazine. She has shot feature stories as a contributing photographer for Traveler in Japan, South Africa, Morocco, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and various U.S. cities. She regularly judges Instagram contests for @NatGeoTravel and photo edits for National Geographic Books.

Join her aboard the Dec. 1, Dec. 21, and Dec. 31, 2023, departures of Journey to Antarctica: The White Continent.

Phil Schermeister

Over the past 25 years, Phil Schermeister has completed more than 40 major assignments for the National Geographic Book Division, National Geographic magazine and other National Geographic publications. He has photographed on assignment in more than 40 national parks around the United States and has published six single-photographer books with National Geographic, including Range of Light, Our National Parks, and America's Western Edge.

Join him aboard the Jan. 7, or Jan. 17, 2023, departures of Journey to Antarctica: the White Continent.

Life Aboard

It is a privilege to visit Antarctica, one of the planet’s most pristine places, and to this privilege National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Resolution, and National Geographic Explorer add the luxury of comfort—a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.

King penguins congregate in South Georgia

South Georgia: Where Few Have Gone Before

There is a wildlife spectacle waiting in South Georgia unlike anything you’ve seen before: tens of thousands of penguins crowding one beach, enormous elephant seals hauled-out on shore, and flocks of seabirds soaring above. Get a glimpse of what it’s like to explore these rugged and remote islands and then plan to join us there this fall.

South Georgia Wildlife: Spot the Southern Ocean's Big Five

Just like the Serengeti, South Georgia has its own Big Five—the best of the best wildlife sightings that everyone looks forward to most. Naturalist David Cothran takes a closer look at some of at the fantastic wildlife highlights of this unique island.

An Adventure of a Lifetime: Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands

An expedition to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands is an amazing experience—one that you'll take home and treasure for years to come.

7 Amazing Activities for Kids in Antarctica

Although it can be overlooked as a family travel destination, Antarctica offers endless snowy—and unforgettable—fun. Here are some of the activities in store for kids and teens on an Antarctica expedition.

Early Season Antarctica Travel Guide: What You'll See & Do

Our Antarctica season begins just as the austral summer is dawning and this frozen world is springing to life. Be one of the first to return with us this year and see what awaits you as an early arrival.

I just spent the night in an igloo in Antarctica — here’s how you can, too

The Points Guy correspondent Gene Sloan spent a cozy night in one of the geodesic glass igloos perched atop the observation deck on National Geographic Resolution—an experience available to all guests on a first-come, first-serve basis.

ABC News Live from Antarctica

In November 2021, ABC News correspondent Amy Robach reported directly from Antarctica aboard the brand-new National Geographic Endurance, which features the first-ever polar newsroom. Segments aired on Good Morning America, GMA3: What You Need to Know, and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir as part of a month-long climate change series on ABC News spanning seven continents.

Capturing Antarctica: Top Photo Tips to Get Your Best Shot

Wildlife photographer Michael S. Nolan shares some of his expert polar photo tips and his favorite shots from early season expeditions.

Discover Antarctica

Glass calm seas and warm air greeted the morning in the Beagle Channel. A suite of sea birds flew by in the morning light as sea lions passed us by. Taking the same route Darwin took on the namesake ship of this channel, it’s easy to see what aspects of the natural world might have captivated him here.

Steve Backus, Naturalist, January 21, 2022

Read more Daily Expedition Reports

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

FAQs

FAQs and Key Information

From climate conditions, to cabin information, to packing the right footwear. Find answers to the questions Expedition Specialists get most often.

Very much enjoyed the presentation by the killer whale researchers, and your efforts to support their work are laudable. Photo guidance and inspiration were HELPFUL. I actually learned things I could apply to future trips! Finally, your efforts to locate and maneuver to find wildlife added immensely to the experience.

Lisa B.

Making a Difference

Join a National Geographic BioBlitz on select South Georgia & the Falklands expeditions. Defined as a limited amount of time in a defined area while trying to find as many species as possible, it’s citizen science at its coolest in one of the planet’s most wildlife-rich locations. Guests will work with naturalists to collect and upload data on sub-Antarctic species. Since these islands get relatively few visitors, these contributions will matter.

1.800.397.3348

Daily Expedition Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

10/29/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

At Sea to South Georgia

This morning, guests of National Geographic Endurance awoke in the middle of the South Atlantic. This is a unique crossing. As the ship transits from Puerto Madryn to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, those aboard are privy to special sightings and experiences. Many seabirds rely on the building waves and wind that we observed as we near the Southern Ocean. A great force, the Southern Ocean circles Antarctica with unbroken strength. This energy creates a strong barrier, isolating Antarctica biologically and ecologically. Albatrosses, petrels, and prions use the wind to soar just above the waves, using their strong senses to identify prey in the water. These birds–Procellariiformes–have an incredible sense of smell, an adaptation that naturalist Conor Ryan shared with guests today during a morning lecture entitled, “The Smell of the Sea.” What we consider the smell of the sea is actually dimethylsulfide (DMS), which is released by organisms like phytoplanktonic diatoms. Diatoms become food for many primary consumers, including copepods and Antarctic krill. These primary consumers are, in turn, excellent prey for seabirds searching for their next meal. As they swoop from wave to wave, the birds actively hunt. On this crossing, we have been lucky enough to view the largest seabird of them all, the wandering albatross. This bird can have a wingspan of two meters, over six feet. Wandering albatrosses are monogamous and mate for life. With long lives, sometimes these animals produce offspring into their 60s. Royal albatrosses are their slightly smaller counterpart, and they tend to be rarer in this part of the world. With more black coloring on their wings and a less pink bill, they are a species that may be easily confused with the wanderer.

Daily Expedition Reports

10/28/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

At Sea Towards South Georgia

Two wonderful days of excursions at Peninsula Valdes and Trelew offered insights into the wildlife, cultural heritage, and paleontological riches of central Patagonia. As with any expedition, a flexible mindset is beneficial as the weather can prompt itinerary changes. Upon sailing from Puerto Madryn, our next destination is not farther down the Argentinian coast as originally planned, but rather South Georgia Island far to the east. Not to worry–we’ll still visit the Falkland Islands in the final leg of our voyage! With a following wind and sea, National Geographic Endurance provided an efficient and very comfortable passage as we transited over 1,300 nautical miles from South America to the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia. A diversity of albatrosses and petrels soared behind the ship, capitalizing on the strong breezes in our wake; several new species were added to the day’s list of sightings with growing distance offshore. Guests who braved the decks were rewarded with photo opportunities as seabirds circled nearby. Along with a shifting complement of wildlife, seawater temperatures are dropping–once cooler than ~3 degrees Celsius, we’ll officially be in the Southern Ocean. A full slate of natural history presentations and photography workshops kept the attention of those interested in learning about earth science, seabirds, and the capabilities of the cameras on their phones. However, a day at sea also presents a chance to relax. From editing recent pictures to browsing library shelves in the Observation Lounge to enjoying a massage with the Wellness Team to working on a challenging puzzle to walking three miles of laps around Deck Eight to savoring the treats that appear at afternoon tea…all those on board found ways to enjoy the spaces and resources that make National Geographic Endurance our traveling home.

Daily Expedition Reports

10/27/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

Trelew, Argentina

“Ferdinand Magellan used the word patagón to describe the native people here,” our guide Ana tells us. She says that the exact etymology is uncertain, but some believe it to mean “giants,” or more likely, “the people with big feet.” “So Patagonia is literally the land of bigfoot?” one guest asks, the rest of the bus chuckling. Smiling and nodding, Ana replies that yes, in a way, this is bigfoot country. We have left Puerto Madryn and are driving Highway 3 westward where towering wind turbines dot the dry playa that seems to stretch out forever. Scavenging caracaras and hunting harriers float low over treeless scrub where capybaras––scavenging rodents of unusual size––and small camelid guanacos share the landscape with merino sheep. I am thinking about the giants of patagón as we pass a turbine near the roadside, imagining a twenty-foot-tall Don Quixote riding an equally large horse to fight the whirling monsters, when the real monster––the authentic Patagonian Bigfoot––appears on the horizon. The bus slows, angles off the road, and parks in front of what could be part of the next Jurassic Park movie set: Patagotitan mayorum. Titanosaur. The giant statue before us represents what might be the largest animal to have ever walked the earth. With a neck stretching 12 meters, and a thigh bone longer than Shaquille O’Neil is tall, the titanosaur roamed Patagonia when this land was a savanna some 95 million years ago. Following our visit with titanosaur, we reboard the bus, primed for our next stop: Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum in Trelew, where a new wing is being built to house the titanosaur skeleton whose Shaqesque-thigh bone was found sticking out of the ground by an Argentine rancher in 2013. Our guides at the museum walk us through the Mesozoic, the Paleozoic, and eventually the Precambrian Eras. At each stop, we are wowed by reconstructed skeletons made from the casts of Patagonian fossils, as well as many of the fossils themselves displayed just out of reach behind glass. Following the exhibits, we are treated to a behind the scenes tour, where scientists are cleaning, casting, and cataloguing bones from the richest fossil region in the world, where nearly every expedition yields a new species. It is these laboratories in the tiny town of Trelew that send skeletons to the great museums around the world, and, who knows, perhaps it will be these paleontologists who will one day clean, cast, catalogue, and distribute the skeleton of the next bigfoot.

Daily Expedition Reports

10/24/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

At Sea

Far from sight of land, a stiff wind greeted us this morning, along with a surprising array of winged land animals that were blown out to sea: hundreds of moths and at least seven birds took refuge on our ship. We spent the day at sea, sailing south and west across the broad Bahia Blanca. We encountered our first penguins of the voyage (Magellanic penguins), and we had some interesting albeit fleeting marine mammal encounters (southern right whale, humpback whale, blue whale, common dolphin, and South American sea lion).

Daily Expedition Reports

10/23/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

At Sea

A ship is nothing without her crew. These words were spoken by our dear Captain Aaron Wood on the first evening after our embarkation, and it’s certainly the case. As we motored south during our sea day, we were entertained by seabirds and southern right whales, as well as by the natural history staff during their lectures. The true shipboard experience was created by the hotel, engine, and deck crew, though. These fine individuals never missed a beat as plans changed and those onboard submitted all number of specialized requests. Take a look at our photos to meet some of these wonderful people.

On my first visit to Antarctica, I didn’t sleep for two days—I was so mesmerized as our ship crunched through the sea ice. It was unending ice. The size, the shapes, the color.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

View our brochure for more details

Explorations 2022-25

Multi

Antarctica

Explorations 2022-25

2022-25 Voyages | Expeditions.com

View online Request Brochure