Antarctica yacht charter
Antarctica is an expedition, not a week's holiday: the Drake Passage, ice, whales and penguin colonies, with a permit arranged months ahead. Voyages run in the austral summer, from about October to April. It suits curious travellers with flexible dates who do not mind a rough crossing.
Antarctica is the farthest charter there is, and the one that asks the most of you. It means two days across the Drake Passage, a short southern summer, permits, and ice. In return you get whales beside the yacht, penguin colonies on the shore, and a landscape almost nobody sees privately. It is not a week's holiday but an expedition, and it is planned like one.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
Families with older children or teenagers who are curious and travel well. Ask us whether the yacht you are considering sets a minimum age; the crossing can be rough.
Couples and honeymoons
For a couple who want the journey of a lifetime rather than a rest, it is extraordinary. The days are long, the landings are quiet, and there is no one else in sight.
Friends and celebrations
For a small group marking something big, such as a milestone birthday or a retirement, a private yacht gives you the landings, the kayaking and the timing on your own terms.
Less suited to anyone prone to bad seasickness, anyone with tight dates, and anyone who wants a relaxing week. The weather decides every day.
The areas
Antarctica is one of our Northern Europe and the polar seas destinations, and the voyages to it leave from South American ports.
The Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands
This is where almost every yacht expedition goes. The Gerlache Strait, the Lemaire Channel, Paradise Harbour and Deception Island are names you will hear. The most visited landing sites, three of them on Deception Island, have their own site guidelines under the Antarctic Treaty.
South Georgia and the Falklands
South Georgia has king penguin colonies and is linked to Shackleton's story. They are reached only by sea, and every visit to South Georgia comes under its own government's entry rules.
The Ross Sea
On the other side of the continent, south of New Zealand. Very few voyages go there: nearly all tourist voyages are to the Peninsula.
When to go
The season is the austral summer: tourist voyages run from about October to April, and nearly all of them go to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Each part of the season has its own wildlife and its own ice. Tell us what you most want to see, and we ask the operators which part of the season suits it.
Outside this window, yachts do not go.
What it costs
There is no simple weekly price. Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line; a polar voyage adds the items below.
- The length. An Antarctic charter is a voyage rather than a week: our sample runs about twelve days. Expedition yachts are few, and each prices its own voyage.
- The fee. It covers the yacht and crew. Some yachts quote a voyage price, others a weekly rate.
- The APA, or an expedition budget, covers fuel, which is a large part on the Drake crossing, food, permits, guides and any helicopter or submarine operations.
- Tax. Whether VAT or another tax is added depends on how the voyage is set up. Ask us for the yacht you are considering.
- The yacht's delivery to South America can be part of the cost.
Soreto shows no yacht here yet.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Ushuaia and the Peninsula, about twelve days
This is a voyage, not a week, which is why it runs longer than seven days. The yacht, the ice and the weather decide everything.
- Day 1: Ushuaia. Board in Argentina's southernmost city. Sail down the Beagle Channel in the evening.
- Days 2–3: The Drake Passage. The open-sea crossing to the Peninsula. Seabirds follow the yacht, and the crossing can be calm or rough.
- Day 4: The South Shetland Islands. The first landing, with penguins and seals.
- Days 5–9: The Peninsula. Landings by tender, kayaking among the ice and whale watching. Then the Gerlache Strait, the Lemaire Channel, and Paradise Harbour.
- Day 10: Deception Island. A flooded volcanic crater you sail into. Its landing sites, among them Whalers Bay, have their own site guidelines.
- Days 11–12: The Drake Passage again, then Ushuaia.
The yachts
Few yachts are built and equipped to go to Antarctica, and they are booked as expeditions rather than listed weeks.
For an Antarctic enquiry, we look for yachts that fit. That means expedition yachts equipped for the ice, some carrying a helicopter or a submersible, with crews and guides who have done the voyage.
The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Do we need a permit?
Yes. Every expedition to Antarctica needs a permit from a country that is party to the Antarctic Treaty's environmental protocol: usually the country where the expedition is organised, or whose flag the yacht flies. In the UK, for example, a new application should go in at least four months ahead. The yacht's operator arranges it.
Are there rules on landings?
Yes. The Antarctic Treaty's General Guidelines for Visitors apply everywhere, the most visited landing sites have their own site guidelines, and there are guidelines for yachts. They cover distances from wildlife and biosecurity (cleaning boots and clothing). The guides on board brief you.
How rough is the Drake Passage?
It varies from flat calm to very rough. A capable yacht and the right weather window make a big difference. Seasickness remedies are worth bringing.
How cold is it?
Cold, even in summer, and colder with the wind. Ask us what clothing the yacht provides, and bring warm, waterproof layers.
How far ahead should we plan?
Well ahead. The permit alone needs months, the season is short and the yachts are few. Tell us the season you have in mind.
Can children come?
Older children, often yes. Ask us whether the yacht you are considering sets a minimum age.
Is medical cover on board?
Ask us whether the yacht you are considering carries a doctor or medic. Make sure your travel insurance covers evacuation from Antarctica.
Can we combine Antarctica with Patagonia?
Yes. Patagonia (page to follow) and the Chilean fjords, in Central and South America, make a natural first or second part of the journey.
If you are also weighing Norway or the Galápagos
Antarctica | Norway's western fjords | |
|---|---|---|
Season | About October to April, the austral summer | June to August |
Getting to the yacht | Ushuaia, then the Drake Passage | Fly to Ålesund or Bergen |
The sea | The Drake varies from flat calm to very rough | Usually calm inside the fjords |
Length | A voyage: about twelve days in our sample | A week |
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the voyage is for. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with what is possible, say plainly what each option is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Antarctica.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.