Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands holidays
Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands holidays at a glance
The Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are where almost every expedition cruise begins, and where most travellers spend their time. The Peninsula is a long finger of mountains and glaciers reaching north towards South America, its coast broken by narrow channels like the Lemaire and sheltered anchorages like Paradise Harbour. The South Shetlands sit just off its tip, a chain of black-rock islands where many voyages make their first landfall.
Ships edge south through fractured sea ice, and you go ashore by Zodiac to walk among penguins, watch seals on the floes and hear glaciers crack and calve. Deception Island’s flooded caldera makes one of the most unusual landings of all. On a few sailings, mostly in January and February, ships press further south to cross the Antarctic Circle at 66°33’S when the ice allows.
This is the wildlife-richest corner of the continent, and the colonies are the draw. Gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins nest in their thousands, from the chinstraps of Half Moon Island to the gentoos gathered around Port Lockroy. Seals rest on the ice and beaches, seabirds wheel overhead, and humpback and minke whales feed offshore, with orcas later in the season.
Timing shapes what you see. Penguins court in November, chicks hatch from December, and by February the young are fledging, just as the whale watching comes into its own.
Reaching the Peninsula is part of the experience. Most voyages sail south from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage in the wake of Scott and Shackleton, the ship dwarfed by ice fields and jagged peaks. Once among the ice, days are shaped by Zodiac landings and the camaraderie on board, the shared thrill of a whale surfacing or a sudden squall. However far south you want to push and however active you want to be, our Antarctica specialists will shape the voyage around you.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Choose your cabin carefully, it’s a long voyage it’s worth the upgrade. Don’t write off the Drake Passage, some of the best birdwatching happens during the crossing.
When to visit Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
Voyages run through the southern summer, from late October to March, and the South Shetlands, being furthest north, are the first landings to open up and the last to close. Temperatures along the Peninsula hover around 0°C, mildest in January. What you get out of the season shifts month by month.
The snow-blanketed fields and glacial islands are pristine and untouched at the beginning of the season. Chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni and Adélie penguins along with many other species of sea bird begin courting and building their nests. Elephant and fur seals also court and carve out their territories.
Temperatures are at their warmest in January, reaching 1.5°C. Daylight hours are endless, with the sun never setting around the summer solstice in December. Chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni and Adélie penguin chicks begin to hatch and elephant, fur, leopard and crab-eater seal pups are born.
Daylight hours are very long and temperatures hover around zero. These are the best months to spot humpback, minke and orca (killer) whales offshore. Chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni and Adélie penguin chicks begin to fledge. Green algae blooms across the sparkling snowfields.
This is off season- we do not operate expeditions as days are short and dark during the winter.
Top Things to do in Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
Days on the Peninsula and around the South Shetlands combine Zodiac cruises and shore landings with a growing range of active add-ons. What you do on any given day depends on the weather, the ice and the wildlife, which is part of the adventure. Here’s what we recommend.
Set sail from the tip of Patagonia to an awe-inspiring natural realm of ice, water and rock.
Visit the vestiges of Antarctica’s discovery and human exploitation: the explores’ huts, whaling and sealing stations, administrative outposts; all testament to the region’s stormy history.
See a great variety of whales breaching beside icebergs in spectacular Antarctic surroundings.
See entertaining crowds of penguins, harems of elephant seals and huge colonies of sea birds surviving in the planet’s most extreme habitat.
Tailor-Made Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Antarctic Peninsula: Fly and cruise
Places visited: Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
11 days from £14,240
Antarctica: Journey to the Antarctic Circle
Places visited:
15 days from £10,400
Basecamp Antarctica Expedition Cruise
Places visited: Tierra del Fuego · Buenos Aires
16 days from £11,750
Signature Antarctica: Highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula
Places visited: Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
13 days from £8,700
FAQs about visiting Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- How do I reach the Peninsula, and can I skip the Drake Passage?
Most voyages sail from Ushuaia in Argentina and cross the Drake Passage, about two days each way. If you’d rather not sail it, fly-cruise itineraries swap the crossing for a short flight from Punta Arenas in Chile to King George Island in the South Shetlands, where you join the ship. We’ll arrange the flights, transfers and any nights either end.
- What is the difference between the Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands?
They sit side by side and almost every voyage takes in both. The South Shetlands are a chain of black-rock, heavily glaciated islands just off the Peninsula’s tip, and their sheltered landings, like Half Moon and Deception, are often the first stop after the Drake crossing. The Peninsula proper is the mainland finger beyond, with the narrow channels, glacier-walled harbours and the highest concentration of wildlife.
- Which islands and landing sites will I visit?
It depends on the ship, the itinerary and, above all, the ice and weather, which have the final say. Common highlights include Deception Island’s flooded caldera, the chinstrap colonies of Half Moon Island and Port Lockroy on the Peninsula. Your expedition team sets each day’s landings based on conditions.
- Can I cross the Antarctic Circle?
Only a few voyages reach the Circle at 66°33’S, and only when the ice allows, mostly in January and February. If crossing it matters to you, tell us early and we’ll match you with an itinerary that attempts it, while being honest that the ice, not the schedule, has the final say.
- What wildlife will I see on the Peninsula and South Shetlands?
Sightings are all but guaranteed. Alongside gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins, with the odd macaroni among the South Shetland colonies, you’ll see leopard, crabeater, Weddell, fur and elephant seals hauled out on the ice and beaches. Seabirds are everywhere, from skuas and petrels to Antarctic terns, blue-eyed shags and kelp gulls. Humpback and minke whales feed offshore from December, with orcas more likely later in the season and, occasionally, a blue whale.
- How many days do I need for a Peninsula voyage?
Most Peninsula and South Shetland voyages last 10 to 14 days, including two days each way across the Drake Passage, which gives you five to seven full days among the ice. Voyages that add the Antarctic Circle run a little longer, and fly-cruise options shorten the trip by replacing the sea crossings with flights.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.