South Georgia holidays
South Georgia holidays at a glance
South Georgia is one of the most extraordinary wildlife destinations anywhere, a remote, mountainous island adrift in the Southern Ocean between South America and Antarctica. Jagged, glacier-hung peaks rise straight from the sea, and the beaches below them heave with life on a scale that’s hard to believe until you see it. The wildlife is the reason to come. Some seven million penguins are thought to breed here, with vast king penguin colonies at St Andrews Bay and Salisbury Plain running to hundreds of thousands of birds. The beaches also hold around half the world’s southern elephant seals, the largest seal of all, while wandering albatrosses ride the winds offshore.
South Georgia is also steeped in history. Once a centre of whaling and sealing, it’s dotted with the rusting remains of that era, and at Grytviken lies the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton. For many, standing at his headstone with the survival story of the Endurance in mind is as moving as any of the wildlife.
No photograph quite prepares you for it. King penguins gather in their hundreds of thousands, orange collars bright against the black sand while downy chicks huddle in crèches. Elephant seal bulls, some over three and half tonnes, rear up to fight for the harem, fur seals dart across the tussock, and albatross wheel overhead.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to South Georgia
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.
Give South Georgia three or four days of landings rather than a quick call on the way south. The weather is fickle and you’ll want the flexibility.
When to visit South Georgia
South Georgia can only be visited in the southern summer, from around October to March, when expedition ships sail these waters. Each part of the season shows the island in a different light.
Brings snow-covered landscapes and the start of the breeding season, with king penguins courting, elephant seal bulls fighting for their harems and the first fur seal pups appearing. A favourite time for photographers.
Has the longest days and the most activity, with penguin chicks in the colonies, beaches crowded with wildlife and the best weather for landings.
Offers the best whale watching in the surrounding waters, along with fur seal pups on the beaches and dramatic autumn light on the peaks.
Top Things to do in South Georgia
A South Georgia visit is built around Zodiac landings on wildlife-packed beaches and the island’s polar history. What you do each day depends on the weather and the swell, 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 South Georgia 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.
Antarctica Wildlife: Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula
Places visited: East Falkland
23 days from £22,620
FAQs about visiting South Georgia
South Georgia 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 get to South Georgia?
Only by expedition ship. There’s no airport, so South Georgia is reached by sea, almost always on a longer voyage that also takes in the Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing from Ushuaia in Argentina or from the Falklands. We arrange the voyage and all the flights and stays either side.
- How long do I need for South Georgia?
Because it’s combined with the Falklands and the Peninsula, a full voyage usually runs to around 18-23 days, with several of those days spent making landings on South Georgia itself. Allow a few extra days each end for flights and city stays, so the whole trip is a substantial commitment of time.
- When is the best time to visit South Georgia?
Only in the southern summer, roughly October to March. Early season brings snowy scenery and courting penguins, midsummer has the longest days and colonies full of chicks, and late season offers the best whale watching and autumn light. Wildlife is abundant throughout, so it comes down to which spectacle you’d most like to catch.
- What wildlife will I see in South Georgia?
The headline sight is the king penguin, in colonies hundreds of thousands strong at St Andrews Bay and Salisbury Plain, along with southern elephant seals, fur seals and macaroni, gentoo and chinstrap penguins. Wandering albatrosses and other seabirds are common, and whales are often seen offshore, especially later in the season.
- Who was Shackleton and why is he buried here?
Sir Ernest Shackleton was one of the great explorers of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, best known for the Endurance expedition, whose crew all survived after their ship was crushed by ice. He died of a heart attack at South Georgia in 1922, at the start of a later expedition, and is buried in the whalers’ cemetery at Grytviken, his grave facing south towards Antarctica.
- Is South Georgia right for me?
It suits travellers who want the most concentrated wildlife on the planet and the history of polar exploration, and don’t mind a long voyage and changeable weather to reach it. If you’d prefer a shorter, more accessible trip, the Antarctic Peninsula alone is easier to reach, and we can advise on the best fit.
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.