81 Antarctic expeditions departing in December 2026, from $9,250 per person. Compare ships, cabins and operators for the month.
December brings peak season: the warmest temperatures so far (0 to +8 °C on the Peninsula), nearly 20 hours of daylight, and the first penguin chicks hatching around the solstice — colonies turn into noisy nurseries. Whale sightings pick up week by week.
Christmas and New Year departures are the most sought-after (and priciest) of the year; celebrating the New Year at midnight in broad daylight is a story in itself. Book these sailings 12–18 months out.
Dec 18, 2026 – Dec 29, 2026 · 11 days
Buenos Aires
Dec 19, 2026 – Dec 28, 2026 · 10 days
Dec 19, 2026 – Dec 30, 2026 · 12 days
Dec 19, 2026 – Dec 27, 2026 · 6 days
King George Island
Dec 19, 2026 – Dec 29, 2026 · 11 days
Ushuaia
Dec 20, 2026 – Dec 29, 2026 · 10 days
Dec 20, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027 · 18 days
Ushuaia (Argentina)
Dec 21, 2026 – Dec 30, 2026 · 9 days
Puerto Williams
Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 11, 2027 · 21 days
Buenos Aires
Dec 22, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027 · 18 days
Puerto Williams
Dec 22, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027 · 13 days
Ushuaia
Dec 22, 2026 – Jan 13, 2027 · 23 days
Dec 23, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 · 12 days
Ushuaia, Argentina
Dec 26, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027 · 10 days
Dec 26, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027 · 16 days
Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 14, 2027 · 19 days
Ushuaia
Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027 · 11 days
Ushuaia
Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027 · 11 days
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027 · 11 days
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 · 13 days
Dec 28, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 · 12 days
Dec 28, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027 · 11 days
Ushuaia (Argentina)
Dec 28, 2026 – Jan 11, 2027 · 15 days
Dunedin (New Zealand)
Dec 28, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027 · 14 days
Dec 28, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 · 11 days
Buenos Aires
Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 · 11 days
Ushuaia
Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027 · 12 days
Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027 · 12 days
Ushuaia
Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 · 11 days
Ushuaia
Dec 30, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027 · 8 days
Punta Arenas, Chile
Dec 30, 2026 – Jan 8, 2027 · 9 days
King George Island