Antarctica Unlocked

1,000 departures across 14 operators and 39 ships

Cruises visiting Antarctic Circle

126 upcoming Antarctic expeditions with Antarctic Circle on the route, from $9,895 per person.

Crossing 66°33′ S is a milestone few Antarctic travellers achieve — most itineraries turn back further north. Circle voyages push down the Peninsula's west coast through progressively wilder, icier waters where ships become scarce and the light turns otherworldly.

Expect a celebratory toast at the crossing, midnight-sun conditions in high summer, and a stretch of coastline — Crystal Sound, Marguerite Bay — that only a handful of expeditions see each season.

Wildlife you can spot here

Wildlife

Adélie Penguin

One of the most widespread penguins in Antarctica, the Adélie is often the first tuxedoed local guests meet ashore. Its stark white eye-ring and brisk, purposeful waddle make it easy to pick out along the ice edge.

Wildlife

Snow Petrel

The snow petrel is one of only three bird species ever recorded at the Geographic South Pole, and it holds the record for the most southerly breeding sites of any bird. Pure white against dark rock and ice, it is unmistakable and easy to pick out from a moving ship.

Wildlife

Hourglass Dolphin

A small, fast-moving dolphin of the open Southern Ocean, most often glimpsed as a flash of black and white alongside the ship's bow. It has a circumpolar range but is best known to travellers for its habit of appearing mid-crossing, far from any coast.

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