Your passport to adventure
PHONE: 1 877 260 3950
PHONE: 1 877 260 3950
If you're keen on an Antarctic expedition you simply must book one of our Antarctica tours at Encounters Travel - our itineraries vary from relaxing Antarctica cruises to exciting polar expeditions, and more!
The Antarctic continent is one of the last truly untouched wildernesses left on the planet – this snowbound landmass has some of the most spectacular scenery to be found anywhere, with craggy cliffs and towering icebergs.
Our Antarctica tours will welcome you to an abundance of aquatic wildlife including whales and seals, along with large populations of penguins, albatross and other species such as petrels, prions, fulmars, and shear-waters.
The Antarctic has some of the most rugged and breath-taking scenery known to man and the journey there is an adventure in itself.
Highlights include the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands – here you’ll find some of the best wildlife viewing, including humpback, minke and killer whales, leopard seals, and unforgettable penguin colonies – making it the perfect Antarctica tour adventure!
Other highlights include Paradise Harbour, filled with icebergs, which is a great place to get ashore and visit one of the many scientific research stations. While the Lemaire Channel - known as 'Kodak Gap' for its unrivalled photographic potential - provides a perfect opportunity to watch for calving glaciers, one of the most amazing displays of nature on Earth.
At Encounters Travel, our Antarctica tours offer the option of a cruise ship – there are plenty to choose from depending on how long you wish to travel and what level of accommodation you require.
Cruise itineraries usually range from between twelve to twenty days and include at least four days travelling at sea.
Onboard historians and naturalists are always on hand to help bring alive the continent's rich history and unique wildlife.
Ships can range from the more basic converted research ships right up to luxury expedition cruise liners.
The majority of cruises depart from Ushuaia in Argentina; however other ports of embarkation are possible, including Hobart in Australia and several other ports in South Africa.
Our suggested Antarctica tour itineraries will give you a good taste of what's available and are based around specific cruise ships which we prefer to use.
If you have a preferred ship of your own, we can usually provide a competitive quote including all air and ground arrangements pre-and-post-cruise.
It is also possible to include some extra time either before or after your cruise to explore your country of embarkation – simply contact us for more information.
Do you want to know more about Albania and its beauty? Or do you need accurate visa information?
Contact the Antarctica tourism board for more information.
I liked the fact we were met at the airport and helped thru customs and getting a visa and then upon leaving taken to where we needed to go. Its always tough to figure out where everything is in a foreign airport when you do not travel much
We had a wonderful time and great memories. We felt safe the whole time and would recommend this trip to anyone of any age as long as you can walk a lot. They are with you from arrival to departure and any problems that arose the guides would try their best to solve. They also showed remarkable patience for other people in other groups we saw that were acting like idiots.
Encounters Travel did such a superb job in organizing this tour. I had never heard of them before going on the Maldives Magic tour, however now I will recommend them to friends/family and use them for my future planned trips.
Our tour is what made the trip that much more memorable. Rather than being plopped at a westernized resort, we were able to get a taste of how the locals live, eat and entertain themselves. We stayed in quaint guesthouses on the islands amongst the locals, ate authentic Maldivian cuisine (one day even with a Maldivian family who made us breakfast), and viewed a traditional dance/singing performance which was absolutely delightful. This was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget.
I had an amazing time on the trip. Everything was incredibly well organized and planned out to a tee. Our tour guide, Big Mo, was amazing and super knowledgeable. I couldn't have imagined a better trip to Egypt!
Excellent
Everything about the trip was thought through, fine-tuned , and marvelous. From Ant Horribin helping us arrange the trip, to rep Waled Ali, and our guide Big Mo, we could not have asked for a better team. Our sincere thanks to them.
Conscientious in early communication; knowledgeable, humorous and caring tour guides; an exemplary itinerary that was well organized yet flexible; an overall extraordinary experience. I'd recommend them enthusiastically.
Time: GMT+8
Dial Code: +672
Area: 14 million km2
Elevation: The lowest point in the Antarctic is the Bentley Subglacial Trench, which reaches 2,555m below sea level (8382,546 ft.) | The highest point in the Antarctic is Mount Vinson, with an elevation of 4,897m (6,066 ft.)
Population: An average of 1,000 to 5,000 people resides at research stations during the year.
Capital: The Antarctic is a geographic entity, but not really a political entity, therefore it has no capital.
Government: The Antarctic is not a country: it has no government and no indigenous population.
Language: English, Russian
The Antarctic is the southernmost continent on the surface of the Earth. The continent encompasses the geographical South Pole and is in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle. The Southern Ocean also encircles Antarctica.
About 98% of the Antarctic is covered in thick ice, and it is the fifth-largest continent in the world. The continent is the coldest, windiest and driest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. The landscape is a desert, with annual precipitation of only 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland.
Throughout the year, an average of 1,000 to 5,000 people resides at research stations scattered across the continent. In 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty, and 38 have signed it since. This treaty forbids mineral mining, military activities, nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal.
There are several lakes and rivers in Antarctica. The longest river is the Onyx and the largest lake, Vostok, is one of the largest sub-glacial lakes in the world. The coastline of the Antarctic features ice formations. The continent is divided into two by the Transantarctic Mountains, located close to the neck between the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea. This continent is the coldest in the world.
A collection of governments maintains permanently manned research stations on the continent. The number of people conducting scientific on the continent varies from summer to winter.
Our video features bring our tours to life in a way the no photo can, you'll feel like you're on the tour.
Need some travel inspiration or looking for some handy travel tips? Our blog provides excellent insight into our travel destinations - from tour updates to country guides, packing lists to little known things to do, you'll find it all in our travel blog.
These notes will give you a brief idea of how to prepare for, and what you may encounter on your voyage. We stress that this is an “expedition” style cruise.
Antarctic cruises are primarily defined by an exploratory travel programme that spends as much time ashore as possible, combined with educational lectures on board.
