Antarctica Fly the Drake

Antarctica is a bucket list destination that is very expensive to visit and I wanted to share travel experiences from my cruise trip in 2016. There are some important differences between the Arctic region (ocean surrounded by land; has NO penguins but has polar bears) and Antarctica (true continent; has NO polar bears but a lot of penguins).

What are the possible ways to travel to Antarctica?

Most Antarctica cruises leave from either Ushuaia, Argentina, or Punta Arenas, Chile. The typical cost to book the Antarctica cruise in a basic cabin starts between $7000-8000 USD per person, which requires crossing the Drake passage (the most violent water waves in the world). Budget travelers can choose to spend a few days in Ushuaia and try to get last-minute cruise deals for 50% off (~$3500 to 5000).

Is there a way to avoid sailing the Drake passage?

Flights can go over the Drake passage ( 3 hours) if you are prone to seasickness or scared after watching the YouTube sailing videos of the Drake passage (me and my wife). If you prefer to “fly the Drake passage”, the price increases by $1500-2000 per person, and a private chartered flight will leave from Punta Arenas to land directly on King George Island, Antarctica.

King George Island has several territories owned by different countries, but only Chile-owned land has a gravel landing strip. Flight times vary between 7 am to 7 pm based on the amount of ice on the runway. It is very rare to see them not able to fly and lose a day but it can happen!

How I Booked the Antarctica Trip

I booked my Antarctica cruise from Quark Expeditions – Fly the Drake 8-day package. https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/expeditions/antarctic-express-fly-the-drake

The cost for the cruise in 2016 was $10,000 (after a 25% discount) per person, which included the following:

• 8 AM DAP charter flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas.
• Overnight stay at Dreams Hotel (5-star oceanfront hotel) in Punta Arenas.
• Winter jacket with Quark logos (very well insulated, heavy and waterproof); Jacket is yours to keep after the trip.
• Snow boots are provided, which need to be returned. You need to bring your own waterproof pants.
• DAP Flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island.
• Cruise for 6 nights in Antarctica and various daily Zodiac boat activities.
• DAP Flight back to Punta Arenas.
• Overnight stay at Dreams hotel.
• 12 noon Flight from Punta Arenas to Santiago.

Do I have to make the entire trip expense in a single payment?

If you are traveling with another person, coming up with 20K would be very difficult. The advantage of Quark Expeditions (when I booked in 2016) is that they let you pay the total bill over several months with different credit cards (I would not have been able to pay the whole amount one time otherwise). We also took advantage by opening several credit cards over 8 months and made a lot of points.

How I Booked the US to Santiago Flight

I used ANA miles to book the roundtrip Copa airline flights to Chile from Orlando. See the sample booking example in the image below.

Fly the Drake and Cruise Experience

Soon after landing we encountered the returning passengers and waved hands at them. When we asked a few of them “was the trip worth it?”, they all smiled and said “yes”. All the luggage was transported by the crew, but you have to walk for around one mile with your jackets and boots to reach the Zodiacs that will take you to the cruise. Soon after you unpack the luggage inside your cabin, you will be called for a mandatory safety briefing in the dining room.

What is there to see or do in Antarctica?

Antarctica cruises are stopped twice a day and you will board Zodiacs to reach different islands and explore for ~2 hours. You will be able to see lots of penguins, seals, and a few whales. It was fun to see several seals resting on the icebergs from a few feet away while cruising on Zodiacs. The cruise ship also parked twice in front of massive glaciers and they served us unforgettable barbeque dinners.

Antarctica Scenery

Summary

Antarctica trip is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many people and you will remember the scenery (massive glaciers, seals floating on the icebergs, and thousands of penguins walking in front of you) for as long as you live! As expected, the trip to Antarctica is very expensive and requires a lot of planning. I recommend calling customer service directly for any company you choose and asking for specials along with enquiring about making the payment over several months.