Antarctic Circle Cruises & Tours

Trips on or before 31 December 2022

If your Intrepid trip starts on or before 31 December 2022, you must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons, you may apply for an exemption. Exemptions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. To apply, you must provide a medical certificate from a medical professional.

Children under 18 are exempt. Children aged between 5 and 17 years old must provide proof of either vaccination, recovery or a negative COVID-19 test.

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Learn more about Intrepid’s COVID-19 policy

Due to its extremely remote location (ahem, the southernmost point of Earth), there’s only one way to get to the Antarctic Circle, and that's on a polar vessel like the Ocean Endeavour. A ship like this is designed to handle the ice-strewn seas on the crossing to the Antarctic Circle. Most cruises depart from Ushuaia in Argentina and the journey to latitude 66°33’ takes roughly seven to nine days depending on your itinerary and where you stop off along the way.

The short answer is it’ll be cold! The warmest month in Antarctica is January. Even then, the maximum temperature along the coastal areas reaches a cool 5°–15°C (41–59°F), and strong westerly winds often make it feel much chillier. On the west coast, the temperatures exceed 0°C (32°F) for three to four months during the summer (December to March) and rarely fall below –10°C (–14° F) during the winter. The east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula is much colder, with mean temperatures exceeding 0°C for a month at most, while winter temperatures range from –5°C to –25°C (23 to –13°F).

The best time to visit the Antarctic Circle – or anywhere in Antarctica – is from late spring to early autumn. This is when the temperatures rise above freezing and the sea ice melts enough to allow access for polar ships. Generally, you can’t go to the Antarctic Circle in winter as the weather conditions are too precarious to travel to the region safely. There are also long periods of constant darkness on the high interior plateau.

If wildlife is one of your biggest considerations, then it really depends on the animals you’d like to see. February to March offers the best whale sightings of the year, December is the best time to see seal pups (particularly on the Falkland and South Georgia islands), and November to early December is prime time for watching the impressive courting rituals of penguins and seabirds.

Learn more about the best time to visit Antarctica

Antarctica is one of the most remote and unpredictable places in the world. It's really important to pack everything you’ll need as you won’t be able to buy anything once you’re there. Some of the essentials you’ll need include:

• warm base layers – and lots of them
• pair of waterproof and windproof pants
• waterproof and windproof jacket (you might be provided with this on your cruise)
• snug-fitting beanie
• gloves
• bathers – for your Antarctic dip (optional, but totally worth it!), and swimming in the pool aboard the Ocean Endeavour
• sun protection – yup, it’s sunny enough to get burnt in Antarctica!
• moisturiser
• camera

Read our full Antarctica packing guide

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have.

Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access on our polar vessels. Some ships have lifts but these may not access all decks on the ship. There are often stairways, and passengers need to be mobile enough to keep themselves steady and be able to get around reasonably without being assisted. We can help you to further clarify whether the trip you’re interest in is right for you. 

However, we’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them towards the most suitable itinerary for their needs and where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Learn more about Accessible Travel with Intrepid