20 April 2023
Amplify your Antarctica experience
Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime destination for most people and AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions) are the experts in ensuring you make every minute on the White Continent count…
Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime destination for most people and AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions) are the experts in ensuring you make every minute on the White Continent count…
Crisp landscapes, calving ice chunks and richly diverse wildlife ranging from whales to seals and 18 different species of penguin… Antarctica’s edge-of-the-world allure is undeniable. Embark on a bucket-list trip here, and squeezing every drop of adventure is a must – or so Australian-owned AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions) believes. And they should know. With over three decades’ experience, the most comprehensive 2024/25 Antarctica season, featuring 25 itineraries (three of which are new) and a comprehensive activities programme, Antarctica is in their DNA.
As far as travel inspiration goes, Antarctic explorers Shackleton and Scott are unrivalled role models. AE Expeditions upholds their legacies with a selection of adventure-packed expeditions, where off-ship activities are as adventurous as the heroes themselves. This is where the real exploration begins, up-close and personal with the frozen terrain…
Kayakers spying penguins in Pleneau and Port Charcot (Matt Horspool)
Getting into the tranquil meltwaters, flanked by floating ice, is how you explore and connect with this remarkable destination. Heavy-duty inflatable speedboats – otherwise known as Zodiacs – are a key part of every AE Expeditions itinerary. They get travellers deep into places that the ship cannot: drifting in the shadow of sky-scraper-tall glaciers, and searching hidden bays for wildlife.
If you’re feeling brave, take the plunge in a time-honoured tradition to celebrate the rite of passage for polar travellers – the Polar Plunge (available on selected expeditions only, weather permitting). This invigorating jump into the sub-zero Southern Ocean will ensure you feel fresh and lively for the trip ahead.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended). Expeditions are what you make them: whether you want to cruise silently across the surface in kayak, glimpsing local wildlife; paddle along the coastline in an inflatable; or dive in, Scuba gear or snorkel at the ready, to discover fascinating underwater worlds. Please note that all landings, adventures and activities on AE Expeditions' trips are subject to weather conditions and activity options do vary by itinerary. Optional activities are at additional cost.
Alpine trekking in Antarctica (Tarn Pilkington)
AE Expeditions is at the forefront of alpine exploration in the Antarctic Peninsula. Its experienced guides have been taking travellers to the remotest locations for over a decade and, for seasoned trekkers, there are plenty of options – with trips lasting 4-10 hours and often including ice climbs. For a gentler alpine experience, skiing and snowshoeing will get adventurers across Antarctica’s powder with ease, and to some of the most spectacular vantage points on the continent.
Whether you’re packing an SLR or smartphone, the opportunities to capture extraordinary photos abound. It’s near impossible to take a bad picture here. But, for those who need a little extra support, AE Expeditions sends award-winning, professional photographers on every voyage – all on hand to share helpful tips, tricks, and inspiration. Novices and camera enthusiasts alike will particularly enjoy the new themed 13-day Spirit of Antarctica voyage, which has been designed especially for the photography enthusiasts, on the 12-23 November 2024 departure.
King penguins in South Georgia (Tyson Mayr)
Snorkelling in Antarctica (Marcus Westberg)
In 1916, the legendary Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team made the first successful crossing of South Georgia. It was a hike for the experienced, a 30-hour hike that marked the final leg in an almighty journey of courage and survival. AE Expeditions takes a slightly more leisurely approach to this epic feat, however. The trek will take place over two-three days, beginning in the Murray Snowfield and finishing in Stromness, with nights spent back onboard the luxury of the ship. The crossing is up to 50km – dependent on the route the expert guides choose – and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore some of the world’s wildest environs.
Learn from the experts with AE Expeditions’ Citizen Science programme. This interactive initiative includes seven diverse projects, focusing on whales, seabirds, microplastics, weather patterns, phytoplankton, Polar fiordlands and marine biodiversity. Each Antarctic endeavour is equally groundbreaking and recognised globally, designed to help deepen passengers’ understanding and connection with their environment. Those who partake will not only become Citizen Science ambassadors but advocates for the planet too. Projects vary from voyage to voyage; once onboard, the passionate Expedition Team will be able to share the opportunities with travellers, and explain the best ways to get involved during the trip.
Citizen Science in action (Jamie Lafferty)
Cruising in a Zodiac (Jamie Lafferty)
In a remote, untrodden land like Antarctica, there is so much to be explored and discovered. That’s why AE Expedition’s new 2024/25 programme is designed to be its most comprehensive yet. Travellers will spend more time off-ship than ever before, supported by a vastly experienced Expedition Team. From former mountain guides to skippers, teachers and researchers, their brief is to make each experience more immersive, more action-packed, and wilder than the last – all while prioritising passenger safety. Every travel-loving team member has a small-group approach to big adventures, ensuring you feel closer to Antarctica's icy wilderness than ever before. With options for every skill level, there are abundant chances to try something new, while AE’s latest itineraries showcase the breadth of different experiences available. Here are just a few of our favourites...
Elephant seals on Salisbury Plain in South Georgia (Ian Wade)
Macaroni penguins are some of the most elusive in Antarctica and, on this 21-day expedition, you may well spot some – not to mention gentoo, Magellanic, rockhopper and chinstraps aplenty. Indeed, penguin enthusiasts will delight in South Georgia’s king penguin colonies, some of the largest on Earth. And if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, perhaps vast albatross habitats, iceberg-pocked landscapes, and insights into Shackleton’s survival story, will. With four departures onboard the Greg Mortimer or the Sylvia Earle, this itinerary takes travellers through the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia, with some extra time at the start in Falklands~Malvinas – a must for history enthusiasts.
Packed penguin colonies, orca, minke whales… the chance to see iconic Antarctic wildlife on this itinerary is high. Travelling 1-14 March 2025, you will begin in Punta Arenas, Chile, and fly onto King George Island before boarding the Sylvia Earle. From here, it’s a constant adventure. Sail past soaring ice cliffs, stop-off at historic sites across the Antarctic Peninsula, and spot seals, sunbathing on chunks of ice. This typically classic itinerary adds a unique extra too, with a detour through the majestic Chilean Fjords. Discovered by explorers some 500 years ago, this too is a place for wildlife: think seabirds, dolphins and whales.
Glacier reflected in the waters of Paradise Harbour (Richard l'Anson)
Gentoo penguins in South Georgia (Jamie Lafferty)
Retrace Sir Ernest Shackleton’s iconic voyage on this fascinating adventure, 16 March-4 April 2025. Clocking in at 20 days, this itinerary doesn’t quite match the 497 that Shackleton completed, but it does give travellers a historic insight into his heroic undertaking. After crossing the Drake Passage from Ushuaia, Argentina, you begin by exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and its abundant ice cliffs, ‘bergs and beaches – sometimes home to penguins and seals. In Shackleton-style, it’s onto the Weddell Sea and Elephant Island next, where the Endurance team finally made landfall, and then across the Scotia Sea to South Georgia – for more survival stories.
After boarding the Sylvia Earle at Punta Arenas, Chile, this adventure begins in the Chilean Fjords. Departing 13 March 2025, you will weave through some of the 400 fjords and channels here, in search of migrating blue whales, grey whales and humpbacks. The region stretches from the Reloncaví Estuary to Cape Horn, Chile’s southernmost tip and often described as ‘the world’s end’. Fitting, then, that you venture further into the ends of the Earth next, as you sail the Drake Passage and head deep into the Antarctic Peninsula. Unforgettable landscapes and vast wilderness await, with each day promising a new thrill, dictated entirely by nature.
Kayaking in the Antarctic Peninsula (Tyson Mayr)
AE Expeditions’ voyages are committed to education and enrichment, the environment, not to mention an unbridled sense of adventure – activities, wildlife and photography. Itineraries are led by expert guides, taking travellers to Antarctica’s untouched gems on small ships – purpose-built based on AE Expeditions' (part of Aurora Expeditions) 32 years’ experience.
To find and book your next Antarctica adventure, head over to the AE Expeditions website.
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