Is Antarctica on your dream bucket list? Trying to figure out if you’re gonna be able to fulfill this dream? You might be wondering if you’re getting the best bang for your buck… If you are like me, you might’ve gone down a rabbit hole of searching “how much does an Antarctica cruise really cost?” and you’ve gotten sooooo many different answers. Expedition companies tend to list “starting from” prices, some travel bloggers completely avoid posting the actual numbers and a whole bunch of articles giving ranges that really aren’t all that helpful when you’re trying to budget… While it sounds like I’m shading people, I can completely empathize! The cost IS so dependent on so many different factors.
BUT – this is my complete, transparent Antarctica expedition cost breakdown. It’ll include the exact amount that’s come out of our bank accounts. We went for the ULTIMATE package – Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands with Antarpply Expeditions.
Let’s dive into the numbers!
Why Antarctica Costs So Much
Antarctica itself is an expensive destination. It is incredibly remote, most ships take upwards of 2.5 days to sail there. You go across the Drake’s Passage which is notorious for being unpredictable and violent. Before breaking down the costs of the expedition, it’s important to understand what drives the cost of these expeditions.
- IAATO (International Agency of Antarctic Tour Operators) regulations. If the company you’re going with is an IAATO member, chances are they have a limit on the number of passengers and landings.
- Remote logistics. As you can imagine, if it takes 2.5 days to sail from Ushuaia, help is some way away. These companies need to be pretty strict with what they do, where they go since they are at the mercy of weather conditions.
- Specialised polar staff + Expedition Team. If the company are IAATO members, so would the guides. Majority of the members of the expedition team had spent time researching specific animal behaviours, experts in their field and spent time in the Polar Regions.
- Higher operational costs. Fuel costs are ever rising (no explanation needed there!). There’s also a whole other level of crew members onboard – in the engine room, hospitality, sailing crew… this would also include the fees they have to pay for each landing!
- Small ships. I wouldn’t have said you could take some random ship there. Majority of the ships are ice breakers (to a degree). So smaller ship = limited cabins = increase operational cost per person
Let’s now couple this with South Georgia and the Falkland Islands… the price JUMPS significantly higher since you’re onboard for twice as long and the distances you’ll be sailing are huge!
Our Expedition Route
We sailed a 22-day itinerary covering:
- Antarctica Peninsula + South Shetland Islands
- South Georgia
- Falkland Islands
- With Antarpply Expeditions (MV Ushuaia)
Since we were already planning on going to Antarctica, we thought we might as well visit the Falklands and more importantly South Georgia. South Georgia is known as the Serengeti of the South with the amount of wildlife that you’ll come across. It’s incredibly remote but one of the most spectacular places on earth. I wholeheartedly have no regrets visiting South Georgia. My husband is a wildlife enthusiast and I’m a wildlife photographer… so honestly, we actually think the South Georgia portion was our favourite of the entire route. Antarctica is magical but the wildlife on South Georgia was unbeatable.
Antarctica Expedition Cost Breakdown (Actual Numbers)
1. Expedition Cost (Antarctica + South Georgia + Falklands)
As this was our honeymoon trip, we opted for a Standard Twin (the second category from the bottom). This was USD $10 990 per person and the inclusions were:
- 21 nights onboard the MV Ushuaia
- All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hot tea/coffee + afternoon snacks.
- Activities (weather permitting): Bird watching, Zodiac cruises and Landings
- Lectures presented by the expedition team during sail days.
- IAATO-compliant operations
- Wellies + Lifejacket to wear for landings.
This was significantly cheaper than similar itineraries with other companies:
Antarpply Expeditions charges USD$ 11 000 per person (USD$ 480 per day)
Intrepid charges USD$ 26 000 per person (USD$ 1100 per day)
G Adventures charges USD$ 17 000 per person (USD$ 775 per day)
Quark Expeditions charges USD$ 24 500 per person (USD$ 1225 per day)
Poseidon Expeditions charges USD$ 17 000 per person (USD$ 750 per day)
Hurtigruten Expeditions charges USD$ 22 000 per person (USD$ 950 per day)
2. Flights to Ushuaia, Argentina
I’m not gonna include international flights getting to Buenos Aires. But for the sake of this, let’s assume you’ve already made your way to the Argentine capital. We booked flights with Aerolineas Argentinas to Ushuaia in August, 2 months before our expedition started. These flights set us back USD$ 113 per person including a check in bag.
We’ve heard that some other airlines cancel or have frequent flight changes… and while Aerolineas Argentinas is no exception, we assumed they might be a lot more frequent. At least according to the schedule, they had heaps of flights going between EZE/AEP to USH so if something were to happen, we would be fine.
3. Accommodation in Ushuaia
We booked our flights to USH for the 10th October to be extra sure that we wouldn’t miss our boat for whatever reason. We ended up staying in Ushuaia for 3 nights before the cruise. 2 months before, we had found a very nice apartment on Airbnb for USD$ 145 total, for the both of us. So if we broke it down even further, it was USD$ 72.50 per person for 3 nights or USD$ 24 per person, per night.
4. Mandatory Travel Insurance
Now, this would depend on your travel insurance. I have travel insurance from a company back in Norway. Most insurances have a separate cover for Antarctica travel. I had been in contact with my insurance a few months leading up to the trip to make sure I had it in place and wouldn’t forget about it. My insurance charged me ±2000 NOK or USD$ 200 in addition to my monthly insurance coverage.
5. Visas
As a Norwegian citizen, and my husband being British citizen, neither of us had to get a visa for Argentina. Although, I would check your local Argentine consultant for the latest requirements for visas. Keep in mind that for most, the Tourist Visa on Arrival for Argentina only allows you to stay for 90 days in a 180 days period. Your time spent on the cruise counts towards these 90 days. It was no issue for us but worth keeping in mind if you’re travelling long term.
The South Georgia & The Sandwich Islands government has recently, as of 1 August 2025, introduced a mandatory visa for all citizens. Yes, this includes British citizens. The visa needs to be processed and approved 2 weeks before arrival. You can apply for it here. The processing fee was £200 / USD$ 260 per person. This visa is only applicable to you if you’re travelling to South Georgia.
6. Gear & Clothing
We had brought our winter/cold weather clothes… yes, this means we are still carrying our cold stuff on our backpacking journey throughout South America!!! You can easily rent a lot of the things from shops all over Ushuaia but we rather have our own gear that we liked.
That being said, whilst the cruise does give you wellies to wear on the landings, we opted to rent insulated boots. And since we didn’t own any waterproof pants, we rented those too. I simply got the basic package – included waterproof pants, waterproof coat, insulated boots and mittens. I didn’t use the coat but Owen did when his ski jacket was soaked from the rain and hadn’t dried in time.
The total cost of our gear rental was USD$ 392 for the both of us. USD$ 196 per person. You definitely don’t need to spend the extra money renting gear if you have them and are happy to use the wellies provided. We could’ve done without but I was very glad to have waterproof pants and insulated wellies.
7. Gratuities
When booking, you get an information booklet from Antarpply Expeditions. In it, it says that the guideline tipping is USD$15-20 per passenger per day. Bit of a dog move buttt I’m not gonna share how much we tipped because it is supposed to be anonymous! But don’t worried, we did tip!
8. Pre Departure: On the Ground Extras
Unluckily for me, I was sick leading up to our departure so Ushuaia was simply a recovery period. But what this also meant was that we didn’t really go out eating or spending too much money. As our Airbnb had a kitchen, we fully utilised it. The most we spent was at the cafe, waiting until we could board the MV Ushuaia!
So our total cost mainly consists of food (some coffees out and groceries) and 2 Uber rides was 158 300 ARS / USD$ 110 for us over the 4 days we were there. Breaking that down to USD$ 55 per person for 4 days or USD$ 13.75 per person per day.
9. Falkland Islands: Free day
We had a free day to explore Port Stanley, so that meant we treated ourselves a little. I mean, it was our honeymoon afterall. We ended up spending quite a bit, once again, mainly on food! What can I say, we love food. We ended up spending £71 / USD$ 93 just on food and drinks… and we bought a locally distilled bottle of gin for £38 / USD$ 50 from Falkland Islands Distillers, which was completely worth it. We are enjoying it plenty as a sundowner.
So our little jaunt in the Falklands was a pretty costly one, setting us back USD$ 65.50 per person! Whoops?
10. Onboard Extras (drinks, laundry, internet etc)
We got a little nice surprise from the crew onboard. Our room included 6GB of internet per person but since we needed to upload stuff and do some social media-ing, we ended up needing to buy 18GB of data (shared between two) which was USD$ 60.
Since I was turning a year older onboard, as a treat, we bought a bottle of red wine – USD$ 30.
I won’t lie, we got into a pretty bad habit while travelling. We like having something sweet every now and then. I mean, water is completely fine but we wanted something else… at USD$ 4 per can, we got 11 cans of soda… which we shared between us soooo it’s not too bad for you, right?
And on the nice days, we treated ourselves to a Patagonia beer in the evening at USD$ 7 per can. Totalling USD$ 49.
We didn’t end up doing any laundry onboard, by some miracle. We did the motherload when we got back to Ushuaia but technically that doesn’t go on this tally 😉
All in all, we spent USD$ 183 on extras over 22 days, which I would argue isn’t too bad. We could’ve had more self restraint but that’s no fun. So that ends up being USD$ 91.50 per person for the whole trip.
Grand Total of Our Antarctica Expedition
I don’t even want to tally it up… but I did it anywas! We spent… drumroll… USD $12 043.50 per person over our 22 day expedition to visit the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica. It sounds soooo much but when you consider what I laid out before with some of the other cruises – it truly is well on the lower end of the market. Still, a lot of money but I have absolutely zero regrets.
My dad always said to me: You can always make back money, but experiences last a lifetime. Cliche, but he wasn’t wrong.
Is Antarctica Worth the Cost?
ABSOLUTELY. Antarctica feels otherworldly. South Georgia is emotional and alive with wildlife. The Falklands are wildly underrated. And combining all three is one of the best expedition routes on the planet… in my humble opinion. I think I would have personally been gutted if I had missed out South Georgia so if you have the finances, I’d recommend adding it on. It was my favourite part of the expedition.
If you want to reach the 7th continent, Antarpply Expeditions offers a more attainable option.
How to Save Money on an Antarctica Cruise
1. Travel with a smaller expedition company
Companies like Antarpply Expeditions keep prices far more reasonable.
2. Look out for deals!
You can sign up with an agency to get the best deals for Antarctica if you’re flexible with the schedule and itinerary. We didn’t wait to book our cruise because we wanted specifically to be on this itinerary and we honestly thought they were going to sell out. I know a lot of people who booked the exact cruise itinerary for significantly less but for the peace of mind that we had a guaranteed spot, it’s fine. Antarpply Expeditions did bump us up, though… so I’m super chuffed about that! <3
That being said, I know someone who’s just been to Antarctica and they paid USD$ 6000 for a pretty luxurious ship with a different to visit just Antarctica. It was booked the day before so flexibility is quite key in getting a good price.
3. Travel in shoulder season
The best deals are usually in:
- late October
- early November
- March
4. Rent/borrow cold-weather gear
Cold-weather clothing can be expensive but definitely needed. If you’re able to borrow from some mates, that would save a lot of money. Also sometimes renting is cheaper than buying new gear that you might not use ever again.
Conclusion
Our Antarctica expedition cost USD $12 043.50 per person, including South Georgia and the Falklands… far cheaper than luxury lines and still fully IAATO-compliant, small-ship and most importantly, wildlife-focused. It was worth every cent.
I hope this real, transparent cost breakdown helps you plan your own 7th continent adventure with confidence.
FAQs
How much does an Antarctica cruise really cost?
A standard 10–12 day Antarctica cruise typically costs USD $9 000 to $13 000, depending on the ship and season. You can snap up a deal last minute. The lowest I’ve ever seen a Classic Antarctica cruise go for was USD$ 6000.
What is the cheapest month to visit Antarctica?
The most affordable months are usually late October, early November, and March which often offer the best discounts. It might not be the most optimal for wildlife viewing so that’s a bit of a trade off.
Are Antarctica cruises worth the price?
Yes. The wildlife, landscapes and remoteness make it one of the most unique experiences on earth. I definitely would consider it a once in a lifetime trip. Although, I’d love to go back!
How much does a South Georgia and Antarctica cruise cost?
These longer routes usually cost USD$ 16 000 to upwards of $25 000. We paid USD $10 990 with Antarpply Expeditions, which is significantly lower than many competitors.
What hidden costs should I expect when traveling to Antarctica?
Expenses not included in most expedition prices are:
- Starlink WiFi
- Alcoholic/Non Alcoholic drinks
- Laundry
- Tips*
- Gear rental if needed
- Hotel before/after the cruise*
- Flights into Ushuaia*
*Some companies actually build in the cost of the tips, accommodation and flights in the expedition cruise costs so double check that depending on who you’re looking at going with.
Is Antarpply Expeditions a budget-friendly Antarctica option?
Yes. Antarpply is known for offering lower-priced, small-ship, science-led expeditions. You can read all about my review of them here.
Do I need travel insurance for Antarctica?
Yes. All passengers must have insurance covering emergency evacuation and medical care. Check with your insurance provider as they usually have a separate add-on for Antarctic cruises!
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