I traveled to Antarctica in November 2016 to take on my 7th continent adventure.

One of the first questions I usually get about the trip is — “how did you actually get there!?”

As with any adventure there are a variety of paths to follow; you can take cruises to Antarctica from Argentina, Chile, Australia, or New Zealand. This is the course that I chose to take to Antarctica from my home base in New York City.

1. Fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina

There are no flights directly to Ushuaia, Argentina (where I embarked on my Antarctic voyage) from New York City, so I flew out of JFK to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It takes a total of 11 hours to fly to Buenos Aires from NYC*.

*I added in a 7-hour layover in Panama on the way there to tour the Panama Canal; day long layovers in between long flights are a great way to explore extra countries while you’re on a trip!

2. Fly to Ushuaia, Argentina

Once I arrived to the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), I took an hour long cab ride to the Jorge Newbery Airfield International (AEP) Airport in Buenos Aires, which serves as their main domestic hub.

From AEP, I flew 3.5 hours to Ushuaia which is the capital of Tierra del Fuego. Commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia is a breathtaking city located on the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountain range.

I gave myself two days to explore Ushuaia for two reasons: I wanted time to experience the beautiful city and mountains, and also because I needed extra time padded in, in case of travel delays so I did not risk missing my voyage!

3. Embark on Expedition

We embarked in the afternoon, and sailed through the scenic Beagle Channel during our first evening on the voyage.

There are many different options of cruises to Antarctica to choose from, and you can tailor it to your budget and adventure levels. I chose a basecamp adventure cruise because all of the activities were included in the cruise cost; and I definitely went to Antarctica for the adventure!

4. Brave The Drake

For two days we were en route to the Antarctic Peninsula, where we crossed the Antarctic Convergence and sailed across the Drake Passage. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) flows through the Drake Passage, and is the ocean current that flows around Antarctica where cold Antarctic waters meet the warmer waters of the subantarctic.

This means we faced up to 40 foot swells crossing the Drake Passage, making it a travel adventure in itself. After a couple days at sea, near the Antarctic South Shetland Islands, we began to spot our first icebergs (still makes my heart race thinking about that moment).

5. Antarctica Adventures

We sailed directly to “High Antarctica”, passing the Melchior islands and the Schollaert Channel between Brabant and Anvers Island.

The five days of Antarctic adventures began when we sail to the Neumayer Channel, where the ship was positioned for basecamp activities. The protected waters around Wiencke Island provide great opportunities to scout the region on foot, and by zodiac and kayak trips.

Then we sailed through the spectacular Lemaire Channel where we found Adélie Penguins, Blue-eyed Shags, and even encountered Killer Whales.

At Neko Harbour we had the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent again, in the magnificent glacial landscape, where we climbed up on higher grounds of the glacier and spent the night camping ashore at Neko before we journeyed back from the bottom of the world.

Would you ever travel to Antarctica? I’m curious to hear what you think, please comment below! 🙂