Expeditions · Sample expedition

Antarctic Peninsula, small ship.

Two days across the Drake, then five days of zodiac landings among penguins, glaciers, and ice the size of buildings.

Duration

12 days

From

$10,500 pp

+ air, double occupancy

Effort

●●○○○

Mobility for zodiacs & shore walks

Season

Nov–Mar

Ship size

< 200 guests

Small ships land more

Lead time

12–18 months

This is a starting point, not a package. Every Cannon trip is rebuilt around you — your dates, your cabin tolerance, your budget. The numbers here are from itineraries we've actually priced.

Antarctica is the trip people stop planning because the options blur together — forty ships, wild price spreads, and brochures that all show the same penguin. The variables that actually matter: ship size (under 200 guests, or you'll spend landings waiting your turn), the expedition team's depth, cabin position if you're prone to seasickness, and the month. November is pristine snow and courting penguins; December–January is chicks and long light; February–March is whales.

Why the low effort rating with the big reputation: the hard part is the commitment, not the body. If you can climb in and out of a zodiac and walk on snow and stones, the continent is available to you. Kayaking and the camping night raise the bar — and the fun — if you want them.

Day by day

The shape of the trip.

Days 1–2

To the end of the road. Fly to Buenos Aires, then Ushuaia — the southernmost city in the world. Buffer night included: missing an Antarctic sailing over a delayed bag is not a risk we take.

Days 3–4

The Drake Passage. Two days south across the most storied water on Earth. Lectures, albatross off the stern, and whatever the Drake decides to be. Your cabin was chosen with this crossing in mind.

Days 5–9

The Peninsula. Five days, typically two zodiac outings a day: gentoo colonies at Cuverville, the glacier amphitheater at Neko Harbour, the impossible narrows of the Lemaire Channel, the museum post office at Port Lockroy. Optional: sea kayaking, the polar plunge, and a night camping on the ice.

Days 10–11

The Drake, northbound. Editing ten thousand photos counts as an activity. So does staring at the horizon processing what you just saw.

Day 12

Ushuaia → home. Seven continents, or one closer to it.

Included

— Cabin and all meals aboard, all zodiac landings and zodiac cruising
— Expedition team lectures and guiding throughout
— Expedition parka to keep and boot loan (on most ships we book)
— Ushuaia buffer-night hotel and transfers
— Our ship-by-ship comparison before you book — cabin maps included
— Our routing, booking, and on-call support throughout

Not included ($)

— Air to Ushuaia (we book it; expect $1,200–1,900 from North America)
— Sea-kayak program (~$900–1,100, sells out first — decide early)
— The camping night (~$300) and polar plunge (free; costs only dignity)
— Crew gratuities (customary: ~$15–20/day)
— Travel insurance with emergency evacuation coverage — mandatory on every polar sailing

Honest notes

What the brochures skip.

— The Drake can be a lake or a washing machine, and you don't get to choose. Start the seasickness protocol before you board; we'll send the one that works.
— The landing schedule is intentions, not promises. Ice and wind reroute ships daily, and international rules cap how many people can be ashore at once — it's why small ships matter, and why flexibility is part of the ticket price.
— Berths genuinely sell 12–18 months out, and the kayak spots go first. This is the least spontaneous trip we plan, and the one people regret delaying most.
— Yes, an expedition ship is technically a cruise. The difference is landing rights: under 200 guests, you're ashore twice a day; on a big ship, the rules keep most passengers watching the continent from the rail. That's why we only book small.
— The fly-the-Drake option (Punta Arenas → King George Island) exists for people with tight schedules or firm stomachs — it costs more and trades away the arrival. We'll lay out both honestly.

Antarctic Peninsula, small ship.

The shape of the trip.

What the brochures skip.

Make this one yours.