Antarctic Peninsula

See the boundless icescapes of the Antarctic Continent

Here it continues as a mainly sub-marine ridge, the Scotia Ridge, until it comes above sea-level at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. 

The peninsula consists of an 800 kilometres (500 mile) long mountain chain, the highest peaks rising to approximately 2,800 metres (9,186 feet), and numerous off-lying islands. The Peninsula offers the most dramatic scenery and biggest variety of wildlife in Antarctica. Visitors are easily overcome by sensory overload by the huge amount of ice-bergs.

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Cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula

Antarctica - Elephant Island - Weddell Sea - Polar Circle
Up to $6100 OFF

Antarctica - Elephant Island - Weddell Sea - Polar Circle

9 Mar - 23 Mar, 2025

Tripcode: PLA31-25

This expansive expedition takes you into the Antarctic Circle, combining the rich animal life of the Weddell Sea with the surreal shores and islands of the Antarctic Peninsula. Such key landing sites as the legendary Elephant Island and Crystal Sound...

Antarctica - Beyond the Polar Circle - Wilkins Ice Shelf - Aurora Australis
Up to $5100 OFF

Antarctica - Beyond the Polar Circle - Wilkins Ice Shelf - Aurora Australis

21 Mar - 5 Apr, 2025

Tripcode: OTL32-25

This voyage explores a number of historically significant Antarctic areas, such as the very rarely visited Bellingshausen Sea, Marguerite Bay, and Alexander Island. We focus on places discovered by Adrien De Gerlache on his Belgian Antarctic Expedition...

Antarctica - Polar Circle - Whale watching
Up to $4500 OFF

Antarctica - Polar Circle - Whale watching

23 Mar - 3 Apr, 2025

Tripcode: PLA32-25

This Polar Circle and Antarctic Peninsula cruise passes through waters travelled by Humpback, Minke and Fin whales. Anchoring in various spots around the region, the expedition offers the chance to dive in the iceberg-heavy waters.

Antarctica - Whale watching discovery and learning voyage
Up to $3100 OFF

Antarctica - Whale watching discovery and learning voyage

14 Mar - 23 Mar, 2025

Tripcode: HDS30-25

  • EN

This Antarctic Peninsula cruise delivers you into a landscape of rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and penguins.

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde
Up to $2775 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

23 Mar - 4 May, 2026

Tripcode: PLA31B26

  • EN

The Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season.

Video Antarctic Expedition

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The Conquering of the Frozen Continent: Hillary, Fuchs, and the Crossing of Antarctica

Sir Edmund Hillary made his mark on Antarctic history when, on 3 January 1958, he reached the South Pole, leading a team as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-58, becoming the third team in history to do so.

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Customer story

Basecamp Plancius: A True Antarctic Adventure

It was New Year’s Eve, and I was dressed in a full-body penguin suit, making my way to the buffet. We were three days into our cruise aboard the Plancius, and everyone on the ship was celebrating our first day in Antarctica, as well as New Year’s Eve, with a barbecue on the back of the ship.

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Antarctic Peninsula cruise reviews

by ABU BAKR JAMEEL
If you are looking for short or long Antartic Expedition. Just choose Oceanwide
by Lars Wrobbel
Our journey with Oceanwide Expeditions was nothing short of spectacular! From start to finish, the entire experience was flawlessly executed, making it the trip of a lifetime. Exceptional Crew & Leadership The crew was absolutely outstanding—professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly passionate about the polar regions. A special shoutout to our phenomenal expedition leader, Sara, whose expertise, enthusiasm, and warm personality made every excursion even more memorable. She kept us informed, engaged, and inspired throughout the entire expedition. Breathtaking Wildlife Encounters We were fortunate to witness countless penguins, from adorable Gentoo chicks to large colonies of King and Adelie penguins. Seeing whales up close—humpbacks gracefully surfacing near our Zodiac—was simply magical. And the playful seals, lazily lounging on the ice or curiously approaching our boats, added to the wonder of it all. Every day felt like a new wildlife documentary unfolding before our eyes. The Majestic Icebergs & Landscape No words can truly capture the beauty of the icebergs we encountered. Towering blue sculptures, ever-changing in shape and color, made for a mesmerizing sight. The Antarctic landscapes, with their endless white expanses and jagged peaks, were awe-inspiring in every way. Delicious Cuisine Onboard After long days of exploration, returning to the ship to enjoy amazing food was an absolute delight. The chefs onboard crafted delicious meals that were both comforting and gourmet—perfectly suited for fueling our daily adventures. From fresh seafood to decadent desserts, every meal exceeded expectations. A Journey Worth Taking Oceanwide Expeditions delivered an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime adventure that we will cherish forever. The combination of a world-class crew, incredible wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and fantastic food made this trip unforgettable. If you're considering an expedition to the polar regions, look no further—this is the company to go with! Would I do it again? Absolutely, in a heartbeat!
by James Marshall
What can I say about the trip of a lifetime? The trip far exceeded my expectations. It was the combination of the spectacular wildlife, the islands and locations we visited. Undoubtedly the weather helped, with a beautiful sunrise in Antarctic Sound. The expedition staff were excellent and knowledgeable in their fields of expertise. The living quarters were excellent and the hotel staff couldn’t be faulted. The food was outstanding, with its quality and variety, even if soup wasn’t always served owing to the sea conditions. I give full marks to the chef and his team for producing such quality food on a moving vessel. I would have been very happy if I only saw half of what we did see on this trip, it was truly outstanding.
by Markus Pelzmann
Sehr gutes, relativ kleines Schiff in gutem Zustand und in guten Händen. Tolles Expeditionsteam, das viel weiß und freundlich und immer um die Gäste bemüht ist. Unschlagbares Wildlife.
by Sonia Islam
This is an excellent cruise to take if you are an adventure lover with passion for wild lives. It was a dream come true for me.
by Amol Karnik

We had a fabulous time on board. The facilities were excellent, the food was delicious, the service was impeccable and the expedition guides and staff were delightful and friendly. We do have one or possibly two regrets. We got to spend less than 24 hours around the peninsula amidst icebergs (compared to 3+ days around S Georgia), so it definitely wasn't enough time in Antartica to enjoy the landscapes and the mesmerising beauty of the icebergs and perhaps enjoy more of the wildlife. It would have also been nice to do a landing on the continent. Considering that Antartica is the main goal of most, if not all visitors, this should be what every trip should be focussed around. We (and many other passengers) felt similarly and were disappointed by this one aspect of the trip. I understand that the itinerary is subject to weather conditions, but it also sounded like we were unable to go to the western side of the peninsula due to 'traffic'. I do not wish to sound ungrateful for the experience but I felt it was important that this sentiment is honestly relayed. I hope that this feedback is taken in the spirit that it is intended.

Antarctic Peninsula FAQ

The Antarctic Peninsula follows Coordinated Universal Time -3 (UTC -3). This means that if it is 18:00 UTC-3 (6 p.m.) during your expedition cruise trip to the Antarctic Peninsula , it would be 17:00 (5 p.m.) in New York City, USA and 22:00 (10 p.m.) in London, U.K.

The climate in the Antarctic Peninsula is much milder than most people would imagine because it is located near the most northerly part of Antarctica.

If you travel to the Antarctic Peninsula during January, which is summertime, you can expect an average temperature of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (33.8 to 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit). June is the coldest part of the year, and the temperature range is typically -20 to -15 degrees Celsius (-4 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) during this part of the winter. 

Precipitation amounts vary throughout the region. On your voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula you can expect at least some rain on occasion. On the other hand, the interior of Antarctica is similar to a desert in that it only receives an annual precipitation amount of 10 cm (3.93 inches). 

Animal lovers who take their holiday in the Antarctic Peninsula will be treated to a diverse list of wildlife that is especially suited to the area’s cold climate. It is common to encounter several penguin species such as the Gentoo penguins. Other types of wildlife that can be spotted from an Antarctic cruise or an Antarctic Peninsula land expedition include the Weddell seal, the Antarctic shag and Snow petrels.  

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most beautiful regions of the entire continent. Your cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula will reveal the most diverse mixture of wildlife throughout Antarctica.

The scenery in this region is dramatic, filled with icebergs and of course, very photo-worthy. The prevalence of penguins is a highlight during most expeditions, and a visit during the summer can even reveal plant life such as the area’s only two flowering plants: the Antarctic pearlwart and Antarctic hair grass.   

Our expedition leaders always do their best to ensure the camping activity is carried out, but sometimes this is impossible due to unsafe environmental conditions. If such is the case, we may offer camping on the outer decks of the ship.

That depends on whether they only want eclipse photography or also pictures of wildlife and landscapes. Advise the passengers to look at the photography pages on our website. We avoid saying what specific equipment they might need, as this is very subjective, but we do provide general advice based on what our guides bring. We also have a how-to video on the topic of polar photography: Photography Equipment for the Polar Regions >

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Antarctic Peninsula Weather

The weather patterns on the Peninsula can vary significantly depending on where you are. The west coast of the Peninsula down to about 68°S are actually fairly mild with the local summers averaging around 0°C and the winters only dipping down to around -10°C.

Moving below 63°S along the west coast the averages drop to -15°C in the winter.

Facts about the Antarctic Peninsula

  • The Peninsula is the only part of the Antarctic that extends out beyond the border of the Antarctic Circle. It is the part of the continent that is the furthest out from the South Pole.
  • The only flowering plants on the continent (the Antarctic Pearlwart and the Antarctic Hair-grass) are found on the Peninsula.
  • The Peninsula is about 2000 km long.
  • The Peninsula was originally named the Palmer Peninsula by the U.S., named after an American explorer who journeyed to the area in November of 1820. Other countries later gave it different names – Graham Land and Trinity Peninsula (Britain, 1832), San Martin Land (Argentina, 1940), and O’Higgins Land (Chile, 1942). It didn’t gain the name of the Antarctic Peninsula until 1964 when an international agreement was reached.
  • The Peninsula is regulated under the international Antarctic Treaty System which promotes use of the area for scientific study (especially in regards to environmental safety). There are currently 28 research posts stationed along the Peninsula.
  • The Peninsula is actually a continuation of the Andes Mountains which run down almost the entire west coast of South America
  • There are 28 countries currently contributing to the scientific research conducted on the Peninsula.

Travel to the Antarctic Peninsula

An Antarctic Peninsula cruise carries you into a world of beautiful stark landscapes and a surprisingly vast array of animal life. Embark on one of our Antarctic Peninsula expeditions and use our ice strengthened cruise ships as a home base as you explore the region while snowshoeing & hiking, kayaking, bird watching, mountaineering, or even camping overnight onshore.

Your Antarctic Peninsula holiday will introduce you to 5 seal species, 37 flying seabird species, whales, and more penguins than you can count.

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