Antarctica lives on many travelers’ bucket lists, but how exactly do you get there?
If you’ve done any research on the seventh continent, you likely know that you have to cross the Drake Passage, but even before that, where do you fly into? How do you even get to your ship to get to the Drake Passage? Do you HAVE to take a ship to cross it, or can you fly into Antarctica?
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I wondered all of these things, too, and I had to learn first hand when I finally visited the seventh continent for myself. In 2024, I traveled to Antarctica with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, and I was confused when I saw our trip began in Santiago, Chile. My understanding was that most trips to Antarctica began in Argentina, but turned out, when you book with the right company, they have everything down to a science.
Where does a “pre-Antarctica” trip actually begin?
Let’s address the most confusing question at hand: where are you booking a flight to if you want to get to Antarctica?
This entirely depends on who you book with, so I’ll just tell you what my experience was like! I booked with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, and my trip started in Santiago, Chile, but some other companies will have you fly into Argentina for one day in Buenos Aires. I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, Santiago, which National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions arranged for any guests who wanted to take advantage of *not* having a headache prior to their Antarctica venture. Most people utilized this incentive. The night prior to departing for Ushuaia, Argentina, which is where most ships for Antarctica leave from, the Lindblad team held a meeting in a conference room at the Ritz with no shortage of cocktails, wine, and snacks. They explained how the next day would work.
Basically, I arrived in Santiago without having any idea as to when my flight was departing from Ushuaia. This had me VERY concerned. I even looked on Skyscanner to try to understand when our flight would be leaving only to see that there were no direct flights to Ushuaia from Santiago the day I was scheduled to go to Antarctica. Spoiler alert: it was all fine! The Lindblad team had an entire flight booked for us and arranged everything down to the finest detail, all of which was explained to us that night in the Ritz in Santiago. It felt a little concerning to not have this information until the night before, but I learned with any Antarctica trip, you just gotta trust the process.
How much time do I need in my “pre-destination” before going to Antarctica?
This part can also feel incredibly confusing.
I noticed my flight landed in Santiago, Chile landed less than 24 hours before I was expected to be on my ship to Antarctica, which was leaving from Ushuaia, Argentina. I even called the company to make sure they didn’t make a mistake, and they explained that they did not, and all would be good. When all was said and done, I had one full day in Santiago to explore, and even had time in Ushuaia to explore the next morning.
Do I have to cross the Drake Passage?
One of the biggest concerns with any trip to Antarctica is crossing the Drake Passage. Viral TikToks have left many curious travelers concerned that they’ll be met with 40-foot waves (not a complete rarity when crossing the Drake). Let’s first explain what the Drake is.
The Drake Passage is the convergence of three seas: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Southern Oceans. Basically, the Drake is where all three massive bodies of water meet, creating unreal waves. There are two types of Drake crossings: the Drake Lake (calm) and the Drake Shake (not calm). Conditions are completely unpredictable, and you could have a calm Drake one minute and a crazy Drake the next.
To me, it’s part of the fun of traveling to Antarctica, but I’m also fortunate enough to not get seasick. Taking Dramamine is a must for those who are concerned (which you should take BEFORE you’re on the Drake), and ginger chews can really help an upset stomach. Though I can’t speak for every company, Lindblad had bowls of ginger chews throughout the ship, and there was also a doctor onboard for those who felt particularly queasy.
Pro-Tip: I brought these ginger chews with me just incase I were to feel queasy. While I was okay, I ended up handing them out to several people on the ship. Many people also wore these non-drowsy motion sickness ear patches.
But even still…do you HAVE to cross the Drake? Nope. Now some companies are offering a “Fly the Drake Passage,” where you can fly into Antarctica. Some also offer the best of both worlds: taking the Drake one way, and flying back.
Still, if you can handle some rocking, I would recommend taking the Drake Passage as it’s one of the most exciting parts of the Antarctic experience.
How long does it take to cross the Drake Passage before reaching Antarctica?
This question depends on a variety of factors. If you have the Drake Lake, aka calm Drake Passage, you can expect to be on the Drake Passage for as little as 24 hours. Ships crossing the Drake Passage are not permitted to go particularly fast because of the protected environment and conditions of the sea. On my ship, the National Geographic Resolution, we were crossing for roughly 56 hours (though at some point, we were technically “outside” of the Drake Passage) because our captain decided to go so far south. This was totally worth it in my opinion, but basically, patience is a virtue as you might have a short and smooth ride, or a long and rocky one.
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