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 - Polar Circle - Whale watching
Up to $4000 OFF

Antarctica - Polar Circle - Whale watching

Crossing the Polar Circle

PLA32-24 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.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

21 Mar - 1 Apr, 2024

Berths start from:

5650 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde
Up to $3120 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

HDS30D25 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.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

14 Mar - 25 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

15435 USD

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

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Verde

PLA31B26 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.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 4 May, 2026

Berths start from:

16380 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena
Up to $2670 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena

HDS30C25 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.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

14 Mar - 15 Apr, 2025

Berths start from:

13320 USD

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena
Up to $2380 OFF

Atlantic Odyssey incl. Antarctic Peninsula to St. Helena

PLA31A26 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.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

23 Mar - 24 Apr, 2026

Berths start from:

14175 USD

Video Antarctic Expedition

Latest blog and customer story

Blog

Guide’s Choice for Binoculars: Swarovski Optik

Our guests often ask us what they should pack when it comes to the more optional polar travel gear, such as cameras or binoculars.

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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 Lucinda Roenicke
The 23 day trip on the Hondius was better than I ever could have imagined. Every day was filled with views, wildlife and wonderful presentations. The team (guides, crew, service, etc) were all friendly, knowledgeable and professional. The ship was extremely comfortable, the food delicious and plentiful and the excursions were fun and informative. The lead guide, Pippa, checked weather daily and made educated decisions with the captain on where we should head. Everyday we were not at sea we had an excursion! The guides were all well educated and gave presentation on history, animals, geology and more. It was great learning about what we were seeing. I highly recommend this trip, Oceanwide and The Hondius !
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by Thomas Roenicke
This trip was beyond out expectations - from crew to guides to activities and itinerary Read full review
by Edwin Ketting
De reis met de Hondius van Oceanwide is een echte aanrader. Het personeel en de staff doen er alles aan om het naar je zin te maken. Het was een onvergetelijke reis. Als je van plan bent om deze reis te maken is Oceanwide wel een van de beste. Read full review
by A. Sztrimbely
I took a Deep South (Antarctic Circle) Expedition with Oceanwide earlier this year and the experience could not have been better! Not only did we have a dream trip in terms of weather, activities and wildlife spotting - making numerous stops and zodiac trips every day and meeting all of our trip objectives thanks to the amazing work of the Captain and Expedition Team, who continually altered our plans to make sure the ship was in the best position to take advantage of the conditions - but the entire atmosphere and energy on the boat was amazingly welcoming and fun. I just have to highlight how incredible the entire Oceanwide staff/crew is. Not only are they super knowledgeable, they are incredibly friendly. Everyone, from the guides to the bridge team to the housekeeping and galley staff, is happy to welcome you on board and into the Plancius/Oceanwide family. The kitchen staff knew all of our names by day 2! And they were amazing at dealing with dietary restrictions and preferences. The guides and bridge staff were likewise happy to mingle, chat and answer any questions (even ones for which they had to look up the answers)! A wonderful experience overall! Read full review
by Jodi Brown
My 11-day Antarctic expedition was outstanding from start to finish. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly, enthusiastic, and professional. The food was delicious. The M/V Plancius was quiet, well-appointed, and just the right size. The crew did an amazing job making sure we experienced as much as possible whenever possible, and I would absolutely take this trip again and again. My only regret is that I'm not an expert in Antarctic/Arctic wildlife or climate so I can't get a job with Oceanwide as an expedition staff member ;) Read full review
by Shirley Sutton
The perfect ship (Plancius!) The perfect staff and crew! Service was excellent, the crew's commitment to safety measures cannot be over emphasized, commitment to keeping Antarctica pristine is beyond admirable. There several options for Antarctic cruises, but the Basecamp tour was perfection. This was no drive-by cruise! Opportunities twice a day for landings, Zodiac cruises, kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and even overnight camping! Wildlife abounds! Humpback whales that visit the ship! Penguins diving off icebergs! Leopard seals yawing in your face! It is an understatement to say that this was the trip of a lifetime. Read full review

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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