Christmas with Penguins in Antarctica
| country: | Antarctica |
| departures: | Please contact us for departure details |
| price: | From £5395 (14 days) including flights from the UK, from £4695 excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Why not enjoy a guaranteed 'White Christmas' this year by spending the festive season surrounded by Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins amidst some of the world's most spectacular scenery? Leave behind the crowded shops, worry not about burning the hapless turkey and, instead, join our party on a journey to the 'Great White Continent' of Antarctica. This is a land of superlatives. It is the coldest, windiest, driest and iciest of all the major landmasses of the world.
It is a continent of extremes and extreme beauty. It is impossible not to leave awe-struck by the sheer grandeur of the landscape; the towering glaciers, rugged snow-covered mountains and huge icebergs carved into a myriad of shapes by the relentless pounding of the Southern Ocean. This encircling ocean is, in turn, one of the richest of all seas and the basis for the food-chain that supports Antarctica's huge concentration of wildlife.
Every spring, as the pack-ice slowly retreats, millions of penguins, seabirds and other creatures leave the vastness of the Southern Ocean to converge on the continent to breed and raise their young. By late December, blessed by the eternal daylight at this time of year, the breeding season is well under way, many of the birds have chicks, and the race to fledge is in full swing before darkness descends once again to herald the return of the Antarctic winter's even icier grip.
It is a continent of extremes and extreme beauty. It is impossible not to leave awe-struck by the sheer grandeur of the landscape; the towering glaciers, rugged snow-covered mountains and huge icebergs carved into a myriad of shapes by the relentless pounding of the Southern Ocean. This encircling ocean is, in turn, one of the richest of all seas and the basis for the food-chain that supports Antarctica's huge concentration of wildlife.
Every spring, as the pack-ice slowly retreats, millions of penguins, seabirds and other creatures leave the vastness of the Southern Ocean to converge on the continent to breed and raise their young. By late December, blessed by the eternal daylight at this time of year, the breeding season is well under way, many of the birds have chicks, and the race to fledge is in full swing before darkness descends once again to herald the return of the Antarctic winter's even icier grip.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London. |
| Day 2: | Ushuaia |
| Day 3-4: | Drake Passage. |
| Day 5-6: | South Shetland Islands. |
| Day 7-10: | Antarctic Peninsula. |
| Day 11-12: | Drake Passage. |
| Day 13: | Depart Ushuaia |
| Day 14: | Arrive London |
this holiday is operated by a wildlife specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, birds, plants and mammals are the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips.how this holiday makes a difference
 Our group will consist of a maximum of 16 people plus one leader. We will then join the rest of the passengers and crew on the Akademik Shokalskiy. Our group will be accompanied at all times by trained local guides who have an in-depth knowledge of Antarctica's wildlife and history. We contribute financially to projects local to the areas that we visit (ie. schools, hospitals, etc). We aim to minimise environmental damage by exploring in small groups and, as much as possible, on foot. Also, we educate the local people on the importance and long-term benefits of wildlife tourism. Local guides are used and trained to the highest standards expected by modern-day wildlife tourists. Local communities are involved wherever possible in our operations, and receive a fair share of the benefits of wildlife tourism. As a company we have achieved AITO’s top level, 3-star Responsible Tourism accreditation and we have always tried to operate our holidays in an environmentally responsible manner, striving to contribute to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation at all times. Our policy includes: We also encourage our clients to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |