Experience the spectacles of the Seventh Continent during your custom-tailored 11-day Antarctica tour. Soar over the Drake Passage on a picturesque flight and travel between the South Shetland Islands on a zodiac boat. Imagine yourself in the shoes of 19th-century explorers in search of elephant seals, sea lions, and an abundance of penguins. From unlikely geothermal activity to trekking between secluded national research stations, Antarctica's isolated shores will touch you.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Punta Arenas – Arrive in Chile at Leisure in Punta Arenas
Patagonia has gained a reputation for staggering beauty amidst dramatic landscapes. Mountain peaks pierce the skyline, vast plains sweep across the landscape, and the waters along the western edges of the Pacific lap against the chiseled corners of ancient fjords, hidden glaciers, and pebbled shorelines. The city of Punta Arenas in Chile attracts visitors to the coastline along the Strait of Magellan. You can settle into the comforts of your luxury hotel with the remainder of the day at your leisure to explore the streets of the active city established more than 150 years ago.
What's Included:
Day 2
King George Island – Fly South to the Research Stations
Day 3
Antarctica – Cruise the Western Antarctic Peninsula
Day 4
Antarctica - Continue along the Western Coastline
Day 5
Antarctica – Explore the Coasts and Landscape for Marine Life and Avifauna
Day 6
Antarctica – Embrace the Continued Discovery
Day 7
Antarctica – Walk along the Distinctive Contours of Deception Island
Day 8
Antarctica – Enjoy the Unique Contours of Deception Island
Day 9
Antarctica – Find Beauty in Diverse Livingston Island
Day 10
Punta Arenas – Return to King George Island and Punta Arenas
Day 11
Punta Arenas – Depart for Home
Trip Highlights
- Venture to the depths of the coldest, windiest, and driest continent, Antarctica, on a tour via air and sea
- Witness the geothermal activity of Deception Island, home to unique lunar landscapes, thermal pockets, and areas of warmth in the Antarctic waters
- Discover captivating penguin colonies across the South Shetland Islands where chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni, and adélie penguins live and nest
- Traverse the South Shetland Islands’ tallest island, home to the nearly 1,770-foot-tall Mount Pond and remarkable avifauna
- Learn the fantastical facts about the ways 350 different types of mosses and lichens survive in the freezing temperatures and darkness on Elephant Island
- Visit the international research bases on King George Island, where a portion of the 75 year-round and summer research bases reside
- Travel to a variety of islands on a zodiac boat to reach the diverse shorelines in search of marine life, like elephant seals, whales, penguins, and seabirds
- Enjoy an unforgettable flight over Patagonia and the famous waters of the Drake Passage in a BAE 146 jet
Starting Price
$21,500 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of this Travel Agency
4.95 stars based on 168 reviews.
It was a great trip. This trip started as an idea to do a jaguar safari and we ended up including Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon as well. We really enjoyed the entire trip.
This was our second time working with this Zicasso travel partner (Argentina in 2018) and our positive experience the first time was a part of the reason we chose to work with them again.
Our travel agent has always been really helpful and just great to work with. He knows the region well and gives excellent advice. He has been responsive and very flexible; the planning has been efficient and all arrangements dependable. Everything went smoothly this time and last time. It has been a true pleasure and I really look forward to working with him again.
Reviewed By Huan W.
Zicasso's trip planner is perhaps the best travel consultant I have ever engaged. As a point of context, I am a retired corporate executive who traveled 250K to 500K miles per year over the last 15 years of my career. I had the advantages of executive assistants, a corporate travel department, and extensive administrative support. Even with all those advantages, this trip planner and his team set a new standard of excellence. My trip planning covered Antarctica, Argentina, and Brazil destinations over a five-week trip. The full trip was for my wife and me, with an additional two-week block for my two children to join us partway through the vacation. He also helped to arrange the holiday for another couple who were supposed to accompany us, but they had a medical emergency occur before the departed. This necessitated a great number of changes and cancelations, which he handled, seemingly without any problems and without any complaints.
I had only traveled to that part of the world in a business capacity before, so I was entirely reliant on our travel agent, not just for the physical arrangements, but to also take the time to understand our interests, curiosities, and desired outcomes. He brilliantly translated that into choices and recommendations that I truly cannot complain about. He is so wired into the hotels, travel options, restaurants, sites, and culture of Argentina, Brazil, and Antarctica that we were blown away by his skills and knowledge. He arranged boutique experiences, personal guides, and superior transportation at all stops. There were no gaps in our travel coverage and I was 100% confident in all of our day-to-day experiences. He knew of things that I never would have discovered on my own. The ease of communicating with him was superior. He always responded to our queries within hours and even had a direct U.S. telephone number so I did not even have to pay for long-distance phone calls.
Our experience so far exceeded my already high expectations that we want to return to Argentina again, and we want to find a way to employ his services again to plan future trips to South America and Africa. Also, each person he had us interact with (drivers, guides, and support staff) was unbelievably capable, but also displayed exuberance and superior customer-service attitudes. Potential problems were non-existent.
I would be personally willing to speak directly to anyone who is considering using this tour company as their travel provider if that would sway them to choose him and his team. I have run out of superlatives, but trust me, I have very high standards. I have been to over 50 countries in my life. I have lived on three continents and (thanks to him) I can finally say I have set foot on all seven continents. With that said, this travel agent earned my admiration as a professional in his field. I believe if you engaged anyone other than him, you would likely receive a fantastic experience, but not as good as it could have been.
Reviewed By Paul N.
We just returned from a spectacular three-week journey through South America (Peru, Chile, and Argentina) and, once again, Zicasso, along with our trip planner, delivered an unforgettable experience. This was our second time using Zicasso and it’s clear why we keep coming back.
From the very beginning, our trip planner was a true partner in planning. He listened closely to our interests, helped shape an itinerary that perfectly balanced adventure, culture, and relaxation, and offered thoughtful insights that only someone deeply familiar with the region could provide. His attention to detail in the pre-trip phase was impeccable. We felt fully prepared and taken care of before we even left home.
Once on the ground, everything ran like clockwork. The in-country communication was seamless. Our agent and his team were always just a message away and incredibly responsive. Every driver was prompt, professional, and personable. The tours were consistently outstanding, with guides who were knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely engaging. The accommodations were beautiful, comfortable, and perfectly situated, offering unique charm and excellent service at every stop.
It’s not easy to plan a multi-country trip with so many moving parts, but Zicasso and our agent made it look effortless. We came away with lifelong memories and we’re already dreaming about our next adventure. Zicasso continues to exceed our expectations and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.
Reviewed By Devon R.
We had a great time on our trip to Chile. The itinerary the Zicasso trip planner suggested was wonderful. We especially enjoyed staying at the lodges in Rapa Nui and Torres del Paine. The level of service and all of their guides were great.
All of the arrangements the trip planner made for us were on time, dependable, efficient, and enjoyable. Everything went as planned.
Reviewed By Daniel K.
Zicasso's tour operator put together a very good itinerary and kept strong communication all the time. All the interactions were always smooth and productive. The travel agent was very knowledgeable and professional.
Reviewed By Javier L.
As we had already committed to an Antarctica cruise, we contacted Zicasso's travel agency to extend the trip to include Patagonia and other parts of South America. From our first conversation with our agent, we felt as though he immediately understood what we wanted to do, asked pertinent questions to assess our interest, and listened to our responses. In essence, he "got it.” He developed an itinerary that seamlessly integrated into our existing trip, extending the front and back ends of our planned adventure.
Our trip began in Santiago, where he incorporated the cruise portion of our trip. From there, he added in the rest of the itinerary to begin after the Antarctica cruise. This part included Patagonia (the Chilean and Argentina sides), Buenos Aires, and Iguazú Falls. Overall, we traveled for 31 days.
The hand-offs were smooth and the properties in which we stayed exceeded our expectations. The guides who cared for us were spot-on and accommodated any requests on our behalf.
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Our only “take-away” was we wished we had built in a few extra days at each location to simply enjoy the fantastic properties and amenities in both areas of Patagonia and Iguazú.
We wholeheartedly recommend our agent and his team!
Reviewed By Marilyn W.
