2025 Antarctic Peninsula Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in July)

Hey guys! Antarctica, that pristine land covered in ice and snow, is the ultimate dream for countless travel enthusiasts. Today, I'm sharing a comprehensive guide to visiting Antarctica to bring you one step closer to your dream! ✨ Best Time to Visit: The Antarctic travel season runs from November to March each year. November is penguin breeding season, where you can witness courtship, nest-building, and baby penguins hatching. December to February offers warmer temperatures, making it prime whale-watching season with breathtaking icy landscapes, plus activities like kayaking and camping. March marks the end of summer, perfect for spotting migrating seabirds like Antarctic petrels and capturing spectacular ice formations—don't miss it if you're a photography lover! ✈️ How to Get There: 98% of visitors depart from South America. Flying directly from Punta Arenas to King George Island avoids seasickness (ship journey: 6-8 days). Alternatively, you can start from Ushuaia, Argentina, but be prepared for potential seasickness when crossing the Drake Passage—pack motion sickness meds in advance! 💰 Trip Costs: Prices vary widely, ranging from ¥80,000 to ¥700,000, depending on the route, ship type, and cabin. For budget-conscious travelers, the Antarctic Peninsula short route offers great value. If money's no object, the Antarctic Three Islands mid-length route or special polar long routes deliver richer, more unique experiences. 🚢 Choosing Your Ship: Options include traditional expedition cruisers, mid-sized cruisers, large cruisers, and sailboats. We recommend traditional expedition ships with 13-200 passengers for ample landing and cruising time, allowing deep immersion in Antarctica's wonders. Sailboats offer freedom but come with higher seasickness risks—choose carefully. 🎈 Activities: Meet adorable penguins, cruise on Zodiac boats, try thrilling kayaking, camp on the ice, or for the brave—take a polar plunge! Each activity lets you experience Antarctica's uniqueness and grandeur. 📦 Packing List: Layer your clothing—base layers (moisture-wicking thermal wear), mid-layers (fleece for warmth), and outer shells (windproof/waterproof jackets). Don’t forget camera gear: DSLR with telephoto and wide-angle lenses, action cameras for videos, plus polarizing filters and waterproof cases. Tech essentials: laptop, universal adapter, power strip, portable charger, and spare batteries. Also pack motion sickness pills, binoculars, travel documents, meds, a thermos, USD/EUR cash, Visa/Mastercard, and maybe some pickles or Lao Ganma for meals. Guys, while an Antarctic trip may be distant and costly, it’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Pack your bags and embark on this icy adventure!

My first landing activity in Antarctica! On Ronne Island, I got a close-up view of adorable penguins. These were gentoo penguins, also known as white-browed penguins, which live on the icy coasts of Antarctica and mainly feed on Antarctic krill. Each time you land on an island, you can't walk around freely. You must stay within the route specified by the expedition team and keep a distance of at least 5 meters from the penguins. You must not leave any personal belongings on the island or touch anything, in order to maintain the original ecology of the Antarctic continent.

This is a point-and-shoot film camera that went to Antarctica with me. At the end of last year, I was planning to sell it, but it was delayed for various reasons. Before I could find it a new home, it was hurriedly packed in my bag, crossed the equator, passed through Chile and Argentina, and then followed me to this wonderful continent at the southernmost tip of the earth. The four rolls of Kodak Gold 200 film that accompanied it traveled seven more time zones after leaving Antarctica, going north with me back to Paris, and finally being developed in Shanghai. This long and unique migration trajectory has given this camera and film immeasurable value and irreplaceable meaning. I think even if they are put aside and gather dust, I will always cherish them. When I received the scanned files, I jumped out of bed excitedly and rushed to the computer on my desk. Actually, as a photographer determined to get good shots, I also took digital photos as backups with my DSLR for almost every scene. But I haven't organized the piles of material yet. Instead, I've been looking forward to those unclear, imperfect, slow, and few unknown images. To be honest, I don't understand it myself, but I have a vague feeling that the latter is more special. Perhaps what I'm fascinated with about film is not the nostalgic filter, but the idea of "limitation." I can freely use the high-speed continuous shooting of a digital camera to record the entire process of a penguin entering the water, almost accurately capturing every tiny displacement and subtle change in form. But film cameras are different. Because of the 36-exposure limit, I often only capture one moment in a scene, and I often have to hold my breath and observe for a long time when pressing the shutter. I would choose the most elegant arc of the floating ice as it drifted by, the most intense moment of a sea lion fight, and the most interesting penguin that waddled past me. So, my hard drive stores thousands of high-definition, standard, and correctable images of Antarctica, but those four rolls of film are covered with my thirty-six careful gazes and precious choices, revealing deeper meaning due to their "limitations" of not being able to preview or delete. I'm very glad I took this pure and simple machine to Antarctica. Preserving memories in the purest way in this earthly paradise is perhaps also a sign for me. In the days to come, in my creations, I will become myself at all costs, and like that isolated land, I will always try to maintain my original intention.

No place on Earth compares to this vast, white wilderness of snow, ice, water, and rock. Antarctica is simply stunning. Contrary to what many people imagine, the innermost part of Antarctica is not suitable for travel because it is entirely covered by snow and ice, and the temperature is extremely cold, reaching -50 degrees Celsius or even lower, so no creatures can survive there. On the contrary, the edge of Antarctica, which is like a large braid hanging down from the Antarctic map, is the Antarctic Peninsula, where there are many animals and broken glaciers. At the same time, the beautiful Antarctic Peninsula is also the most accessible part of the Antarctic continent. We take an assault boat through the glaciers. It is not easy to encounter the sunrise or sunset on the Antarctic Peninsula, but once you do, it is like paradise. Sometimes the huge ice sheets are in the distance. In fact, these huge icebergs are larger than cities. Only summer is a suitable season for traveling to the Antarctic Peninsula. Although there are many cloudy days, there will also be strange astronomical phenomena such as lenticular clouds, rainbow fog, and red skies. During blizzards, penguins standing in the snow and people hiking are also a beautiful sight.

There are 5 days and 10 landing sites in Antarctica, mainly cruising around King George Island and the Antarctic Peninsula! Two cruises or landings per day. [Day 1☀️] Fort Point (1 landing): Saw a large number of Chinstrap penguins🐧, and a few lazy fur seals. [Day 2☀️] Potter Cove + Orne Harbor (2 landings + glacier hike): A large number of blue ice floes were stunning. It was also a very physically challenging day, and we saw Gentoo penguins🐧. [Day 3☁️] Danco Island (landing) + Paradise Bay (cruise): Danco Island is also mainly Chinstrap penguins🐧. You can photograph penguins swimming in the shallows, so it's a good idea to bring a waterproof sports camera. Paradise Bay is famous for its sunsets on sunny days, just like paradise! During the Zodiac cruise, the expedition team members explained the difference between glaciers and icebergs! [Day 4☁️] Girard Bay (cruise) + Petermann Island (landing) + Lemaire Channel (sailing): The glaciers during the Girard Bay cruise were more transparent than yesterday's, and we also encountered Weddell seals🦭. Finally saw the third type of penguin🐧 on this trip at Petermann Island: Adélie! Lemaire Channel is divided into north and south directions, and the cruise ship will pass through it both ways. If the weather is good, it is also a beautiful channel! [Day 5☁️] Great Wall Station (landing): A place that makes every Chinese person proud when they come to Antarctica! Basically, only Chinese ships can apply to visit, and it's also the largest research station I've seen on this trip! There are about 15 permanent staff. There is a museum here where you can get stamps (remember to bring a book), but there is no postal service anymore! [Day 6🌧️] Adélie Island (cruise): This was a bonus cruise (what a deal!) because the flight was delayed. Although it rained lightly, we saw a leopard seal🦭 hunting penguins, amazing! [Day 7☁️] Admiralty Bay (cruise): This was also an extra stop arranged due to the delay, mainly glaciers, penguins, and seals. 🚢Cruise: Atlas World Traveller (chartered by Chinese tourists) 🏃Landing: Opportunities for close encounters with penguins ⛵️Cruise: See glaciers (and even witness calving glaciers), and encounter various seals ☀️About the weather The expedition team members said: Any weather in Antarctica is good weather, because no matter what the climate is like, there are different views, and everyone takes unique photos! 🧥Clothing The temperature in Antarctica is similar to Beijing. The main requirement for outerwear is that it be waterproof, and thin layers are fine underneath. 📖Language Zodiac cruises are usually in groups of 10 people. The expedition team members are experienced foreigners, so everything is in English. However, there are usually some young people on each ship who are good at English and act as translators. And there is always Chinese available on the ship (because our ship was chartered by Chinese tourists! Everyone was Chinese).

#magicalxmastrip #antarcticpeninsula A trip to the Antarctic Peninsula is not your average day out—it’s the ultimate adventure at the bottom of the world. First off, prepare to be greeted by the locals: penguins. Lots of them. These tuxedoed charmers waddle around as if they’re auditioning for a nature documentary, and you’ll quickly realize they’re the true VIPs of Antarctica. The landscapes here are nothing short of magical. Giant, sculpted icebergs drift past, glowing an unearthly shade of blue. Every turn of your Zodiac boat (yes, you’ll be in a tiny boat surrounded by giant icebergs) reveals another view so spectacular, you’ll start to feel like you’re starring in a survival movie—minus the actual danger. Seals and whales are regular guests too. Crabeater seals lounge on the ice as if they own the place, and humpback whales occasionally breach, reminding you how small you really are. Just try not to scream “WHAALE!” like a certain cartoon fish; they don’t appreciate it. Onshore, hikes up snowy ridges provide 360-degree views of ice-covered mountains and shimmering seas. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to whisper, even though there’s no one around except a curious penguin or two. By the end of the day, your camera roll will be bursting with iceberg selfies, penguin paparazzi shots, and enough memories to last a lifetime. The Antarctic Peninsula isn’t just a destination—it’s a frosty dream come true.