What are the best expedition yachts for Antarctica?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 9 November 2026
These 8 expedition cruise lines sell Antarctica voyages on a vessel they call a yacht or a sailing ship, or charter a private yacht there on their own websites, read 9 November 2026. Each card gives what the line says about it, with the ship, voyage, length, price or number where it names one, then why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
What are the best expedition yachts for Antarctica?
8 expedition cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table say on their own websites that they sell Antarctica voyages on a vessel they call a yacht or a sailing ship, or charter a private yacht there; Atlas Ocean Voyages, Secret Atlas and Cookson Adventures have the most Google reviews under the line's own name.
Atlas Ocean Voyages
- Best for
- All-inclusive ice-class yachts, sailing year-round
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Sails Antarctica on yachts it gives as Polar Category C and Ice Class 1B, World Navigator and World Traveller, from Ushuaia or King George Island.
- Why choose them
- Its three yachts, World Navigator, World Traveller and World Voyager, are Polar Category C and Ice Class 1B. Google: 4.0 out of 5 from 86 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a Drake Express voyage, which includes a roundtrip private charter jet between Punta Arenas and King George Island.
- Not the fit if
- you use an electric wheelchair or scooter: only collapsible wheelchairs are accepted on board.
- Published price
- From US$12,150 per guest, double occupancy, 11-night Antarctica voyage on World Navigator roundtrip from Ushuaia, 8 March 2027. Read 9 November 2026.
- Website
- atlasoceanvoyages.com
Bark Europa
- Best for
- Sailing a tall ship to Antarctica
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Sails the tall ship Bark EUROPA, a sail training vessel, to the Antarctic Peninsula on a 20-day voyage, 3 to 22 December 2026, from €11,700 per person.
- Why choose them
- Bark EUROPA was built in 1911 as a light ship on the German river Elbe and has been a sail training vessel since 1986.
- Ask for
- Ask for a place on the waiting list for the 20-day Antarctic Peninsula voyage, 3 to 22 December 2026.
- Not the fit if
- you want a cabin to yourself as a solo traveller: solo guests are placed in a 4/6-person male or female cabin.
- Website
- barkeuropa.com
Cookson Adventures
- Best for
- Private superyacht expeditions planned from scratch
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Plans private yacht expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island for one group at a time; it also arranges private submersible dives.
- Why choose them
- Founded in 2009 by polar explorer Henry Cookson, it designs every trip as a private journey for one group. Google: 4.7 out of 5 from 13 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a Private Client Manager to design a private yacht expedition, with helicopters, submersible dives or a professional photographer built in.
- Not the fit if
- your budget is under £150,000: it typically works with a minimum spend of £150,000 per journey.
- Money protection
- ATOL licence 12608 on certain bookings, such as flight-inclusive packages booked in the UK.
- Website
- cooksonadventures.com
EYOS Expeditions
- Best for
- Private expedition yacht charters worldwide
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Charters private expedition yachts to Antarctica and sells cabins on Sherakhan, which takes up to 20 guests in 12 en-suite cabins, December 13-20, 2026.
- Why choose them
- Says it pioneered expedition yachting, defining the category in 2008.
- Ask for
- Ask for a book-by-cabin departure, such as Antarctica aboard Sherakhan on December 13-20, 2026, or a private charter planned around your own priorities.
- Not the fit if
- you need a guaranteed polar bear sighting: it says sightings in Svalbard can never be guaranteed.
- Website
- eyos-expeditions.com
Pelagic Expeditions
- Best for
- Private sailing-vessel charters to Antarctica
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Charters the Pelagic 77 expedition sailing vessel Vinson of Antarctica, up to 10 passengers and 4 crew, for Antarctic voyages of 21 days minimum.
- Why choose them
- Says it has sailed south every year since 1988, when it made a sailing and climbing expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia.
- Ask for
- Ask Skip Novak for a charter of the Pelagic 77 Vinson of Antarctica, with its dates and day rate in writing.
- Not the fit if
- you want to fly to Antarctica: voyages sail from Puerto Williams in Chile across the Drake Passage, usually three to four days.
- Enquiry
- pelagic.co.uk/contact.asp
Scenic
- Best for
- All-inclusive polar yachts with helicopters
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Sails to Antarctica on what it calls its Scenic Discovery Yachts, Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II, built to Polar Class 6 standards.
- Why choose them
- Scenic Eclipse takes a maximum of 228 adult-only guests, 200 in Antarctica and the High Arctic, with an almost 1:1 crew to guest ratio.
- Ask for
- Ask for the fare on select voyages that includes a 30-minute helicopter flightseeing experience in Antarctica.
- Not the fit if
- you travel with children: Scenic Eclipse sails with adult-only guests.
- Published price
- From £16,573 per person, two sharing the lowest priced cabin, Antarctica in Depth, 13 days from Buenos Aires, 2028/2029 season. Read 9 November 2026.
- Money protection
- ATOL 9294 on flight-inclusive holidays where indicated at booking; ABTA member.
Secret Atlas
- Best for
- 12 to 36 guest polar micro cruises
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Charters the full 36-guest Aureum privately in Antarctica, with the expedition team and the flight window shaped around your group.
- Why choose them
- Publishes a 1:6 guide ratio in the Arctic and in Antarctica and South Georgia. Google: 5.0 out of 5 from 82 reviews. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for the Antarctic Circle by Air departure, which replaces the Drake Passage crossing with a two-hour charter flight from Puerto Natales to King George Island.
- Not the fit if
- you might cancel late: the initial 30% deposit is never refunded and nothing is refunded less than 3 months before departure.
- Website
- secretatlas.com
Terra Nova Expeditions
- Best for
- Antarctica on a 98-guest ship, activities included
- Yacht or sailing ship
- Sells the 21-day Ultimate Antarctic Adventure, combining Terra Nova Adventurer with five nights on the sailing yacht Icebird, from $21,080 per person in US dollars, next departure December 2026; Icebird is run by its partner Icebird Expeditions.
- Why choose them
- Keeps its Antarctic expeditions to fewer than 100 guests, with Terra Nova Adventurer taking a maximum of 98.
- Ask for
- Ask for an open-air camping place early: it is included but limited to 30 guests per departure.
- Not the fit if
- you want to fly over the Drake Passage: every voyage leaves Ushuaia and crosses it by sea.
- Website
- terranova-expeditions.com
Which of these show a dated price on this page?
5 of the 8 cards show a price for a voyage of this kind, with its currency and a date or season. Cookson Adventures publishes fares on its own website without a date or currency on the pages read, so no figure is shown for it. Ask every line for a written quote with the departure date and what it includes.
Which of these lines name a scheme that protects your money?
2 of the 8 lines name a scheme, bond, licence or account that protects payments for some or all bookings; check the number with the scheme before you pay.
- Cookson Adventures: ATOL licence 12608 on certain bookings, such as flight-inclusive packages booked in the UK
- Scenic: ATOL 9294 on flight-inclusive holidays where indicated at booking; ABTA member
Who to contact first
Start with the 3 lines on this page that publish both a voyage price and their cancellation terms on their own websites, then add any other card that fits your dates and the voyage you want.
What to ask each one to set out in writing:
- What the fare includes, line by line: flights, hotel nights before and after, drinks, gratuities, excursions, kayaking or camping, parka and boots.
- The ship: passengers on board, ice class where it matters, the cabin and whether anything on board costs extra.
- The deposit, when the balance is due, what you lose if you cancel and what happens if ice or weather changes the route.
- Which scheme or licence protects your money, the travel insurance you need and the medical cover it must include.
Expedition yachts for Antarctica: the questions people ask
What should I ask an expedition cruise line before booking?
What the fare includes, line by line; how many passengers the ship carries and how many go ashore at once; the deposit and what you lose if you cancel; the travel insurance and medical cover it requires; and which scheme protects your money.
Can I book with these lines directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website or enquiry page; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes and the cancellation scale.
Do these lines all sell the same kind of voyage?
No. Each card names the voyage, ship or offer the line's own website gives; ship sizes, lengths, routes and prices differ, so compare the cards before you ask for quotes.
Do I need travel insurance for an expedition cruise?
5 of the 8 lines set out on their own websites what insurance they ask for; many polar voyages require cover for medical evacuation. Ask each line for the cover it requires before you buy a policy.
Which of these have the most Google reviews?
Atlas Ocean Voyages, Secret Atlas and Cookson Adventures, in that order. A count says how many people reviewed a line, not whether it fits your voyage; each card gives the rating and count, read 9 November 2026.
Which of these publish their cancellation terms?
5 of the 8: Atlas Ocean Voyages, Cookson Adventures, Pelagic Expeditions, Secret Atlas and Terra Nova Expeditions. Ask each for the full scale in writing before you pay a deposit.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Each card links the pages of the line's own website its lines were read from, with the date they were read.
How were these lines chosen?
Each one is in the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table, built from the expedition cruise lines ChatGPT names most often. On its own website it sells Antarctica voyages on a vessel it calls a yacht or a sailing ship, or charters a private yacht there. A line is on the page because its published facts fit the question, never because it paid.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Companies are added at each update. Want to be the company this page features?
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what each line published on its own website, read on 9 November 2026, with links to the pages read, with its Google and Trustpilot figures where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table. Cards are in alphabetical order. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.