Visiting Antarctica Can Be Downright Luxurious These Days

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Visiting the Arctic and Antarctic circles was once one of the most extreme pursuits human beings could undertake. Now it’s not only easier than ever, but it’s also more luxurious. 

From hard-to-believe hotels tucked away in the Arctic wilderness, to incredible one-day airplane trips to Antarctica, there are growing options to suit every traveler’s taste.

By Air or Sea

Expedition ships might sound as if they’re all about the utility—and any ship sailing to Antarctica must be up to the task—but sophisticated options abound for the modern adventurer. 

Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot craft debuted in November (see page 10), and will spend the season in Antarctica before heading to the Arctic this summer. Le Commandant Charcot is slated to become the first luxury passenger ship to reach the true geographic North Pole, and makes use of an environmentally friendly hybrid propulsion system to reduce its footprint. There’s even a research laboratory for studying the polar environments it traverses. Creature comforts, meanwhile, include cuisine from
Alain Ducasse,
flowing
Veuve Clicquot Champagne,
an indoor swimming pool, and heated blue lagoon-style baths. Shorter sailings may start at about $10,000 per person with prices extending up to $40,000.

Even more exclusive sailings are available from EYOS, a private yacht charter company with a global presence. At the end of 2021, EYOS debuted the MV Nansen Explorer in conjunction with Nansen Polar Expeditions. The ship was designed as an arctic research vessel but has been fully overhauled for the luxe life. The seven-cabin ship features an Ice-1A class hull, which allows it to reach treacherous waters rarely ventured to by such craft. While EYOS specializes in charters, it’s now offering cruise-style sailings with per cabin bookings, ranging from a photography-centric trip in Antarctica to a heli-ski adventure in Greenland, with bookings starting at about $17,000 per person.

For those who would rather skip choppy seas altogether, Explorateur Journeys offers an Antarctica for the day package with private flights from Cape Town. The scenic five-hour flight from South Africa aboard a Gulfstream jet brings travelers to Wolf’s Fang Runway on Antarctica, where they can take part in a number of activities throughout the day before the return trip. Select dates are available for booking in 2022 and 2023, with prices starting at $27,999 per person.

For nostalgic travelers, OceanSky Cruises is planning to launch airship flights from Svalbard to the North Pole and back. The 36-hour journeys will include two nights with eight spacious, private cabins, and an experience aboard the vessel the company compares to yachting. The outfit is hoping to run its first voyages in 2024 or 2025. OceanSky hopes to bring elegant airship travel back into the limelight, while also proving lighter-than-air technology is the future of low-emission, eco-friendly air travel.

Stunning Stays & Extreme Expeditions

Off the Map Travel’s new Sápmi Experience is a three-night stay offering a cultural experience with Sweden’s indigenous Sami people. Take a guided ski tour on wooden skis, get firsthand experience reindeer herding and ice fishing, and participate in a Swedish fika, or coffee break, a time of relaxing and social connection, beside a bonfire atop a frozen river.

During winter months, travelers will take in the Northern Lights, and during the summer, they’ll revel in the midnight sun. At the end of the day, guests retire to a traditional Sami lavvu, or tepee, though one which has been equipped as a luxury cabin. Itineraries start from about $2,500 per person.

For those planning their own journeys, consider a stay at the Arctic Bath Hotel & Spa, a floating sauna retreat in Swedish Lapland that freezes into the Lule River in the winter and bobs atop the water during the summertime. The Manshausen Cabins in Norway offer another unforgettable stay. The seven cabins were conceived by renowned polar explorer
Børge Ousland,
designed to create harmony between guests and the nature around them. Cantilevered and built with cutting-edge architectural style, the cabins are made from natural materials, and boast floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the Steigen Archipelago.

At the other pole, White Desert operates two Antarctica adventure camps, including Whichaway, with a half-dozen sleeping pods, cozy communal spaces, and once-in-a-lifetime activities. Weeklong adventures at the camps can be booked throughout their operating season from November through January, with prices ranging from $48,000 to $96,000 per person. 

This article appeared in the March 2022 issue of Penta magazine.