Antarctica Bucket List: 10 Things to See & Do

Antarctica Bucket List: 10 Things to See & Do

Antarctica is a huge bucket list item for many travelers that visit. For many, it is the last and seventh continent they will go to in their lives. It’s one of the most unique and extreme places on the planet, making it a destination that is unmatched and incomparable to other places. While you are there, take advantage of some of the extraordinary things you can do to scratch off your bucket list.

1. Cross off the Seventh Continent from Your List

For starters, crossing the seventh continent off your list is a pretty big deal for avid adventurers, as you can see from the excitement of our travelers! How many continents have you visited so far? Is the Last Continent on your bucket list?

2. Whisky on the rocks

Though a whiskey on the rocks tastes excellent at home, there’s nothing quite like savoring the silky spirit on Antarctic ice.

3. Polar Adventure Activities

What would you pick if you had to choose between gliding your kayak paddle through the glossy waters of a serene fjord or snowshoeing to the top of a powdery peak? You have the option to do both during our Antarctic expeditions with us.

View a complete list of our Antarctic adventure activities here.

4. Plunge Into Polar Waters

If diving in frigid waters sounds like your ultimate thrill, look no further than the polar plunge! Though Antarctic waters hover around 35 degrees Fahrenheit (or 2 degrees Celsius), your adrenaline alone will keep your heart pumping on this classic bucket list adventure.

5. Go Off the Beaten Path

A place of extremes – the highest, driest, windiest, and coldest continent. Simply visiting the fifth-largest continent’s icy landscapes is a bucket list item in itself. Explore one of the most remote and wild places on the planet.

Did you know Antarctica was the last of the world’s continents to be discovered? It is the only continent without an indigenous population. That also makes it the only continent truly discovered when it was discovered. It is the only continent that does not belong to anyone. This is probably because Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are the most remote place on Earth.

6. Chill with Penguins

When you travel to Antarctica with us, each day offers a new opportunity for wildlife viewing. A bucket list item for most travelers is the chance to witness some of the eight Antarctic species of penguins in the wild, some of which live on the continent, and others migrate and temporarily call the Last Continent its home.

There are eight Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguin species – Emperor, King, Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap, Macaroni, Magellanic, and Rockhopper penguins. You will get a glimpse of the Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins. However, spotting the Emperor penguin on an air-cruise in the Antarctica Peninsula is uncommon because they live in the Continent’s interior. You have the chance to see the other penguin species in sub-Antarctic islands like the Falklands (Malvinas) and South Georgia.

Read more about some of the fascinating penguin encounters you can have on an expedition.

7. Massive Icebergs

Seeing an iceberg in the open ocean is one of the most coveted bucket list highlights for travelers to Antarctica. Did you know that about 90 percent of an iceberg lies below the sea’s surface? Though these bobbing, tower-like structures begin as compacted snow on glaciers and ice shelves, they break off to form massive formations at sea, often with mesmerizing shapes and colors.

8. Photography

For professional and amateur photographers alike, photographing the Last Continent is a bucket list dream. Most photographers share how mesmerized they are by the monochromatic color scheme of the continent, in rich shades of blue, white, grey, and black. On a trip with us, what would you most like to capture?

Read about Antarctic photography tips from award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris who traveled with us in 2021. He shares some great information about wildlife photography.

9. Whale Watching

Each of our boutique expedition vessels comes equipped with plenty of indoor and outdoor space to view Antarctica’s wildlife while we’re in transit. Gliding through the waters to our next destination makes for an ideal time to look out to sea for whale watching. You may spot the giant tails of humpback whales or fast and nimble orcas on the hunt for their next feast.

10. The Sun Never Sets

Our Antarctica season takes place during the austral summer, which means long, extended days of light. For nearly six months of the year, the sun never fully sets in Antarctica, making it quite the bucket list item to toast to the never-setting sun!

Witness outstanding scenes washed in eternal sunlight with icebergs bursting out of the sea with their crisp edges. Sunsets and sunrises are long and drawn out for stunning colorful photos.

Ready to start your Antarctic adventure and tick off some bucket list items? Contact us for a personalized quote, and we can help you with any questions you may have.