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Ships moored at the pier in Ushuaia, Argentina, below snow-streaked mountains, seen from the upper deck of a cruise ship

Which Antarctica cruises leave from Ushuaia, and what do they cost?

The cheapest 2026-27 Antarctic cruise from Ushuaia with each of 15 lines, what each fare includes, how to reach the port, where to sleep the night before and which departures give the best value.

RAYANDBEE, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The short answer

Antarctic cruises from Ushuaia cost from $7,050 per person in 2026-27, for a woman's berth in a shared cabin on Oceanwide's Plancius, or $8,830 each for two in a cabin on HX's Fridtjof Nansen with flights from Buenos Aires. Each line's cheapest trip runs 10 to 13 days, about two days each way on the Drake Passage. Fly in at least a day early unless your fare includes the flight.

Facts checked October 15, 2026 against 36 sources.

An Antarctic cruise from Ushuaia costs from $7,050 per person in 2026-27 for a shared berth, or $8,830 each in a cabin for two with the flights from Buenos Aires included, and the cheapest trip with each line we priced runs 10 to 13 days. Almost every Antarctic Peninsula voyage leaves from this Argentine port: the city says 90% of Antarctic tourism journeys start with a stop there, and the provincial port authority logged more than 500 passenger-ship calls a season from 2022-23 to 2025-26.12 Below are the departures we priced, how to reach the port and where to sleep the night before.

How much does a cruise from Ushuaia to Antarctica cost?

From $7,050 per person, and the same 10 to 13 days can cost about three times that, depending on the line.34 These are the cheapest 2026-27 Peninsula round trips we found with each operator, read on October 14 and 15, 2026, per person, from the lowest open cabin unless noted; "per day" is our division of the fare by the trip's length:

Line and shipDaysLowest fare and datePer dayIncluded besides the cruise
Oceanwide, Plancius10$7,050, one berth in a shared four-berth cabin, March 26, 2027, with two berths left, both for women; $8,700 for the one men's berth left in a shared twin3$705Luggage transfer to the ship; no hotel or flights5
G Adventures, Antarctica Classic in Depth13$8,254.35 in a twin, November 11, 2026, a Last Minute 35% off that ends October 16, 20266$635Ushuaia hotel night, transfers, parka6
HX, Fridtjof Nansen12$8,830 with two sharing, October 30, 2026, after anniversary discounts, part of which applies only to bookings made by November 9, 2026 (was $10,589)736$736Buenos Aires hotel night, flights to and from Ushuaia, drinks, gratuities7
Poseidon, Sea Spirit12$8,846 in a triple suite, November 28, 2026, 25% off for bookings made by November 30, 20268$737Ushuaia hotel night, drinks package, parka89
Polar Latitudes, Discoverer12$8,997 in a two-bed stateroom, March 4, 2027, sale price (regular $14,995)10$750Ushuaia hotel night11
Intrepid, Ocean Nova11$9,333.75 in a twin, November 16, 2026, discounted from $12,445 with no end date shown12$849Ushuaia hotel night12
Swan Hellenic, SH Diana10$9,800 with two sharing, November 12, 202613$980Buenos Aires hotel night, charter flights, drinks, gratuities13
Atlas, World Navigator12$12,150 in a guaranteed suite, March 8, 2027, fare valid through December 31, 20261415$1,013Buenos Aires hotel night, charter flights, parka14
Viking, Viking Octantis13$14,999 with a balcony, February 8 or 19, 2027, Fall Sale ending October 31, 202616$1,154Buenos Aires hotel night, charter flights17
Quark, Ocean Explorer11$15,095 in a triple suite, November 12, 2026, by phone; $18,495 online1819$1,372Ushuaia hotel night20
Seabourn, Seabourn Pursuit11$15,998 with a veranda, March 13, 2027, taxes included21$1,454Buenos Aires hotel night, charter flights21
Ponant, Le Boréal12$16,850, December 10, 202622$1,404Buenos Aires hotel night, flights22
Aurora, Douglas Mawson11$17,096 for a berth in a triple, February 27, 202723$1,554Ushuaia hotel night, drinks2324
Scenic, Scenic Eclipse13$18,973, February 17, 2027, a fare that ends October 20, 202625$1,459Buenos Aires hotel night, flights, drinks, tips25
Lindblad, National Geographic Endurance12$22,710 each with three sharing a Category 4 cabin, or $27,252 each for two, December 2, 2026; the $19,968 cabins were sold out4$1,893Buenos Aires hotel night; the group flight to Ushuaia is extra26

Read the basis before you compare. The cheapest two rows are a women-only berth shared with strangers and a sale that ends October 16, while Quark's lowest fare had to be booked by phone. Lines whose trips start in Buenos Aires count that day in the length, which flatters their per-day cost a little. For how these fares fit a full budget, see how much an Antarctica trip costs.

Which Antarctica cruise from Ushuaia is the best value?

HX's Highlights of Antarctica is the best value we found for two people who want their own cabin: $8,830 each buys 12 days with the Buenos Aires flights, drinks and gratuities included.7 To compare it fairly with fares that leave out the flights, add what the trip to Ushuaia costs. Quark charges $1,295 for its own package of a Buenos Aires hotel night and the group flight to Ushuaia and back, so that is a fair yardstick.18 On that basis:

  • Oceanwide's $7,050 berth comes to about $8,345, still the lowest, but only women's berths were left, you share a four-berth cabin and you get no hotel night or drinks.3
  • Poseidon's $8,846 triple comes to about $10,141, with a drinks package and a parka, for three friends who will share.8
  • Swan Hellenic's $9,800 already has the flights, drinks and gratuities in it, which puts it within $1,000 of HX, for a trip two days shorter.13
  • Atlas's $12,150 buys the most time in Antarctica on this list: World Navigator's March 8 itinerary plans six days on the Peninsula, against four for Swan Hellenic's 10-day voyage.1413

All of these are our sums from the operators' own figures. Every fare above is per person, and solo travelers usually pay more; see the cheapest way to get to Antarctica for single and shared-cabin options.

How long is a cruise from Argentina to Antarctica?

Ten to 13 days for a round trip to the Peninsula, because the Drake Passage takes about two days each way.20 Atlas's 12-day itinerary, for example, spends days 2 and 3 crossing south, days 4 to 9 on the Peninsula and days 10 and 11 crossing back, arriving in Ushuaia at 8:00 a.m. on day 12.14 Longer trips add more:

Trip from UshuaiaDaysLowest 2026-27 fare we found
Sail south, fly back from King George Island to Punta Arenas (Antarctica21's Antarctica Express)6$7,495 for a berth in a men's shared cabin, November 17, 202627
Peninsula and the Antarctic Circle (Oceanwide, Ortelius)13$11,000, the one men's berth left in a shared four-berth cabin, March 6, 2027283
Falklands, South Georgia and the Peninsula (Oceanwide, Plancius)19$12,575, the one men's berth left in a shared triple, November 23, 2026293
One way to Cape Town via South Georgia (Swan Hellenic)21$17,45030
One way to Dunedin via the Ross Sea (Swan Hellenic)33 nights$30,72531

There is no day trip or 3-day cruise to Antarctica from Ushuaia; the 6-day Antarctica Express was the shortest trip we found that starts there, and it ends with a flight to Chile.32 The only day trip to the continent we found leaves from Punta Arenas in Chile: DAP's Full Day Antarctica flight to King George Island, at $7,060.33 For how the days split between sea and ice, see how many days you need in Antarctica.

How do you get to Ushuaia?

By air, nearly always from Buenos Aires. Aerolíneas Argentinas flies there direct in about 3 to 3.5 hours (the province says about three and a half, the city about three), with a weekly nonstop from Córdoba; the low-cost JetSMART flies weekly from Buenos Aires, and GOL flies direct from São Paulo year-round, while LATAM's São Paulo flights run only in the winter months, outside the Antarctic season.3435 Buenos Aires flights use both Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and Ezeiza, so check which airport your ticket names.35 Ushuaia's airport is about 3 miles (5 km) from downtown, with no public transport: take a taxi, a remis (a booked car) or a transfer.35

Many lines take the flight out of your hands. HX, Swan Hellenic, Atlas, Viking, Seabourn, Ponant and Scenic include a Buenos Aires hotel night and a charter or scheduled flight to Ushuaia in the fare, as the table shows. Quark sells the same thing as a $1,295 add-on, and Lindblad offers a group flight at extra cost.1826 Our Ushuaia page covers the town itself.

Do you need a hotel in Ushuaia before an Antarctic cruise?

Only if your line does not provide one, and it decides how much slack you have. The lines fall into three groups:

What the fare includesLinesEmbarkation
A Buenos Aires hotel night, then a flight to Ushuaia on the day you sailHX, Swan Hellenic, Atlas, Viking, Seabourn, Ponant, Scenic, Lindblad (flight extra)HX's guests take an early morning flight on day 2 and board the same day7
A hotel night in UshuaiaQuark, G Adventures, Poseidon, Polar Latitudes, Intrepid, AuroraQuark's guests arrive on day 1 and board in the late afternoon of day 220
No hotelOceanwideBoarding is in the afternoon of day 1, with a luggage transfer to the ship5

If you book your own flight to Ushuaia, as Oceanwide's guests and Quark's Ocean Explorer guests must, fly in at least the day before the ship sails, as Quark's own itinerary does.20 With an included charter, the operator times the flight to the sailing, but you see little of Ushuaia. On the way home, Quark's ship is back in Ushuaia in the morning of day 11, and Oceanwide runs a group transfer from the ship to the airport straight after disembarkation.205

When do Antarctic cruises leave Ushuaia?

From late October to late March, with the last Peninsula voyages back in early April and the cheapest fares at each end of that window. HX's October 30 departure and Oceanwide's March departures on Plancius, the last of them back in Ushuaia on April 4, 2027, are among the lowest prices in the table above, along with Polar Latitudes' whale-season voyage on March 4.7310 What each month brings in wildlife and weather is in the best time to visit Antarctica and Antarctica weather by month.

Which Antarctica cruise from Ushuaia should you book?

  • Lowest price, and you will share with strangers: Oceanwide's Plancius, $7,050 for a women's quad berth on March 26, 2027, or $8,700 for the men's berth in a shared twin.3
  • A couple on a budget: HX's Highlights of Antarctica, $8,830 with flights and drinks, October 30, 2026.7
  • Three friends: Poseidon's triple suite on Sea Spirit, $8,846, booked by November 30, 2026.8
  • Short on time: Antarctica21's 6-day Antarctica Express, crossing the Drake once and flying back.27
  • Most days on the Peninsula for the money: Atlas's Last Continent on World Navigator, $12,150 with six Peninsula days.14
  • Comfort first: Seabourn Pursuit from $15,998 or Scenic Eclipse from $18,973, a Preferred Fare that ends October 20, 2026, both with the Buenos Aires flights included.2125

If you would rather skip the Drake altogether, compare flights to Antarctica and fly or sail the Drake Passage; for every route to the continent, see how to get to Antarctica.

Operators in this guide

  • Oceanwide Expeditions

    budget travelers willing to share a cabin, active travelers who want camping and kayaking included, emperor penguins by helicopter for less, Svalbard in summer, solo travelers happy with a same-gender roommate · from $7,050

    Visit Oceanwide Expeditions

    Opens oceanwide-expeditions.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • G Adventures

    travelers who book during a sale and share a twin or triple, solo travelers who want to avoid a single supplement, first-timers who want a sociable small ship, budget Svalbard polar bear trips from Longyearbyen · from $8,254

    Visit G Adventures

    Opens gadventures.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • HX Expeditions

    first-timers on a budget, couples who want drinks and gratuities included, solo travelers on no-supplement departures, South Georgia on 200-guest Fram, Svalbard on a small ship · from $8,830

    Visit HX Expeditions

    Opens travelhx.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Poseidon Expeditions

    couples who want a private suite at a mid-range fare, travelers who want drinks and a hotel night included, Christmas or New Year in Antarctica, German speakers, Svalbard and East Greenland in summer · from $8,846

    Visit Poseidon Expeditions

    Opens poseidonexpeditions.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Polar Latitudes Expeditions

    travelers who want an X-Bow ship for less than Quark or Aurora charge, late-season whale watchers on a budget, Antarctic Circle crossings, South Georgia on a mid-range budget, halal-friendly and Mandarin-speaking departures, Svalbard without a compulsory flight package on Discoverer · from $8,997

    Visit Polar Latitudes Expeditions

    Opens polar-latitudes.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Intrepid Travel

    travelers who already book with Intrepid or its agents, anyone who wants the 80-guest Ocean Nova in 2026-27, Svalbard or Disko Bay trips with the flight from Oslo or Copenhagen included, solo travelers willing to share a triple or Explorer Twin · from $9,334

    Visit Intrepid Travel

    Opens intrepidtravel.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Swan Hellenic

    travelers who want flights, drinks and tips in one fare, November bargains, the Antarctic Circle or Weddell Sea, long voyages to Cape Town or across the Ross Sea to New Zealand, short Svalbard and west Greenland trips · from $9,800

    Visit Swan Hellenic

    Opens swanhellenic.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Atlas Ocean Voyages

    travelers who want drinks, tips and the Buenos Aires charter in one fare, couples who want a veranda suite, the Falklands with Antarctica, Christmas and New Year sailings, Greenland and Arctic Canada · from $12,150

    Visit Atlas Ocean Voyages

    Opens atlasoceanvoyages.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Viking Expeditions

    couples who want hotel-style comfort, first-timers who want flights to Ushuaia in the fare, adults-only travel, submarine dives · from $14,999

    Visit Viking Expeditions

    Opens vikingcruises.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Quark Expeditions

    first-timers who want a mainstream polar line, helicopter flightseeing, emperor penguins at Snow Hill, Svalbard in summer, friends sharing a triple · from $15,095

    Visit Quark Expeditions

    Opens quarkexpeditions.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Seabourn

    luxury travelers, couples, late-season bargain hunters, travelers who want charter flights from Buenos Aires included · from $15,998

    Visit Seabourn

    Opens seabourn.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Ponant

    couples wanting all-inclusive luxury, Ross Sea and Weddell Sea itineraries, North Pole voyages, travelers who want flights bundled · from $16,850

    Visit Ponant

    Opens us.ponant.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Aurora Expeditions

    small-ship purists, kayakers, campers, divers and skiers, solo travelers who want a balcony cabin with no single supplement, Svalbard and Greenland in summer · from $14,106

    Visit Aurora Expeditions

    Opens aurora-expeditions.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

    luxury travelers, couples who want an all-inclusive verandah suite, helicopter flightseeing, early-season Snow Hill emperor penguin trips, Svalbard, Greenland and Canadian Arctic voyages in 2027 · from $18,973

    Visit Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

    Opens scenic.cruises. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Lindblad Expeditions

    first-timers who want naturalists and photographers, kayakers, families with children 4 and over, travelers who want drinks and tips in the fare, Svalbard in spring · from $12,600

    Visit Lindblad Expeditions

    Opens expeditions.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

  • Antarctica21

    travelers short on time, anyone prone to seasickness, small-group travelers who want everyone ashore at once, first-timers who want the Peninsula in a week, people combining Antarctica with Patagonia · from $5,995

    Visit Antarctica21

    Opens antarctica21.com. We don't sell trips; you book with the operator.

Places in this guide

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, Argentina, the port where most Antarctic cruises start: flights in, how many days to arrive early, what to do before and after, the port and last-minute deals.

Antarctic Peninsula

Planning an Antarctic Peninsula cruise: how long trips last, where ships land, the best month by temperature and wildlife, landing rules, ship sizes and starting fares.

Drake Passage

How rough the Drake Passage really is, month by month, from 16 years of wave data, plus its weather, crossing times, seasickness remedies, flying over it and whether ships sink.

Antarctic Circle

Where the Antarctic Circle lies, which cruises cross it and what they cost, how many days the crossing adds, what you see south of 66°33′, and why no one publishes how often ships make it.

Falkland Islands

How to visit the Falkland Islands and what it costs: the weekly flight from Chile, the UK airbridge, the cruises that stop and their fares, the best penguin sites and months, and the rules.

South Georgia

Where South Georgia is and how to visit it: which voyages go and what they cost, whether the extra week is worth it, the best months, the wildlife and the government's rules.

Ross Sea

The far side of Antarctica, south of New Zealand: the few ships that go and what they cost, Scott's and Shackleton's huts, McMurdo, Mount Erebus and the Ross Sea's wildlife.

Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, Chile, the gateway for Antarctic air-cruises: flights in, the two-hour hop to King George Island and what it costs, Magdalena Island's penguins, things to do and the weather.

King George Island

Antarctica's fly-cruise gateway: how the gravel airstrip at Chile's Frei base works and how often flights slip, the fares, the research stations, what visitors see, the weather and the day trip.

More guides

What is the cheapest way to get to Antarctica?

The lowest 2026-27 fares on eight expedition lines, what triple and quad cabins and shoulder dates save, what last-minute deals really exist, and what the cheapest trips leave out.

Costs

Should you fly or sail across the Drake Passage?

Flying over the Drake Passage saves about three days but costs more per day and hangs on the weather at King George Island. Fares, delay records, refund rules and who should pick which.

Getting there

How to choose an Antarctica cruise

How to pick an Antarctica cruise: ship size and landings first, then route, the Drake crossing, activities, comfort and price, with eight expedition ships compared and a pick for each traveler.

Ships and lines

When is the best time to visit Antarctica?

Antarctica month by month, October to March: temperatures, daylight, sea ice, penguin and whale timing, fares and crowds, with the best month for each kind of traveler.

Seasons and weather

Is a balcony worth it on an Antarctica cruise?

What a balcony costs on eight real Antarctic ships, which ships include one in every cabin, and the sea days, scenic passages and cruise-only trips where it pays off.

Ships and lines

How much does an Antarctica trip cost?

Published 2026-27 fares from eight Antarctic expedition lines, cabin by cabin, plus the flights, hotel nights, insurance, tips and gear around them, with a worked budget for a couple.

Costs

Sources

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