How Antarctica Became the Ultimate A-List Destination — And How to Do It Right

In the early afternoon of Dec. 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen and his crew of four officially became the first men to reach the geographic South Pole. To get there, the Norwegian explorers navigated the interminable snowfields of interior Antarctica, trudging through the harshest climates on earth for 56 days. They wore boots made of reindeer skin. They fed on some of the very same snow dogs that sledded them there. Frostbite subsumed large swaths of their bodies.

A little over a century later, reaching the world’s only uninhabited continent is a decidedly more glamorous affair. And it’s attracting a decidedly more glamorous brand of “explorers” to match. Two seasons ago, a motley assembly of A-listers including Lewis Hamilton, Zoey Deutch, Nina Dobrev and Jared Leto, arrived to the Antarctic peninsula on a 414-foot mega-yacht, sporting sequin dresses and tuxedos, sipping tulips of champagne.

It took them just two days to make the voyage, traversing the Drake Passage from the southernmost tip of South America. A travel expert on TikTok estimated the lavish getaway ran slightly south of $3.5 million in total. At least no dogs were harmed along the way.

More recently, in late 2024, Captain Kirk himself — William Shatner — set a course for this final frontier aboard an opulent, state-of-the-art expedition vessel. The ship featured veranda suites with walk-in closets and heated bathroom floors. Sushi and caviar were served daily. Satellite internet, available throughout the ten-day journey, was robust enough to support uninterrupted Netflix streaming.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and members of the House of Saud have opted to circumvent the potentially treacherous waters of the Southern Ocean, altogether. They chartered private jets from Cape Town, South Africa, eventually landing at White Desert, a luxury glamping operation not far from the South Pole that can charge upwards of $110,000 per guest.

Antarctica’s sudden star appeal is understandable. The journey there today regularly incorporates creature comforts that were inconceivable even two decades ago. It’s reeling in far more than just royalty and reality TV stars, too. According to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, throughout the 1991-92 season the continent recorded some 6,400 visitors. That number has now swelled to an estimated 107,270 per year (Southern Hemisphere summers make transit possible from late October to mid-March).

“Antarctica is no longer only for the hardcore wildlife or polar history buffs—or even just for retirees with the time and disposable income,” observes Alex Ros, owner of Open Sky Expeditions, which has operated adventures to this part of the world since 2011. “The traveler base has definitely broadened to those that weren’t initially there, including younger curious professionals and families. Essentially, people just wanting to experience something few ever will. Or who feel the draw of being absolutely humbled by a landscape with a scale you won’t find elsewhere on earth.”

These days, it’s not a matter of getting there — that part is (relatively) easy. It’s about how you choose to cruise. A wide range of offerings cater to the respective priorities of any would-be traveler. If you prefer pampering, for instance, Scenic Cruises affords Michelin-caliber cuisine, expansive wine cellars and the largest whiskey bar at sea, to go along with two on-board helicopters and a submersible as adventurous add-ons. Penthouse suites on the journey start at $80,000 per person.

Those with a penchant for photography are best served on a special Lindblad voyage, where you’re joined on land-based excursions by a designated photog from National Geographic magazine. Maybe you want to moonlight as a marine biologist. HX is the way forward. With its impressive cadre of on-board scientists leading daily lectures, it’s pretty much a floating university.

However you go, you’re guaranteed to return with grade-A conversation fodder for your next cocktail party. In the age of Instagram, sharing stories of a sub-polar landfall is way more of a flex than lounging on a sun-soaked Mediterranean beach. After all, you can book a direct flight from any major American airport and be in Europe in a matter of hours. But many people are still surprised to learn that Antarctica is even a viable vacation option. And yet despite the relative rarity of the experience, there are ways to make it happen at prices which compare favorably to that European vacation. The average Antarctic cruise costs about $10,000 per person and typically lasts 10-14 days.

A good chunk of that time could be spent on open seas — unless you book with Open Sky Expeditions, that is. Ros and his team specialize in shuttling clients by air, over the notoriously nauseating Drake Passage, to rendezvous with a waiting expedition vessel. Two days on water becomes two hours of flight time. They established themselves as one of the pioneers of this fly-cruise model when partnering with Antarctica21 back in 2018.

“We skip the usual four days that most folks spend crossing the rough Drake Passage in both directions by instead flying round-trip between Punta Arenas and King George Island in Antarctica,” Ros explains. “While we welcome travelers of all kinds, especially on this trip, we’re knownfor our photo journeys, so a good number of our participants are photography-focused. We offer everything from one-on-one instruction and group image reviews to editing support—for beginners with smartphones and pros with mirrorless DSLRs alike.”

All-inclusive packages start at $18,995 per person for a porthole cabin aboard the expedition ship and soar towards $30,495 for a Penthouse suite. Most of his clientele has been hailing not from Hollywood so much as all other corners of the US. “We’ve also noticed a rise in Asian travelers, particularly from China,” he adds.

Beyond the promise of pretty photos, there’s another siren summoning adventure-seekers to the bottom of the earth. Reaching here isn’t just a physical journey, it’s inevitably one of scientific discovery—something modern travelers are thirsting for in increasing number.

“There’s a clear shift in that travelers aren’t just seeking beautiful places, they’re craving purposeful, transformative experiences,” according to Alex McNeil, the chief expedition officer for HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions). “For many, arriving in Antarctica is the culmination of a lifelong dream; for others, it’s the next step in their evolution as conscious explorers.”

For decades, Antarctica was exclusively a destination for biologists, glaciologists, geologists, physicists and other -ists. To this day at any given time there could be as many as 5,000 researchers holed up at the 70 permanent stations scattered across the continent. HX is one of several popular cruiseliners affording guests the opportunity to live among them.

“We provide a platform for researchers to conduct studies they might not otherwise be able to do,” says McNeil. “It’s a vital way to support and sustain Antarctic research at a time when public funding alone can’t shoulder the burden.”

In 2024 alone, HX donated over 1,900 cabin nights to 87 scientists. They study everything from ice melt to microplastics to whale migration, relaying their research in seminars abroad ship. McNeil sees it all aligning with the broader cultural trend towards deeper, more intentional travel.

Though these travelers will still have to contend with the carbon footprint inherent to such dalliances, an output that, according to the Sierra Club, accounts for an average of 4.14 tons of CO2 emissions per person per year—or 83 tons worth of snow loss. HX, for its part, is at the forefront of combatting this reality, ditching single use plastics, and setting to sea with first-of-their-kind hybrid-powered cruise ships, like a floating Prius.

For high-profile travelers, specifically, the appeal lies in the rarity and rawness of the experience. But for everyone else, “it’s not about escaping, it’s about connecting,” he maintains. “It’s grounding and perspective-shifting…And it’s also one of the last places on earth where you can truly feel like an explorer, not a tourist.”

Fittingly, many HX guests will reach Antarctica aboard the MS Roald Amundsen. They hardly have to overcome the life-threatening challenges that plagued its eponymous pioneer 125 years ago. Food shortage and frostbite are replaced today with lavish buffets and heated bathroom floors. The only thing they need to worry about getting chilled is that bottle of champagne beside the balcony jacuzzi.