Antarctic Express: Crossing the Circle – Self-Launched Expedition
11 days · Antarctica & Punta Arenas, Chile
Exodus charges £18,500
No-markup version: ~£11,000 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Antarctica is one of the few places on Earth where a fully independent trip is genuinely difficult — the logistics demand a ship, specialist crew, and a charter flight over the Drake Passage. However, you can still save significantly by booking your expedition berth directly with the vessel operator (Quark Expeditions) rather than through a retail tour reseller like Exodus, cutting out the middleman markup. This self-launched version keeps every experience intact — the fly-in charter to King George Island, the Antarctic Circle crossing, Zodiac landings, penguin rookeries, and glacier calving — while replacing Exodus-bundled hotel nights in Punta Arenas with excellent independent options and giving you flexibility on your pre/post days to explore Patagonia. All costs below are approximate per-person estimates in GBP at current rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Punta Arenas – Gateway to the 7th Continent
Punta Arenas, Chile
Fly into Punta Arenas (PUQ) — connections typically via Santiago (SCL). The city sits at the southern tip of Patagonia and is full of character: colourful cemeteries, the Plaza de Armas, Nao Victoria Museum, and excellent lamb dishes. Check into your independently booked hostel or guesthouse in the centre. You must be at the expedition departure hotel briefing by 3pm — confirm the meeting point with Quark Expeditions directly when booking. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local parrilla restaurant on your own terms.
🚌Fly to Punta Arenas via Santiago. Budget airlines LATAM and JetSMART operate the Santiago–Punta Arenas route (~£80–130 one-way). International flights to Santiago are extra.
🛏Hostal Independencia or Hostal La Estancia (budget guesthouses in central Punta Arenas, ~£35–45/night). Alternatively, Dreams del Estrecho for a mid-range option.
- →Explore the Plaza de Armas and Mirador Hill viewpoint over the Strait of Magellan
- →Visit the Museo Regional de Magallanes or Nao Victoria Museum
- →Dinner at a local parrilla — try cordero al palo (spit-roasted lamb)
Charter Flight to King George Island – Embark the Expedition Vessel
King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
Your charter flight (included in your direct Quark Expeditions booking) departs Punta Arenas and crosses the Drake Passage in roughly 2 hours — a dramatic aerial approach to the white continent. Touch down on King George Island and board the Ocean Explorer or equivalent ice-rated expedition vessel. Meet your shipmates and Expedition Team, settle into your cabin, and set sail south toward the Antarctic Peninsula. All meals are included on board from this point.
🚌Charter flight Punta Arenas → King George Island (included in expedition booking via Quark Expeditions direct).
🛏Cabin aboard expedition vessel (included in your Quark Expeditions direct booking — choose the most affordable interior/triple-share cabin tier for best value, from ~£13,000pp for the voyage).
- →Charter flight over the Drake Passage — aerial views of the Southern Ocean
- →Embarkation and ship orientation briefing
- →First wildlife spotting from deck: seabirds, petrels, and possibly your first iceberg
Antarctic Peninsula – First Zodiac Landings
Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
Your first full day of Antarctic exploration. The Expedition Team scouts conditions and leads multiple Zodiac landings throughout the day. Expect your first beach walk among Gentoo or Chinstrap penguins — a genuinely life-changing experience. Lectures on Antarctic geology, ecology, and history take place on board between excursions. Wellington boots are provided; bring waterproof layers and a quality down mid-layer.
🚌Zodiac inflatable craft (operated by ship crew, included).
🛏Expedition vessel cabin.
- →Morning and afternoon Zodiac landings on the Peninsula
- →Penguin rookery walk — spot Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie penguins
- →On-board lecture series: Antarctic wildlife and glaciology
Peninsula Exploration – Pleneau Island & Glacier Country
Antarctic Peninsula
Deeper into the Peninsula as the ship picks its way through iceberg-strewn channels. Zodiac cruises around Pleneau Island offer close encounters with humpback and minke whales weaving through brash ice. A hike to a high vantage point delivers panoramic views across the white wilderness. The Expedition Team will flag any calving glaciers — the boom of a collapsing ice wall is unforgettable.
🚌Ship navigation and Zodiac excursions.
🛏Expedition vessel cabin.
- →Zodiac cruise around Pleneau Island searching for whales and icebergs
- →Hike to a glacier viewpoint
- →Optional: sea kayaking excursion (bookable and payable directly with Quark, ~£200–250 extra)
Petermann Island – Calving Glaciers & Seal Beaches
Petermann Island, Antarctic Peninsula
Petermann Island is one of the southernmost landing sites regularly accessible on the Peninsula and a highlight of the voyage. Weddell and leopard seals haul out on the rocky shores while the surrounding glaciers calve dramatically into the sea. The Expedition Team guides a landing walk and Zodiac cruise, pointing out nesting cormorants and the sheer scale of the ice cliffs.
🚌Ship and Zodiac.
🛏Expedition vessel cabin.
- →Zodiac landing at Petermann Island
- →Watch glacier calving from the Zodiac
- →Spot Weddell seals and nesting blue-eyed shags
- →Optional: camping on the ice overnight (bookable with Quark, ~£250–300 extra)
Southbound – Approaching the Antarctic Circle
Southern Antarctic Peninsula
The ship pushes south toward the Antarctic Circle at 66° 33' S — a milestone most Antarctic expeditions never reach. The landscape becomes more remote and surreal: vast tabular icebergs, permanent sea ice, and the eerie phenomenon of the midnight sun, where the light never fully fades. Keep watch from the deck as the GPS ticks toward the magic latitude.
🚌Ship navigation southbound.
🛏Expedition vessel cabin.
- →Whale watching from the ship's bow as you head south
- →Photography workshop with the Expedition Team on shooting in extreme polar light
- →Midnight sun observation from the deck
Crossing the Antarctic Circle – Champagne at 66° 33' S
Antarctic Circle, 66° 33' S
Crossing the Antarctic Circle is the centrepiece of this expedition — an achievement that puts you in rare company. The ship's crew will announce the exact moment of crossing and the tradition demands a champagne toast (included on board). This far south, you enter the realm of pack ice, Weddell seals resting on floes, and jaw-dropping ice formations that look like abstract sculpture. Zodiac excursions here feel otherworldly.
🚌Ship, holding position at the Circle.
🛏Expedition vessel cabin.
- →Official Antarctic Circle crossing ceremony with champagne toast
- →Zodiac cruise among pack ice and extraordinary ice formations
- →Weddell seal spotting on ice floes
Northbound Along the Peninsula – Continued Wildlife Encounters
Antarctic Peninsula (heading north)
The ship turns north and re-traces a different line along the western Peninsula, with fresh landing sites and ongoing Zodiac excursions twice daily. Every bay and every beach holds something new. The Expedition Team is still hunting for any whale species not yet seen — orcas are always a possibility. The on-board naturalists give evening recap talks reviewing the day's sightings.
🚌Ship navigation northbound.
🛏Expedition vessel cabin.
- →Morning and afternoon Zodiac landings at new sites heading north
- →Evening recap lecture and species identification session
- →Socialise with fellow travellers and crew at the ship bar
Final Peninsula Landings – Last Hours on the Ice
Northern Antarctic Peninsula / South Shetland Islands
Your final full day on the continent. Soak up every last Zodiac landing — these hours feel precious. Many travellers find themselves processing just how remote and pristine this environment is. The evening brings a farewell dinner on board, crew speeches, and the chance to reflect on crossing the circle, the wildlife, and the silence of one of the last true wildernesses on Earth.
🚌Ship returning toward King George Island.
🛏Expedition vessel cabin — final night.
- →Final Zodiac landings on the Peninsula
- →Farewell dinner and expedition recap on board
- →Pack and prepare for disembarkation
Disembark King George Island – Charter Flight to Punta Arenas
King George Island → Punta Arenas, Chile
Say goodbye to the Expedition Team and disembark at King George Island. Your charter flight returns you to Punta Arenas in approximately three hours. On landing, transfer yourself to your independently booked guesthouse (taxis from PUQ airport to the city centre cost ~£10). Enjoy a celebratory final dinner in Punta Arenas — you've crossed the Antarctic Circle.
🚌Charter flight (included). Airport taxi to city centre ~£10.
🛏Hostal Independencia or Hostal La Estancia, Punta Arenas (~£35–45/night).
- →Disembarkation and farewell to the crew
- →Charter flight King George Island → Punta Arenas (included in expedition booking)
- →Celebratory dinner in Punta Arenas — try a pisco sour and the local centolla (king crab)
Depart Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas, Chile
After breakfast, head to Punta Arenas Airport (PUQ) for your onward flight. If time allows before departure, visit the Cementerio Municipal de Punta Arenas — one of the most striking cemeteries in South America, with elaborate mausoleums set against the Patagonian sky. Connections to Santiago and international flights depart regularly throughout the day.
🚌Taxi to PUQ (~£10). Onward flights via Santiago.
🛏N/A — departure day.
- →Optional morning visit to the Municipal Cemetery of Punta Arenas
- →Transfer to PUQ airport for onward flights
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£11,000 | £18,500 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £7,500 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£11,000
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Antarctic Express: Crossing the Circle – Self-Launched Expedition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £11,000 per person for 11 days in Antarctica & Punta Arenas, Chile. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £18,500 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £11,000 — a saving of roughly £7,500 (41%) per person.
How long is the Antarctica & Punta Arenas, Chile trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Antarctica & Punta Arenas, Chile.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, slow-travel trip through Antarctica & Punta Arenas, Chile, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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