Antarctica: The Ultimate Day Trip The Greatest Day on Ice

Yes, properly. A day trip from Cape Town flies you around 5.5 hours south to land on a blue-ice runway at Wolf’s Fang, gives you roughly three hours on the White Continent, then flies you back the same evening. It’s one of the very few ways to set foot on Antarctica without committing to a multi-day expedition or a cruise.

About 5.5 hours each way, on an Airbus that also ferries supplies to Antarctic research bases. You’ll fly out and back in a single day, with around three hours on the ice in between – roughly 14 hours door-to-door.

Day trips run during the Antarctic summer, from November to February. December and January are the most popular thanks to long daylight hours and (relatively) mild weather – we’re still talking Antarctica, mind. Spaces are limited, and demand is high, so book six to twelve months ahead if you can.

Day trips currently start at around $16,500 per person and increase depending on the season, group size, and what you pair them with. We’ll talk you through the options and bundle it with the right Cape Town stay so the whole trip comes together smoothly.

Layers, and lots of them. You’ll leave Cape Town in summer and step out into sub-zero temperatures. Heavy-duty outerwear is usually provided – we’ll send a full kit list when you book.

Antarctic weather has the final say, and flights can be pushed by a day or two. It’s why we always recommend padding your Cape Town stay either side of the day trip – not exactly a hardship – so a delay becomes a slow morning at The Silo rather than a missed itinerary.

The day trip focuses on inland ice – ice caves, glaciers, the surreal scale of the place, rather than the coastal colonies where penguins gather. If emperors and chicks are top of your list, we’d point you toward a longer Antarctic experience centred around them instead.

The White Desert flights to Antarctica are already happening to ferry crew and supplies to Antarctic research bases, and spare seats are sold to travellers, so no additional plane is going up on your account.  White Desert became the first in Antarctica to fly on Sustainable Aviation Fuel in 2021, currently cutting emissions by 24–40% and producing far less soot and sulfur (a big deal for air quality over the Continent). Residual emissions are offset through internationally recognised programmes, and White Desert has been Carbon Neutral certified since 2007.