Antarctica from your doorstep? Five Antarctica itineraries from Australia and NZ

• Cruising to Antarctica doesn’t have to start from a faraway corner of Argentina.
• You can cruise to Antarctica from Australia and New Zealand, and you’ll visit an even more remote part of the region.
• Check out five itineraries for an Antarctica cruise from your doorstep

Getting a cruise to Antarctica is a tall order for anyone, but especially for Aussies. The adventure generally leave from Ushuaia, deep in the south of Argentina. For an Aussie this will generally mean at least 24 hours of flying and stopovers, and that’s just one way.

For example, a traveller from Sydney looking to get to Antarctica will generally need to fly about 13 hours to Chile, another two hours to Buenos Aires, and then another four hours to Ushuaia, with plenty of airports, stopovers and immigration to navigate on the way. 

However, a new trend is emerging in expedition cruising which spells very good news for Aussies. This is that a few cruise lines are starting to add itineraries to Antarctica, that leave from Australia. This allows Aussies to cut out the flying and the hassle and instead focus on enjoying their once-in-a-lifetime trip. 

While Antarctica trips on these all-inclusive luxury vessels don’t come cheap, going direct from Australia definitely has its advantages. For one, it means a more unique route and path to the great destination, with plenty else to see along the way. Then as mentioned, being able to forget about an outgoing flight means you can start your trip getting straight onto the ship and focus on getting comfortable and ready for the white continent.

These itineraries generally visit the Ross Sea, rather than the Antarctic Peninsula which is generally visited by the cruise ships that leave from Ushuaia. You’ll be going into terrain that is rarely explored and is even more remote and wild than the usually visited parts of Antarctica. 

With all this in mind, here are five itineraries that will take you straight from Australia or New Zealand to Antarctica. 

Scenic – Hobart to Timauru – January 6, 2026 to January 29 – starting from $43,030

Who else to take you from Australia than an Australian-owned company? This epic journey takes you out from Hobart, and unbelievably, your next stop will be in the Ross Sea of Antarctica. You’ll have a full week here to soak in Antarctica before continuing on, with the Balleny Islands and Snares Islands on the agenda as you head to New Zealand to finish off the cruise. Scenic Cruises offer six-star luxury as you spot whales, orcas, penguins, seals and more. 

Ponant – Dunedin roundtrip – January 25, 2027 to February 15, 2027- starting from $46,500 (approx) 

Enjoy the luxury and expedition expertise of Ponant on this New Zealand round-trip takes you on a journey through the sub-Antarctic islands of Australia and New Zealand down towards the Ross Sea. You’ll have a magnificent eight days in Antarctica to soak it all in, but the cruise isn’t done there. You’ll still get to see the penguins at Macquarie Island and visit the Snares before ending up back in New Zealand, just a couple hours away from home.

Ponant – Hobart to Capetown – February 17 2026 to March 26 – starting from $95,764 (approx)

Now, this cruise won’t drop you off close to home, and it’ll take a bigger bite of your bank account, but it’ll also involve some extra adventure. Starting off in the Hobart the ship will head straight for the ice, with almost two weeks spent exploring Antarctica. Then you’ll see yet another part of Antarctica, exploring the French Southern Lands, before heading to Cape Town. For the most time spent among the ice, this cruise is hard to beat. 

Aurora Expeditions – Dunedin roundtrip – December 14 2026 to January 8 2027 – starting from $48010 (approx)

Another Aussie owned company, Aurora Expeditions also runs cruises from New Zealand to Antarctica, offering longer itineraries that explore both the Ross Sea and other highlights like Macquarie Island and New Zealand’s Subantarctic islands. The cruise line are experts in the region and you can expect the very best of wildlife spotting and plenty of landscapes to admire, with an added and important focus on sustainability. 

Aurora Expeditions – Dunedin to Ushuaia – January 7 2027 to February 8 – starting from $65664 (approx) 

Once again, this cruise won’t drop you home, but if you want to be able to truly say you’ve conquered Antarctica, this is the cruise to take. This cruise explores both the Ross Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula, you’ll have nearly two full weeks in Antarctica, split up by extra expedition cruising. Plus you still have to Macquarie Island and the Subantarctic Islands to enjoy as well. For about as in-depth of an exploration of Antarctica as you’ll find, this is the cruise.