Richseen Private Journeys · Polar Expedition

Antarctica: The Ultimate Polar Expedition

Fly-Cruise — Santiago · Punta Arenas · Antarctic Peninsula
10 Days · 9 Nights
From USD 32,000+ per person
"The world's most remote continent — approached without compromise, experienced without distraction."
The Journey

The Last
Great Wilderness

Antarctica is the only continent on Earth with no indigenous human population, no permanent residents outside research stations, and no infrastructure that exists for the convenience of visitors. It is also the most visually extraordinary place on the planet — a landscape of absolute scale, in which icebergs the size of buildings drift past in silence and the light behaves in ways that have no equivalent anywhere in the inhabited world. To travel there is to understand, in a way that no other destination provides, what the Earth looked like before humans arrived.

The traditional Antarctic expedition required two days of Drake Passage crossing — a stretch of ocean between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands where the weather conditions have ended careers and tested constitutions for two centuries. This itinerary uses the fly-cruise format: a direct charter flight from Punta Arenas to the Antarctic Peninsula, boarding the Silversea expedition vessel directly in Antarctic waters. The Drake Passage is avoided entirely; the time aboard is maximised; the expedition begins immediately upon arrival.

Silversea's Antarctic expedition programme represents the most considered approach to polar travel currently available to private guests. The Silver Endeavour — the newest and most capable vessel in the Silversea fleet — carries 200 guests in all-suite accommodation, with a team of expert naturalists and expedition staff whose combined field experience covers every corner of the continent. The five days in Antarctic waters bring encounters with emperor and gentoo penguin colonies, humpback and minke whales, leopard seals on ice floes, and the extraordinary silence of a continent that has not yet learned to make noise.

Signature Moments

Six Encounters
with the Last Continent

Antarctica offers no guarantees — only the certainty that what you encounter here cannot be encountered anywhere else on Earth.

01
Flight Direct to the Antarctic Peninsula
The Drake Passage bypassed entirely — a charter flight from Punta Arenas delivers you to Antarctic waters without the two days of ocean crossing that other itineraries require.
02
Emperor Penguin Colony — Up Close by Zodiac
Thousands of gentoo and emperor penguins at the colony's edge, entirely unconcerned by the Zodiac's presence — wildlife at a density and proximity that no zoo or nature documentary prepares you for.
03
Humpback Whales in the Silence of Antarctic Waters
No engine noise, no other vessels in any direction — the whale surfaces alongside the Zodiac in a silence so complete that the breath is audible before the animal is visible.
04
Aboard the Silver Endeavour — All-Suite in the Ice
200 guests, all-suite accommodation, and the newest vessel in the Silversea fleet — the most design-considered approach to Antarctic expedition travel currently available to private guests.
05
Leopard Seal on an Ice Floe — at Arm's Length
The apex predator of the Antarctic, resting on ice with the confidence of something at the top of its ecosystem — observed from the Zodiac at a distance the seal sets, not the expedition team.
06
Santiago Before the Ice — Chile's Capital at Its Best
Two nights at the Mandarin Oriental Santiago — Bellavista's gallery culture, Boragó, and the Andes visible from the city on clear mornings. A civilised prelude to the most remote continent on Earth.
Curated Highlights

What Defines This Journey

01✈️
Fly-Cruise — No Drake Passage
A direct charter flight from Punta Arenas to the Antarctic Peninsula eliminates the two-day Drake Passage crossing entirely. The expedition begins in Antarctic waters on the day of arrival; the return follows the same route. Maximum time on the continent; zero time on the open ocean.
02🚢
Silversea Silver Endeavour — All-Suite Expedition
The newest and most capable vessel in the Silversea fleet — 200 guests in all-suite accommodation, with a Zodiac fleet for shore landings, a team of expert naturalists, and an all-inclusive programme that covers every element of the expedition from embarkation to disembarkation.
03🐧
Penguin Colonies — Gentoo and Chinstrap
The Antarctic Peninsula supports the largest concentrations of penguins on Earth. Zodiac landings to gentoo and chinstrap colonies — thousands of birds within metres, entirely unafraid of human presence, conducting the serious business of colony life with complete indifference to the expedition guests watching from a respectful distance.
04🐋
Humpback Whales — Antarctic Waters
The waters of the Antarctic Peninsula are among the most productive on Earth — and the humpback and minke whales that feed here in summer are encountered with the kind of frequency that makes each sighting less a surprise than an expectation. Zodiac proximity to feeding whales is among the most extraordinary wildlife experiences available anywhere.
05🧊
Iceberg Scale — A Landscape of Absolute Magnitude
Antarctic icebergs calve from glaciers that have been accumulating ice for hundreds of thousands of years. The largest exceed the footprint of a city; even the smallest are larger than anything the inhabited world produces in the ordinary course of events. The scale is genuinely difficult to process — which is precisely why it is worth travelling to see.
06🌍
The Ritz-Carlton Santiago — Arrival Gateway
One night in Santiago at the Ritz-Carlton — the most considered address in the Chilean capital, providing a seamless transition from the inhabited world to the expedition south. Santiago's culinary scene, wine culture, and the Andes visible from the eastern side of the city provide adequate context for the journey ahead.
Sample Itinerary

Key Moments & Movements

Antarctica operates in the austral summer — November through March — when the pack ice retreats and the Peninsula becomes accessible by vessel. November for the quietest conditions and the first penguin chicks; January for the maximum wildlife activity and the longest daylight hours; March for the extraordinary autumn light. Each month has its argument.

Every Richseen journey is individually crafted. Your private consultant will tailor each day to your preferences, pace, and passions.

Day 1
Santiago Arrival
Private transfer from Santiago International Airport to The Ritz-Carlton Santiago — the most considered address in the Chilean capital, positioned in the Las Condes financial district with views of the Andes on clear days. Evening: the Lastarria neighbourhood for the wine bars and restaurants that represent Chilean cuisine at its most considered. The Andes are visible from the city on clear evenings; the expedition begins tomorrow.
The Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Day 2
Fly South — Punta Arenas to Antarctica
Early morning flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas — the southernmost city of significant size in the world, at the tip of the Chilean mainland above the Strait of Magellan. A brief orientation before boarding the charter flight south across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula — a two-hour flight that eliminates the two-day sea crossing. Arrival in Antarctic waters in the early afternoon; embarkation aboard the Silver Endeavour.
Silver Endeavour, Antarctic Peninsula
Day 3
First Landfall — South Shetland Islands
The first Zodiac landing on Antarctic soil. The South Shetland Islands — the chain of volcanic islands immediately north of the Peninsula — support some of the largest penguin colonies on the continent. Gentoo and chinstrap penguins within metres; fur seals on the beaches; the extraordinary silence of a landscape where the only sound is the wind and the birds. The naturalist team provides context that transforms what you see into what you understand.
Silver Endeavour, South Shetland Islands
Days 4–8
Antarctic Peninsula — Five Days of Exploration
Five days of Zodiac landings, wildlife encounters, and iceberg navigation along the Antarctic Peninsula — one of the most biodiverse marine environments on Earth. Each day brings different conditions, different locations, and different encounters: humpback whales feeding off the bow; a leopard seal on an ice floe; the calving of a glacier face into the sea; an emperor penguin rookery at the base of a cliff; the midnight sun over a landscape that has had no human witnesses for most of its existence. The naturalist team lectures each evening; the chef prepares dishes from the Southern Ocean's extraordinary larder. Every element of this experience is included in the Silversea all-inclusive programme.
Silver Endeavour, Antarctic Peninsula
Day 9
Return Flight — Antarctica to Chile
Disembarkation from the Silver Endeavour and return charter flight from the Antarctic Peninsula to Punta Arenas. The continent recedes below the aircraft as the Drake Passage appears beneath the wing — the same crossing that took two days by sea, visible in its entirety from the air in under an hour. Transfer to Punta Arenas airport for onward flight to Santiago.
Punta Arenas / Santiago
Day 10
Departure — The World Returns
Private transfer to Santiago International Airport for international departure. The Andes are visible from the terminal on clear mornings. The continent that exists at the bottom of the world continues without witnesses — as it has for most of the time it has existed, and as it will for most of the time that remains.
Luxury Stays

Where You Rest Matters

Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Santiago — 1 Night
The Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
The most considered address in the Chilean capital — positioned in Las Condes with views of the Andes on clear days and immediate access to the Lastarria neighbourhood's wine bars and restaurants. A seamless transition point between the inhabited world and the expedition south.
Antarctic Peninsula
At Sea — 7 Nights
Silversea — Silver Endeavour
Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
The newest and most capable vessel in the Silversea fleet — 200 guests in all-suite accommodation, a Zodiac fleet for shore landings, a team of expert naturalists and scientists, and an all-inclusive programme that covers every element of the expedition. The most considered approach to Antarctic travel currently available to private guests.
Exclusive Experiences

Moments Designed for You

🐧
Wildlife
Penguin Colony Landings — Zodiac Access
Zodiac landings to gentoo and chinstrap penguin colonies — thousands of birds within metres, conducting the serious business of colony life with complete indifference to the observers. The naturalist team provides context; the penguins provide everything else.
🐋
Marine Life
Humpback Whales — Feeding in Antarctic Waters
The waters of the Antarctic Peninsula are among the most productive on Earth — and the humpback whales that feed here in summer are encountered with the frequency that makes each sighting an expectation rather than a surprise. Zodiac proximity to feeding whales: one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences available anywhere on the planet.
🧊
Landscape
Iceberg Navigation — Scale Beyond Reference
Navigating among Antarctic icebergs — structures that calved from glaciers accumulating ice for hundreds of thousands of years, in shapes and colours that have no equivalent in the inhabited world. The blue of deep Antarctic ice is a colour that exists nowhere else; the scale is genuinely difficult to process.
🌅
Phenomenon
Midnight Sun — The Antarctic Summer
In the Antarctic summer, the sun does not set. The light at midnight is the same quality as the light at noon — a permanent golden afternoon that extends through twenty-four hours and creates a landscape in which the concept of time becomes genuinely provisional. The most extraordinary natural phenomenon available to a traveller in 2025.
Visual Journey

Through the Lens

Begin Your Story

Craft Your
Private Journey

Every detail — from your arrival in Santiago to your final morning on the ice — is composed entirely around you. Speak with your dedicated Richseen journey consultant today.

From USD 32,000+ per person

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