Atlas Ocean Voyages has detailed its 2028–29 Antarctica season: 25 expeditions running from October 2028 through March 2029, with more ways than ever to skip or shorten the infamous Drake Passage crossing.
The headline change is the Drake Fly & Sail program, which doubles from two departures to four. These nine-night itineraries split the journey — one leg across the Drake by ship, the other by private charter flight. If you'd rather not deal with the world's most notorious stretch of water at all, the Drake Express option flies you both ways on a seven-night trip, leaving six full days to explore the Antarctic Peninsula. Purists can stick with the classic nine-night Antarctic Discovery sailings, crossing the Drake roundtrip the traditional way.
Beyond the Peninsula, the season adds two longer, deeper options. A 12-night Crossing the Antarctic Circle expedition pushes south of 66°33′ South — a genuine milestone for polar travellers, with seven full expedition days among the ice. And the 18-night Grand Antarctica voyage, departing January 7, 2029, links the Antarctic Peninsula with South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, three of the most wildlife-rich corners of the Southern Ocean in a single trip.
There's a notable anniversary woven into the calendar too. On November 16, 1928, Sir Hubert Wilkins and Carl Ben Eielson left Deception Island on a pioneering flight over Antarctica. Atlas will mark the centenary exactly, with an Antarctic Discovery departure on November 16, 2028 — 100 years to the day. The season also includes holiday departures, so you can spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's or Valentine's Day amid penguins rather than crowds.
On price, Atlas is launching the season with up to 10 percent Bonus Savings plus a complimentary Explorer's Choice perk: up to $2,000 in air savings per suite, a one-night hotel package, or enhanced unlimited Wi-Fi. Bookings made by December 31, 2026 lock in current published fares before new pricing kicks in on January 1, 2027 — meaningful if you're weighing a far-future polar trip, since Antarctic fares rarely get cheaper closer to departure.
Why it matters: Antarctica trips are booked years ahead and sell out, and the Drake Passage is the single biggest barrier for would-be visitors. Doubling the Fly & Sail capacity gives nervous sailors a real option, while the Circle and South Georgia itineraries cater to repeat polar travellers chasing something deeper. Atlas positions itself at the intimate end of the market — small yachts, expert-led Zodiac excursions and a high crew-to-guest ratio — so this season suits travellers who want expedition depth without a 200-cabin ship. If a 2028–29 Antarctica trip is on your radar, the window to book at current fares closes at the end of 2026.
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