In-depth Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia Expedition
Santiago - Punta Arenas
- Nov 14 - Dec 06 2025
- 23 Days
- MS Fram
Price from£15,429/person
South Georgia Cruises & Tours
Search and book 650+ expedition cruises and tours to South Georgia Island with Polar Escapes.
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Best South Georgia Cruises & Tours for 2025/2026
Explore the remote sub-antarctic island of South Georgia, a haven for wildlife, including over 400,000 King Penguins, with Polar Escapes's largest range of expedition cruises and tours.
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We make travel to South Georgia Island easy.
Compare all tours in one place.
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35 years of South Georgia Experience
Free advice from people who have been there.
35 years of South Georgia Experience
Free advice from people who have been there.
Travel with confidence.
100% financial protection & travel support.
Travel with confidence.
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South Georgia Island Cruise Destinations
South Georgia is home to millions of seals, penguins, and seabirds, making it one of the densest wildlife habitats in the world. 960 miles from the Falkland Islands, South Georgia is known as the Serengeti of the Southern Ocean. Thanks to its remoteness, its windswept beaches are a haven for wildlife. It is home to some of the largest penguin colonies on Earth, with four penguin species, abundant wildlife, awe-inspiring landscapes, and a captivating history from whalers to explorers.
Grytviken
For most cruises visiting South Georgia, Grytviken will be the first port of call, acting as the island's administrative centre. The former whaling station was abandoned in 1966 due to the cessation of whaling. Today, Grytviken is the only former whaling station in South Georgia that has been made safe and can be visited. It has an excellent museum with a replica of the James Caird, Sir Ernest Shackleton's rescue boat. Visitors can see inside the Norwegian church dating back to 1913. Paying homage with a toast to Shackleton by his graveside at a small cemetery nearby is customary.
Saint Andrews Bay
One of South Georgia's most impressive natural spectacles, St Andrews Bay is home to over 150,000 King Penguins that breed on the island each year. Guests land on the 2-mile-long sandy beach and walk to the colony, which you can hear before you see it. One of the largest congregations of King Penguins on Earth, it is a sight to behold and one of the highlights of visiting South Georgia.
Salisbury Plain
The island's largest population of Elephant seals comes to South Georgia's longest beach each year, where the male bulls fight on the sandy shore. Salisbury Plain is a wildlife hotspot with the second largest colony of King Penguins, numbering 45,000 pairs that navigate and plunge into the surf to feed. Skuas, South Georgia pipits, and fur seals are regularly seen along the shore.
Gold Harbour
Gold Harbour is a small bay with impressive wildlife viewing, framed by a backdrop of the Salvesen Mountains and the Bertrab Glacier. Brown skuas swoop in the sky above Gentoo penguins nesting in the Tussac grass. Fur seals and elephant seals jostle on the beach. Watch for South Georgia pintails, which also breed in Gold Harbour.
Fortuna Bay
Located inside a 4-mile fjord on the northeast coast, Fortuna Bay is famous as the start of the Shackleton Walk. In 1916, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men crossed South Georgia to reach Fortuna Bay before reaching the whaling settlement of Stromness in the next bay. A highlight of visiting South Georgia is completing the last 6km of one of the most famous expeditions in polar history.
Drygalski Fjord
One of South Georgia's most captivating landscapes is the 7-mile-long Dryglaski fjord. Sailing through the fjord, framed by steep mountains that drop into the sea, is a highlight of any tour to South Georgia island. Larsen Harbour, a narrow inlet branching off the Drygalski fjord, glaciers reach the sea and is the perfect place for a Zodiac cruise.
When To Go
November - March
-1.5°c - 8°c
The average temperature in January
17 hours of daylight
December
Need advice?
It's good to talk to people who have been there.
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And Penguins.
What Will I See on A South Georgia Cruise?
A South Georgia voyage is perfect for wildlife lovers, polar history buffs and explorers keen to see beyond Antarctica. Here are the highlights:
South Georgia's Wildlife
Exploring South Georgia is like stepping inside a real-life nature documentary- a wildlife lover's dream. The birdlife is like no other place. Four species of penguins, kings, gentoos, macronis, and chinstraps, breed on the islands' remote beaches and dunes each year. There are three resident species of albatrosses, and it's the only place on Earth where you can see South Georgia Pipits and Pintails. Not to mention the largest colony of huge Elephant seals, with over 400,000 seals coming to the islands' beaches each summer.Â
Dramatic Landscapes
South Georgia has a mountainous, glaciated landscape that runs along the island's length. Mount Paget is the tallest point on the island, with a peak of 2,935 meters above sea level. As you sail along the coast of South Georgia, you are accompanied by sweeping views, mountains, glaciers, tranquil natural harbours, and captivating fjords. During the summer, the landscapes contrast with Antarctica, with lush green tones as the snow melts. Â
Whaling & Exploration History
A journey to South Georgia would only be complete with understanding the island's vivid history, from its discovery to its association with Ernest Shackleton, who passed away in 1922. The ghosts of abandoned whaling stations dot the coast, offering a glimpse into the island's past as a major whaling settlement employing over 1,000 workers at its peak.
Animals Of South Georgia
Due to their isolation and the absence of land-based predators, the coastlines of South Georgia are some of the largest breeding grounds on Earth during the summer months, making them perfect for wildlife encounters.
King Penguins
An estimated 450,000 pairs of King Penguins come to South Georgia each year to breed, one of the largest congregations of penguins on Earth. During the spring months, mothers can be seen incubating their eggs in the large colonies at St Andrews Bay and Salisbury Plain. In the late summer, the beaches are alive with the brown, fluffy chicks that navigate the beaches for the first time.
Albatrosses
Three species of Albatross live on South Georgia Island. 50% of the world's grey-headed albatrosses breed on the island. Wandering and black-browed albatrosses nest on the island, where raising a chick takes them a year. Prion Island is a site of breeding Wandering Albatrosses nesting in the long Tussak Grass.
Southern Elephant Seals
54% of the world's elephant seals, estimated to be around 400,000 in numbers, use South Georgia as their breeding ground. During the summer months, huge Southern elephant seals that weigh up to 4000kg congregate in herds along the coast of South Georgia Island along with Antarctic fur seals.
Macaroni Penguins
An estimated 3 million Macaroni penguins live in South Georgia. They are distinctly different from King Penguins, with bright yellow tufts on their heads and red beaks. Cooper Island is one of the best places to see Macaroni penguins in South Georgia, along with chinstraps, Antarctic prions, and leopard seals.
Expert South Georgia Advice From Polar Escapes
Witnessing 100,000 King Penguins in their natural habitat is an experience I will never forget. South Georgia’s wildlife is out of this world and comparable to nowhere else on Earth. The scenery and the sheer remoteness are breathtaking. Have questions? We have 35 years of first-hand experience planning South Georgia tours.
Top South Georgia Cruises & Itineraries
20-Day Antarctica South Georgia and The Falkland Islands
This classic itinerary sails a loop from Ushuaia in Argentina across the Drake Passage to explore the Antarctic Peninsula. After enjoying landings and Antarctic wildlife, sail to the South Shetland Islands, King George Island, Elephant Island, the South Sandwich Islands, and onwards to explore South Georgia before returning across the Southern Ocean Ushuaia via the Falkland Islands.  This is one of the most common Antarctic cruises.
South Georgia and the Falkland Islands Expedition Cruise
Sailing from Punta Arenas in Chile, this cruise offers an in-depth exploration of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. It is ideal for people who want to return to see more of South Georgia and skip the Antarctic Peninsula.
South Georgia and the South Atlantic Islands
At the end of the season, South Georgia expeditions sail north to explore other islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including Tristan Da Cunha and Saint Helena.
South Georgia Expedition Cruise Guide
All the information you need to plan your South Georgia expedition cruise.
Stats about South Georgia Cruises
15,000 people
Visit South Georgia Island Each year
963 Miles
to Stanley on the Falkland Islands
2.5 Days
Sailing time to reach South Georgia from the Falkland Islands.
17 Days
is the shortest expedition cruise to South Georgia.
28 Days
It is the longest expedition cruise to explore South Georgia
12
The amount of times the Polar Escapes team has visited South Georgia Island.
South Georgia Cruises FAQ
How To Get To South Georgia Island?
The only way to visit South Georgia Island is on an expedition cruise or a private sailing expedition. The island has no airport, so no flights to South Georgia exist. Â
The most common way of reaching South Georgia is on an expedition cruise via Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.
To find out more please see our guide How To Visit South Georgia Island.
When is the best time to go on a South Georgia cruise?
The best time to take an expedition cruise to South Georgia is between November and March, during the Austral summer months. Outside of this period, ships did not visit South Georgia due to turbulent seas and rough weather, which made landing exceptionally difficult.
The best month to visit South Georgia depends on what you want to see. Here are the highlights by month.
November
Wildlife returns to the island during South Georgia’s spring after a long, harsh winter. Elephant seal pups can be seen on the beaches. King Penguins return to the island to begin their mating rituals. Other penguins like Chinstraps, Macoronis and Gentoos begin their egg-laying. Sea birds, such as albatrosses, return to their nest once more.
November is an excellent month to visit South Georgia if you are a photographer looking to capture wintery landscapes. It is a quieter month with fewer ships. Â
December
As the snow from the winter recedes, life activity in South Georgia will be in full swing. Fur seal breeding begins. Aggressive males can be seen on the beaches (sometimes restricting shore landings due to their vast numbers).
King penguins can be seen in their 10,000s incubating their eggs in rookeries at St Andrews Bay and Salisbury Plain. The first Gentoo penguins hatch.
Throughout the summer, whales return to South Georgia, and the number of whale sightings increases.
January and February
During the height of summer, the island becomes fully alive, and wildlife abounds, with the warmest temperatures and longest days.
Brown, fluffy King penguin chicks form creches en masse. The sound of the newborn penguins is unbelievable, and often, you can hear them before you see them. Adult King penguins can be seen on the beaches, plunging into the surf in search of food for their chicks.
The beaches become congested with elephant and fur seal pups jostling for space on the sand and tussock grass.
January and February are the busiest months for island visitors, with most cruises taking place.
As autumn approaches, the landscapes of South Georgia Island are snow-free. March is the best month for hiking and longer walks inland.
The autumn season has fewer visitors. The long autumnal sunrises and sunsets offer gorgeous hues for photographers looking to capture the wildlife in stunning light.
King Penguin chicks litter the beaches along with 10,000’s of fur seal pups. By March, adult male Antarctic fur seals have left the island, enabling more frequent landings.
What Places will I visit?
South Georgia has 49 visitor landing sites approved by the government. Key landing sites in South Georgia include Grytviken, Cooper Bay, Fortuna Bay, Gold Harbour, Ocean Harbour, Salisbury Plain, and Saint Andrews Bay.
Each expedition cruise will aim to visit at least one landing site per day. On smaller ships, visiting more than one landing site per day may be possible. There are no set itineraries, and the landing sites visited will depend on the weather and their availability. Only one ship can visit a landing site at a time.
Top Tip: Choose a longer voyage to see more of South Georgia. Due to unpredictable weather, landings can be cancelled due to adverse wind. Â
What To Expect | Our Top Tips
Many landing sites in South Georgia are restricted to 100 guests per landing. Our top advice is to choose the smallest ship size possible to maximise your time ashore and reduce waiting times. At Polar Escapes, we can recommend the best ships for your South Georgia visit.
The beaches in South Georgia are exposed to the sea. Some landings and Zodiac cruises can take place in the swell, so be prepared with the appropriate clothing and follow the advice of the expedition team.
Ensure all your gear and electronic devices are stored in a dry bag during shore landings. When it gets windy, the Zodiac can get wet.
Remember to take a moment from your camera to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and wildlife seen nowhere else on Earth!
When is The Best Time To See Penguins On A South Georgia Cruise?
Macaroni, King, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins live in South Georgia all year round. During the cruising season, it’s possible to see penguins in South Georgia between November and March.
One of the best months for King penguin chicks is March, when their parents go to the sea to find the newly born penguins’ food.
What will I do On A South Georgia cruise?
An expedition cruise to the South Georgia islands focuses on exploring various landing sites, spending time wildlife viewing with the expert guide team, and learning about the diverse history. Zodiac cruises offer a chance to observe wildlife from the sea in an intimate way. Landings in South Georgia are all done by Zodiac as there is no infrastructure there.
On board your ship, you will find dedicated special guests, guides, and naturalists who are there to enrich your experience.
For adventurous travellers on some itineraries, optional activities such as kayaking and paddle-boarding are offered.
Join special guests, the expedition leader, and the guide team onboard your ship for lectures about the wildlife and history of South Georgia.
After a day in the wilderness, warm up in the ship’s onboard sauna or on-deck hot tub against South Georgia’s stunning coastline.
What Will the Weather Be Like In South Georgia?
Due to its location in the sub-Antarctic, South Georgia has a cool maritime climate throughout the year. Travellers will notice it is warmer and often, at times, windier than Antarctica. Located in the furious 50s, South Georgia is constantly windy, and katabatic winds are common.
The weather is generally more stable during the summer months. Temperatures in November at the start of the season average between -1.5 °C (29 °F) and 3.4 °C (38 °F) and rise to 1.4 °C (34.5 °F) – 1.4 °C (34.5 °F) at the height of the summer. On a warm summer day, temperatures can rise as high as 20 °C (68 °F).
Where do South Georgia cruises depart from?
Cruises to South Georgia depart from South America. South Georgia cruises sailing via the Antarctic peninsula usually depart from Ushuaia in Argentina. However, it’s also possible to reach South Georgia on a specialist cruise from Stanley on the Falkland Islands or Punta Arenas in Chile, which usually takes place at the start of the season. Â
Booking for South Georgia cruises should ideally start 12 to 18 months in advance due to high demand.
What Should I Pack?
If you are on an expedition cruise visiting Antarctica, the clothing you have there will also suffice for South Georgia. As South Georgia is warmer than Antarctica, it’s important to have layers you can remove when hiking.
You must bring:
- A windproof and waterproof jacket
- Waterproof trousers for Zodiac rides and landings, which can often be wet in South Georgia
- Warm under layers
- Rubber boots for shore landings (often supplied by the ships)
- A dry bag to protect photography gear.
A complete packing list will be provided at the time of reservation.
Which Cruise Lines & Ships Go To South Georgia?
Polar Escapes offers the largest selection of expedition cruises to South Georgia Island. If you need help choosing a ship and the right cruise, please get in touch with our team, which has a wealth of first-hand experience.
Visa's Passports and Travel Documents
All visitors to South Georgia require a permit, which is included as part of your expedition cruise.
No visa is required for landing in South Georgia or Antarctica, but a visa may be required for your embarkation and disembarkation ports. Please check this well before your expedition.
You must have a valid passport to board a ship to South Georgia.
Protecting South Georgia
To ensure your trip to South Georgia does not cause a disturbance, you will be asked to follow strict Biosecurity guidelines.
Throughout your trip, you will be asked to clean your boots, ensure the Velcro on pockets does not include seeds, and keep backpacks, bags, and pockets clean. On your expedition ship, you will have the opportunity to vacuum your gear before going ashore.
Following biosecurity measures helps South Georgia prevent invasive species, which can be hard to eradicate on a remote island.
You can learn more about the work to protect South Georgia Island at the South Georgia Heritage Trust.
