The Drake Express
Luxury Antarctica Expedition: The Drake Express
This luxury fly-cruise offers the most refined and time-efficient way to reach Antarctica, pairing an elevated expedition ship with the ease of flying over the Drake Passage in both directions. There is no sea crossing at all. You fly south from Punta Arenas directly to King George Island, where your ship waits in Antarctic waters, and from the first day you are among the ice. Over the days that follow you sail the iceberg-studded Antarctic Sound and explore the Peninsula by Zodiac, going ashore beside penguin colonies and watching for whales in dreamlike, ice-strewn waters. Evenings return you to a spacious ocean-view suite with butler service, all-inclusive fine dining and the quiet comfort of one of the most luxurious expedition ships at sea. By flying both ways, you trade four days of open ocean for four days more in Antarctica itself, without compromise.
Itinerary highlights
Fly over the Drake Passage in both directions and skip the sea crossing entirely, maximising your time in Antarctica.
Land directly at King George Island, where your expedition ship waits in Antarctic waters from day one.
Sail the iconic, iceberg-filled Antarctic Sound, often called Iceberg Alley, amid towering tabular bergs.
Spend several days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands by Zodiac, with expert-led excursions.
Meet elephant seals and penguins ashore, and watch for whales in ice-strewn waters from your private veranda.
Return each evening to a spacious ocean-view suite with the personal service of a butler.
Enjoy all-inclusive fine dining across a choice of restaurants, with premium beverages included throughout.
Travel aboard one of the most luxurious expedition ships afloat, with an accomplished expedition team.
Luxury Antarctica Expedition: The Drake Express
This luxury fly-cruise offers the most refined and time-efficient way to reach Antarctica, pairing an elevated expedition ship with the ease of flying over the Drake Passage in both directions. There is no sea crossing at all. You fly south from Punta Arenas directly to King George Island, where your ship waits in Antarctic waters, and from the first day you are among the ice. Over the days that follow you sail the iceberg-studded Antarctic Sound and explore the Peninsula by Zodiac, going ashore beside penguin colonies and watching for whales in dreamlike, ice-strewn waters. Evenings return you to a spacious ocean-view suite with butler service, all-inclusive fine dining and the quiet comfort of one of the most luxurious expedition ships at sea. By flying both ways, you trade four days of open ocean for four days more in Antarctica itself, without compromise.
Itinerary highlights
Fly over the Drake Passage in both directions and skip the sea crossing entirely, maximising your time in Antarctica.
Land directly at King George Island, where your expedition ship waits in Antarctic waters from day one.
Sail the iconic, iceberg-filled Antarctic Sound, often called Iceberg Alley, amid towering tabular bergs.
Spend several days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands by Zodiac, with expert-led excursions.
Meet elephant seals and penguins ashore, and watch for whales in ice-strewn waters from your private veranda.
Return each evening to a spacious ocean-view suite with the personal service of a butler.
Enjoy all-inclusive fine dining across a choice of restaurants, with premium beverages included throughout.
Travel aboard one of the most luxurious expedition ships afloat, with an accomplished expedition team.
What's Included
- Return flights between Punta Arenas, Chile and King George Island, Antarctica
- All shipboard accommodation in an ocean-view suite, almost all with private veranda
- Butler service for every suite
- All-inclusive fine dining across a choice of restaurants
- Unlimited premium beverages, including champagne, select wines and spirits
- Zodiac excursions and shore landings with an expert expedition team
- Enrichment lectures and onboard entertainment
- Complimentary Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities, port taxes and fees
What's Included
- Return flights between Punta Arenas, Chile and King George Island, Antarctica
- All shipboard accommodation in an ocean-view suite, almost all with private veranda
- Butler service for every suite
- All-inclusive fine dining across a choice of restaurants
- Unlimited premium beverages, including champagne, select wines and spirits
- Zodiac excursions and shore landings with an expert expedition team
- Enrichment lectures and onboard entertainment
- Complimentary Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities, port taxes and fees
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Every journey I plan starts with a conversation. Tell me what excites you, what you've always dreamed of experiencing, and I'll craft something extraordinary. The best expeditions begin with a single question: What would make this unforgettable for you?
Ashley | Expedition Planner
FAQs
No. This is a fly-both-ways fly-cruise: you fly over the Drake Passage in both directions, with no sea crossing at all. You fly south from Punta Arenas to King George Island, where the ship is already in Antarctic waters, and fly back the same way at the end. The whole voyage is spent in Antarctica rather than in transit.
Flying both ways trades roughly four days of open-ocean crossing for more time in Antarctica itself, and avoids the Drake’s notorious swells entirely. On a six-day voyage that means almost all your time is spent among the ice, exploring rather than in passage.
The standard on board is elevated throughout: spacious ocean-view suites, almost all with a private veranda, butler service, all-inclusive fine dining across several restaurants, and premium beverages included. It is expedition travel without the compromises, aboard one of the most luxurious expedition ships afloat.
The voyage takes in the Antarctic Sound, often called Iceberg Alley for its vast tabular bergs, the Antarctic Peninsula, and the South Shetland Islands, with expert-led Zodiac excursions and shore landings each day, conditions permitting.