Emperor Penguin Quest: Self-Launched Expedition to Snow Hill
14 days · Antarctica (Weddell Sea / Snow Hill Island)
Exodus charges £18,600
No-markup version: ~£2,850 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched Antarctic expedition crossing the Drake Passage and venturing into the Weddell Sea in search of the legendary Emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill Island, home to around 8,000 breeding pairs. This DIY route mirrors Exodus's flagship Emperor Penguin Quest but is built by piecing together an independent berth on an Antarctic expedition voyage with your own flights, transfers and a night's hotel in Buenos Aires. The undeniable centrepiece is a (weather-permitting) helicopter-pioneered landing near the rookery, amid tabular icebergs, whales and seals — all without the group-tour premium.
Day-by-day
Arrival in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fly into Buenos Aires and check into a centrally-located budget hotel in Palermo or San Telmo. Spend the afternoon exploring the colourful La Boca district, wandering Recoleta Cemetery and catching a tango show in the evening. Settle in early — tomorrow is an early-start charter to the deep south.
🚌Self-transferred from Ezeiza airport via taxi/colectivo
🛏Budget hotel in Palermo/San Telmo (~£40)
- →Explore La Boca and Caminito
- →Walk Recoleta Cemetery
- →Evening tango show (optional)
Fly to Ushuaia and Embark
Ushuaia, Argentina
Take a commercial morning flight from Buenos Aires (AEP) to Ushuaia (USH). On arrival, transfer into town to wander the world's southernmost city, grab a last real-coffee before heading to the pier for late-afternoon embarkation on your independently-booked Antarctic expedition voyage. Set sail along the Beagle Channel.
🚌Booked internal flight BA→USH (~£220 one-way) plus local shuttle to port
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Explore Ushuaia town centre
- →Museo Marítimo (optional)
- →Embark and sail the Beagle Channel
Crossing the Drake Passage
Drake Passage
Two days on the legendary Drake Passage, at the confluence of the Pacific, Atlantic and Southern Oceans. Spend time on deck spotting albatrosses and petrels, attend lectures by the onboard polar experts and expedition team, and prepare for the wildlife spectacle ahead. Conditions can be rough — bring seasickness remedies.
🚌Ship passage (included in berth booking)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Seabird spotting on deck
- →Polar expedition lectures
- →Watching for whales
Crossing the Drake Passage
Drake Passage
Second day of the Drake crossing. Continue learning from expedition scientists about ice formation, emperor penguin behaviour and the history of polar exploration. Enjoy the ship's amenities between wildlife-watching sessions on deck.
🚌Ship passage (included in berth booking)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Featured lecturer presentations
- →Deck wildlife watching
- →Meet fellow expedition travellers
Navigating into the Weddell Sea
Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Enter the pack ice of the Weddell Sea. Your captain and expedition leader begin ice navigation toward Snow Hill Island, with regular weather and sea-ice briefings. From the deck you'll start seeing tabular icebergs, crabeater seals and, if lucky, the first glimpse of penguins on ice floes.
🚌Ship passage (included in berth booking)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Ice navigation briefings
- →Tabular iceberg viewing
- →Spotting seals on ice floes
Weddell Sea Quest — Approaching Snow Hill
Weddell Sea / Snow Hill Island
The heart of the mission. Ice conditions determine how close the ship can push toward Snow Hill Island before the twin-engine helicopters take over. Daily Zodiac cruises among the icebergs, optional paddle-on-top kayaking, polar-plunge opportunities and expert-led talks create a full expedition experience while the search for the rookery is on.
🚌Ship passage + helicopter transfers (included in berth booking)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Zodiac cruising among icebergs
- →Kayaking / paddleboarding (optional)
- →Polar plunge (optional)
- →Expedition team lectures
Emperor Penguin Colony Landing at Snow Hill
Snow Hill Island, Antarctica
The moment of a lifetime: helicopter transfer over snow-capped peaks and apartment-block-sized icebergs, then a walk across thick sea ice to the fabled Emperor penguin rookery of ~8,000 breeding pairs. Stand within metres of emperors caring for chicks and 'tobogganing' toward the sea — scenes straight out of Frozen Planet. Your goal is to secure a landing once during Days 6–10; weather decides the exact day.
🚌Helicopter flightseeing transfer (included in berth booking)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Helicopter flight over the Weddell Sea
- →Walk to Emperor penguin colony
- →Observe chicks and colony behaviour
Weddell Sea and Peninsula Landings
Eastern Antarctic Peninsula
With weather and ice dictating the plan, aim to make Antarctic landings at sites like Devil Island, Paulet Island (huge Adélie rookery beside a volcanic cone) or Brown Bluff (volcanic cliffs over Gentoo and Adélie rookeries). Zodiac landings, historical hut visits and wildlife photography fill the itinerary.
🚌Ship + Zodiac landings (included)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Zodiac landing at Paulet / Devil Island
- →Adélie penguin rookery viewing
- →Visit historic Swedish expedition hut
Hope Bay and Seymour Island Exploration
Hope Bay / Seymour Island, Antarctica
Cruise the eastern Peninsula, potentially stopping at Hope Bay to visit the Argentine Esperanza Station and early Swedish expedition hut, and Seymour Island for significant fossil finds and the KT Boundary — the geological marker of the dinosaurs' extinction. Educational programming continues onboard.
🚌Ship + Zodiac (included)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Visit Esperanza Station area
- →Seymour Island fossil viewing
- →Expedition lectures
Final Antarctic Landings and Departure South
Eastern Antarctic Peninsula
Make the most of the last Antarctic landing opportunities with more Zodiac cruising, wildlife watching and a final polar-plunge for the brave. Late in the day the ship begins to turn north, leaving the white continent behind to recross the Drake.
🚌Ship + Zodiac (included)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Zodiac cruise
- →Whale and seal watching
- →Photography sessions
Cruising Back Across the Drake
Drake Passage
Begin the journey back across the Drake Passage. Spend time on deck scouting for whales and seabirds, attend final presentations by the polar experts and share stories with fellow travellers about the Emperor colony sighting. Sunset over the Southern Ocean is a memory to savour.
🚌Ship passage (included)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Deck wildlife watching
- →Farewell expedition presentations
- →Whale spotting
Final Day Crossing the Drake
Drake Passage
Final open-ocean day. Pack up, swap photos with new friends and enjoy a celebratory farewell dinner hosted by the expedition team reflecting on three days among Antarctica's most exclusive wildlife.
🚌Ship passage (included)
🛏Aboard expedition vessel
- →Photo swapping with shipmates
- →Farewell dinner
- →Recap of wildlife highlights
Disembark in Ushuaia
Ushuaia, Argentina
Arrive back in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast. Enjoy a day exploring the world's southernmost city — visit the End of the World Railway, hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park or walk along the harbour — before overnighting in town.
🚌Self-transfer into town
🛏Budget hotel in Ushuaia (~£50)
- →Explore Ushuaia waterfront
- →Tierra del Fuego National Park hike (optional)
- →End of the World Railway (optional)
Fly to Buenos Aires and Depart
Ushuaia → Buenos Aires
Take a morning flight back to Buenos Aires and connect onto your international flight home — or extend your trip with a few nights in the Argentine capital to decompress and reflect on the once-in-a-lifetime sight of thousands of Emperor penguins.
🚌Internal flight USH→BA (~£170)
🛏In transit / optional extra night in BA
- →Scenic andes flight north
- →Connect to international departure
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£2,850 | £18,600 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £15,750 per person (85%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£2,850
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Emperor Penguin Quest: Self-Launched Expedition to Snow Hill cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £2,850 per person for 14 days in Antarctica (Weddell Sea / Snow Hill Island). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £18,600 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £2,850 — a saving of roughly £15,750 (85%) per person.
How long is the Antarctica (Weddell Sea / Snow Hill Island) trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Antarctica (Weddell Sea / Snow Hill Island).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a wildlife, adventure, slow-travel trip through Antarctica (Weddell Sea / Snow Hill Island), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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