South Georgia cruises 2025 and 2026

The South Georgia cruise season starts in November and ends in March. There are no visitors during the winter months due to the harsh conditions.

Each month of the visitor season offers something different.

November is spring in South Georgia, and king penguins begin to lay their eggs ashore. Humpback whales begin to arrive in the waters; seabirds return and begin nesting. Elephant seals come ashore to breed, with bulls fighting it out to see who will reign as 'beachmaster' and head of their herd.

December is the first month of summer when the days are longest and warmest. The beaches are packed with fur seals and most birds have laid their eggs. In January, the final king penguins are laying their eggs and fin whales return.

In February, when the days are longest the first fluffy king penguin chicks start to hatch, albatrosses are incubating their young, and elephant seals moult on the beaches.

As autumn begins in March, adult fur seals return to the sea, leaving their pups ashore, Albatross chicks hatch on Prion Island, and whales can regularly be seen in the waters around South Georgia.

Our South Georgia cruises depart from Stanley in the Falkland Islands.

The Falkland Islands have good air-links to South America. LATAM airlines fly from Santiago in Chile via Punta Arenas to the Falkland Islands once per week.

It is also possible to fly to the Falkland Islands from the UK via an MOD flight, although this is a more expensive and less reliable option. Please see our guide for more information.

• HOW TO GET TO SOUTH GEORGIA

A number of companies offer expedition cruises to South Georgia. Usually, they include South Georgia with Antarctica and in their itinerary, they only allow 2–3 days in South Georgia, which is not enough time to even begin to appreciate the island. Due to unpredictable weather, a day can often be removed from an itinerary.

The average number of passengers on these large ships is over 250. In our opinion, that is too many people to be landing at sensitive places in South Georgia. Quite often guests are split into groups as not all guests can visit the shore at the same time due to restrictions at the landing sites.

Our small ship allows all guests to be ashore at the same time and have unrestricted access to all the landing sites in South Georgia.

Many companies advertise small ship cruises to South Georgia, but their definition of a ‘small ship’ varies and can range from 500 guests down to 50 guests. The difference between travelling with 250 guests and 48 guests is huge.

Our Expedition Micro Cruises to South Georgia are the way they should be: intimate, low impact, and offering our guests the richest experience.

A big part of the adventure of an expedition cruise is to spend time exploring the wilderness, which means every trip is different. 

Our route is decided on the day of boarding and is chosen by the expedition leader and the captain, in line with the prevailing weather and ice conditions. Their aim is to ensure that you see the very best that South Georgia has to offer.

On a typical cruise, you can expect daily shore landings to visit sites of historical and natural interest and to undertake short wilderness hikes. 

We will also visit known wildlife sites including beaches where penguins breed and nest, and areas where whales are frequently sighted.

The weather in South Georgia is highly changeable and the island is known for its strong winds. The climate is cold due to its proximity to Antarctica.

During the summer months, the temperature usually varies between 0°C and 5.5°C. With the wind this can feel much colder. Without the wind and when the sun is out, it can feel much warmer.

We will supply you with a comprehensive packing list at the time of booking that outlines the types of clothing you will need to keep you comfortable on your South Georgia cruise.

Our South Georgia expeditions are suitable for the vast majority of people and we aim to make them as accessible as possible. 

We ask that our guests have a good level of mobility, as it is a requirement that you can safely step down from the vessel into the landing craft and then exit the landing craft onto land. 

Due to the remote areas we visit and the distance from medical assistance, we advise that you have a reasonable level of fitness and are in good health. 

During shore landings, we have at least two guides, which enables us to split the group if we have some keen hikers and some other guests who want to keep things leisurely.

We don’t have any age restrictions on our expeditions and we pride ourselves on having diverse guests from all over the world, united by a passion for exploring. 

In the past we have had young professionals eager to explore, through to middle-aged solo travellers looking for their next adventure and retirees looking to see South Georgia in a more in-depth way. Our expeditions are friendly and inclusive for all our guests.

Yes, you can. Every year we welcome solo travellers on board, where you will find a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

We offer accommodation options for single cabins or sharing a cabin with travellers of the same gender.

That’s a great question and one we want to answer honestly.

The vessels we work with don’t burn heavy fuels, which are particularly detrimental to the environment, and run on standard marine diesel. 

During our cruises, we follow very strict guidelines as set out by IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) to ensure minimal impact on the wildlife and places we visit. This includes following strict rules about not disturbing wildlife in its natural habitat. 

We employ highly experienced expedition leaders to run our expeditions in accordance with the rules and safety code laid out by IAATO. 

We are proud members of 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate at least 1% of our annual revenue to charitable causes that benefit our world. 

In addition, we support the Yachts for Science initiative, regularly taking scientists and researchers on our expedition vessels, giving them the transport and space they need to complete their important work.

We believe that working with local communities is a big part of responsible tourism and hire locally wherever possible. 

For more information on our commitment to the planet and what we’re doing to make our expeditions as responsible as possible, head to Our impact.