10 mindblowing activities in Antarctica that belong on your bucketlist

So you’re toying with the idea of a trip the seventh continent, the largest land mass in the southern hemisphere and, frankly, the holy grail of bucketlist destinations. But with hundreds of activities on offer, which do you really need on your Antarctica itinerary? And what are the best activities in Antarctica? You need an Antarctica bucketlist!

This post will give you a handy rundown of the most mindblowing experiences, activities and options that belong on your Antarctic adventure. The continent is easily big enough to be worth its own bucketlist, but with most itineraries only giving you 7-10 days on land, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Your Bucketlist Activities in Antarctica

Sleeping with penguins

Camping on the continent is possible only in certain areas, if you travel with a few companies that have hard-to-get approval in place. But that only makes it more worthwhile – so choose your cruise carrier wisely.

Not convinced?

When else will you ever lie back on a bed of snow and listen to glaciers calving and the stillness of a world that contains not a single native inhabitant! In the Antarctic summertime, you’ll never be shrouded in darkness.

It goes without saying that you cannot interfere with the wildlife here or touch them, but these waddling gentlemen in dinner jackets are fearless when it comes to humans. If you’re lucky, they’ll sleep beside you like you’re part of the landscape. Or at least, that’s what happened on my November trip, just a few hours after this shot.

The Polar Plunge

Love it or hate it, this is a rite of passage that you’ll never forget. On your first trip to either polar region, you are expected to get into the water that you’ve previously kept well away from, in your swimsuit.

Yes, that’s facing an environment that usually requires snow jackets in a bikini.

The good news is that you’ll only do it for a matter of a minute or two, and that a rope will be tied around your waist to hoist you straight back in. I would describe this as ‘bracing’. I won’t be repeating it!

Stand up Paddleboarding

You can also kayak and even ski in the stunning Antarctic landcape, but SUP makes the list for its sheer calm and relaxation. You can drift effortlessly on placid waters and it’s almost like floating.

Taking a cheesy selfie with the flag

Many of us don’t even know that Antarctica has a flag, so the moment you hold it high feels very ‘Neil Armstrong on the moon’.

Swimming in warm Polar waters

This one is the opposite of the Plunge, and won’t require balls of steel. There are thermal currents at Pendulum Cove, part of Deception Island, that gently heat the waters, so that you can bask comfortably. The sand around you is black, snow is everywhere, but you can be in bikini and not suffer.  If you’re in the mood for more impossibly beautiful thermal pools, take a look at this Icelandic hotspot.

Playing hide and seek with whales along the ship’s bow

Get into the habit of having your enormous expedition jacket and boots nearby whenever you flop down to read a book inside the ship. It’ll be at that kind of moment that the tannoy rings out with the captain’s voice saying he’s spotted some incredible wildlife. Run on deck and catch a glimpse!

Seals snowbathing on a bed of ice

As you drift by in a Zodiac (a small boat used for expeditions from the main ship), you might be lucky enough to catch one of these fellows yawning, lolling on the top of a cosy iceberg and looking like he won’t move all day.

Sailing through an impossibly beautiful ice arch

Forget Dorset’s Durdle Door, the most stunning doorway you’ll ever pass through is the pearlescent blue of an ice formation. They form naturally all around the continent and your best chance of seeing them will be in the early part of the season, while the ice is still mobile.

Having a Titanic moment on the prow of the ship

You’re the king of the world…kind of! It worked for Leo DiCaprio, right? So raise your arms, feel the wind and look out for icebergs!

Snowshoeing across the continent

Strap on some enormous shoes and go crunching through a dreamy landscape! The big surprise for me here was that even with these shoes and being only 5 foot 3 tall, there you still sink at least up to the ankle into the snow. Once or twice I sank to the knees and faceplanted, not going to lie. This is really the walk of a lifetime.

Taking in the Southern Lights

Not all of us live somewhere that allows us to see the Northern Lights, and trips to Antarctica from New Zealand and Australia are some of the most common – so now’s your chance to catch some natural phenomena around the polar area. December to April will be your best chance of catching the stunning glow across a land of ice and snow.

Seeing penguins fly from the water

These cute and cuddly critters will be everywhere in Antarctica. Come during the early season, as I did, and they’re in mating season and making eyes at each other.

With romance in the air, it seems like a good time for them to show off a bit. You can witness both synchronised belly slides into the water and incredible leaps out of the water that allow them to, briefly, taste what it feels like to fly. Just like this…

Thank you to the staff and crew of Quark Expeditions who kindly provided some pics for this post.

Do you agree with my list? What would you love to see on the shores of the seventh continent? Any activities in Antarctica that I’ve missed? Anyone tried yoga on the seventh continent? I was so sad to miss out on that!

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Danni Lawson

A small town girl on a mission to live in 10 different countries before she pops her clogs, Danni began travelling with a job in Peru at the age of 18. Now an expert in living and working abroad, she shares all the tips and tricks you need to get started.

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