How to Do Antarctica in a Day

In the earliest days of Antarctic tourism, making the expedition to the frozen continent was fit only for the most daring of adventure junkies—those who were willing to put their lives on the line, didn’t mind sleeping in the barracks of military-style icebreaker vessels, and had weeks to spend crossing treacherous waters. But recently, most of that has changed. Ships have become reliably safe, even luxurious, with famous mega-yacht Le Boreal making its debut voyages early this year. But no matter which way you spun it, heading to the globe’s southern extremes has pretty much always necessitated a time commitment.

No more. Bespoke operator Jacada Travel has been taking requests for single-day trips to Antarctica—and delivering unforgettable experiences on that short timetable. The key, said Alex Malcolm, Jacada’s founder and managing director, is eliminating the time-consuming (and often choppy) ocean crossing and heading south by air instead.