From Moscow to Antarctica is about 15,000 kilometres. There is no direct route, but the way is well worn: three flights, one night in Buenos Aires and two days at sea.
“How do I get to Antarctica” sounds harder than the answer. The continent has no visas, no borders and no hotels — only one rule: you arrive by sea, from the southernmost city on the planet. All the traveller has to do is be in that city on time.
Let’s walk the road step by step: where to fly, what to arrange, what to bring and where people trip up.
Step 1. Moscow — Buenos Aires
There are no direct flights from Russia to Argentina. You connect through Istanbul, Dubai or Doha: Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways all fly daily to Buenos Aires. Expect 20 to 26 hours with one connection.
What saves nerves:
- One connection beats two. Every transfer is a risk for your luggage and your schedule.
- Check bags through. Ask for the suitcase to be tagged to Buenos Aires, not to the transit airport.
- A day of margin. Arrive at least a day before the flight to Ushuaia. The ship does not wait, and domestic flights in South America are delayed regularly.
In our programmes the night in a 5★ hotel in Buenos Aires is already included — precisely for that margin.
Step 2. Buenos Aires — Ushuaia
The domestic flight south takes three and a half hours. Mind the airports: international flights land at Ezeiza (EZE), while some domestic flights leave from Aeroparque (AEP) in the city centre, an hour to an hour and a half apart by taxi. On our departures the flight to Ushuaia is a charter included in the price, transfers too — nothing to arrange.
Ushuaia greets you with the Andes, the Beagle Channel and the “Fin del Mundo” sign — the end of the world. If you arrive early, half a day is enough for Tierra del Fuego National Park or a boat trip to the sea lions.
Step 3. Ushuaia — Antarctica
Embarkation is in the afternoon. The yacht heads into the Beagle Channel, the lights of Ushuaia fade astern, and ahead lies the Drake Passage. Two days of open ocean, lectures from the expedition team, the first albatrosses — and on the third morning the South Shetland Islands and the first icebergs.
There is a second option: flights from Punta Arenas in Chile to King George Island, where the ship is waiting. Two hours in the air instead of two days at sea. This is the choice of those who fear the swell, but you can only fly in flying weather, and the flight easily slips by a day.
Documents
Passport valid for at least six months after your return.
Visa. Check Argentina’s entry rules for your passport; citizens of Russia enter visa-free for up to 90 days. Antarctica has no visas: under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty the continent has no states. Connections through Istanbul, Dubai or Doha need no transit visa.
Insurance covering emergency evacuation from Antarctica is a condition of boarding any ship. Ordinary travel insurance will not do: evacuation from the peninsula costs tens of thousands of euros, and the operator checks the policy at check-in. It takes a few days to arrange; we tell you where.
Medical form. The ship’s doctor asks for a health questionnaire in advance. Chronic conditions are not an obstacle, but they must be declared.
Money
Russian bank cards do not work in Argentina. Bring cash — dollars or euros, new notes without marks. In Buenos Aires dollars exchange better than euros. On board, expenses go on the cabin account in dollars or euros and can be settled by a foreign bank card or in cash. On Scenic Eclipse meals, bar and gratuities are included, so the onboard bill is the spa, connectivity and souvenirs.
Budget from 150,000 to 250,000 roubles per person for economy flights from Moscow to Buenos Aires and back, depending on the season and how early you book. New Year dates cost more.
Connectivity and time
Local SIM cards and eSIMs work in Ushuaia and Buenos Aires. Antarctica has no signal; the ship offers satellite internet by package — slow, fine for messages. Moscow is six hours ahead, and the polar day means the sun never sets, so cabin curtains are thick.
What to pack
The expedition parka on Scenic Eclipse is a gift, landing boots are lent on board. Bring thermal underwear, fleece, waterproof trousers, a hat, two kinds of gloves, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen — on the ice the sun reflects from below. Evenings on the yacht call for ordinary city clothes; the only dress code is the captain’s dinner.
How long it all takes
Moscow to Antarctica is three days with an overnight: a day flying to Buenos Aires, a day to Ushuaia and embarkation, two days of the Drake. The same back. That is why short 10–11-day programmes give only 4–5 days on the peninsula itself; our 13- and 16-day departures leave a week or more for Antarctica.
This season’s departures, prices and answers are on the Antarctica trips page. What such a trip costs and what makes up the price — in a separate breakdown.
