Exclusive adventure from Cape Town to Antarctica

Get up close and personal with water and nature in all its forms on this exclusive itinerary combining unique free diving and wine-tasting experiences in Cape Town, South Africa—known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world—with White Desert’s exclusive eight-day bespoke journey to Antarctica, one of the world's last untouched wilderness' left to explore.

While staying at the ultra-luxurious Silo Hotel, with sweeping views of Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, you’ll spend two days learning how to free dive with record-holding South African free diver, Hanli Prinsloo and world-record-setting American swimmer Peter Marshall in Hout Bay's famed kelp forests (the location where My Octopus Teacher was filmed) exploring the marvelous world below the Earth's surface and swimming with colonies of playful sea lions and other wildlife.

You’ll then become a modern-day pioneer as you step aboard a private Gulfstream jet from Cape Town for a five-hour flight across the mighty Southern Ocean over thousands of icebergs, skipping the notorious Drake Passage, landing on the Antarctic continent.

Like age-old explorers, you’ll sleep on the continent staying at the exclusive Wolf’s Fang Explorer Camp, fly to visit the spectacle of a massive emperor penguin colony, have the exclusive opportunity to climb a virgin mountain summit where no human has stood before, and set foot upon the Geographic South Pole.

This environmentally-conscious trip ensures all flights to, from, and within the continent, are offset by fully accredited carbon-neutral schemes, and this prioritizes the sensitive environment and wildlife this region is host to.

Robb Report Exclusive: Ultimate Water & Ice: 13 days/12 nights

DAYS 1, 2 & 3:

Arrive to Cape Town, stay at The Silo Hotel.

DAYS 4-10:

Fly to Antarctica, Basecamp at Wolf’s Fang Explorer. Other overnights at 83 South and expedition camp near the virgin summit.

DAYS 11 & 12:

Fly from Antarctica to Cape Town, stay in the Winelands at Babylonstoren.

DAY 13:

Depart Cape Town.

Robb Report Exclusive: Ultimate Water & Ice trip highlights:

  • Days 1-3: On arrival, settle into your accommodation at The Silo and explore the Waterfront. Then, spend two days exploring the world below the Earth's surface alongside Hanli Prinsloo and Peter Marshall. Learn breath techniques and freediving basics before floating through Hout Bay's famed kelp forests, swimming with colonies of playful sea lions or inquisitive dolphins. The pair will help you realize the strength of your own body and take you to surprising new depths with just one breath. Fifty per cent of proceeds from your freediving experience will go to the I AM WATER Ocean Conservation Foundation which ensures children from underserved coastal communities in Cape Town get to experience the ocean through an immersive two-day Ocean Guardians Workshop. 

  • Day 4: Fly over thousands of icebergs on a five-hour flight across the Southern Ocean to Antarctica in a Gulfstream 500. During the flight, you will enter the Polar Circle and encounter the continuous daylight of the Antarctic summer.

  • Day 5: Enjoy a two-hour scenic flight across Antarctica, providing beautiful views of the nearby mountain ranges and coastline, before landing at the 28,000+ member colony of emperor penguins at Atka Bay. You will be among the very few who have ever witnessed such a spectacle, observing the real-life stars of March of the Penguins. 

  • Days 6-7: Alongside a renowned polar explorer as your guide, traverse by foot at Skidoo to the base of the Drygalski Range. The 12-mile route will journey over glaciers and across numerous nunataks. The following day, journey to a virgin summit where you’ll experience the essence of exploration, standing where no human has stood before.

  • Day 8: On the return trip from the summit, stop halfway to put your ice climbing skills to the test. The wind scoops around the nunataks make the perfect spot for testing and improving your ice-climbing skills. If you’d prefer to take it easy, there are plenty of gentle hikes to take in the incredible topography and nearby nunataks. Back at base camp, you will enjoy a hearty meal and toast your achievement with champagne! 

  • Days 9-10: Board a Basler BT-67 aircraft, flying over stunning mountain ranges before landing at 83° South. After a walk on the High Polar Plateau, continue to the South Pole, where you will have plenty of time for photos and a chance to stamp your passport before flying back to 83° South and overnighting in the great wilderness of the Plateau. The flight back is the perfect chance to appreciate the immense scale of Antarctica.

  • Days 11-12: Depart the White Continent on your final flight over the icy ocean. Upon your return to Cape Town, you will be transferred to the idyllic landscapes of the South African Cape Winelands. Soak in the stunning mountains and picturesque wine valleys on a privately guided tour with a wild picnic lunch.

Price

Contact us for 2024 pricing.

Robb Report Exclusive: Ultimate Water & Ice on a map

Cape Town

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Antarctic Peninsula

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Cape Town

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Easy extensions

For the ultimate contrast to Antarctica, extend your stay with a safari in Namibia to track desert rhino, explore the otherworldly valleys of Sossusvlei, or fly to the country's furthest reaches to Kunene where you'll find a desert oasis near the border of Angola.

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