Experience
Ultimate
Authenticity

Welcome to a magical continent of massive glaciers, pristine snow, sparkling-blue ice caves, howling blizzards and wild, rugged mountains. Antarctica is a remote destination with mesmerising landscapes unlike any you’ve ever encountered.

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Our Expeditions

You are now within reach of mesmerizing landscapes, pristine snow, massive glaciers, sparkling-blue ice caves, howling blizzards and wild, rugged mountains. In this vast, icy continent, awaits a range of our Antarctic Expeditions, filled with diverse and unique experiences. Join us on our unforgettable journeys to the end of the earth.

South Pole and
Emperors Expedition
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Emperor Penguins
Expedition
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The Ultima Day
Expedition
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South Pole and Emperors Expedition

Duration: 8 days / 8 nights

Experience ALL the activities of The Ultima Day and Emperor Penguins expeditions – plus, journey to the Geographic South Pole.

Emperor Penguins Expedition

Duration: 3 days / 3 nights

Visit the emperor penguin colony, the Antarctic ice wall, the Antarctic ice tunnel and the continental ice shelf.

The Ultima Day Expedition

Duration: 24 hours

Visit Antarctica and return within just 24 hours – a magical taste of the world’s most isolated wilderness.

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Watch: The Ice Wall

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Watch: The Ice Caves

Experiences

Ultima Antarctic Expeditions, previously operating as “The Antarctic Company”, has for 13 years offered the ultimate polar tours and packages to Antarctica. Flying in from our base in Cape Town, South Africa, these expeditions can be fully customised to our adventurers’ requirements. We deeply revere Antarctica and have always done our utmost to protect its pristine biodiversity in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty, the Protocol for the Protection of the Antarctic Environment and related agreements.

Emperor Penguins

Very few humans are blessed in their lifetime to encounter these majestic birds in their natural habitat. The 1.5-hour or 2.5-hour flight to their colony offers staggering vistas – vast ice-plains with castle-like icebergs trapped in their grip, the edge of the Eckström ice shelf, the Antarctic ice cap with its crevasses, shelf-ice areas, steep cliffs and fast ice with icebergs on the horizon.

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Ice Tunnels

Explore the magnificent landscape of the Schirmacher Oasis – near-vertical glacier walls, rocky hills and partly frozen lakes. Depending on the weather and snow conditions, it may be possible to visit ice-caves – a frozen world of shining blue ice.

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Queen Maud
Land

Marvel at the contrast of warm-coloured mountains piercing through the sparkling surface of ice and snow in Queen Maud Land. Immerse yourself in the beauty and emptiness of Antarctica. A magnificent, mesmerising landscape to view from the air – and a visceral visual feast to experience first-hand. 

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Mountains

“To find the most remote and bizarre mountains on the planet, one must travel to the end of the world: Antarctica. Beyond the consciousness of most people, lies the mysterious and mountainous world of Queen Maud Land.” – Christoph Höbenreich, the Austrian polar specialist, UIAGM-qualified mountain guide and PhD-geographer. Discover the changing character of this landscape as the midnight sun disappears behind the peaks.

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South Pole

Perhaps the ultimate, with Ultima: A flight to the southern-most point on Planet Earth. The interior of Antarctica is characterised by extreme, hostile weather and good conditions are needed to safely complete this trip and the seven-hour flight. After visiting the Pole we fly to our camp for a night on the Polar Plateau – perhaps the ultimate immersion in the remoteness of Antarctica.

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Let us show You Antarctica

Ultima
Oasis Camp

Situated approximately 12km, or 30 minutes’ drive from Novo Air Base, the Ultima Oasis Camp is an oasis of quality comfort, cosy warmth and delicious fare, in from the cold. The camp gazes east, affording magnificent views of a sheltered ice valley and pristine lake, beneath an amphitheatre of rocky nunatak.

Three beautifully-appointed wooden cabins offer an exquisite refuge, from even the iciest blizzards and bitter cold. The character is intimate and personal, as the camp sleeps just 20 guests.

About

About Ultima

The Antarctic Company has since 2009 served as a full member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Ultima Antarctic Expeditions intends to continue with this proud association and membership. We support science in Antarctica through co-operation with national Antarctic programs, including logistical support and research, and to encourage co-operation between private-sector travel and the international scientific community in the Antarctic.

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Responsible Travel

In 1991, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties adopted the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which designates the Antarctic as a natural reserve. This, we honour. As such, we operate in strict accordance with the environmental tourism guidelines to keep Antarctica pristine, to protect Antarctic wildlife, and to respect protected areas. We endeavour to leave nothing behind but footprints and take nothing back but memories.

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About Safety

Our staff have the knowledge, experience and – above all else – understanding of the safety precautions that are required when venturing into such a rare, extreme environment. We have well-established search-and-rescue and medical procedures in place to ensure your safety in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Please email
connect@ultima-antarcticexpeditions.com
to receive the full Pre-Expedition Information Pack.

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Our Team

Please meet our Ultima Antarctic Expeditions team, including:

Murray Williams

Manager & Communications

IMKE
MEINTJES

Ultima Oasis Camp Manager

CLAIRE
WALLACE

Antarctic Expeditions Guide

JUANITA
VOLKNER

Antarctic Expeditions Logistics Manager

JESSE WOLLENSCHLAEGER

Head Chef

DONNA MCTAGGART

Medical Doctor

FRom Our Blog

How Travel and Conservation in Antarctica Co-Exist
Can travel and conservation in Antarctica co-exist? For us at Ultima, it's a resounding yes! Antarctica is one of Earth's last frontiers - where nature reigns supreme. Here's how every one of our visits honours its fragility.
Antarctica 101
Is an Antarctic Expedition on your bucket list? It’s hard to know when and where to start planning a visit to the World’s most remote continent.

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