Tourism in Antarctica began with sea travel in the 1960s. Airplane flights for sightseeing started in the 1970s. These flights were taken by airliners from Australia and New Zealand. These flights began again in the 1990s. The summer tourist season runs from November to March. About 14,762 visitors came to Antarctica between 1999 and 2000. Most of them traveled by sea cruise. In the 2009–2010 tourist season, more than 37,000 people visited Antarctica.

Landing in Antarctica

Tourism companies must follow the Antarctic Treaty to visit Antarctica. Since no country owns Antarctica, countries that signed the treaty give permits instead of visas. For example, an Australian traveling to Antarctica with a tour group must show they follow the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980. This requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approved by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) of the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment.

Some sea cruises use small boats or helicopters to land on the shore. Visitors might go hiking, skiing, or visit the South Pole during these trips.

Sea cruises

In the 1920s, a ship called the SS Fleurus traveled each year from the Falkland Islands to the South Shetland Islands and South Orkney Islands. It served whaling and sealing stations and carried a few passengers who paid to travel. The ship sold tickets for round-trip journeys, which may have been the first commercial trips for tourists to Antarctica.

Modern expedition cruises began with Lars-Eric Lindblad. In 1969, he launched the MS Lindblad Explorer, a ship specially built for these trips. Many cruises start in Ushuaia, Argentina. These trips usually last 10 days to 3 weeks and cost about $6,000 per person for shared rooms.

Fewer cruises go to the Ross Sea and East Antarctic regions. A New Zealand company called Heritage Expeditions offers trips to these areas several times a year using the Heritage Adventurer, a ship made stronger to handle ice.

Some very large ships have visited Antarctica with more than 950 people. These ships usually do not allow landings. In 2009, new rules banned large ships from Antarctica because they used thicker fuel oil. Most ships can only allow 100 people to land at a time, and ships with more than 500 people cannot allow anyone to land.

By 2025, about 124,000 people traveled to Antarctica each year, mostly on ships traveling from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula. Scientists worried about the effects of this increase, especially the risk of visitors copying dangerous actions they see online.

Scenic flights

Most scenic flights to Antarctica began from Australia and New Zealand. Airlines from these countries started offering these flights in February 1977. Most of these flights are round trips, and none have landed on Antarctica.

Air New Zealand’s first scenic flight happened on February 15, 1977. It was followed by five more flights that year, then four each in 1978 and 1979. These flights used DC-10 airplanes and left from Auckland. They flew over Ross Island to McMurdo Sound before returning to Auckland, with a stop in Christchurch to refuel. Later flights flew down the middle of McMurdo Sound and over Scott Base instead of Ross Island, as the planes could fly lower for better views. Some flights included experienced Antarctic researchers as guides, including Sir Edmund Hillary on one trip. These flights lasted about 12 hours, with roughly four hours over or near Antarctica. Air New Zealand stopped its Antarctic flights after the TE901 disaster in 1979, when a plane crashed into Mount Erebus due to a planning mistake, killing all 257 people on board.

Qantas began its first Antarctic flight on February 13, 1977, as a special flight arranged by Sydney businessman Dick Smith. By 1979, 27 flights had carried more than 7,000 passengers. Most used Boeing 747-200B airplanes and flew from Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth on two main routes. One route followed the coast of George V Land to a French base in Adélie Land, then returned over the south magnetic pole. The other route went over Oates Land and northern Victoria Land to Cape Washington in the Ross Dependency. In 1977, one flight followed Air New Zealand’s route, flying over McMurdo Sound and Mount Erebus. Shorter flights from Melbourne also used Boeing 707 airplanes. Qantas also stopped its Antarctic flights after the TE901 disaster but restarted them in 1994. Today, Qantas still offers charter flights during summer from Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne using Boeing 747-400 airplanes.

In 2020, Qantas restarted its sightseeing flights, which are still active. These flights last 12 hours and cost between $1000 and $8000. Qantas also now offers summer flights from Brisbane and other Australian cities through Antarctica. The Brisbane flights last 14 hours and 30 minutes and use Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes.

Earlier scenic overflights, such as those from Chile in 1958, also took place.

Yachting

Private yacht trips in the Southern Ocean began in the late 1960s, with some trips around Antarctica, such as one completed by David Henry Lewis in 1972.

Today, about 30 yachts visit the Antarctic Peninsula every year. This area is part of a warmer region of the continent. Many four-day boat trips start from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, while others begin in Ushuaia or Stanley.

Only small boats are permitted to allow their crew to go ashore.

Land activities

Land activities such as camping, hiking, and cross-country skiing are becoming more popular. This is shown by the growing number of visitors who come to Antarctica.

Regulations

The Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty does not specifically address tourism. However, its rules help reduce the negative effects of tourists because, once approved, the protocol is legally binding for all visitors, whether on government or private trips.

In 1994, countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty gave more advice about tourism and non-government activities. This "Guidance for Visitors to the Antarctic" helps visitors understand their responsibilities under the treaty and protocol. The document covers protecting Antarctic wildlife and protected areas, respecting scientific research, ensuring personal safety, and reducing environmental harm. Guidelines have also been created for organizers of tourist and private trips. These guidelines require organizers to tell their national authority (such as Antarctica NZ) about the trip in advance, check how the trip might affect the environment, prepare for emergencies like oil spills, be self-sufficient, properly dispose of waste, and respect the Antarctic environment and research activities. The guidelines also describe detailed steps to follow during trip planning, while in the Antarctic Treaty area, and after the trip ends.

Tourist operators in Antarctica created a group called the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators to encourage safe and responsible practices among cruise companies. Members of this group take most tourists to Antarctica.

Some countries have added rules to reduce the effects of tourism. Chile requires ship captains who travel to Antarctica to attend a month-long training program on Antarctic navigation. New Zealand sends a government official on all ships visiting the Ross Dependency to check how visitors follow the rules and observe how well the treaty and protocol are being followed. In 2008, the South Korean government passed a law that banned people with Korean passports from visiting Antarctica.

Even though each visitor has less impact on the environment, the growing number of visitors could still cause significant harm. Monitoring the effects at specific sites can help decide if tourists should continue visiting certain areas. Although visits are usually short, they often happen in a few places, which can damage parts of a unique environment and harm scientific research.