Antarctica by Helicopter
A 12-day voyage aboard Ultramarine — Quark's twin-helicopter flagship — into the Weddell Sea and Antarctic Sound, with heli-flightseeing and a heli-landing among the coastal mountains.
12
Days
Nov-Mar
Season
Classic
Style
Quark Expeditions
Ultramarine
Key facts
Overview
A journey shaped by conditions, not a script.
Antarctica by Helicopter is a 12-day expedition aboard Ultramarine, Quark's 199-guest Polar Class 6 flagship and the only Antarctic ship carrying two twin-engine Airbus H145 helicopters. The route works the ice-choked northwestern Weddell Sea, Antarctic Sound, and the Erebus and Terror Gulf — Joinville, Vega, James Ross, and Paulet Islands — where the helicopters open terrain the standard Peninsula fleet cannot reach. Included are at least two heli-flightseeing flights and one heli-landing amid the coastal mountains, weather permitting, alongside daily zodiac cruising and shore landings. A package charter connects Buenos Aires and Ushuaia at each end.
Sail aboard Ultramarine — two twin-engine H145 helicopters, 199 guests, Polar Class 6.
Two heli-flightseeing flights and one heli-landing included, weather permitting.
The northwestern Weddell Sea, Antarctic Sound, and Erebus and Terror Gulf — ice few ships reach.
Joinville, Vega, James Ross, and Paulet Islands by helicopter, zodiac, and on foot.
Itinerary
Day-by-day route.
Days 1-2
Buenos Aires and the charter to Ushuaia
Arrive in Buenos Aires for an included hotel night, then take the package charter flight south to Ushuaia and embark Ultramarine.
Day 3
Beagle Channel
Sail the historic Beagle Channel out of Tierra del Fuego as the expedition team runs the first briefings.
Day 4
Drake Passage
Cross the Antarctic Convergence into the biological Antarctic, with lectures on photography, wildlife, glaciology, and history.
Days 5-9
Weddell Sea and Antarctic Sound
Work the northwestern Weddell Sea, Antarctic Sound, and Erebus and Terror Gulf — Joinville, Vega, James Ross, and Paulet Islands — with heli-flightseeing, a heli-landing, zodiac cruising, and shore landings as weather allows.
Days 10-11
Return Drake Passage
Recross the Drake with image reviews, the Tundra Spa and sauna, and final presentations in the Ambassador Theatre.
Day 12
Disembark Ushuaia
Disembark after breakfast, tour Tierra del Fuego National Park, and connect to the return charter flight to Buenos Aires.
Inclusions
What is included.
Package charter flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia
Pre-voyage hotel night in Buenos Aires and transfers
Two heli-flightseeing flights and one heli-landing excursion
Expedition team, lectures, zodiac excursions, and complimentary parka
Exclusions
What is not included.
International flights to and from Buenos Aires
Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover
Optional adventure activities such as kayaking
Gratuities
Related
Other journeys to explore.
Planning note
Cabin choice matters as much as itinerary.
Deck height, window size, ship movement, dining style, and guide ratio all shape the expedition. We compare those details before recommending a departure.
Plan your expedition
Plan Antarctica by Helicopter with an expert.
Bring us the ships, routes, or dates you are considering. We will tell you what fits, what does not, and why.