Antarctica Travel Guide – Attractions & Tours

Featured Lists

United States Department of the… / Public domain

Antarctica Essentials

Antarctica's landscape features extreme geological formations and historic human outposts. This selection includes the continent's highest point, Vinson Massif, and its tallest dormant volcano, Mount Sidley. It highlights unique natural phenomena like the iron-rich Blood Falls at Taylor Glacier and the volcanic cliffs of Brown Bluff. The list also covers active research hubs like Esperanza Base and the remote remains of the Soviet Union’s Pole of Inaccessibility station, alongside ice-filled bays such as Paradise Harbour and Wilhelmina Bay.

12 places

NOAA Photo Library / CC BY 2.0

Antarctic Research Stations

This collection highlights critical hubs of scientific inquiry across Antarctica. It includes permanent settlements like Argentina’s Esperanza Base, known for its year-round operations, and seasonal sites like Almirante Brown. The list also features key nodes of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) at SANAE and Dome C, which monitor Earth’s upper atmosphere and space weather. From the historic Soviet-era Molodyozhnaya station in East Antarctica to modern radar arrays, these sites represent the international effort to understand global climate patterns from the world’s most remote frontier.

5 places

NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse… / Public domain

Volcanic Landscapes

Antarctica’s frozen expanse hides a significant volcanic legacy. This list highlights the continent's most prominent formations, led by Mount Sidley, the highest dormant volcano in Antarctica and a member of the Volcanic Seven Summits. The collection includes Mount Discovery’s isolated cone near McMurdo Sound and the massive shield volcano of Mount Morning. It also features the ice-covered stratovolcano Mount Melbourne in Victoria Land, the remote peaks of the Crary Mountains in Marie Byrd Land, and the Weiss Amphitheater, a massive breached caldera.

7 places

Antarctica — Map

Climate & when to visit

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Poor

-22°–1° · varies by region
-12° at night
2–16 rainy days · varies by region
16 sunny days
15 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
0°C · too cold to swim
UV index 5 · moderate
21 hours of daylight

Typical weather in February

Poor

-31°–1° · varies by region
-16° at night
2–17 rainy days · varies by region
13 sunny days
13 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
0°C · too cold to swim
UV index 3 · moderate
19 hours of daylight

Typical weather in March

Poor

-40°–-1° · varies by region
-21° at night
3–20 rainy days · varies by region
6 sunny days
8 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-1°C · too cold to swim
UV index 1 · low
15 hours of daylight

Typical weather in April

Poor

-44°–-3° · varies by region
-25° at night
3–19 rainy days · varies by region
5 sunny days
3 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-1°C · too cold to swim
UV index 0 · low
6 hours of daylight

Typical weather in May

Poor

-44°–-4° · varies by region
-26° at night
5–18 rainy days · varies by region
4 sunny days
1 hour of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-2°C · too cold to swim
UV index 0 · low
4 hours of daylight

Typical weather in June

Poor

-45°–-7° · varies by region
-28° at night
4–16 rainy days · varies by region
3 sunny days
1 hour of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-2°C · too cold to swim
UV index 0 · low
2 hours of daylight

Typical weather in July

Poor

-47°–-7° · varies by region
-29° at night
4–18 rainy days · varies by region
3 sunny days
1 hour of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-2°C · too cold to swim
UV index 0 · low
3 hours of daylight

Typical weather in August

Poor

-47°–-7° · varies by region
-29° at night
3–18 rainy days · varies by region
4 sunny days
3 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-2°C · too cold to swim
UV index 0 · low
5 hours of daylight

Typical weather in September

Poor

-46°–-5° · varies by region
-27° at night
4–18 rainy days · varies by region
4 sunny days
5 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-2°C · too cold to swim
UV index 1 · low
9 hours of daylight

Typical weather in October

Poor

-41°–-3° · varies by region
-23° at night
4–20 rainy days · varies by region
13 sunny days
12 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-2°C · too cold to swim
UV index 3 · moderate
18 hours of daylight

Typical weather in November

Poor

-30°–-1° · varies by region
-17° at night
4–17 rainy days · varies by region
15 sunny days
15 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-1°C · too cold to swim
UV index 5 · moderate
21 hours of daylight

Typical weather in December

Poor

-23°–0° · varies by region
-13° at night
3–15 rainy days · varies by region
16 sunny days
16 hours of sunshine per day
Dry air
Light breeze
-1°C · too cold to swim
UV index 5 · moderate
22 hours of daylight

This destination spans several climate zones, so these figures are a range across the region rather than exact values. Climate data: NASA POWER + Copernicus ERA5-Land and ERA5; NASA POWER (MERRA-2) · 1996–2025