The hybrid icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot of PONANT EXPLORATIONS will complete a 62-day expedition around the white continent, an extremely rare journey even in polar exploration.
The French shipping company PONANT EXPLORATIONS has announced the opening of bookings for one of the most ambitious expeditions ever conceived in polar tourism: a complete circumnavigation of Antarctica aboard its luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot.
Although thousands of travelers visit Antarctica on expedition cruises each year, the vast majority of itineraries focus on a relatively small area: the Antarctic Peninsula off the coast of South America.
Circumnavigating the entire continent is a far more complex undertaking. Much of the Antarctic coastline remains encased in solid sea ice for a significant portion of the year, severely limiting navigation even during the most favorable months. Added to this are enormous distances (over 20,000 kilometers) and the almost complete absence of port infrastructure.
For this reason, even scientific expeditions attempting to circumnavigate the continent have been relatively few throughout history. In the tourism sector, complete circumnavigations are even rarer.
This expedition, planned for 2028, represents an exceptional opportunity for travelers interested in polar exploration, as it allows them to travel through areas of the continent that remain virtually inaccessible to conventional tourism.
The voyage, scheduled for January 2028, will cover approximately 23,000 kilometers around the Antarctic continent over 62 days of sailing—an exceptional journey even within the limited world of polar expeditions. During the austral summer, the only time of year when the ice allows for navigable routes in some areas, the ship will travel along much of the Antarctic coastline, exploring regions that rarely appear on tourist itineraries.
The expedition will begin on January 11, 2028, in Ushuaia, a city located at the southern tip of South America and considered for decades the main gateway to Antarctica. From there, the ship will sail west along the coast of the Antarctic continent until reaching Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, after approximately thirty days at sea.
During this first leg, the itinerary will traverse some of the least visited areas of the continent. Vast ice shelves, seas covered by pack ice, and remote archipelagos paint a landscape that has barely changed since the days of the first scientific expeditions.
After a three-day stopover in Hobart, the ship will begin its return journey to South America, following the eastern coast of Antarctica for another thirty-one days, completing the circumnavigation and returning to Ushuaia.
The voyage can be undertaken in its entirety or divided into two separate itineraries. The first covers the Ushuaia–Hobart, lasting 30 days, while the second, Hobart–Ushuaia, extends over 31 days. Combining both constitutes a complete circumnavigation of the continent, a journey that only a handful of expeditions have ever accomplished.
Throughout the voyage, the ship will traverse regions virtually inaccessible to tourist navigation. These include territories such as Marie Byrd Land, Wilkes Land , and Adélie Land, areas where sea ice and vast distances have kept most travelers away.
One of the most anticipated moments of the itinerary will be sailing through the Ross Sea, considered one of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. In these latitudes is also Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth, located on Ross Island, a place closely linked to the great historical expeditions to the South Pole.
In this part of the continent, the feeling of isolation is absolute. There are no cities, no ports, no permanent infrastructure. Only ice, ocean, and nature that continues to function according to its own rhythms, as it has long before humankind set foot in these latitudes. Beyond its natural appeal, the circumnavigation possesses a profound historical dimension. Many of the regions the ship will traverse are linked to the great expeditions of the early 20th century, when a small group of explorers opened the first routes into the interior of the continent. During the voyage, the exploits of legendary figures such as Ernest Shackleton , Robert Falcon Scott , Roald Amundsen , and Douglas Mawson , protagonists of the so-called heroic age of Antarctic exploration, will be evoked. Among the symbolic points of the itinerary is also the area where the Endurance sank in 1915, trapped by the ice during the expedition led by Shackleton. That story of survival remains one of the most fascinating episodes in modern exploration.
Le Commandant Charcot, a unique icebreaker in polar tourism
The possibility of undertaking a voyage of this kind depends largely on the ship itself. The Le Commandant Charcot, launched in 2021, is currently one of the most advanced polar exploration vessels in the world.
Measuring approximately 150 meters in length and with a capacity for around 245 passengers, the ship combines the technical capabilities of an icebreaker with the comfort of a small luxury hotel.
Its PC2 polar-class allows it to navigate through dense, multi-year ice, a capability reserved for very few civilian vessels. Furthermore, the ship utilizes hybrid electric propulsion powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a technology designed to reduce the environmental impact on particularly sensitive ecosystems.
The ship also features onboard scientific laboratorieswhere international researchers can conduct studies on ice, climate, and polar ecosystems during expeditions.
Despite the exploratory nature of the voyage, the onboard experience maintains the company's characteristic standards of comfort. The suites feature panoramic balconies and large windows that offer breathtaking views of the polar landscape from inside the ship. Gourmet restaurants, a spa, heated pools, a library, and panoramic lounges are among the amenities designed for long days at sea.
During the voyage, naturalists, historians, and scientists offer lectures on glaciology, polar wildlife, and the history of Antarctic exploration. In this way, the journey combines adventure, learning, and the opportunity to contemplate some of the most pristine landscapes on the planet.
An Expedition to the Ends of the Earth:
Traveling to Antarctica always involves accepting a certain degree of uncertainty. Ice, wind, and sea conditions determine each day of sailing, and this unpredictability is part of the spirit of polar exploration. Zodiac landings, excursions among icebergs, observation of penguin colonies, and encounters with whales in open waters are all part of an experience that unfolds in one of the last truly wild territories on Earth.
The circumnavigation of Antarctica, planned for 2028, thus lies at the crossroads between scientific exploration and expeditionary voyage. For those who dream of the ends of the planet, it promises to become one of the great maritime adventures of our time.
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