Antarctica by luxury camp

Comfort in the last frontier

We have a long history in luxury Antarctic camps, from offering their first buyout and being the first into brand-new space pods to our founder using them as a base for his world-record expedition to the South Pole of Inaccessibility.

Indeed, this is your chance to explore the most inhospitable and remote place in complete luxury, returning from emperor penguin sightings and ethereal ice caves to private-chef dining and designer dome bedrooms.

With access to multiple camps and a wide range of experts and activities, we can design an itinerary around you, whether you’re interested in gentle walks among dramatic ice formations or an adventure to the South Pole.

All media taken on Cookson Adventures trips

I came to think of Cookson as a billionaire’s dream-catcher. Want to propose to your future wife under the northern lights? He will organise the meteorologists, private jets and dog sleds to make sure it happens. (He can’t promise that she’ll say yes.) Keen to sponsor a wildlife census in Antarctica with a bottle of Pétrus never far away? Sorted.

June 2023

Comfort in camp

Contrast wild polar beauty with the most luxurious experience in the Antarctic interior. Expect tasting-course dining, saunas with a view and cutting-edge bedroom pods, with cosy furs and panoramic vistas.

On the ice

From wandering through magical ice tunnels to trying your hand at ice climbing, we’ll showcase the beauty of the Antarctic at a pace that suits you.

South Pole

Join the record books with a flight on a specially equipped ski plane to the South Pole. The adventure begins before you arrive, enjoying unparalleled views of the Antarctic’s wild immensity, pausing for a refuel stop to appreciate a truly remote spot. You’ll then arrive at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and the lowest point on Earth.

Emperor penguins

Fly out from camp to take in a giant emperor penguin colony. Numbering in their tens of thousands, it’s akin to a small city made up of imperious adults and adorable chicks alike. And, given their remoteness, they’re wonderfully unafraid of humans. Expect to be immersed in the chaos and beauty of it all. It’s one of the world’s great, and least-observed, wildlife phenomena.

On land

Whether channelling your inner polar explorer with cross-country skiing or striking out by skidoo and fat bike, it’s a simple pleasure to admire the great beauty of Antarctica.

Adventurer’s picnic

Contrast the polar wilderness with a private-chef gourmet picnic, complete with cocktails made from the Antarctic ice itself.

Guest speakers

Wherever your passions lie, we can organise a world-leading specialist to bring them to life. Study penguins with a global expert, be inspired by record-breaking adventurers or listen to tales round the dinner table from a renowned polar historian.

Extreme adventure

For those in search of a thrill, we can organise everything from abseiling adventures and summits of rarely touched peaks to full explorer overnight trips, replete with expedition camps and explorers’ sled pucks.

After making use of Antarctica’s only exclusively operated runway to arrive from Cape Town in a Gulfstream G550 or your own private aircraft, there’s a choice of camps to choose from. Think polar domes on the shore of an oasis lake, expedition-style tents with mountain views and space-age pods beautifully poised among pitted rock formations.

There’s plenty of comfort, from art-installation lounges where you can enjoy fine wines by the fire to ice bars, saunas with glacier views and heated en-suite bedrooms bedecked in expedition heritage.

It’s all wonderfully conscious of this most fragile of environments. That means an entirely carbon neutral operation, a full leave-no-trace policy and pioneering use of sustainable aviation fuel.

And, you’ll be hosted some of the world’s finest polar guides. Wherever your interests lie, we can bring in experts to elevate your experience, whether that’s Antarctic historians, climate scientists or wildlife experts.

Throughout, you can expect a full spread of activities. For the adrenaline-focused that might mean ice climbing, mountaineering to peaks few have set foot on and expedition camps in the wilderness, while others might simply enjoy wandering among glowing ice tunnels and snowmobiling or hiking among the great expanse. The chance to fly to the South Pole is, of course, a special highlight – something that can even be achieved in a day. After all, you’ll be treated to round-the-clock sunshine, courtesy of the Midnight Sun.

We’ve also organised epic private-villa celebrations either side of our clients’ Antarctic trips. That could mean private vineyard tastings, swimming with local seals or heli trips knitting together South Africa’s wildlife wonders.