Heli-Expedition

Helicopter access to the tabular bergs and the ice beyond reach.

Antarctica is the last true wilderness, a continent with no residents and no crowds, where a private expedition places the great white silence entirely at your own unhurried pace.

When to go

Travel November through March, when the Antarctic summer opens the ice and daylight barely fades; December and January bring peak wildlife, while November delivers pristine snow and March offers the finest whale watching. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• A helicopter lift over tabular bergs too vast to grasp from the water.
• A landing on remote fast ice a ship alone could never reach.
• An aerial approach toward an emperor colony far beyond the pack's edge.
• A flightseeing arc above the frozen labyrinth of the Weddell Sea.

A sense of the rhythm

Helicopter access unlocks the Weddell's far ice, carrying you beyond where even an ice-strengthened hull can push. Days combine ship-based expedition cruising with flights that turn the unreachable into an afternoon's landing, always governed by weather and ice. It is the most ambitious way to meet the deep south, and the most rewarding when the sky cooperates.

Ship alone, or ship plus helicopters?

A ship reaches what the ice allows; helicopters reach past it, to colonies and vistas otherwise closed off entirely. If the very farthest ice is the draw, the aircraft are what open the door.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• Flights hinge on weather; some days the helicopters stay grounded.
• Weight and clothing rules for flying are strict; your guides will brief you.
• This format sits at the top of ambition and expense; plan generous time.
• Ask your advisor which departures carry the strongest heli operation.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$26,000 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring The Weddell Sea & Emperors

Part of our The Weddell Sea & Emperors travel guide. Related private journeys:

• The Emperors
• The Photographer's Far Ice
• The Deep South

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design Heli-Expedition around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →