Enquiries and bookings for this itinerary are handled exclusively by TravelHouse Africa. Their team will tailor every detail to your preferences.
Cape Town
4 Nights
Labotessa
Antarctica
7 Nights
White Desert Whichaway Camp, Echo Base
Itinerary overview
This is travel at its most extraordinary, and its most remote. The Furthest South begins in Cape Town’s refined comfort at Labotessa, before crossing into a landscape few will ever see: Antarctica itself, via White Desert’s Whichaway Camp and Echo Base.
Eleven nights bridge two worlds entirely, the sophistication of the Mother City and the otherworldly silence of the ice, for a journey that goes further than almost any other on Earth.
Your journey begins
Day 1 - 5
Cape town
Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel
Labotessa is Cape Town luxury at its most refined, a boutique hotel tucked into the elegant heart of the City Bowl, where classic architecture and considered design create a sense of quiet, private indulgence.
Suites are dressed in rich textures and heritage detail, elevated by contemporary comforts and impeccable service, offering a serene retreat from which to experience the city’s finest: fine dining a few moments away, Table Mountain rising on the city boundary, and the vibrant energy of Bo-Kaap and the V&A Waterfront within easy reach. It is Cape Town at its most polished, sophisticated, and unmistakably luxurious, the perfect opening chapter before the journey turns south, into the extraordinary white wilderness of Antarctica.
Day 5 - 12
antarctica
White Desert Whichaway Camp, Echo Base
The journey into Antarctica unfolds across two of White Desert’s camps. Whichaway sits within the Schirmacher Oasis, a rare ice-free pocket with exposed rock and freshwater lakes, where days bring trekking, hiking, and ice cave exploration from six heated, beautifully engineered pods.
The journey continues to Echo, White Desert’s more futuristic camp, its “sky pods” set among rock formations astronauts have likened to the moon, with rock-climbing, skiing, and guided treks by day, and fine South African dining and Cape wines by night. Together, the two camps offer Antarctica’s raw beauty met with genuine five-star luxury.
Why we recommend
- Founded in 2005 by record-breaking polar explorer Patrick Woodhead, White Desert is the only company in the world to fly guests by private jet into the interior of Antarctica, with departures from Cape Town.
- Each camp comprises just six suites, accommodating a maximum of 12 guests, with gourmet dining prepared by a private chef and wines selected specifically to complement the Antarctic climate.
- Set within one of Antarctica’s rare ice-free oases – an environment shared by less than 3% of the continent – the landscape features glacial ice meeting exposed rock, above a chain of more than 100 pristine freshwater lakes.
- Recently reimagined for the 2025/26 season, each pod now features a glass-fronted conservatory framing views of the lake and glacier, an en-suite shower, and access to a Finnish sauna overlooking the ice.
- Named one of Elite Traveler’s Top 100 Suites in 2025 and featured in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024.
- Ice climbing, abseiling, glacier walks, ziplining, visits to the South Pole (fewer than 500 people per year), emperor penguin colonies, ice caves, and the Blue Rivers, one of Antarctica’s most rarely seen natural phenomena.
End of your journey
cape town
Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel
Day 1 - 5
antarctica
White Desert Whichaway Camp, Echo Base
Day 5 - 12
Labotessa’s enquiries are expertly managed by TravelHouse Africa, a boutique inbound tour operator based in Cape Town. For years they have specialised in crafting bespoke journeys across Southern and East Africa, from private safaris and honeymoons to tailor-made stays in Cape Town’s most distinctive properties like Labotessa.
Their close, personal relationships with lodge owners, general managers and guides mean they can secure the right suite, often the best rate, and the small touches that make a stay memorable.
Handling your enquiry through TravelHouse Africa means it lands with a team who lives and breathes Southern and East Africa, from the Cape winelands to the safari lodges of the Kruger, the Okavango and beyond, and who can weave your stay at Labotessa into a wider journey across the continent, should you wish to explore further afield.
Enquire below and their team will be in touch within 24 hours. Their services are without addidonal costs to their clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Expeditions to Antarctica with White Desert are only available on select departure dates in December and January. For the remainder of the year, prevailing weather conditions do not permit these journeys to operate.
Only South Africa included here. For details on entry requirements check here: http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/types-of-visas
Antarctica has no permanent population and is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System. As such, no visa is required for travel to the continent itself.
In South Africa, payments are generally made either in South African Rand (ZAR) or by credit card. It is advisable to exchange a small amount of currency into Rand upon arrival, to cover any immediate expenses and avoid inconvenience at the airport or shortly thereafter. Alternatively, Rand can be withdrawn easily from ATMs throughout the country. Credit cards are widely accepted and can be used securely in most establishments. However, as American Express is not universally accepted, travelling with a Visa or Mastercard is recommended for greater convenience. In Antarctica, there is no requirement for cash, aside from gratuities.
Very limited customisation is possible due to fixed departure dates. However, the Cape Town stay may be extended, and additional components such as a safari can be incorporated. Owing to weather dependencies, a minimum number of nights must be spent in Cape Town, both before and after the Antarctic expedition.
The Antarctica travel season is very short, with departures operating only in December and January. Each season accommodates approximately 250 guests, and as a result, bookings are typically made 12 to 24 months in advance.
In Cape Town, transport options range from private chauffeur-driven transfers for a seamless experience, to self-drive rental cars for those seeking greater independence. In Antarctica, all transport requirements are fully managed through the expedition arrangements, with logistics handled entirely by the operator.
In Partnership With TravelHouse Africa
Ready to Start Planning?
You will be redirected to TravelHouse Africa to complete your enquiry