How to Honeymoon in Antarctica

Most people think tropical beach destination when they think honeymoon, but I know if you’re hanging around here, you’re not most people. In 2017, I accomplished a huge life goal of traveling to my seventh continent, Antarctica, before my 30th birthday. While my now-husband and I were only engaged when we made the voyage, I think it’d make an ideal honeymoon. Here’s why:

Antarctica is a Perfect Honeymoon Destination

Antarctica is truly the destination of a lifetime. There are few locations more unique, and it’s a trip you’ll be talking about for the rest of your lives. If the objective of your honeymoon is to have memories you can relive for the rest of your marriage, this definitely fits the bill. Check out the video C + I took on our adventure:

It’s a relaxing getaway where you can truly escape after the decision fatigue of planning your own wedding. Not only can the internet not reach you while you’re visiting the frozen planet, like most cruises, all decisions about excursions, dining + even wardrobe are made for you. We traveled with One Ocean (and highly recommend them!) and everything but alcohol and gratuity was included in the bill, which meant we didn’t touch our wallets for the whole 11 days. They also included cold weather jackets, pants, and boots for our boat trips and landings. We had nothing to worry about but spending time with each other and enjoying the scenery.

Speaking of scenery, Antarctica is an untouched beauty and such a surreal landscape, you almost feel like you’re on another planet. Every sunset was better than the last, and we had close encounters with wildlife (ranging from penguins to seals to whales) every single day. My husband and I traveled in March, which was the prime whale-watching season – we literally saw HUNDREDS – and if you’re after baby penguins, December to January is the ideal time to travel.

Antarctica Travel Tips:

If you’re considering visiting Antarctica, whether on your honeymoon or just for the bucket list, here are some of my top tips:

1. No matter how you swing it, traveling to Antarctica is a major financial commitment. We spent about 3 years intentionally saving for this trip. It’s part of the reason we chose to have a smaller destination wedding where our money could go farther. C + I are budgeting maniacs who intentionally put money towards our priorities.
2. Start planning about a year in advance for a trip to Antarctica, especially if you want to go during late December or early January as those spots fill up first. The other option is to wing it and show up in Ushuaia, Argentina and book a last minute cabin. This can get you good deals, but you need to have some flexibility in your schedule. We put our deposit for the March 2017 trip in June of 2016.
3. Get a motion sickness prescription. Even if you’re not prone to motion sickness, this is essential. My husband is generally fine on boats but the Drake Passage (between the tip of Argentina and the Antarctic peninsula) is the roughest water in the world and he was sicker than I was. This was mostly due to his overestimating his tolerance of the motion + eating way too big of a breakfast when the seas were at their highest. We were both sick one day of each journey even with the patch but it was SO worth it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity.

Have you ever considered traveling to the seventh continent?

This was one of my favorite trips ever so I’d love to answer questions if you have any. Reach out on Instagram.

If you’re curious how we captured the travel video above + my secrets for making sure I have an amazing video keepsake when I come home, sign up for my free email course, 5 Secrets to An Amazing Travel Video. I can’t wait to see what you create!