If Antarctica’s sub-zero temperatures don’t take your breath away, White Desert surely will. The only venture of its kind, flying privately from Cape Town into the untouched heart of the continent, it combines the thrill of true exploration with the refinement of five-star luxury. Exclusivity here takes on new meaning too. Over 120,000 travellers cruise along Antarctica’s coast each year, but fewer than 800 step foot into its pristine interior. Even your boarding pass adds to the allure—marked simply “unknown destination.”
Founded in 2005 by record-breaking polar explorers, White Desert was born out of a desire to allow people other than scientists to experience the wondrous interior of Antarctica. Now, with 20 years experience, they have it down to a fine art.
Its two camps, each constructed and reconstructed each year, are the embodiment of pioneering luxury. Its flagship, the Whichaway Camp, even underwent a pioneering upgrade in 2025 to offer ensuite showers per polar pod—a first for Antarctica. Sitting on the shores of one of the freshwater lakes of the ice-free Schirmacher Oasis, each of its six heated polar pods combine cutting-edge exteriors (we’re looking at you glass conservatories) and old-world interiors that hark back to the continent’s rich exploration history.
If Whichaway is an ode to the past, Echo is a vision of the future. Nestled in quiet solitude in Queen Maud Land, about 62 miles from the coast, and surrounded by vast, ice-covered rock formations, its six space-age pods are the closest thing to walking on the moon—without leaving Earth. Wake to endless horizons of ancient glaciers through floor-to-ceiling windows, unwind in its observatory pod, and gather with fellow guests over gourmet meals crafted by your very own private chef.
Across the camp, you’ll find a sauna (with glacier views, of course), a wellness dome, and even a contemporary art space complete with a sleek bar. Who knew the edge of the world could feel so like home?
Antarctica is nature’s ultimate playground. With expert polar guides at your side, you’ll have the chance to navigate surreal ice tunnels that stretch beyond imagination, scale a 200-foot cliff to take in sweeping vistas of endless frozen waves, and climb or abseil down sheer ice walls that, seemingly, defy possibility. Cross off bucket list adventures like coming face-to-face with 14,000 emperor penguins and visiting the South Pole, where you can walk around the world in just a few short steps.
Journeying to one of the last truly untouched corners of our planet demands the utmost respect and care for the environment. That’s why every one of White Desert’s luxury camps are designed to be completely temporary, leaving no trace once dismantled.
From reducing its environmental footprint to protecting Antarctica’s fragile wildlife and landscapes, they go beyond exploration to ensure preservation. In fact, they’ve been carbon neutral since 2007 and made history as the first operator in Antarctica to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Each year, they fly over 250 scientists to their polar research stations, helping advance vital climate studies, and have recently established their own Foundation, which further supports reducing carbon emissions and finding ways to neutralise carbon already released into the atmosphere.
