The one-day trip from Cape Town which costs R300,000 per person

White Desert offers rich South African and international tourists a one-day trip from Cape Town to Antarctica.

White Desert was founded in 2005 by polar explorers to make it possible for people to experience Antarctica’s interior.

“We knew that thousands of people went on the cruise ships that patrolled the periphery but that the interior was almost untouched,” they said.

Since then, the company has taken hundreds of clients to experience this rarely seen interior white desert in Antarctica.

The company offers clients numerous options, ranging from one-week excursions at its Whichaway and Echo camps to its fly-in fly-out The Greatest Day experience.

The Greatest Day Experience is a popular option for people who want to experience Antarctica but do not want to stay there for a week.

It is a one-day option where clients are flown business class from Cape Town to Antarctica on an Airbus A340 or private jet.

During the 5.5-hour flight, the plane crosses the Polar Circle, passes over thousands of icebergs, and experiences 24 hours of continuous sunshine.

It lands at the Wolf’s Fang Runway, created using specialist techniques and machinery to ensure safety and minimal delays.

With experienced pilots flying over 25 flights a season, it is now regarded as a well-established and reliable airbridge between Africa and Antarctica.

After arrival, people will spend approximately three hours on the continent, which includes a few unique activities.

“Our guides will lead you into an ice cave and take you on a gentle hike to a mountain where we will host a champagne picnic with views of the Wolf’s Fang range,” White Desert said.

People can abseil down the side before crossing the glacial ice back to the Snow Lounge for a final drink before they board their return flight to Cape Town.

The Greatest Day does not come cheap

The Greatest Day offers travellers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience described as “as human yet as unusual an experience as one can imagine”.

However, it is not cheap. The one-day trip costs $15,950 per person, which is roughly R300,000, depending on the exchange rate.

The price includes a safety briefing, flights to and from Antarctica, all accommodation, food and drinks, all guiding fees, and the use of certain items of polar clothing.

The R300,000 also includes White Desert’s payment of a ‘Carbon Tax’ to offset emissions created by all logistics associated with Antarctic travel.

However, it excludes commercial flights to and from Cape Town, polar clothing, comprehensive insurance cover, additional baggage costs, and satellite phone use in Antarctica.

Despite the significant cost of The Greatest Day, it is extremely popular and has been sold out for five of the eight trips this season.

Its longer, expensive trips, like the R2 million South Pole and Emperors and the R1.3 million Early Emperors excursions, are equally popular.

Many trips in the 2025/2026 season, which is still a year away, are already fully booked, illustrating the strong demand for this experience.

White Desert has identified that rich people are hungry for a new experience and are willing to fork out lots of money for it.

The personal journey to the last true wilderness and most remote place on Earth, Antarctica, definitely fits this bill.

The Greatest Day Trip Photos