I’ve been incredibly blessed to stay at some of the world’s most luxurious properties and eat at many of the world’s best restaurants on amazing trips around the world: but all of those experiences pale in comparison to the promise of a trip with White Desert Antarctica.

On the surface, their trips sound amazing—you get to fly a private jet to a continent fewer than 500,000 people have stepped foot on, sleep on a glacier 4 kilometers thick, and eat luxurious 3-course meals made with fresh produce. But a one-week trip starts at $70,000 (and goes up to $110,000) per person, so the big question I had was, “Is this trip worth it?”

If you’re reading this post, you’re probably wondering the same thing I was. Well, I ended up going on the White Desert trip to Whichaway a few weeks ago, and this is my honest review and what you can expect if you go.

Before the Trip

Preparation and Packing

The preparation for this trip is obviously nontrivial, given that you will be living in the harshest and most uninhabitable conditions on earth for a week. Luckily, White Desert provided a comprehensive packing list detailing all essentials, and following it left us exceptionally well-equipped. We don’t do a lot of hiking/trekking/winter activities, so we were ridiculously unprepared before we got the checklist, and spend a full 7 days running around Taiwan looking for the perfect set of gear. If you’re in a similar boat, I’ll be writing a separate guide on what to pack and where to shop for the best gear for your trip. Sign up for my newsletter if you want to be notified when that goes live.

Once we had all our gear, we sent the list to White Desert for them to double check that what we planned to bring would be sufficient for the trip. We also called them to discuss backpack and duffel bag options for the flights as we had a lot of camera gear we wanted to bring, and they were super helpful on the phone.

Additionally, White Desert requires a medical checkup to certify that you are fit to travel to such an extreme environment. This includes paperwork from a physician and securing travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation flights, up to $500,000. White Desert can send a list of insurance companies they recommend (as not all companies cover emergency evacuations or adventure sports), but we found our own and used World Trip’s travel insurance ($1m in evacuation coverage for Antarctica with the adventure sports coverage add-on).

Weather Contingencies

As we quickly found out, everything in Antarctica is highly weather-dependent, including flying there. Because there is not a full airport in Antarctica (it’s just a runway), there is no traditional air traffic flight control—this means that the pilot has to have full visibility of the blue-ice(!!) runway, which the White Desert team in Antarctica spends 22 hours grooming to get the right amount of friction for the giant Airbus 340 they fly to be able to actually land. If there are too many low clouds over the runway, the pilot won’t be able to land, so the team has to adjust the flights out of Cape Town based on the forecasted weather at Wolf’s Fang Runway.

All this to explain that White Desert asks guests to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, two days before the scheduled departure date (and leave Cape Town two days after the scheduled departure date). This flexibility allows the team to adjust flight schedules based on weather conditions, which we experienced (both ways!). A week before our trip, we were added to a WhatsApp group for updates and learned that our flight was moved forward by a day because there was a weather window that would allow us to fly, so we were very glad we had those days of buffer.

Cape Town Safety Briefing

Pickup

Ahead of the scheduled flight, White Desert holds a safety briefing at their headquarters in downtown Cape Town that all the guests attend. They sent a private car to pick us up from our hotel (which we communicated to them beforehand), and they took us and all our luggage to their HQ.

When we walked into the briefing room, it was the first time the trip felt even remotely real. The space is spacious and well-lit, with free-flowing champagne (there’s a lot of champagne at White Desert) and a spread of hors d’oeuvres.

Briefing

The Safety Briefing is when we met the other guests, and the session was both informative and essential, covering flight conditions, logistics, and what to expect during our stay—we walked away with a much better appreciation for the complexities of their operation. As we sat in our seats for the briefing, we received a goodie bag of our boarding passes for the flight, information about the company and penguins, and a few other surprises, including a journal + pen, if you’re thinking about bringing one!

Re-Packing

Another purpose of the safety briefing is to help you re-pack your bags for the flight down to Antarctica (more details in the flight section below). We brought all their luggage for a final check with the team, and they helped us make sure we had what we needed in our carry-ons vs. our hold luggage. We also collected gear we pre-purchased from their boutique (Taiwan didn’t sell B2 boots in my size) and got fitted for the puffy jackets and Baffin boots White Desert loaned us for our trip. We also experienced the “Antarctica Room,” a room set to Antarctic temperatures, meant to give guests a taste of what’s to come.

After the briefing, we left our hold luggage with the team (we saw it again in Antarctica), and returned to our hotel with only our carry-on luggage and our extra bag with Cape Town-only clothing, which we were able to leave with our driver the next day on the way to the airport. These were securely stored at the White Desert office until our return.

In the re-packing, I put my makeup in my hold luggage and had to buy some the next morning, so don’t forget to keep your toiletries (toothbrushes, makeup, etc) and your boarding pass in your carry-on luggage!

Flying to Antarctica

Our flight (pulled up a day) was the day after the security briefing. A driver picked us up at our hotel and transferred us to the airport. Once there, we dropped off our extra bag with a White Desert staff member, and were escorted through security and customs to an airport lounge where all the guests gathered. Boarding was organized by camp, with Whichaway, Echo, and Greatest Day guests in separate groups.

Once the flight was ready to board, another private transfer took us from the airport lounge to the company’s private Airbus A340. The aircraft previously belonged to Emirates, so is very comfortable, and once onboard, attentive staff served champagne, orange juice, and water. Greatest Day guests sit in the forward-most first class, Echo and Whichaway guests sit in business, and staff have all of economy to themselves. You’ll know what I mean when you go—about 10-20 staff share about 300+ seats.

The flight is about 5.5 hours long, and once in the air, we were served a three-course meal, which was good, but not revolutionary (it’s on par with most business class meals). The details, though, with menus and tableware customized for each camp—that I loved.

Approximately an hour before landing, the pilot lowered the cabin temperature, and we put on our Antarctic gear for the first time. This is where what you packed in your carry-ons matter. It wasn’t terribly cold once we got off the plane (it might have been the adrenaline), but you’ll definitely be grateful for your Baffin boots and puffer jackets.

The gear takes a while to put on, but this was a very exciting moment of the trip. After we put on our gear, we were about 30 minutes out, and the vast ice shelf of the 7th continent came into view, a breathtaking preview of the adventure ahead. This moment felt completely surreal—the vast whiteness was beautifully overwhelming, and I welled up with tears. I’ll never forget that feeling.

Landing and Arrival

After we landed (again, on ice!!), we gathered our belongings and brought them down to the glacial continent. We were then shuttled in sleds to our respective locations: Echo Camp guests directly to their accommodations (that camp is not far from Wolf’s Fang Runway), Whichaway guests to a transit tent, as that camp is another 30-min flight away. The transit tent is luxurious, though, and we were served hot soup and champagne as we awaited our connecting flight.

Once that flight was ready to depart, we went by sled again to the smaller, Basler BT-67, an airplane with skis that can land on almost anything, and flew the 30 minutes to Whichaway, White Desert’s flagship camp.

Whichaway Camp

Accommodation

When I think of living in the harshest environment on earth, I don’t usually think of 5-star luxury, but that’s what White Desert is, through and through. Whichaway is a very comfortable camp on the shores of a freshwater lake, on rock, which only 3% of Antarctica’s surface is. The “polar pods” are decorated with old-world interiors that immediately take you back to an era of old-world exploration.

The main area consists of a dining area, library, and communal lounge, where you have great views of the glacier and lake. This area is also where the sauna, cold plunge, and shower pod is.

The room pods themselves are all very spacious, well-heated, with ensuite bathrooms. The bedding is ridiculously comfortable, and while White Desert included an eye mask in their goody bag for us (I assume you’ll get one too), I would still recommend you bring a blackout eye mask, because the sun never sets while you’re there, and there definitely is some light leak through the felt blinds.

Staff

I do not have enough good things to say about the staff at White Desert. Every single person we met was absolutely incredible. From the people transferring us and our bags at the runway, to the women who served us and hosted happy hours, to our guides who are some of the best in the world and made us feel safe every second of our stay, to our chef who cooked the best food for us every day, these people made our stay super special.

And White Desert doesn’t just hire great people—they hire the best in the world. Their head of logistics used to be the head of logistics for the UN. The guides have documentaries made about them. White Desert is really, really good at hiring.

Food

You know I cannot talk about a place without talking about its food, and the food here must be talked about. For breakfast every morning, we had a spread of cold dishes (fruit plates, yogurts, and cereals), pastries and bread with a toaster, and a warm entrée that ranged from a shakshouka to bacon eggs benedict. There is also an espresso machine that we made fresh espresso drinks at every morning. One of the staff was also previously a barista at a cafe in Cape Town, so we had particularly good coffee in the morning.

For lunch, we usually had a main entrée with a side salad or soup and bread. One day it was a burger, one day it was a buddha bowl. The chef does a really good job varying the food.

For snacks throughout the day, the library always has some cookies, fudge, and fruits available, and around 4pm, they put out a few more goodies, like a banana bread, or pound cake. At 6pm every day, we had a Happy Hour, which consisted of some hors d’oeuvres and drinks that also changed daily—one day it was a specialty cocktail for seeing the ice tunnels, another it was a margarita. These were great mingling times as well.

Most dinners were a three course meal, starting with a salad, followed by an entrée, and ending with dessert. Sometimes we did a different style of dinner, an Indian food buffet, for example.

I cannot over-emphasize how incredible these meals were for Antarctica. Using the same scale I use to review Michelin-rated restaurants, I’d rate them on average a 14/20.

The chef also came out to greet us and introduce every dish, as a waiter at a fine-dining restaurant would. This was an excellent touch.

Wines

They also had white and red wines that White Desert had especially blended for Antarctica. Because our taste buds are different in Antarctica, White Desert flew wine makers from Cape Town out to Antarctica to taste the wine there, so they could blend the wines especially for guests to enjoy while on the continent. This level of quality is truly next level.

Daily Activities

Activities are highly weather-dependent and planned daily by expert guides. On our trip, the first three days were windy and cloudy (winds up to 120km/hr), so we focused on short hikes around the area. The first hike, across the frozen lake in front of Whichaway, was a great introduction to the cold and to the use of crampons.

As I mentioned before, the guides at White Desert are exceptional. Our team included Jean Yves, Ales, and Manu, all world-class mountaineers. They ensured our safety during glacier hikes, helped with equipment, and shared insights about the landscape. Each evening after dinner they briefed us on the next day’s weather and planned activities. We could then choose what we wanted to do the next day. Our whole trip chose to do basically every activity together, but some guest groups break up depending on the activity level and desires of individual members.

A Typical Day

7:00 am - Wake up
- Get dressed for the day’s activities
8:00 am - Breakfast
- A communal affair with hot entrées, fresh fruit, pastries, and more.
9:30 am - Morning Activity
- Usually a hike, tailored to the weather and group ability
12:30 pm - Return to Camp
1:00 pm - Lunch
- Usually a single-course meal featuring healthy proteins and vegetables, sometimes with a side of soup and bread or salad.
2:00 pm - Free Time
- Options included yoga in Whichaway’s Wellness Dome, a sauna and cold plunge, journaling, or relaxing/mingling in the lounge or library.
6:00 pm - Happy Hour
- Mingling time with a different cocktail and hors d’oeuvres each evening
7:00 pm - Dinner
- A gourmet three-course meal, sometimes themed (e.g., Indian buffet)
9:00 pm - Free Time
- Usually people were tired after dinner and retired to their pods, but we did have a movie night, where we watched a documentary on the discovery of the endeavor, a famous ship that sir Ernest Shackleton sailed when he first searched for the South Pole

Outdoor Activities

The primary way to explore Antarctica while you’re there is to go hiking, often with crampons, on the lake, glacier, or nunataks (a mountain summit or ridge that protrudes from the glacier). As White Desert’s two camps are in different areas, the hikes you go on at these two camps are different, and what you can see on these hikes can also vary. In addition to these hikes, you might be able see or do the following (not an exhaustive list):

Ice Tunnels: Whichaway offers access to stunning ice tunnels, formed by water and safe for exploration during the right conditions.
Fatbiking: Echo camp has bikes you can ride around the ice.
Crystal Caves: Under certain conditions, incredible caves of crystals form underground that you can explore. These vary season to season.
Ice Climbing: All the guides are expert ice climbers, and both camps offer the opportunity to scale a mountain face by climbing them.
Zip Lining: Zip lining is one of my favorite activities, and there’s nothing like doing it over a glacier in Antarctica.
Emperor Penguins: Both camps organize flights to an emperor penguin colony that only White Desert has a license to visit, though these are contingent on weather. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go due to poor flying conditions. It was either terrible on the penguins’ side or on our side.
South Pole Expedition: An optional add-on for those seeking the ultimate Antarctic experience. This journey involves two additional flights and an overnight stay at a refueling depot, making it a grueling yet unforgettable experience. White Desert’s expertise and level of luxury make them the absolute best company to undertake this.

Again, these different activities are all 100% weather-dependent.

Whichaway vs. Echo Camp

Choosing between Whichaway and Echo comes down to preference. Whichaway exudes a cozy, Ernest Hemingway-esque charm, with fur-lined interiors and a warm, explorer-era atmosphere. Echo, on the other hand, is futuristic and Instagram-worthy, but some feel it’s less in tune with Antarctica’s natural beauty. Echo photographs better and looks cool for Instagram, but Whichaway has a certain magic and feeling that is hard to capture on camera.

Personally, I preferred Whichaway’s stunning glacier views but Echo’s futuristic pods. If your priority is connecting with nature and enjoying wellness amenities, Whichaway is the better choice. For those focused on aesthetics and photography, Echo may be more appealing.

If you have the choice, I would choose the “Best of Both,” so you get to experience both camps and decide for yourself the better camp!

Pricing and Recommendations

White Desert’s experiences are undeniably expensive, but the level of service, safety, and exclusivity justifies the cost. Whether you’re visiting Whichaway, Echo, or embarking on a South Pole expedition, this is a bucket-list adventure like no other.

There are basically 3 tiers for their trips:

The Greatest Day – this is the cheapest at around $16,000
- For this trip, you get a private flight to Antarctica, 3 or so hours on ice, then a private flight back to Cape Town. This day will change your life.
Early Emperors – this is the next tier, at around $70,000
- You choose a camp (Whichaway or Echo), where you’ll stay for a week and enjoy activities around camp, and get a visit to the emperor penguin colony, a 30 min flight away from your camp.
(3a) South Pole & Emperors – this is the highest tier, at $110,000
- You choose a camp (Whichaway or Echo), where you’ll stay for the week and enjoy activities around camp, get to visit the emperor penguin colony, a 30 min flight away from camp, and also visit the South Pole.
(3b) Best of Both Camp – this is the at the same price point, $110,000
- White Desert’s newest offering, you will split your week between the two camps, Whichaway and Echo, where you’ll get to enjoy the activities around both, and also visit the South Pole. This trip does not include a visit to the penguins.

If you’re ready to book, head to their Dates & Rates page, click on “Start Planning,” and fill out the form. In the “Messages” section of “Start Planning,” tell them Janice sent you!

Is it Worth it?

So, the ultimate question: “Is it worth it?”

Having seen up close the level of logistics, standards of excellence, and uniqueness of the trip, I can tell you that White Desert runs an incredibly complex operation and goes to extreme lengths to not only make this experience possible, but ridiculously comfortable for their guests. This just would not be possible at lower price points.

The only trips that are even remotely similar fly less comfortable cargo planes and put you in lower-quality accommodation with more basic food.

There are multiple ways to experience this beautiful continent, but if you want the best of the best and can afford it, White Desert stands in a league of its own.

Obviously, value is very subjective. But the way this trip makes you feel, exploring a part of the world that so few people (White Desert only takes 300 people a year) have experienced, having space to introspect and learn more about yourself as you explore the vast expanse of white desert, meeting like-minded people who might become friends for life — these things are priceless.

Tips

Book a cancelable hotel reservation for the two days before and two days after your flight. We had to cancel 1/2 nights on both ends, and having that flexibility was really nice.
I highly recommend you journal while you’re on ice. The feelings you’ll experience while living on Antarctica (what a crazy thing to say) will be like nothing else, and you should definitely capture those feelings while you can. If you’re at Whichaway, sitting in the Yoga Dome and meditating is a really profound experience.

White Desert: The Ultimate Luxury Adventure // Antarctica