All Fly the Drake Trips begin and end in Chile. Flights operate between either Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales (depending on the ship) and King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. The ship will be waiting at King George Island where guests will take a short zodiac ride from the beach to the ship. 

Most Fly the Drake trips are 8-9 days in duration and include the first and last night at a hotel in either Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales, Chile. There are longer Fly the Drake trips that will sail further south to cross the Antarctic Circle. 

While you will avoid the Drake Passage, these trips still involve sailing about 100 miles in the open ocean between King George Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. Once down in Antarctica, typically the ships are in more protected bays and straits. If you have concerns about motion sickness then we recommend speaking with your personal physician prior to your expedition. 

There are 3 types of planes used: the BAe 146-200, Avro RJ85 and Avro 100. They are high winged aircrafts that are capable of landing on short runways. The flights are operated by Aerovías DAP which have been operating flights to Antarctica since 1989. 

Yes, there are higher chances of having a trip delay or interruption than sailing across the Drake. Each ship has a contingency plan that outlines exactly what would happen in the case of a trip delay or interruption. We will forward you the contingency plan at booking. Please enquire for more details. 

Yes! Be sure to check out our one-way fly / one-way sail the Drake page for more information.