This Is The Number One Most Stressful Vacation In The World

Warning: this is not a poolside piña colada type of holiday, this is the number one most stressful vacation on the planet.

We are talking about Antarctica, and unsurprisingly it’s an adventure of a lifetime that is in no way easy.

The stress starts from the onset because you can only visit the icy continent five months out of the year. It’s literally impossible to get there other than during the Antarctic summer, which falls between November and March.

This of course is assuming you can even get there, because Antarctica is far, epically far. From New York, for example, you’d have to fly to Buenos Aires, which would take just over 11 hours. Depending on which flight you’ve booked, you’ll then have a minimum four-hour layover before flying another three and half hours to Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego region of Argentina. That’s 18 hours and 45 minutes of travel already and you’re still just in Argentina!

From Ushuaia, your best bet is to travel on a specialised cruise ship. There are a number of options depending on budget and the vibe you are going for – large ship or smaller ship etc. – but the journey itself will last at least 10 days for a short cruise and cost you around $5,000 minimum (not including flights!).

As if the time and price alone wasn’t stressful enough, it is going to be freezing cold the entire time and the seas are going to be rough. You will be cold and wet and probably seasick. You will also be in danger, because this is nothing like a Caribbean cruise. This is nature at its most brutal in every sense of the word.

That said, if you can handle the stress, this is also a holiday you will never forget and a landscape unmatched anywhere else on the globe.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.