South Georgia Cruises
King penguins by the hundred thousand, and the rules that protect them.
Get South Georgia QuotesThe Island Worth the Extra Week
South Georgia is a mountainous British overseas territory in the far South Atlantic, a crescent of glaciers and green tussock grass that is home to some of the largest penguin and seal gatherings anywhere. South Georgia cruises reach it on long voyages that usually also take in the Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The island is managed by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, which sets strict conditions for every ship that calls. Those rules, and the island’s exposed beaches, shape what a South Georgia cruise is really like. This page explains both.
Where Ships Go Ashore
Landings are allowed only at authorised sites, and the government requires that each ship’s first call is at Grytviken, the old whaling station, unless it has a special dispensation, which is open only to IAATO members. There the expedition leader is briefed by government officers before landings elsewhere begin.
At Grytviken, visitors can enter the South Georgia Museum, the post office, the Main Stores and the whalers’ church, and walk to the cemetery where Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried. The other old whaling stations, including Stromness, Leith, Husvik and Prince Olav Harbour, are closed to visitors.
| Landing site | Known for |
|---|---|
| Salisbury Plain (Bay of Isles) | A king penguin colony on a wide outwash plain |
| St Andrews Bay | One of the island’s great king penguin colonies, below glaciers |
| Gold Harbour | King penguins on the beach with a hanging glacier above, plus a cliff-top walk |
| Fortuna Bay | The start of the Shackleton Walk toward Stromness, on the route of his 1916 crossing |
| Grytviken | Museum, church, the whalers’ cemetery and Shackleton’s grave |
South Georgia’s Biosecurity Rules
South Georgia invested heavily in removing invasive rats, through a South Georgia Heritage Trust eradication campaign carried out between 2011 and 2015, and the island now guards hard against new arrivals. The government’s visitor guidance for the 2025–26 season asks the following of everyone who goes ashore:
- Watch the official government briefing film before arrival, and attend the ship’s biosecurity briefing.
- Bring new or freshly washed outer clothing and boots; open boot treads and no Velcro make cleaning easier.
- Before the first landing, inspect and clean everything you take ashore, turning out or vacuuming pockets, cuffs and hoods.
- Scrub and dip boots in an approved disinfectant before arrival, between sites and when leaving the island.
- Take no fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs or unpasteurised dairy ashore.
- Keep bags closed ashore and do not set them down on the ground.
It sounds fussy, but it moves quickly with a good expedition team, and most travelers find it a reassuring sign of how carefully the island is protected.
Wildlife Distances and Behavior Ashore
5 meters
The minimum distance from any wildlife, including with selfie sticks and cameras.
10 meters
From nesting birds.
25 meters
From displaying albatross.
50 meters
From giant petrels.
Fur seals can be aggressive from November to January, so guides choose routes along the beach that give breeding seals space. Collect nothing, not even a feather or a stone; nothing may be removed from the island without a permit. Stay on the guides’ route through tussock grass, where seals and burrowing birds hide.
The Falklands on the Way
Most South Georgia cruises call at the Falkland Islands on the way out or back. Ships visit Stanley, the tidy capital, and outer islands where rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatross nest on the cliffs. It is a gentler introduction before the bigger seas and colder beaches farther east.
The Peninsula section of these voyages follows the same IAATO rules as any Antarctic trip; see IAATO landing limits and the Antarctic season month by month on Cruising Antarctica. For what to bring, use their Antarctica packing list, and allow for South Georgia’s inspection when choosing outerwear.
South Georgia Cruise Questions
Why do South Georgia cruises take so long?
The island lies far out in the Southern Ocean, several days’ sail east of the Falklands. Most voyages combine the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula in one long loop from Ushuaia, which commonly runs around three weeks.
What happens in the biosecurity check?
Before the first landing, the expedition team inspects your outer clothing, bags and boots. Pockets, seams and Velcro are cleaned and vacuumed, and boots are scrubbed and dipped in disinfectant before every landing and on leaving the island. Government officers may inspect too.
Can I fly a drone at South Georgia?
No. The government’s visitor guidance does not allow drones for recreational use.
How close can I get to the penguins?
The rule is never closer than 5 meters to wildlife, and farther from nesting birds, displaying albatross and giant petrels. Curious penguins sometimes walk up to you; stay still and let them pass.
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