Skip to content
Cruise port guideARUSH

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, at the tip of Tierra del Fuego, is the starting point for most Antarctic expeditions across the Drake Passage.

6 things to do1 airport connections17 ships

Your day ashore, at a glance

Find something worth your timePlan the airport transferRead the safety guidance

Peak season: Dec, Jan, Feb

Make the most of your stop

Things to do in Ushuaia

6 recommendations

Choose an easy wander, a local highlight or a bigger day out. Compare practical details before you head ashore.

Getting to your ship

Airport to cruise port

Ushuaia's pier is about 5 km from Malvinas Argentinas International Airport, 10 minutes by taxi. Most passengers fly in from Buenos Aires, often on a charter flight included by the expedition line.

USH

Ushuaia - Malvinas Argentinas International

To Ushuaia · one way

Airport lounges

Verified transfer prices from USH have not been published yet. Check the transport operator before booking.

Rental cars: A few firms in town; useful for Tierra del Fuego National Park, though tours cover it.

Know before you go

Safety ashore

Women travelers

Extra caution advised

Government advice reports harassment of women traveling alone and assaults during solo hikes or cycling. Buenos Aires has a separate heightened crime warning. Assessment uses country-level government advice; port-specific conditions may differ.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

LGBTQ+ travelers

Extra caution advised

The advisory warns that LGBTQ+ travelers may experience discrimination. Social conditions differ between neighborhoods and excursions. Assessment uses country-level government advice; port-specific conditions may differ.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

Editorial guidance reflects the cited advice and review date. Laws, attitudes and conditions can differ within a destination. No rating guarantees personal safety.

Pick your moment

When to go

  1. Jan: High season
  2. Feb: High season
  3. Mar: Shoulder season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: Low season
  6. Jun: Low season
  7. Jul: Low season
  8. Aug: Low season
  9. Sep: Low season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: High season
● High season○ Shoulder season◌ Low season

The Antarctic season runs from November to March. December and January have the longest days and penguin chicks; February and March are best for whales.

Who else is in port?

Port crowding index

100 is average. 150 means 50% more ship passenger capacity than this port’s observed hourly average over the past 30 days; 50 means half the average.

Checking ships in port…

Estimate for tracked catalog ships, based on published passenger capacity, not actual passengers ashore. Port areas are approximate circles around published port coordinates. Only positions reported within an hour at 1 knot or less are counted; ships at anchor may be included. Missing AIS reports and untracked ships can understate crowding. Quiet observed hours count toward the average; collection outages do not.

Set sail

Ships sailing from Ushuaia

All ports →
Douglas Mawson in Sydney Harbour, November 20253.2 ★Aurora ExpeditionsDouglas Mawson2025 · 154 guests · Antarctica · MediterraneanDouglas Mawson is Aurora Expeditions' newest ship, delivered at a ceremony in Sydney in 2025 and named after the Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer whose ship Aurora…Fram at Brown Station, Antarctica, 20193.3 ★HX Hurtigruten ExpeditionsFram2007 · 11,647 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeFram is a polar expedition ship built by Fincantieri in Italy for Hurtigruten's expedition program and in service since 2007, named after the vessel used by explorers Fridtjof…Fridtjof Nansen in the Lysefjord, 20253.3 ★HX Hurtigruten ExpeditionsFridtjof Nansen2020 · 20,889 GT · 490 guests · Antarctica · Norwegian FjordsFridtjof Nansen is the near-identical sister of Roald Amundsen, a battery-hybrid Polar Class 6 expedition ship built by Kleven in Ulsteinvik and delivered at the end of 2019. She…Greg Mortimer in Antarctica, January 20203.2 ★Aurora ExpeditionsGreg Mortimer2019 · 7,892 GT · 148 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeGreg Mortimer is Aurora Expeditions' first purpose-built ship, an Infinity-class vessel owned by SunStone Ships and built by China Merchants Heavy Industry at Haimen, where she…Hondius, 20253.0 ★Oceanwide ExpeditionsHondius2019 · 6,603 GT · 170 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeHondius is Oceanwide Expeditions' flagship, built from the keel up for expedition cruising by Brodosplit in Split, Croatia, completed in May 2019 and sent on her maiden voyage on…Ocean Explorer in the Arctic.3.0 ★Quark ExpeditionsOcean Explorer2021 · 138 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeOcean Explorer is a 138-guest expedition ship completed in 2021 at the Haimen shipyard in Jiangsu, China, and chartered by Quark from her owner, SunStone, from the 2024–25…Ortelius anchored off Cape Adare, Antarctica, 20172.8 ★Oceanwide ExpeditionsOrtelius1989 · 4,575 GT · 108 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeOrtelius was built in Gdynia, Poland, in 1989 as Marina Svetaeva, a special-purpose ship that served the Russian Far East as a passenger and supply vessel; from 2007 she was…Plancius3.0 ★Oceanwide ExpeditionsPlancius1976 · 108 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropePlancius began life as HNLMS Tydeman, an oceanographic research ship commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy on 10 November 1976 and retired in 2004; a fracture zone on the…Roald Amundsen, 20183.2 ★HX Hurtigruten ExpeditionsRoald Amundsen2019 · 20,889 GT · 490 guests · Antarctica · Norwegian FjordsRoald Amundsen is the first of two battery-hybrid expedition ships built by Kleven in Norway for Hurtigruten's expedition fleet, and began her maiden voyage from Tromsø to…SH Diana off Lorient, France, August 20253.7 ★Swan HellenicSH Diana2023 · 12,255 GT · 192 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeSH Diana is Swan Hellenic's largest ship, a newer-generation polar vessel built at Helsinki Shipyard and in service since 2023. She measures about 125 meters and 12,255 gross…SH Minerva at Ostermoor, Germany3.7 ★Swan HellenicSH Minerva2021 · 10,617 GT · 152 guests · AntarcticaSH Minerva was the first ship built for the relaunched Swan Hellenic, delivered by Helsinki Shipyard in 2021 and named after the line's earlier Minerva. She carries 152 guests in…SH Vega, 20243.7 ★Swan HellenicSH Vega2022 · 10,617 GT · 152 guests · AntarcticaSH Vega is the sister of SH Minerva, built at Helsinki Shipyard under the project name Vega 2 and in service with Swan Hellenic since 2022. The 10,617-ton ship has 76 staterooms…Sylvia Earle in a Greenland fjord3.2 ★Aurora ExpeditionsSylvia Earle2022 · 130 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeSylvia Earle is Aurora Expeditions' second purpose-built ship, built by China Merchants Heavy Industry in Jiangsu, China, and named in honor of the marine biologist Sylvia Earle…Ultramarine in polar waters.3.0 ★Quark ExpeditionsUltramarine2021 · 199 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeUltramarine is Quark Expeditions' first wholly owned ship, built at the Brodosplit yard in Split, Croatia, and delivered in 2021. The 128-meter ship carries up to 199 guests with…World Navigator at Rhodes, August 20253.3 ★Atlas Ocean VoyagesWorld Navigator2021 · 9,935 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeWorld Navigator was the first ship built for Atlas Ocean Voyages, completed at the WestSEA yard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, and in service since 2021. The 9,935-ton…World Traveller, 20243.3 ★Atlas Ocean VoyagesWorld Traveller2022 · 9,935 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · MediterraneanWorld Traveller, the second of Atlas Ocean Voyages' WestSEA-built sisters, entered service in 2022. Like her sisters she measures 9,935 tons and has 100 suites for about 200…World Voyager, 20253.3 ★Atlas Ocean VoyagesWorld Voyager2020 · 9,935 GT · 200 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeWorld Voyager was completed in 2020 at the WestSEA yard in Portugal for Mystic Cruises and spent her first seasons on charter to Nicko Cruises before joining her sisters at Atlas…

Ships that call at Ushuaia

These ships sail regions that regularly include this port; check the itinerary for your sailing.

Related news about Ushuaia

All cruise news
  1. Aurora Expeditions and the solo traveler: ten cabins, no supplement, and a kayak with your name on it

    The Australian polar line sets aside ten solo cabins on every sailing with no single supplement. Here is how to use them and what the trip is like alone.

    Cruise lines

  2. Going to Antarctica alone on Atlas Ocean Voyages: what the small yachts offer solo travelers

    Atlas has no solo cabins and a supplement that starts at 150 percent. The 200-guest ships and inclusive fares still make a strong case for sailing alone.

    Cruise lines

  3. Ponant opens its 2028-29 Antarctic season: 12 routes, nearly 30 departures, from $15,450

    Trips run 10 to 59 nights, including Weddell Sea and Ross Sea expeditions and a 59-night Le Commandant Charcot voyage that stops in Hobart.

    Itineraries

  4. Swan Hellenic names the SETI scientists sailing on its six 2027 space-themed expedition cruises

    From the Solomon Islands to Svalbard and Antarctica, each 2027 Explore Space at Sea cruise carries one SETI Institute scientist as a guest speaker.

    Itineraries

  5. 5 things Swan Hellenic does well—and 1 it doesn’t

    Five strengths of Swan Hellenic, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.

    Cruise lines

  6. 5 things Quark Expeditions does well—and 1 it doesn’t

    Five strengths of Quark Expeditions, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.

    Cruise lines

  7. 5 things Oceanwide Expeditions does well—and 1 it doesn’t

    Five strengths of Oceanwide Expeditions, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.

    Cruise lines

  8. 5 things HX Hurtigruten Expeditions does well—and 1 it doesn’t

    Five strengths of HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.

    Cruise lines

Ushuaia cruise port: activities, safety & transfers