Arriving at White Desert Antarctica is like arriving nowhere else on the planet. This luxury retreat sits at the ends of the Earth. After your private plane touches down on a spectacular blue ice runway, the doors open, and you’re hit with sub-zero temperatures. The cold can take your breath away. It’s a sensory overload with views of pure white as far as the eye can
see.

A six-wheel-drive arctic truck outfitted for the elements arrives to take just 12 guests to their home for the week: Whichaway camp; a cluster of sand-colored pods perched over the rugged terrain overlooking the freshwater lakes of the Schirmacher Oasis. From a distance, our camp looks like a lunar settlement.
 
Inside, faux fur throws are draped over mid-century modern chairs in a dining room that’s straight out of “Game of Thrones.
 
The White Desert is the brainchild of the husband and wife team, Patrick and Robyn Woodhead, two polar explorers who sunk their life savings into creating one of the most exclusive luxury camps on the planet.
 
The White Desert is a luxury adventure company that offers private jet service to the 7th continent departing from Cape Town, South Africa. The super-exclusive service, maxing out at just 12 guests per trip, has attracted some high-profile guests such as astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Bear Grylls, and Prince Harry. On each trip, a private jet flies guests 2,400 miles over the Southern Ocean and lands on a blue ice runway where the sun shines for 24 continuous hours. It’s the perfect trip for thrill-seekers who want to travel the globe in luxury and experience an authentic Antarctic adventure.
 
While more than 30,000 travelers visit the periphery of Antarctica by cruise a year, fewer than 800 tourists a year venture into the interior of this last great wilderness, partly because it’s so difficult to get to, partly because of the cost. The White Desert hosts about 100 visitors a year, giving those lucky few guests a chance to explore neon-blue ice tunnels, get an up-close look at a colony of 28,000 Emperor penguins, and a visit to the South Pole to experience the real Antarctica.
 
For the upcoming season and beyond, White Desert is offering guests a range of private jet trips. Their signature experience “South Pole & Emperors“ is an 8-day trip into the very heart of Antarctica. Starting at White Desert’s Whichaway camp, guests will fly two hours along the dramatic coast to visit a 28,000-strong Emperor penguin colony of adults and chicks – one of the most remote and rarely viewed wildlife spectacles on Earth. Further highlights include a visit to the geographic South Pole, the lowest point on Earth. Also available this season is the 5 days “Early Emperors“ adventure and the “Greatest Day“ trip – a
24-hour trip to Antarctica – perfect for time-strapped individuals wishing to experience a taste of the Great White Continent.
Bookings are now open for the upcoming season.