We are big proponents of including South Georgia in your Antarctic adventure. South Georgia is a real highlight with an abundance of wildlife (“The Serengeti of the South” !!) including the iconic King Penguin which you will only see here (in this region). In fact there are thousands of King Penguins.
Plus South Georgia is steeped in Antarctic history, most notably the incredible survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton (who is buried there) and his crew.
And finally the island possesses dramatic and majestic scenery; mountain ranges, fjords and abandoned whaling stations all make for for great photo opportunities
Cost and Validity
The visitor permit costs £200 per application and remains valid for 30 days from your intended arrival date. This gives travellers a reasonable window to complete their visit while maintaining control over the number of people on the island at any given time.
Application Timeline
Timing is crucial with the new system. Applications should be submitted and paid for at least 14 days before your planned arrival date. While late applications are generally discouraged, there’s a hard deadline: no applications will be approved if submitted four or fewer days before arrival. This means early planning is essential for anyone hoping to visit this remote destination.
After some initial technical delays (it’s a government IT project after all!) GSGSSI officially launched the new system on 11 August 2025, opening it in time for the 2025–26 tourism season.
