South Georgia is a travel destination in Antarctic. Its capital is King Edward Point. February and April are its two best months to visit, ranked on 1991–2020 climate averages.
Top places to visit in South Georgia
Salisbury Plain (King Penguin Colony) (natural) — One of the largest king penguin colonies on Earth — more than 60,000 breeding pairs carpet a wide coastal plain; combined with elephant seals, fur seals, and giant petrels, it is arguably the world's greatest wildlife spectacle accessible to expedition cruise visitors.
St Andrews Bay (natural) — Largest king penguin colony in South Georgia with over 150,000 penguins — the approach by Zodiac across a bay prowled by leopard seals and wandering albatrosses framing snow-capped peaks creates one of the most dramatic wildlife landings in the world.
Grytviken (landmark) — The only settlement and the historic hub of South Georgia — the Norwegian whaling station operated 1904–65; Ernest Shackleton's grave beside the church here draws hundreds of expedition visitors a year to toast the legendary explorer with whisky.
Shackleton's Grave (Grytviken) (landmark) — Ernest Shackleton died here in 1922 and is buried in the small whalers' cemetery above Grytviken bay — the pilgrimage to his graveside and the tradition of toasting the "Boss" with South Georgian malt have become one of the most moving rituals in Antarctic expedition travel.
South Georgia Museum (landmark) — Housed in the restored manager's villa at Grytviken — comprehensive exhibits on the whaling era, Shackleton's Endurance expedition, South Georgia's geology, and the remarkable restoration of the island's ecosystem following the eradication of invasive rats and reindeer.
Prion Island (Wandering Albatross) (natural) — Carefully managed island just inside the Bay of Isles — one of the few places in the world where breeding wandering albatrosses can be observed at close range; the courtship dances of these 3.5-m-wingspan birds are among nature's most mesmerising performances.
Fortuna Bay (Shackleton's Crossing End) (natural) — Wild glacier-backed bay marking the end of Ernest Shackleton's legendary 1916 mountain crossing from King Haakon Bay — a king penguin colony of 100,000 birds grazes the foreshore beneath the heavily crevassed Fortuna Glacier.
Gold Harbour (natural) — Frequently rated expedition passengers' favourite South Georgia landing — sandy beach packed with elephant seals, king penguins, and light-mantled albatrosses nesting on the cliff above; the Bertrab Glacier calving into the bay completes a backdrop of extraordinary grandeur.
Right Whale Bay (natural) — Sheltered cove in the far northwest — elephant seal bachelor clubs sprawl on the beach while Antarctic fur seals defend territory in the kelp; the sheltered aspect makes this one of the calmest Zodiac landings on the island.
Drygalski Fjord (natural) — The most dramatic fjord on South Georgia's east coast — sheer 900 m rock walls drop vertically to the water, ice waterfalls cascade from hanging glaciers, and leopard seals haul out on bergy bits at the fjord head; accessible only to expedition vessels with shallow draught.