Guided tour of South Georgia Island Latin America & Asia Holidays

Explore the history and wildlife of this stunning remote Island in the Southern Ocean.

Guided tour of South Georgia Island

Join your expert guide exploring the fascinating history and incredible wildlife.

Salisbury Plain

It’s a beautifully surreal scene you’ll find at the abandoned whaling stations on South Georgia. Withered, man-made remains dating back to the heydays of the whaling industry are gradually being reclaimed by nature and wildlife. Explore these unique sights and see fur and elephant seals going about their business amid the rusty ruins.

Grytviken

When the Norwegian captain Carl Anton Larsen found the site where he envisioned the future whaling station in 1902, he likely did not anticipate that 195 whales would be hunted in the first season alone. Eventually over 300 men would work at Grytviken simultaneously. Senior personnel often brought along their families and in 1913 one of their wives even gave birth on the remote island. By 1966 there were few whales left, and the station closed. Today you can see the remains of the station, visit the museum, the church and the local graveyard.

Stromness

Stromness was founded in 1907 as a floating offshore station and became land-based only in 1912. From 1931, it functioned as a ship repair yard with its own foundry and remained open until 1961. If you visit, have a look behind the station and you’ll see a beautiful mountain panorama with snow-capped peaks. This is where Ernest Shackleton arrived after crossing the island, seeking help to rescue his stranded men on Elephant Island!

Leith

While whaling operations started here in 1909, Leith Harbor was also one of the sites where reindeer was introduced to the island for hunting and as a fresh meat source for whalers. Once the heydays of whaling were over and everyone left, the reindeer population grew and eventually caused significant environmental damage to the island. An eradication program was eventually launched to remove this non-endemic species from the island.