Heritage Expeditions

Heritage Expeditions Ambassadors for conservation, pioneers of discovery, and leaders in expedition travel to the world’s best-kept secrets.

Small Ship Cruise Pioneers exploring Antarctica, Japan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kimberley, New Zealand, Fiordland, Marlborough Sounds & Stewart Island aboard expedition vessels Heritage Adventurer & Heritage Explorer Every year Heritage Expeditions voyages with small groups of between 18 and 140 intrepid travellers to some of the most unique and remote islands, coast

s and shorelines on earth aboard their expedition ships Heritage Adventurer and Heritage Explorer on voyages ranging from 5 – 29 days. Founded in 1985 by the Russ family in Christchurch, New Zealand, Heritage Expeditions is still proudly family-owned and operated. Contributing to conservation through experiential learning and providing funds for research and management, they are pioneers in environmentally-responsible expedition travel offering intimate group excursions to Antarctica and the Subantarctic Islands, through the Pacific, Asia, Australia and around New Zealand on their purpose-built expedition ships. Each expedition is meticulously planned and led by a team of botanists, ornithologists, naturalists and experts in their field, ensuring passengers maximise every opportunity to learn, discover and experience as much as possible, while minimising the impact of their visit and returning as ambassadors for these very special places.

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!It was an incredible experience at the Balleny Islands as we enjoyed a stunning Zodiac cruise or kay...
30/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
It was an incredible experience at the Balleny Islands as we enjoyed a stunning Zodiac cruise or kayak through this remote island group. Weaving through icebergs, we observed fantastic wildlife, including Chinstrap Penguins, which we added to our species list.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/jyas7juj

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography), Heritage Expeditions

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!Our In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage saw us enjoy a stunning ship cruise of the Possession I...
28/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
Our In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage saw us enjoy a stunning ship cruise of the Possession Islands. We learned about key events from our onboard historian and marvelled at the expansive Adélie Penguin colonies and the island’s volcanic geology.

Read more here – https://tinyurl.com/yzht3e3h

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography), Heritage Expeditions

An incredible milestone was achieved on our In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage! Joining us on board, our friends a...
28/01/2025

An incredible milestone was achieved on our In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage! Joining us on board, our friends at Antarctic Heritage Trust and their Inspiring Explorers worked to restore and return a copy of The Count of Monte-Cristo, taken from Scott’s Discovery Hut.

It’s fantastic to see this unique piece of history back in its rightful home.

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!Today we arrived at Hut Point to explore Scott’s Discovery Hut. This was a special moment as it mark...
27/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
Today we arrived at Hut Point to explore Scott’s Discovery Hut. This was a special moment as it marked 4/4 historic huts on our voyage, and saw our friends at Antarctic Heritage Trust successfully return a copy of ‘The Count of Monte-Cristo’, which they helped conserve before the expedition.

Afterwards, we made a rare landing on Franklin Island to observe a bustling Adélie Penguin colony.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/ywfhd88h

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography), Heritage Expeditions

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!We awoke today sailing alongside the huge expanse of the Ross Ice Shelf. Taking in these dramatic vi...
26/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
We awoke today sailing alongside the huge expanse of the Ross Ice Shelf. Taking in these dramatic views, we enjoyed a stunning ship cruise through the narrow inlets, home to an Emperor Penguin colony.

In the afternoon, we arrived at Cape Bird to enjoy the spectacle of an Adélie Penguin colony. The kayakers took the opportunity to paddle between the loose ice drift, surrounded by more penguins along the way.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/5edee583

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography), Heritage Expeditions

Reliving the story his grandparents told him was a special moment for True Young Explorer David Bennett, whose ancestor,...
25/01/2025

Reliving the story his grandparents told him was a special moment for True Young Explorer David Bennett, whose ancestor, James McGhie, was a survivor of the Derry Castle shipwrecked on Enderby Island in 1887.

David joined us on a voyage to the Subantarctic Islands to discover the island's history he heard so much about.

Read his adventure here - https://wexfordweekly.com/2025/01/23/how-a-wexford-grandfathers-story-inspired-a-subantarctic-expedition/lifestyle/

By David Bennett My expedition to an ancestor’s castaway island, and what I learnt about the ongoing conservation work in the Subantarctic region. Over New Years I joined an expedition to the subantarctic with Heritage Expeditions, thanks to them granting me a ‘True Young Explorer Scholarship’...

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!It was an action-packed day at Cape Royds as we immersed ourselves in this serene Antarctic landscap...
24/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
It was an action-packed day at Cape Royds as we immersed ourselves in this serene Antarctic landscape. First up was visiting Shackleton’s Hut at Cape Royds and checking out the bustling Adélie Penguin colony. Next, we enjoyed gazing at the spectacular Mt Erebus before heading on a Zodiac cruise, observing pods of Orca swimming right by us!

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/y2c3cwru

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography) & S. Tranmer, Heritage Expeditions

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!It was an eventful day at sea as we headed out on the decks to observe incredible wildlife. Enjoying...
24/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
It was an eventful day at sea as we headed out on the decks to observe incredible wildlife. Enjoying spectacular views of Emperor Penguins and pods of Orcas passing by, we marvelled at the awe-inspiring scenes unfolding in this remote, icy world.

We also enjoyed viewing the icebreaker USCGC Polar Star, clearing the channel to McMurdo Station.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/29hjn9z2

Images © C. Finch & S. Tranmer, Heritage Expeditions

Check out this fantastic article by Susan Elliot in Vacations & Travel, the longest-running travel magazine in Australas...
23/01/2025

Check out this fantastic article by Susan Elliot in Vacations & Travel, the longest-running travel magazine in Australasia. Susan joined us on our Galapagos of the Southern voyage and experienced all the heart-warming beauty the Subantarctic Islands has to offer.

Relive her adventure below!

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!It was a walk-through time at Cape Evans as we visited Scott’s Terra Nova Hut. We marvelled at the e...
23/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
It was a walk-through time at Cape Evans as we visited Scott’s Terra Nova Hut. We marvelled at the environment immaculately preserved and had an immense appreciation for the work of our friends at the Antarctic Heritage Trust, for all their work to ensure this historic place remains in pristine condition.

Afterwards, we took our time to explore the area, enjoying a Zodiac cruise or kayak amongst the wildlife-filled fast ice.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/3sczjujn

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography) & S. Tranmer, Heritage Expeditions

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!It was a stunning day of adventure as we immersed ourselves in a range of incredible activities. We ...
22/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
It was a stunning day of adventure as we immersed ourselves in a range of incredible activities. We enjoyed walking on the ice near the German Gondwana Station before Zodiac cruising at the Drygalski Ice Tongue. Out on the Zodiacs, the fog rolled in, and we enjoyed dramatic views of the ice cliffs along the coast and a fogbow appearing above Heritage Adventurer.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/4tv5t8hh
Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography) & S. Tranmer, Heritage Expeditions

Congratulations to legendary wildlife television presenter Nigel Marven, who ticked off his final penguin, the Emperor P...
21/01/2025

Congratulations to legendary wildlife television presenter Nigel Marven, who ticked off his final penguin, the Emperor Penguin, on his life list! We’re thrilled to welcome Nigel Marven on board our In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage filming ‘The Last Penguin’ documentary with MagellanTV.

Image © K. Sutherland, Heritage Expeditions

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!We were greeted with fantastic weather near Coulman Island, as we launched our Zodiacs or kayaks to ...
21/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
We were greeted with fantastic weather near Coulman Island, as we launched our Zodiacs or kayaks to enjoy the pristine conditions. Gliding through the ice floes, we had fabulous observations of Adélie Penguins, Crabeater Seals & Leopard Seals.
During dinner, the call went out that an Emperor Penguin had been spotted on the Starboard side. We enjoyed fabulous observations of two of these majestic penguins, with many adding them as a new species to their life list.

Read more here – https://tinyurl.com/3hp9zxa4

Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography), Heritage Expeditions

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!Our first landing in Antarctica on our current In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage was a sensat...
20/01/2025

CAPTAIN’S LOG ALERT!
Our first landing in Antarctica on our current In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton voyage was a sensational experience! We arrived at Cape Adare and, after observing hundreds of thousands of Adélie Penguins on the beach, checked out Borchgrevink's Hut. It was a journey through time as we imagined what living here must have been like during the Antarctic winter.

Read more here - https://tinyurl.com/2jje2h6u
Images © C. Finch (Cathy Finch Photography), Heritage Expeditions

Our First Wave 2026-27 Season Sale is now on with incredible savings of up to 20%* on our Japan, Indonesia, Melanesia an...
20/01/2025

Our First Wave 2026-27 Season Sale is now on with incredible savings of up to 20%* on our Japan, Indonesia, Melanesia and Kimberley voyages aboard Heritage Adventurer!
Book by 28 February 2025 and SAVE!
Find out more here: https://www.heritage-expeditions.com/first-wave-26-27/

Address

Antarctic House, 53B Montreal Street
Christchurch
8023

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+6433653500

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The Heritage Expeditions’ Story

Ambassadors for conservation, pioneers of discovery, and leaders in expedition travel to the world’s best-kept secrets.

For the past 30 years, Heritage Expeditions has pioneered conservation-driven voyages to some of the most wild, least-explored and biologically rich regions on the planet. Spanning two hemispheres—from Antarctica’s historic Ross Sea to Russia’s isolated Far East—we journey to UNESCO World Heritage sites, pristine nature reserves and far-flung indigenous communities steeped in tradition, including such marvels as Macquarie Island of the Sub-Antarctic, Russia’s secluded Wrangel Island, and the South Pacific’s Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Join us aboard the intimate 50-passenger Spirit of Enderby as we discover distant shores teeming with penguins, sweeping tundra vistas, colonies of majestic Albatross, remote polar bear breeding grounds, ancient settlements, relics of bygone explorers, and idyllic Pacific islands hosting a kaleidoscope of cultures... Whether you’re a birder, photographer, wildlife enthusiast, conservationist, or simply an adventurous spirit, these expeditions offer an unparalleled travel experience. We look forward to welcoming you aboard! For a complete list of upcoming voyages, please view our Expedition Calendar.