The World’s Great Deserts: Africa, Antarctica and South America

This 22-day private jet expedition, traveling December 1 – 22, 2027, is designed for experienced travelers seeking rare access to some of the world’s most remote and visually arresting environments. Created by TCS World Travel, the journey travels aboard a reconfigured private Airbus A321, connecting destinations across Africa, Antarctica and South America that are rarely experienced together.

The itinerary spans Reykjavík, Iceland; the Atlas Mountains, Morocco; Tozeur, Tunisia; the Namib Desert, Namibia; Cape Town, South Africa; the interior of Antarctica; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Atacama Desert, Chile; and Pisco, Peru, before returning to Austin, Texas.

Rather than focusing on one region or climate, this expedition brings together the world’s great deserts—from sun‑sculpted dunes and coastal sands to high‑altitude plateaus and polar ice—revealing how dramatically different landscapes can share a common sense of scale, isolation and beauty.

Expedition Overview

• Dates: December 1 – 22, 2027
• Duration: 22 days
• Aircraft: Private Airbus A321*
• Route: Reykjavík, Iceland → Atlas Mountains, Morocco → Tozeur, Tunisia → Namib Desert, Namibia → Cape Town, South Africa → Antarctica → Rio de Janeiro, Brazil → Atacama Desert, Chile → Pisco, Peru → Austin, Texas
• Destinations: 10 across Africa, Antarctica and South America
• Price: From $195,000 per person, double occupancy

Trip Highlights

A Journey Defined by Contrast

This private jet expedition is shaped by contrast—heat and ice, altitude and sea level, absolute emptiness and places where human life has learned to persist against the odds. From the Sahara’s palm‑lined oases and Namibia’s coastal dunes to Chile’s Atacama Desert and the vast ice fields of Antarctica, each destination reveals a different expression of life at the extremes.

By connecting these environments into a single, carefully sequenced journey, the itinerary offers perspective that is impossible to achieve through traditional travel. The experience centers on immersion—encountering how light, silence and terrain shift across the world’s most remote desert landscapes, from sculpted sands to polar ice.

Antarctica: A Defining Experience

Antarctica—the world’s largest and most remote desert—stands at the center of this journey. Accessed by privately chartered aircraft rather than expedition ship, guests reach the continent’s interior in a single day, bypassing the multi-day sea crossings typical of Antarctic travel.

Exploration here focuses entirely on the landscape itself: traversing open ice fields, entering naturally formed ice caves and traveling across polar terrain by specialized vehicles. Seen alongside the world’s high‑altitude and remote desert landscapes, Antarctica offers a striking counterpoint—a place defined by ice, immense scale and profound stillness.

Hard-to-Reach Destinations, Seamlessly Connected

Many of the destinations on this itinerary, particularly Antarctica; the Namib Desert, Namibia; and the edge of the Sahara in Tunisia, are among the world’s most logistically complex regions to reach independently. Visiting them typically requires multiple long-haul flights, regional aircraft, charter services and extended overland or ocean travel.

This private jet expedition removes those barriers, linking remote environments across continents into a single time-efficient journey. Direct travel between destinations reduces transit time and complexity, unlocking access to places few travelers experience together in one itinerary.

The World’s Widest Range of Desert Environments

Each destination represents a distinct type of desert, paired with experiences that reveal how these environments function and how people have adapted to them:

• In Tozeur, Tunisia (Sahara Desert), explore palm groves sustained by ancient irrigation systems and venture into surrounding dunes and canyon landscapes.
• In the Namib Desert, Namibia, drive across coastal dunes where the desert meets the Atlantic and track desert-adapted wildlife with specialist guides.
• In Antarctica, traverse the interior with specialized polar vehicles and explore ice caves, experiencing the scale and stillness of the continent’s remote glacial terrain up close.
• In the Atacama Desert, Chile, explore salt flats and geyser fields before stargazing under some of the clearest night skies on Earth.
• In Pisco, Peru, fly over the UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines and cruise to the Ballestas Islands, a wildlife-rich marine sanctuary known for sea lions, Humboldt penguins and large seabird colonies.

Expert-Led, Context-Driven Exploration

Throughout the journey, expert guides and dedicated on-trip specialists provide insight into the forces that shape these extreme environments, from climate and geology to trade routes and cultural adaptation.

In the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, guests engage with Amazigh communities through village visits and traditional cooking experiences. In Swakopmund, Namibia, local guides share perspectives on regional history and township life. Urban destinations such as Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro add cultural depth, where dramatic geography and human history intersect at UNESCO World Heritage sites including Robben Island.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this private jet expedition designed for?

This journey is designed for highly experienced travelers who have already explored many of the world’s major destinations and are seeking rare access to remote, logistically challenging environments combined into a single, seamless itinerary.

Is this the best time of year to visit these desert regions?

Yes. The expedition is carefully timed to align with favorable seasonal conditions across all destinations. Africa and South America are visited during periods of more moderate temperatures, while Antarctica is accessed during the austral summer, when daylight is extended and interior travel is possible.

Can you visit Antarctica without a cruise?

Yes. This private jet expedition accesses Antarctica by privately chartered aircraft rather than expedition ship. Guests fly directly to the continent’s interior for a guided experience, eliminating the need for a multi-day sea crossing while providing access to remote polar regions not typically reached by cruise itineraries.

How much does this private jet expedition cost, and what is included?

The World’s Great Deserts expedition is priced from $195,000 per person, double occupancy, with an $18,000 single supplement.

This private jet journey includes:

• Private jet transportation between all destinations, including to the interior of Antarctica
• Accommodations at luxury hotels, lodges and desert retreats
• Curated, expert-led experiences in each location
• All meals, selected beverages and onboard dining
• Ground transportation and private transfers
• Dedicated expedition staff and guest services support
• All gratuities

What level of comfort can guests expect in remote locations?

Despite the remote nature of the destinations, accommodations are selected for their comfort, location and quality. Guests stay in a mix of high-end lodges, desert retreats and internationally recognized luxury hotels.

Examples include stays at properties such as One&Only Cape Town; Belmond Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro; and Explora Atacama in Chile. Each accommodation is chosen for its setting and access to the surrounding landscape.

What distinguishes this journey from other TCS World Travel expeditions?

This private jet expedition is defined by its focus on rare desert environments and its inclusion of Antarctica accessed by private air. It connects a range of landscapes rarely experienced together—from the Sahara and Namib to the Atacama and the Antarctic interior, offering a perspective on the planet’s extremes that few travelers ever achieve.

^*Aircraft operated by Titan Airways Limited.