McMurdo Station

Antarctica's largest research hub and gateway

Curated by Vinod Kumar Jain & Amit Jain · All Frontier Global · free, no login · reviewed 2026-07-05

The journal

After weeks of empty coastline, the station felt almost like a small industrial town dropped onto lava rock — dorms, a chapel, the low hum of generators. I ate a slice of pizza in the galley and talked with a researcher who'd wintered over twice. Ordinary conversation, in the most improbable of settings.

Things to do

McMurdo Station · Research base

Visit the largest Antarctic research community, supporting over a thousand scientists and staff in summer. Best: Nov–Feb

Cape Evans Hut · Historic site

Explore Scott's remarkably preserved 1911 Terra Nova expedition hut, frozen in time on Ross Island. Best: Nov–Jan

Mount Erebus · Volcano

Observe the world's southernmost active volcano, its summit crater venting steam above the ice. Best: Nov–Mar

Ross Ice Shelf · Glacier

Travel onto the vast Ross Ice Shelf, a floating expanse of ice the size of a country. Best: Dec–Feb

McMurdo Dry Valleys · Viewpoint

Extreme desert environment with exposed rock and mummified seal fossils. Best: Nov–Mar

Arrival

Airport

Christchurch, New Zealand (CHC) — Fly or cruise from Christchurch into the Ross Sea.

SIM / data

Buy an NZ SIM/eSIM before departure; no service at the station.

Money on arrival

Carry NZ dollars and USD; station costs are prepaid or billed.

← Ross Sea Region profile