If you're lucky, you'll get one chance to reach Antarctica. So do it right: Worthy trips last two weeks and cost at least $10,000. Opt for an adventure with multiple stops on land—shooting photos from a cruise ship won't play. There are plenty of good trips—Mountain Travel Sobek's 14-day icebreaker cruise to emperor penguin–filled Snow Hill Island comes with digital-photography workshops (from $13,900; mtsobek.com). But this year, consider Geographic Expeditions' 23-day journey from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island, home of Shackleton's grave ($16,000; geoex.com). Based on the luxury icebreaker Cleila II, the trip includes an optional four-day crossing of South Georgia guided by mountaineer (and Outside correspondent) Dave Hahn; guest lectures by Peter Hillary, son of a guy named Ed; and classes led by wildlife photographer Art Wolfe. Lesson one: Be patient. "Sit still on the ice and penguins will walk right past you," says Wolfe.