Go inside Antarctica's only luxury camp, where tours to the South Pole will set you back $72,000

Only roughly 30,000 people get the chance to visit Antarctica each year. The continent is treacherous and expensive to reach, and there are only a couple of months at the end of the year when visiting is really feasible. Even fewer people venture to the interior part of Antarctica. Most people who visit the continent cruise from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula and rarely venture inland from the coast. 

With that in mind, in 2006 Robyn and Patrick Woodhead created White Desert, billing it as Antarctica's only "luxury camp" and outfitting it with comfortable furnishings and top-notch dining. White Desert offers adventurous travelers the chance to participate in two different trips to other parts of Antarctica — one to Atka Bay and the other to the Geographic South Pole.

The tours cost a whopping €64,000 ($72,000) per person, which includes housing, flights, and food, and take place only in November and December, the warmest time of the year in Antarctica. According to USA Today, the average high temperature is -36 degrees Fahrenheit in November and -16 in December. The average low is -40 degrees Fahrenheit in November and -20 in December. 

White Desert recently underwent a renovation in honor of its 10th anniversary. The team shared photos of the camp's new look so we can see what it's really like to visit Antarctica's interior in style.

Guests arrive at the camp after a 5.5-hour flight from Cape Town on an Iluyshin 76 jet. They land at what's officially known as Unknown International Airport.

White Desert

The camp is made up of six sleeping pods that can accommodate two people each.

White Desert

When they're not embarking on their trip to the South Pole, guests can relax in style. Each tent is heated and has two beds that can be partitioned.

White Desert

Each suite has a washing area and a toilet.

White Desert

There's also a shower pod, kitchen pod, and two custom tents where you'll find the dining room and lounge. The cluster of pods look like stones from a distance.

White Desert

The lounge was designed to be casual and comfortable.

White Desert

In the dining room, an oak table surrounded by fur chairs makes for a rustic setting.

White Desert

Head chef Justine Lindsay studied at the Institute of Culinary Arts in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and later worked with Mercedes AMG Petronas' Formula One team.

White Desert

The camp is powered by solar and wind energy.

White Desert

White Desert's field guides take guests on all kinds of icy adventures, from easy ice tunnel exploring to more complicated rock climbing.

White Desert

The guides can adjust the pace of the activities according to the guests' needs.

White Desert

In addition to a journey to the South Pole, White Desert will also take you on a two-hour flight to Atka Bay, where a colony of 6,000 penguins reside.

White Desert

According to the hotel's guides, the penguins are not afraid of humans and will let guests get up close for a photo.

White Desert