For the most part, Antarctic tourists come to walk around, look at the scientific bases, take some photographs and journey out on zodiacs to the region's spectacular sights. Increasingly, however, tour operators are offering more for the outdoorsy type who's skied, climbed, camped and trekked everywhere else and wants a new challenge, and the demand seems to be there. People wishing to camp ashore must bring their own sleeping bags and foam mats, and climbers must supply their own crampons, ice axes and harnesses.

For the first time, scuba diving, including night diving, is being offered to tourists who have suitable qualifications. No decompression diving is undertaken - the dives are less than 39m (128ft). All divers must have at least 100 logged dives and be certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or higher (equivalent qualifications are accepted). Divers must bring all their own equipment.

In 1995, more than 100 runners participated in the first Antarctic Marathon run over a 42km (26mi) double-loop course on King George Island in the South Shetlands, and the race was a near disaster. The runners started at the Uruguayan base of Artigas and passed through Russian, Chilean and Chinese stations and included some highly dangerous and unsupervised sections. Some of the participants became delirious with hypothermia, others were lost in the fog on top of a glacier and one fell into a crevasse up to his chest. Despite this and the heavy criticism that the event drew the organisers are keen to run the marathon again.

Antarctica's most important holiday is Midwinter Day, on June 22, when the long polar night is half over. There are celebrations in all the bases which include feasting, games, songs and even local theatre productions. The last day of the sun and the first day of the sun are also important dates in the Antarctic calendar, although they fall on different dates depending on latitude. Visitors are unlikely to experience any of these festivities, however, because they occur during the long winter, but Christmas and New Year's Eve are celebrated with much enthusiasm and all the kooky style that a group of scientists and researchers can muster.