5 Extreme Expeditions to the Ends of the Earth for the Super Rich
Despite the risks to their lives, many people are willing to spend a fortune to explore the farthest reaches of the Earth or venture into space.
Adventure tourism has been gaining popularity among the super-rich for several years now, with the industry estimated to be worth around $366 billion by 2022, according to a recent report by Allied Market Research.
The growth rate of this type of tourism is rapidly accelerating, with experts predicting that by 2030, adventure tourism will be valued at $1 trillion. Despite the potential trade-off of their lives, many travelers spare no expense to conquer the most remote places on Earth or even venture into space.
- Exploring the Mariana Trench
Cost: $750,000
Diving to the depths of the Mariana Trench is even more dangerous than exploring the wreckage of the Titanic. The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the deepest point humans can reach in the current era. The Mariana Trench is located in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and its deepest point is also the deepest point in the Earth’s crust.
In 2020, EYOS Expeditions collaborated with Caladan Oceanic to offer the first-ever expedition to the Challenger Deep, priced at $750,000. This location is nearly 11 kilometers deep beneath the ocean’s surface, over 7 kilometers deeper than the site where the Titanic sank. As of 2020, only 7 tourists have ever reached this place.
- Journeying into Space
Cost: Starting from $450,000
Space tourism is predicted to be the trend of the future. While the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was initially against space tourism, they now support private companies that operate these expensive trips. Notable companies commercializing space tourism include Blue Origin by billionaire Jeff Bezos, Virgin Galactic by Richard Branson, and SpaceX by Elon Musk.
A ticket for an 11-minute spaceflight on Blue Origin was auctioned in 2018 for $28 million. According to Reuters, Jeff Bezos’ company estimates that future ticket prices may range from $200,000 to $300,000.
Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic recently announced that they will soon conduct their first commercial spaceflights, priced at $450,000 per person for a single trip. British billionaire Hamish Harding, who tragically died during a dive to explore the Titanic wreckage, took a spaceflight with Blue Origin last year.
In addition to the aforementioned companies, Elon Musk’s SpaceX also offers space adventures. Tourists can experience the feeling of being an astronaut and spend a week at the International Space Station (ISS). Currently, this trip costs up to $80 million. Moreover, SpaceX hopes to send humans to Mars by 2030.
- Conquering Mount Everest
Cost: Starting from $40,000
Seventy years ago, conquering the world’s highest peak took up to 90 days and required exceptional physical strength and survival skills. However, the commercialization of the mountaineering industry, with numerous travel companies rushing to exploit Everest expeditions, has made conquering the world’s roof much easier.
Currently, those who attempt to climb Everest through packaged expeditions must pay an average of $40,000, which covers permit fees, guides, food, accommodation, and local services. This is considered an affordable price. At higher levels, climbers may spend around $218,400 for a three-week Everest expedition. Furtenbach Adventures, an Austrian travel company, offers this luxurious trip, providing safety services and expert supervision to ensure participants reach the summit.
A few weeks before the departure, the company sends participants a generator and a tent. The guides also simulate the high-altitude conditions of the Everest expedition, helping clients acclimate before the journey begins.
Lukas Furtenbach, the founder of Furtenbach Adventures, revealed that a significant portion of the high cost of this expedition is spent on providing “unlimited oxygen” to climbers, minimizing one of the greatest life-threatening hazards of this challenging adventure.
- Mysterious Tours
Cost: Ranging from $15,000 to $100,000
Black Tomato, a U.S.-based travel company, offers “Get Lost” tours for travelers who want to disconnect from the real world and explore destinations they have no knowledge of. These trips come with remote safety experts who monitor participants from a distance.
Travelers who purchase these mysterious tours propose their desired terrain, and the company keeps the destination a secret, offering different levels of adventure for customers to choose from. Brendan Drewniany, Director of Communications at Black Tomato, stated that participants on the “Get Lost” trip are encouraged not to use smartphones but satellite phones to connect with the remote safety team. In addition to remote safety monitoring, the tour company also collaborates with former Marines to support travelers during their exploration.
“The exciting part of this trip is the anxiety, fear, and excitement of not knowing what dangers might be lurking. However, we have built multiple layers of monitoring and ensure safety throughout the journey,” said Brendan Drewniany.
These mysterious tours range in price from $15,000 to $100,000 per person, with longer durations, more challenging terrains, and greater complexities commanding higher prices.
- Exploring the South and North Poles
Cost: Approximately $30,000
Currently, few travel companies in the world offer expeditions to the South and North Poles. Intrepid Travel, an American company, offers trips priced at over $30,000 per person for a three-week journey around the Antarctic Circle and the Drake Passage, one of the most treacherous waterways in the world.
Meanwhile, Quark Expeditions operates trips to both the South and North Poles. Their Antarctic expeditions range in price from $12,000 to over $40,000, depending on the length of the journey. The price for their Arctic expeditions departing from Helsinki, Finland, is not publicly disclosed.
