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On his Transglobe Expedition in 1982, Fiennes led the first polar circumnavigation of the Earth. This 52,000-mile expedition took three years to accomplish; it included Charles Burton. Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Charles Burton were the first men to reach both the North and South Poles. Fiennes' Jack Russell dog, called Bothie, accompanied them. The expedition began in 1979 and ended successfully on August 29, 1982.

In 1992, Fiennes, Nick Clapp, Ronald Blom, archaeologist Juris Zarins, and others found the legendary Lost City of Ubar in the Rub al Khali desert of Oman near Ash Shisr (this ancient city disappeared around A.D. 300).

In 1993, Fiennes and Dr. Mike Stroud made the first unsupported walk across the continent of Antarctica, each man dragging a 500-pound sledge. This ninety-seven day trip was the longest polar journey in history.

Fiennes holds many world exploration records. The Guinness Book of Records described Fiennes as "the world's greatest living explorer."