Places to visit in the Arctic

An Arctic archipelago halfway between Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard is one of the most easily accessedparts of the High Arctic.

In the spring, pristine snow conditions make it an ideal place for snowmobiling and dog sledding adventures. During high summer, the melting of the ice turns Svalbard’s dramatic coastline and fjords into exciting cruising grounds for expedition ships.

Long sought by early adventurers as a sea route linking the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, this labyrinthine waterway through Canada’s Arctic archipelago is no stranger to ship-based exploration.

Travelling the Northwest Passage is to step back in time, following in the footsteps of Franklin, Peary, Amundsen and so many other early adventurers who gave their names in perpetuity to the islands and bays you will explore.

The world's largest island is also the least densely populated country in the world, challenging the adventurous with its vast swaths of beautiful, unfenced wilderness.

From cruising the iceberg strewn water to trekking the world's largest ice cap, Greenland is a sensory assault on all levels., and its empty spaces is like a siren call for the adventure traveller.

The Canadian Arctic is well known for its diverse wildlife, fascinating history, rich native culture and spectacular scenery.

A vast area in total, encompassing the Canadian Arctic archipelago, a watery wilderness which in late summer thawing ice allows expedition ships to explore, following the early explorers in their search for the fabled Northwest Passage.

To travel to 90 degrees north and stand on the roof of the world at the Geographic North Pole, where all lines of longitude convergence, is a ‘Bucket List’ item shared by many.

Whether you travel by nuclear-powered icebreaker in high summer or arrive by helicopter in April, the North Pole is more accessible than you might think.

For seasoned travellers in search of a truly remote destination, they don’t come much wilder than the Russian Arctic. A vast, largely ignored region at the top of the world which the dismantling of the Soviet Union opened up, this is expeditionary cruising in its purest form.

In late summer the pack ice temporarily moves northwards allowing access to Wrangel Island, one of the most important polar denning sites in the whole Arctic Region where polar bear sightings in significant numbers are almost guaranteed.