Midnight sun in summer, ice-locked shores of astonishing beauty, and some of the last truly wild coastline left on the planet - the High Arctic rewards travellers willing to go further north than almost anywhere else on Earth.
Home / Destinations / Arctic & Svalbard
Svalbard, Greenland, Franz Josef Land, the Canadian Arctic and the fabled Northeast Passage each offer a genuinely different experience of the frozen north, but they share the same essential magic: polar bears stalking the sea ice, walrus colonies hauled out on remote beaches, and narwhal surfacing in glacial fjords lit by a sun that barely sets.
Unlike Antarctica, several Arctic destinations - Svalbard especially - are also home to small permanent settlements, adding a human dimension to the wilderness. Longyearbyen, the world's northernmost town of its size, is a common embarkation point and worth a day in its own right before you sail.
Sea ice is still extensive, giving ice-class ships their best chance of pushing into rarely-reached channels, and polar bears are frequently spotted hunting on the ice edge.
The most reliable window for wildlife encounters and near-endless daylight, making this the most popular - and busiest - time to sail.
Fewer ships, softer light, and on clear nights the first aurora sightings of the season begin as darkness starts to return.
Five of the six operators Rich works with run genuine Arctic and Svalbard itineraries.
HX traces its own history to 1890s Norwegian Arctic coastal routes, while Quark is the only operator running regular voyages all the way to the North Pole itself.
No sighting in the wild is ever guaranteed, but Svalbard and the Canadian Arctic carry some of the highest polar bear encounter rates of any expedition itinerary - Rich can point you toward the operators and itineraries with the strongest track records.
The Arctic has permanent human settlements, a genuine North Pole to sail toward, and different signature wildlife - polar bears and walrus rather than penguins. Many well-travelled clients end up wanting to do both.
No call centres, no account handovers - a direct conversation with a CLIA Expedition Cruise Champion about which Arctic region and operator suits you.
Plan My Expedition