If you've been dreaming of seeing polar bears (the "Kings of the Arctic"), reindeer, puffins, narwhals and other Arctic wildlife along with the remote region's awe-striking landscape of snowy rugged mountains, glaciers and tundra, one of the best ways to get to the top of the earth is by ship.
Encompassing Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, North Alaska, Norway, Russia and Sweden, Arctic cruises give you the opportunity to witness the stunning hues of the Northern Lights or the beautiful Midnight Sun, arctic foxes bearing white winter coats while polar bears freely roam the towns, the Inuit tribes that have made their wooden homes out of the Arctic, and much more. While the area maintains fairly cold temperatures year-round, cruises most frequently sail here during the summer months when the temperatures warm up and the sun stays out until midnight, making optimal conditions for cruise guests to hike, sail and explore this fascinating, historical and unforgettable land.
Whether your interests lie in history and culture, animals and the environment, photography and videography, or getting out and exploring, Arctic cruises have everything under the sun and snow from hands-on hikes and kayaking to educational lectures on the native tribes and the Arctic's ecosystem to visiting the northern towns for artistic souvenirs, drinks and exploring the small museums. And if that doesn't sound like enough adventure for you, picture yourself scuba diving into ice-cold waters or leading a team of dogs as you sled through the snow. With a vast biodiversity of animals to see, landscapes of fire and ice to explore, the beautifully lit sky whether by the sun in the middle of the night or the glowing aurora borealis in the fall and winter, and traditional fishing villages and Eskimo camps to understand and learn from, Arctic cruises are ready to give you the vacation of fairy-tales.
Popular Arctic Cruise Ports
While there are eight countries in the Arctic, and you can find a cruise for each one, two of the most popular destinations on Arctic itineraries are Norway and Iceland. While Iceland technically sits below the Arctic Circle by a few degrees, except for Grimsey Island, many Arctic cruises stop in Icelandic towns such as Isafjordur and Akureyri on their way up north, or will start and end in Reykjavik. These are three of the most frequented ports that many Arctic cruises visit:
Longyearbyen, Norway: This as north as civilization goes, the capital city of Longyearbyen being the most northern town in the world! With one of the largest wilderness areas in the world that hasn't been tampered with, Svalbard is the place to go if you're looking to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy nature. Here you can kayak to other islands in the archipelago and journey through ice caves, but make sure to come back to town and delight in a cup of hot chocolate before getting back on your cruise because those waters and caves will be cold! And don't be surprised if you see more polar bears here than people, and reindeer casually strolling around town; while civilized, the entire archipelago only has approximately 2,000 people, compared to its estimated 3,000 polar bears.
Extra tip: Make sure to bring with you a comfortable pair of shoes that are easy to slide on and off, aside from just the sneakers you're wearing! The custom here is to remove your shoes and change into a clean pair when you enter buildings such as hotels and restaurants.
Tromso, Norway: If you're looking for an Arctic oasis that's a little bit closer to civilization, then you may enjoy this cruise port in the "Paris of the North" with approximately 75,000 inhabitants, but still plenty of animals and nature to see. Whether you want to learn about the indigenous Sami people and not only see a reindeer for the first time, but feed one as well, step foot where other famous polar explorers have walked, or bundle up to watch the Northern Lights, Tromso is a magical city surrounded by stunning mountain peaks, coastal waters, and plenty of city life that everyone from the tourist to the nature lover can enjoy.
Isafjordur, Iceland: Zenning out isn't just for the Caribbean - as you arrive into historical Isafjordur in the Westfjords of Iceland, only 34 miles away from the Arctic Circle, you'll likely find peace and calming as you hike, bike, or horseback ride through the crisp air, finding beautiful views of the rocky blue coast, the historical trading post town and Iceland's signature jagged flat-topped mountains. This is one of the oldest parts of Iceland, created by ancient volcanoes, and is also the largest town in the Westfjords!
When is the Best Time to Go to the Arctic?
Arctic cruises are most frequent in the summer months from June through August, once the sea ice has melted, making way for ship exploration. The latest in the year you'll likely find an Arctic cruise is September, with the earliest available booking in April.
To see the Midnight Sun, we recommend booking a cruise toward the middle or end of June into early July (around the summer solstice on June 21). But keep in mind, just like with the Northern Lights, there is no promise of seeing either so if your main reason for going to the Arctic is to see these natural phenomena, make sure to research the specific destinations the cruise plans to visit. Also bear in mind, part of seeing the Midnight Sun is that the Arctic experiences 24 hours of daylight in the summer, so you may want to bring a sleeping mask or book an interior cabin.
Not only is the summer the most common time to cruise the Arctic, but it is also the best time to see the region's wildlife and get into the water either by scuba diving or kayaking. Ringed seals, polar bears, sea birds, arctic foxes in brown summer coats and more are all out and abundant as they forage, breed, and hunt, and plenty of whales are visible including the "unicorn of the sea", the narwhal and its unique relative, the beluga whale.
The earliest you may see the Northern Lights is in August, so if you are hoping to catch the green, yellow and purple colors magically lighting up the pitch black skies, you may want to book your cruise for as late in the year as you can. You may also catch the Northern Lights in April when the Arctic is just coming out of winter, and you may even spot larger icebergs and newborn animals coming out of their winter dens if you're lucky. The fall and early spring are also the best times to go to the Arctic if you're interested in snow-based activities such as dog sledding.
Just remember, no matter when you travel to the Arctic, you'll need to anticipate the cold!
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