The poles of the Earth have been the holy grail for adventurers for well over a hundred years and continues to be well after Cook and his crew reached the north pole for the first time in 1909. Now thankfully, it is possible to explore the poles in far safer and more comfortable ways than the original explorers, while at the same time experiencing life at one of our planets most extreme environments.

The Arctic plays hosts to lots of different unique species found nowhere else on the planet, narwhals, polar bears and caribou to name a few. Along with the animals there are also the indigenous people who have experienced a traditional life for centuries.

The Arctic experience can be obtained in multiple different countries and styles so it can be hard to know where to go, so do your research before hand and know what you want to get from it, whether it’s seeing a polar bear or experiencing 24-hour sunlight.

Svalbard

Just north of Oslo you will find Svalbard, one of the best regions to visit in the Arctic circle. Also, here lies the Spitsbergen Archipelago, both of which are full of Arctic wildlife and glorious scenery. Longyearbyen is a great little town to start your journey before getting on board an expedition ship and continuing from there on the sea. You will learn about the history of the whalers and local community here as well as bear witness to massive colonies of sea birds and exploring the desolate islands in the Arctic Ocean.

Greenland

Greenland offers tourists the best of both worlds as its winter and summer months change the region so much. In winter you can expect to see the Northern Lights whereas the summer sees 24-hour daylight meaning no matter the time you can go wildlife spotting. The best things you can expect to see on cruises in this region are the world-famous fjords, a marvel to behold. Icebergs and Inuit settlements litter the landscape waiting for you to explore them. An added benefit to choosing a cruise in this region of the world is that they can be easily combined with North American, Icelandic or Svalbard based cruises.

Canada

Canada is one of the best places in the world to experience year-round Arctic opportunities, the best experiences here can be found on the water. Canada plays host to many migratory and endemic whale species, get your cameras ready for the Belugas, the white whales, or Narwhals, the unicorns of the sea. Here you can follow in the footsteps of the most famous north pole explorers of the past.

Russia

With Russia being so vast this is possibly the most suited to the more adventurous polar explorers out there. Not only will it offer you an amazing adventure, but one trip will not be enough to see even a tiny bit of it, so there’ll always be a part of Russia you haven’t seen yet. You can cruise across the Barents Sea or take time to discover wildlife and the natural beauty of Wrangell Island, the Siberian coastline or at Kamchatka.

The highlight of Arctic trips however would be an expedition to the north pole. These adventures allow you to be one of the few people to have experienced standing on top of the world and passing through each time zone in a few minutes. You’ll have the photo opportunity of a lifetime at the north pole as well as witnessing the Arctic’s amazing wildlife route.

By taking an expedition ship you can be more environmentally aware in an ecosystem that is becoming ever more at risk. You will make your way through the ice pack and have minimal impact on the environment around you which is becoming ever more of a problem, even in such remote regions as the Arctic. If you like to travel in style you can hop on board of a larger ship, these usually have lower ice classifications however meaning you cannot explore as far into the ice.

In our opinion, the best way to explore this most extreme region of the world is on board of an Arctic expedition cruise. Making your way through this incredible ecosystem on the sea in an expedition ship allows you an experience like no other.