Where to go: Antarctica
or The Arctic?
One of the main considerations is time – for most travellers, the Arctic involves a much shorter trip as it’s much closer and the distances covered when you’re there are much smaller. Antarctica, on the other hand, is reached via South America or New Zealand – for this reason, many people extend their trip to include time in Chile, Argentina or the Antipodes. The Arctic Peninsula is also a two-day boat ride each way (although plane journeys, becoming more popular, take two hours), while the Ross Sea involves almost a month-long expedition. Within each polar region, the landscapes, wildlife and cultural highlights are varied – click on the blue map pins to help you decide where to go – Antarctica or the Arctic.
Our Antarctica & the Arctic Holidays
Arctic sailing voyages, Spitsbergen
Experience sailing in the fjords
From
€2540 to €5490
8 days
ex flights
Falkland Islands wildlife tour
10 day Falklands birds and wildlife adventure
From
£2894
10 days
ex flights
Spitsbergen wildlife cruises
Encounters with glaciers, polar bears and icebergs.
From
£2799 to £5899
8 days
ex flights
Arctic wildlife holiday, Polar bear explorer
A wildlife focused Arctic safari in Svalbard
From
£7195 to £9595
11 days
ex flights
Antarctic Peninsula Cruises
An inspiring wilderness & wildlife journey of a lifetime
From
£4130 to £8930
11 days
ex flights
Luxury Arctic cruise Spitsbergen & Franz Josef Land
A unique expedition to rarely visited Franz Josef Land
From
£7995
15 days
ex flights
Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea cruise
A diverse polar wilderness journey
From
€6890
12 days
ex flights
Classic Antarctica cruise & South Shetland Islands
Experience all that this remarkable area has to offer!
From
US $4860 to US $7990
11 days
ex flights
Antarctic Peninsula cruises, activity-based
Activity-based small ship expedition of Antarctica
From
£8980
15 days
ex flights
Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica cruise
The Ultimate Antarctica Experience!
From
€10500 to €12400
21 days
ex flights
Arctic icebreaker cruise, Spitsbergen
Wildlife-focused, expert-led small ship Arctic cruises
From
£2150 to £7550
10 days
ex flights
Iceland circumnavigation cruise
A thrilling, complete Iceland experience!
From
£2265 to £2375
10 days
ex flights
Antarctica fly and cruise
Experience Antarctica without having to cruise the Drake!
From
£8000 to £9500
8 days
ex flights
Falkland Islands tour, birds and wildlife
A comprehensive Falklands birds and wildlife adventure
From
£4185
15 days
ex flights
Spitsbergen Arctic Cruise
An exciting wildlife cruise around the Svalbard archipelago
From
£5264 to £5765
12 days
ex flights
Chukotka and Wrangel Island wildlife cruises, Russia
Explore Russian Arctic - home to Polar Bears, walrus & more
From
US $9000
15 days
ex flights
Antarctic cruise and hiking in Chile
Walk in Atacama and Patagonia before cruising Antarctica
From
£13725
4 weeks
ex flights
Antarctic adventure cruise
Action packed adventure to the white continent!
From
US $11795
11 days
ex flights
Antarctica and New Zealand Subantarctic Islands Wildlife Cruise
Travel from New Zealand on the ultimate Antarctic voyage.
From
US $23000
4 weeks
ex flights
Spitsbergen polar bear watching cruise
Venture into the staggering realm of the King of the Arctic
From
£4149
11 days
ex flights
Antarctica solar eclipse cruise, December 2021
Total solar eclipse cruise in Antarctica
From
£6990
20 days
ex flights
Antarctica cruises
Wildlife expeditions to Antarctica's legendary landscape!
From
US $6695 to US $35000
11 days
ex flights
North Spitsbergen cruise, in search of Polar Bears
Expert Led, Polar Bears, Whales, Birdlife, photography
From
€2705 to €3380
8 days
ex flights
Antarctica expedition cruise
Classic 11 Day Expedition Cruise to Antarctica
From
£4680
11 days
ex flights
Antarctic cruise in 2021
Witness an incredible wildlife spectacle in Antarctica
From
£3995
10 days
ex flights
Antarctic expedition cruise, fly the Drake passage
Cross the Polar Circle in Antarctica the fast way-fly cruise
From
£11935
10 days
ex flights
Antarctica small ship cruises
Water, wilderness and breath-taking wildlife
From
£7990 to £17450
22 days
ex flights
Antarctica holiday, classic cruise
Experience the world's most remote wilderness
From
£3999
11 days
ex flights
Arctic cruise to Greenland and Iceland
Explore the stunning natural beauty of Greenland and Iceland
From
£5415 to £6065
14 days
ex flights
1. Canada
2. Greenland
3. North Pole
4. Siberia
5. Svalbard
6. Antarctic Peninsula
7. Drake Passage
8. Falkland Islands
9. King George Island
10. Ross Sea/Subantarctic Islands
11. South Georgia
12. Tierra del Fuego
2. Greenland
3. North Pole
4. Siberia
5. Svalbard
6. Antarctic Peninsula
7. Drake Passage
8. Falkland Islands
9. King George Island
10. Ross Sea/Subantarctic Islands
11. South Georgia
12. Tierra del Fuego
Canada
1. Canada
The gateway to the Northwest Passage, enormous, frozen Baffin Island is a haven for Arctic wildlife, including walrus, seals, polar bears and rare bowhead whales. Meet the Inuit inhabitants, who live a traditional lifestyle and create wonderful carvings and drawings. The islands of Hudson Bay are filled with nesting seabirds, while shore excursions are the best way to spot wildlife including the enormous caribou.
Greenland
2. Greenland
Enormous glaciers calve into Disko Bay – a whale watching spot in the west. Nearby hills offer views of UNESCO rated ice fields, and there are ancient Thule culture remains. Northeast Greenland is the world’s largest national park – with 2,000m high mountains, 100m-high icebergs, and narwhal and walrus. Across Greenland, discover how the Inuit live on the edge of the Arctic, alongside musk oxen and polar bears.
North Pole
3. North Pole
Sail an icebreaker on one of the world’s most elusive cruises – to the North Pole. Just one or two expeditions take place each summer, during the scant few weeks when the passage is navigable, smashing through thick pack ice to reach the top of the world – the North Pole. Voyages stop off at far-flung Russian islands, and you’ll get to “walk around the world” in seconds.
Siberia
4. Siberia
The frozen sea between Russia and the US was once known as the Ice Curtain – but today, navigating these waters is possible for a few months each year. The wilderness islands include the Wrangel Nature Reserve, whose mammoth steppe vegetation is filled with strange endemic flora. Visit the remains of a 3,400 year old Eskimo camp, and look for grey whales, polar bears, musk oxen and Pacific walrus.
Svalbard
5. Svalbard
Far beyond the Arctic Circle, Svalbard is the stuff of icy legend. Walrus and auks, reindeer and bearded seals, foxes and 3,000 polar bears inhabit the snowy shores and mountains, trapped by pack ice. Trek across flowering, windswept tundra, and discover glaciers and fjords. Spitsbergen, the largest island, is home to the tiny capital of Longyearbyen, where you can try dog sledding, kayaking and even coal mining.
Antarctic Peninsula
6. Antarctic Peninsula
The stark mountains of this peninsula are an icy extension of the Andes, rising 3,000m into the sky. Visitors can spot dozens of whales swimming around their boats, and the fearsome leopard seal out hunting. Cruising the Lemaire Channel is a trip highlight, with icebergs, glaciers and orcas. Islands are breeding grounds for penguins and seabirds; you can also visit research stations.
Drake Passage
7. Drake Passage
The stretch of water between South America and Antarctica inspires a sense of both adventure and dread. During the two-day crossing, stomachs will be churned by the waves, gales and the sense of mounting excitement. Watch giant albatross from the deck and join in the fascinating wildlife and geography lectures. And, as you reach the frozen continent, you’ll never forget your first sighting of a colossal iceberg.
Falkland Islands
8. Falkland Islands
A bit of Britain at the end of the world, the windswept, wave-bashed Falklands have surprising biodiversity. Commerson’s dolphins may follow your boat, while enormous albatross glide above and four species of penguins nest on the shoreline. Meet the people they share the island with in Port Stanley, home to a fish and chip shop and red phone boxes, plus shipwrecks and an unsettling whalebone arch.
King George Island
9. King George Island
One of the last outposts before reaching Antarctica, 120km to the south, the South Shetlands are home to 16 research stations – and the continent’s only hotel. The largest island is King George; its airfield can be used by those wishing to avoid the rough Drake Passage crossing. Penguins, gulls, cormorants and giant petrels nest here, and the tundra landscape supports mosses and lichens, a surreal sight.
Ross Sea/Subantarctic Islands
10. Ross Sea/Subantarctic Islands
The specks of land between NZ and the Ross Sea are some of the most isolated and unusual islands on earth. Strange megaherbs flourish on Campbell Island, adapted to the harsh conditions. Visit the Australian Antarctic Base and the enormous penguin colonies on Macquarie Island. Further south, in the Ross Sea, an enormous active volcano, is found on Ross Island, along with Shackleton’s Hut and a research station.
South Georgia
11. South Georgia
Desolate and beautiful, South Georgia, one of the exceptionally remote South Sandwich Islands, is the resting place of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. A 3,000m mountain ridge discharges glaciers into sheltered harbours, home to king penguins and enormous, barking elephant seals. The museum reveals the island’s fascinating history. Volcanic Mount Michael, on Saunders Island, has an active lava lake.
Tierra del Fuego
12. Tierra del Fuego
Most Antarctic expeditions start on this island at the end of the world. Having travelled all this way, it’s well worth allowing a couple of days for exploration. There are easy walking trails through the national park forests, and you can paddle canoes on lagoons and rivers. Expedition boats depart via the Beagle Channel, with a backdrop of ice-coated mountains giving a sense of how vast the “tip” of South America truly is.
Our top Antarctica & the Arctic Holiday
Arctic sailing voyages, Spitsbergen
Experience sailing in the fjords
From
€2540 to €5490
8 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 10 Apr, 18 Apr, 15 May, 22 May, 23 May, 30 May, 9 Jun, 18 Jun, 28 Jun, 29 Jun, 18 Jul, 23 Aug
2021: 10 Apr, 17 Apr, 24 Apr, 30 Apr, 1 May, 7 May, 8 May, 14 May, 15 May, 21 May, 22 May, 29 May, 7 Jun, 8 Jun, 17 Jun, 18 Jun, 28 Jun, 7 Jul, 17 Jul, 22 Aug
2020: 10 Apr, 18 Apr, 15 May, 22 May, 23 May, 30 May, 9 Jun, 18 Jun, 28 Jun, 29 Jun, 18 Jul, 23 Aug
2021: 10 Apr, 17 Apr, 24 Apr, 30 Apr, 1 May, 7 May, 8 May, 14 May, 15 May, 21 May, 22 May, 29 May, 7 Jun, 8 Jun, 17 Jun, 18 Jun, 28 Jun, 7 Jul, 17 Jul, 22 Aug
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Antarctica & the Arctic or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Antarctica and Arctic Cruise Itineraries
Eastern Siberia, 15 days:
Alaska > Eastern Russia > Wrangel > Herald Islands > North Siberian coast > Bering Strait > Chukotka Coast
Alaska > Eastern Russia > Wrangel > Herald Islands > North Siberian coast > Bering Strait > Chukotka Coast
Wildlife Cruise, 14 days:
Svalbard > Longyearbyen > Greenland Sea > Eastern Greenand > Denmark Strait
Classic cruise, 12 days:
Ushiaia > Drake Passage (2 days) > Antarctic Peninsula and islands > Drake Passage (2 days) > Ushuaia
Footsteps of Shackleton, 25 days:
Ushuaia > Falkland Islands > South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands > South Orkney Islands > South Shetland Islands > Antarctic Peninsula and islands > Antarctic Peninsula and islands > Ushuaia
More about Antarctica & the Arctic
The best time to visit the polar regions is during the Arctic and Antarctic summers – when the pack ice melts enough to let ships pass, wildlife is abundant and temperatures nudge above freezing.
A polar expedition, whether you head north or south, is undoubtedly the trip of a lifetime – the chance to step on strange, icy lands where few adventurers will ever go.
There are many things to do in Antarctica and the Arctic away from the mother ship. Polar adventures mean wildlife encounters, zodiac trips, Inuit communities and even kayaking.
The wildlife in Antarctica and the Arctic is very different. Whilst seals and whales are found in both, penguins are only found in the southern hemisphere. For polar bears: head north.
You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and you can’t reach the North Pole without breaking its ice.
Planning a trip to the Polar Regions can be a daunting experience, but we've asked our polar experts to share some of their Antarctic and Arctic travel advice, from what to pack to surviving the cold.
The polar regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change, invasive species and – in the case of the Inuit – threats to their culture. Find out more about these fragile frozen places.
Find all of our Antarctica and Arctic guides in one place, from Antarctic adventure and Arctic cruising to amazing destinations like the Falkland islands or South Georgia.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Anders Jildén] [Canada: Ansgar Walk]
[Greenland: Johan Siegers]
[North Pole: Polar Cruises]
[Siberia: Boris Solovyev]
[Svalbard: James Padolsey]
[Antarctic Peninsula: Liam Quinn]
[Drake Passage: michelle2214]
[Falkland Islands: John5199]
[King George Island: Acaro]
[Ross Sea/Subantarctic Islands: twiddleblat]
[South Georgia: Liam Quinn]
[Tierra del Fuego: Gus Valentim]
[Antarctica and Arctic Cruise Itineraries: Derek Oyen]
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