Stretching across the top of the globe and touching eight countries, the Arctic is rife with opportunity for every type of explorer, whether you seek iconic wildlife, epic icescapes, or enriching encounters with cultures of the far North. Here are some highlights from the areas we explore to help you decide which Arctic expedition is the best fit for your interests.
Read
more
Norway: Under the midnight sun, photograph epic wildlife such as polar bears, reindeer, walruses, seals, whales, and myriad birds. Cruise and kayak beneath soaring cliffs and tumbling cascades along the Norwegian fjords.
Iceland: Take a Zodiac cruise through a basalt cave, hike the base of a fjord to a thundering waterfall, or stroll sea cliffs aflutter with gannets and puffins. Encounter local culture, tradition, and music.
Greenland: Greenland’s icescapes glitter in a dazzling tableau of iridescent icebergs and calving glaciers that we explore by kayak, Zodiac, and on foot. Go beyond the country’s icy surface to experience cultural encounters in thriving Inuit communities.
Canada: For the explorer who seeks seldom-seen lands, as well as elusive muskoxen, polar bears, walruses, belugas, and narwhals. Further south, along the rocky coasts of the maritime regions, we see a different side of Arctic exploration: traces of the peoples who settled these shorelines. Discover Viking villages, a Moravian mission, and other historical relics in a once-popular landing spot for westward voyagers.
(17) Arctic Itineraries
Loading...
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged. More details.
Circumnavigate the Island of Fire and Ice, from its wealth of wildlife and striking geological formations, to its cultural history steeped in saga and exploration history
Explore a variety of landscapes across the island from lava fields, seismic faults, geothermal springs, and thundering waterfalls
Hike up mountain trails, kayak in protected fjords, bike through remote villages, or take a Zodiac cruise around a seabird colony
New
Arctic Odyssey: Iceland, Greenland, and Canada
Duration
15 days
Aug
From
$18,571
Top Highlights
Circumnavigate the Island of Fire and Ice, from its wealth of wildlife and striking geological formations, to its cultural history steeped in saga and exploration history
Explore a variety of landscapes across the island from lava fields, seismic faults, geothermal springs, and thundering waterfalls
Hike up mountain trails, kayak in protected fjords, bike through remote villages, or take a Zodiac cruise around a seabird colony
Circumnavigate the Island of Fire and Ice, from its wealth of wildlife and striking geological formations, to its cultural history steeped in saga and exploration history
Explore a variety of landscapes across the island from lava fields, seismic faults, geothermal springs, and thundering waterfalls
Hike up mountain trails, kayak in protected fjords, bike through remote villages, or take a Zodiac cruise around a seabird colony
Venture into the dramatic high Arctic islands, up to the ice edge and learn dramatic stories of explorers and adventurers who sought this remarkable, icy frontier
Glide between soaring icebergs at the mouth of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Explore Ellesmere Island with binoculars at the ready to spot polar bears, walruses, ringed seals, belugas, bowhead whales, and the elusive narwhal
Hike the dramatic Dynjandi Waterfall in Iceland's remote Westfjords peninsula, and visit a farm that produces eiderdown
Delve into Greenlandic culture with visits to Uummannaq and Qilakitsoq to see the archaeological site of the 5,000-year-old mummies and visit the National Museum in Nuuk where they can be viewed
Cruise among the dazzling icebergs calved by the Ilulissat Icefjord and search for whales amid impressive tidewater glaciers in West Greenland
Land Of The Ice Bears: An In-Depth Exploration Of Arctic Svalbard
Duration
10 days
May
Jun
From
$15,204
Top Highlights
Search for polar bears and walrus alongside our veteran spotters
Explore under the midnight sun and take advantage of spectacular photo ops with tips from a National Geographic Photography Expert
Sail up to rock-wall rookeries teeming with thousands of birds, see pelagic birds from the ship’s rail when we’re underway, and Zodiac cruise near a cloud of feeding arctic terns
It is a privilege to visit the Arctic, one of the planet’s most interesting places, and to this privilege, National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Resolution add the luxury of comfort—a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
Iceland's Volcano: Eruption Updates with Geologist Ralph Lee Hopkins
Director of Expedition Photography Ralph Lee Hopkins spent two weeks obsessively devoted to capturing the mood swings of the world’s newest and most active volcano.
In the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Greenland, the icebergs are so concentrated that they fill the landscape. It’s a stunning combination of ancient and ever-changing: the ice that forms those bergs might be 250,000 years old, but your view will transform every hour as they shift, roll, and jostle towards the ocean.
With enhanced hunting abilities, seemingly white fur (it’s actually clear, but some cool optical tricks make it look white) to camouflage them in their icy environment, and black skin to soak in the sun’s rays, polar bears are the Arctic’s apex predator.
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalists, undersea specialist, National Geographic photographer, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Explore the Arctic with a team of naturalists—many of them polar veterans—with a variety of specialties: zoology, biology, ornithology, geology, polar history, and more. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.
Discover what lies beneath the waves withan undersea specialist aboard who can dive into the cold waters to shoot video of what lies beneath the waves or deploy an ROV to depths of 1,000 feet to explore never-before-seen regions.
Travel and photograph with a bona fide National Geographic photographer. These top pros are at your side and at your service—providing advice, tips, and slideshows. Access to photographers of this caliber will help you improve your skills and ensure you’ll go home with incredible photos.
Certified Photo Instructor
Every Arctic expedition also offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to help you become a better, more confident photographer—and to help you understand the movements of wildlife so you can create top shots.
Video chroniclers accompany every expedition and shoot vivid HD footage—with no recycled footage ever—to provide you with a professionally edited and completely authentic memento of your expedition. Working during the day and editing into the night, they have your DVD ready for preview prior to—and available to purchase at—disembarkation.
Today “Viking fever” overtook us all as we explored the UNESCO World Heritage Site of L’Anse aux Meadows, the only site indicating pre-Columbian contact between Europe and the Americas. Dating to circa 1000, L’Anse aux Meadows features not only the archaeological site discovered in the 1960s, but also a modern museum and a set of reconstructed Viking longhouses. We warmed up in front of the toasty fires, tried on some cloaks and helmets (without horns for historical accuracy), and played a Viking lawn game. At our next stop, the Norstead reconstructed Viking village, we continued the adventure, practicing our axe-throwing, trading with the local Viking guides for knitwear, and having our fortunes told with runes. At lunch we split into three groups, some returning to National Geographic Explorer, others sampling a variety of seafood in a multi-course meal, and the rest participating in a Viking feast and reenactment. We were invited to present our grievances for the judgement of the court, and Ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar was found guilty of disturbing the peace and sentenced to touching his toes, to the delight of all (except him, perhaps)! Back on board, we enjoyed a selection of local sausages as National Geographic Explorer departed the gorgeous harbor of St. Anthony.
Today I hugged a human dressed as a lighthouse. It was a spectacular day. Even from the Zodiac as we approached the small Labrador community of Red Bay, people were smiling, people were waving, and the “lighthouse” was dancing. You could feel the love and joy of this tiny, close-knit community. The people we met today were, of course, not the first people to settle on this land. This area is acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site predominantly due to its incredible underwater preservation of Basque whaling shipwrecks and the settlement dating back to the sixteenth century. This history was illuminated for us by a lovely team of Parks Canada interpreters as we strolled around Saddle Island amongst the vibrant low-lying fall foliage and incredible ocean vistas. The afternoon was a choose-your-own-adventure of various hikes or free time in town. The day was a highlight for many as the weather and the views above the water were phenomenal. Below the water, Hailey Shchepanik, one of our incredible dive pair, was able to revisit a historic shipwreck she had worked to preserve years earlier.
Directly after breakfast we made a landing at Woody Point to start our day at Gros Morne National Park. From there it was a short ride to the Tablelands where we walked on the earth’s mantle, ancient oceanic material that has been squeezed up due to tectonic pressures. This was a day of geology. In the afternoon we crossed the ‘tickle’ (a shallow area that tickles the bottom of a boat) to the other side of the fjord. One of our stops, Green Point, was at a now famous beach cliff that officially marks the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary in geology which is dated at 485.4 million years ago.
Today was looking a little uncertain as we motored into the Bay of Islands, but as we made our way further into Goose Arm, the water calmed and it turned into a glorious sunny morning. We lowered the kayaking platform and quite a few guests took advantage of the calm waters to explore the flora and fauna of the bay. At the same time, we offered Zodiac cruises and saw quite a few birds, including a banded kingfisher and a juvenile bald eagle. We also appreciated the perfect reflections of this special location. The afternoon was spent cruising other arms in the bay and listening to presentations on the geology of the region, undersea archeology, and Viking history in preparation for the coming days. Teatime included local mussels out on the back deck for our culinary delight and later a colorful sunset completed our day.
After departing Cape Breton, Nova Scotia the night before, we arrived at the Magdalen Islands (known as Îles de la Madeleine in French) on a picture-perfect day. We split into three activity groups. One excursion was a bus tour of the islands, the second a scenic bike ride, and the third was a hiking tour across the beautiful landscape. Our tour got to visit some of the archipelago’s striking red sandstone rock formations, a couple of picturesque lighthouses, and a tasting tour of a local artisanal cheese maker and smokehouse. This was in addition to an amazing lunch of mussels or fish and chips at wonderful restaurant in an old convent, and oysters on the back deck of National Geographic Explorer. It was a day rich in culinary adventures. We were treated to some foot-stomping Acadian tunes played by talented local musicians Gilles Lapierre and Evan Martinet. Lapierre, who was also our tour guide for the day, is a masterful singer, storyteller, and player of the knucklebones, a percussion instrument made of beef rib bones that is used in a variety of folk music traditions. He and Martinet, the finest fiddler on the island, filled the ship’s lounge with joyful energy and toe-tapping rhythms.
The Arctic is clearly a place we should seek to better understand and appreciate—for its own sake and for the sake of the world at large.