Best Places to Visit in the Arctic

The Arctic is one of the world’s most remote, rugged, and unique destinations, far beyond just the North Pole itself. The Arctic Ocean may be the world’s smallest, at 5.4 million square miles, but it’s packed with incredible wildlife experiences, Indigenous culture, and landscapes unlike those found anywhere else on the planet.

The best places to visit in the Arctic offer visitors a glimpse into the beauty, isolation, and diversity of the region’s remote communities, wildlife, and icy seascapes. The Arctic itself consists of parts of many countries: Greenland, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United States.

However, the best way to explore some of the various regions is via an Arctic expedition cruise, as small ships can travel into remote and rugged locations that would otherwise be difficult to access. Each day, you’ll go out with your experienced expedition guides to visit an Inuit community, hike the icy tundra, or search for elusive wildlife. 

To help you start planning, here are some of the best places to visit in the Arctic on an expedition cruise!

Canada’s Northwest Passage

Why visit? This historic sailing route goes through the Arctic Sea and connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It offers an iconic Arctic experience, featuring tundra and glacial landscapes and the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of famed explorers.

Northwest Passage cruises usually go between Canada’s High Arctic and Greenland and range from 17-29 days. You may follow routes taken by explorers like Amundsen and Larsen, with your experienced expedition guides offering lectures explaining the history as you cruise.

Popular places to visit on a Northwest Passage cruise include:

Baffin Island

The largest island in Canada, Baffin is part of the Canadian High Arctic territory of Nunavut. Home to several national parks, the landscapes here delight with rugged peaks, soft tundra, and lots of wildlife, including seabirds and polar bears.

The island is called Qikiqtaaluk in Inuktitut, the Inuit language spoken in Nunavut, and is home to many Indigenous communities.

Devon Island

This vast Canadian island is uninhabited, rugged and unspoilt with a red landscape that seemingly resembles Mars. It’s home to a large colony of musk oxen and its coastline is dotted with icebergs and glaciers.

Cambridge Bay

This is a vibrant community, with a thriving arts scene that's home to the Canadian High Arctic Research Station. Cambridge Bay is also a fantastic destination for observing wildlife, including caribou and musk oxen.

This gorgeous inlet is also popular with fly fishing, particularly for Arctic char, a type of trout. 

Greenland

Why visit? Simply put, there is absolutely nowhere else like Greenland. The world’s largest non-continental island, nearly covered in a vast ice sheet, Greenland offers jaw-dropping scenery, diverse wildlife, and meaningful opportunities to learn from Inuit communities.

Due to its vast size, cruises often visit either Eastern or Western Greenland, across 7-14 days. Depending on the destination, Greenland cruises often depart or end in either Kangerlussuaq, Nuuk, or Reykjavik. 

You may not know that Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, but it has its own distinct identity.

Western Greenland

Western Greenland is the much more populated side of the island, making it ideal for visiting colourful coastal communities, historic whaling towns, and viewing mighty glaciers and ice formations.

Nuuk

The capital of Greenland, Nuuk offers colourful homes and amazing natural beauty, easy to observe as you hike or kayak. Nuuk is home to Nuup Kangerlua Fjord, one of the largest fjord systems in the world.

Or, visit the architectural marvel that is the Katuaq Cultural Center, a community gathering place and restaurant where you can try local delicacies like musk ox or reindeer. With a unique urban environment, the culture and architecture of Nuuk make it a truly one of a kind city to visit!

Disko Bay

Home to huge iceberg formations, this inlet is also one of the best places for Arctic whale watching. There is so much to see and do in this area, including community visits, volcanic black sand beaches (found only on Disko Island), and lots of chances for wildlife spotting.

Ilulissat

This charming and photogenic town is one of the most-visited places in Greenland and sits within Disko Bay. It’s famous for the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, making it one of the best places to observe dramatic, sculptural ice formations in the region.

The brightly-coloured timber homes here are also a dream for photographers and there are plenty of cultural connections to be made here, from museum visits to the local tradition of kaffemik, where community members come together to socialise over coffee and cake.

Eastern Greenland

In Eastern Greenland, you’ll find fewer towns, increased wildlife, and the world’s largest national park, Northeast Greenland National Park. This makes the East ideal for landscape photographers and anyone seeking immersion into one of the most unspoilt and dramatic environments on the planet.

Northeast Greenland National Park

This park is truly spectacular. While it may appear to be an icy wilderness, it is paradise for many Arctic species. Here, within this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, you’re likely to see walrus, seals, polar bears, Arctic wolves and foxes, and even humpbacks or other whale species.

And the landscapes within the park are just as impressive, as you may see calving glaciers, ancient layers of colourful strata rock formations, and gorgeous fjords. The seascapes are best appreciated from water level, on a zodiac cruise, as your expedition guide narrates.

Scoresby Sund

The largest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sund was created by tectonic plate movement and glacial carving over millennia. The result is an epic, jagged landscape that’s almost too vast to comprehend! Keep your eyes peeled for puffins, seals, and narwhales.

There’s plentiful wildlife, dramatic iceberg formations, and sheer cliff faces - plus, lots of vibrant Arctic tundra plants, courtesy of the nutrient-rich volcanic soil found here.

Ittoqqortoormiit

Located at the entrance to Scoresby Sund, Ittoqqortoormiit is the only permanent settlement in the region. Here, you can learn about the culture and history of this remote Inuit fishing and hunting town, visit a beautiful Greenlandic church, and you may be able to attend a traditional cultural performance. 

Svalbard

Why visit? Home of the midnight sun, Svalbard is one of the most well-known and iconic Arctic destinations, known for its polar bears, beluga whales, and walruses. It’s also popular for adventure activities and is well-known for the pristine pastel homes of Longyearbyen.

Cruises to Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, generally sail for 6-10 days in and out of Longyearbyen. However, Svalbard is often visited on longer Arctic cruises to East Greenland, Norway and Iceland. Many people are eager to visit Svalbard for the chance to spot polar bears, as a substantial population resides in the region. Strict regulations are in place to protect both the animals and humans, ensuring the bears and their fragile icy habitats are not disturbed.

However, polar bears are just one of the reasons to visit this unique part of Norway, with Svalbard considered one of the best places to see wildlife. Positioned within the High Arctic, Svalbard also offer incredible access to pack ice, glaciers, and vast ice sheets, offering unbelievable landscapes unlike those found anywhere else. 

On a cruise to Svalbard, you're likely to visit:

Longyearbyen

Originally founded as a coal mining town, the settlement of Longyearbyen is now the jumping-off point for tourism in the Svalbard area. If your expedition cruise is departing from here, you may want to arrive early to enjoy some of the area’s adventure activities like kayaking, ice caving, or snowmobiling.

You can also visit the fantastic North Pole Expedition Museum, the Svalbard Church, built in 1921, or even warm up with a cold beer at the Svalbard Brewery! A highlight for many guests is also the Svalbard Museum, offering fascinating insight into the natural history and culture of the area. 

Hornsund

This beautiful fjord is on the western side of Spitsbergen, the largest island within the Svalbard archipelago. With stunning inlets, bays, and epic glaciers, this area is ideal for zodiac cruising or even kayaking in calm conditions. 

Iceland

Why visit? This volcanic hot spot is a gem of the Arctic region, home to otherworldly fjords, waterfalls, and plentiful wildlife and bird species.

Iceland circumnavigation cruises generally take around 7-10 days and will cross into the Arctic Circle. 

Reykjavik

While technically not within the Arctic, Reykjavík is Iceland’s capital. It’s also the jumping-off point for many Iceland cruises and a beautiful place to spend a few days, especially if you have an interest in Viking history. 

This city is also a common starting point for cruises to East Greenland. 

Westfjords

This gorgeous area, in the country’s northwest, is often missed by tourists. With dramatic cliffs, lush green hills, and even black sand beaches, it’s not surprising to learn that this hauntingly beautiful landscape plays an important role in traditional Icelandic folklore.

And the rocky cliffs and windswept terrain are also appealing to one of Iceland’s most striking residents, the puffin. The Westfjords are one of the best places to observe puffins, particularly on the named cliffs of Hornbjarg, Látrabjarg, and Hælavíkurbjarg in the months of May through August.

Grimsey Island

As the Arctic Circle passes through Grímsey Island, you’re truly in the Icelandic Polar region once you arrive. This rugged island is also one of the best places to observe nesting puffins, but it’s also home to many other seabird species, including Arctic terns, northern fulmars, and black-legged kittiwakes.  

An Arctic expedition cruise can take you far off the beaten path, introducing you to these dramatic Polar regions and many others. If you’re ready to start planning your Arctic cruise, or have questions, our experienced Destination Specialists are here to help.