Norway & Svalbard Svalbard
Norway’s high-Arctic archipelago, halfway between the mainland and the North Pole: glaciers, polar bears, walrus and the world’s northernmost town.
North Pole: things to see
There are no sights at the Pole — only ice, light and the fact of being there. These are the elements of the journey.
1. The geographic North Pole
When the ship’s GPS reads 90°00′ the engines stop and, if the ice is sound, passengers go down the gangway on to the floe. There is a ceremony, a circle walked round a marker so that everyone crosses every line of longitude, a barbecue on the ice and, for the brave, a swim. A few hours later the ship turns south — the only direction available.
2. The icebreaker voyage
Reaching the Pole takes five to seven days of steady icebreaking from the ice edge. The ship rides up on to the floes and breaks them with its weight; the noise and shudder are constant. Lectures, bridge visits and, on some vessels, helicopter flights fill the days. Only a handful of ships in the world can do this: nuclear icebreakers of the Russian fleet and one French polar-class cruise ship.
3. The sea ice
From the deck the pack is never uniform: flat pans, blue melt ponds in summer, leads of black open water and ridges of broken blocks pushed up where floes collide. Scientists on board often measure its thickness. Summer ice cover in the Arctic Ocean has declined markedly since satellite records began in 1979, and what you sail through is mostly young ice.
4. Wildlife of the high Arctic
Life thins out with latitude but does not vanish. Polar bears are sometimes seen even beyond 85° north, along with ringed and bearded seals, ivory gulls and fulmars; walrus and whales are possible near the ice edge. Ships stop, and stay quiet, when a bear is sighted — it is never approached on foot.
5. Barneo ice camp
For about three weeks each April a private Russian-run camp has traditionally been built on a floe at around 89° north, with a runway cleared for cargo jets. From there, visitors flew by helicopter to the Pole or skied the ‘last degree’, and a marathon was run on the ice. Flights used to operate from Longyearbyen; the camp has not had a normal season from Svalbard since 2018, and its future is uncertain. Verify any offer carefully.
6. Longyearbyen, the gateway
Whether you sail or fly, a Western North Pole expedition almost always begins in Svalbard’s small capital at 78° north — already further north than almost anywhere else people live. Use the waiting days for the museum, a wildlife drive or a boat trip, and to buy anything you forgot.
Destinations
Combine it with
Norway & Svalbard 
The Pole & Russia Russian Arctic
Half of the Arctic Ocean’s coastline, from Murmansk to Wrangel Island — described here for understanding, not as a recommendation: most Western governments currently advise against travel to Russia.
Iceland & Greenland East Greenland
The empty side of Greenland: Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system on Earth, and the mountain-ringed settlements of Tasiilaq and Kulusuk — expedition country.
Plan your trip
Book tours in Svalbard, the North Pole gateway
Compare real-time prices and availability on GetYourGuide. Most tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead.