How to get to the Arctic

Getting to the Arctic by boat has the obvious disadvantage that due to ice it's only possible for a few limited months each summer. Plus, the sheer distances involved can be a challenge, which is where flying is often a better bet.

However, for anyone keen to reach the Arctic by ship, a number of expedition ships offer a limited selection of voyages in early summer which start in either Scotland, Iceland or Norway and head north to Svalbard, bisecting the Arctic Circle en route. These trips typically last 10-14 days and are a great way to experience the transition in climate and habitat as you journey north.

In spite of Svalbard being located closer to the North Pole than its nearest neighbour Norway, due to daily scheduled flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen, the main town, it's actually one of the most accessible parts of the High Arctic, and least expensive to get to.

A truly iconic destination which resides on many a traveller’s Bucket List, it's actually more accessible than many realise. The most popular route is via icebreaker ship from Murmansk in Russia, during the summer months, forcing a path through the ice to reach 90 degrees north to stand on the roof of the world, where all lines of longitude meet. Alternatively, for those shorter on time, you can fly to Svalbard (in April only) and from there arrive at the North Pole by helicopter.

A vast area dominated by the labyrinthine Arctic Archipelago, the sheer distances and extremity of the weather provide real challenges when it comes to both getting to and travel within the Canadian Arctic. In the absence of scheduled flights, charter flights from gateway cities like Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton are called upon to reach remote Inuit communities and logistical centres like Resolute.

For such a large island which backs almost directly into the Canadian Arctic, you would be forgiven for assuming that accessing Greenland from North America is reasonably straightforward. The reality is that the main access points for anyone wanting to get to Greenland is either via Copenhagen, Denmark or Iceland.

The Russian Arctic occupies the longest and least populated coastline in the whole of the Arctic. Access is limited and expensive, and visitor infrastructure rudimentary at best once you arrive. One notable exception to this are summer trips by expedition ship from Anadyr to Wrangel Island, an important polar bear denning site.