Land-based Arctic travel

Just the name, Greenland, conjures up some magical images in the mind. Unfathomablly big fjord systems filled with massive icebergs, colourful settlements alive with fascinating culture, and of course the ice cap that crushes the land on which it sits.

Greenland is open to ships for just a short window from July to September, but to the land traveller, it's open all year round.

Winter months offer dog sledding, ice fishing and snowmobiling across the frozen fjords, before walking out under the Aurora Borealis. 

Best known for boat-based expeditions in search of polar bears, Svalbard is little known for its land-based adventures, but there are many to choose from.

For short sharp breaks in winter, Svalbard becomes a playground for dog sledding and some serious snowmobiling, as well as visits to ice caves or abandoned coal mines.

The northern lights are often spotted above the hills and the heart of winter gives you an opportunity to experience 24-hour darkness in the relative comfort of good hotels.

One of the exclusively land-based destinations within the Arctic, with some fabulous tours to chose from. During February and March, this is one of the very best places in the world to see the northern lights due to an incredibly high proportion of clear nights and some brilliant facilities to help keep you warm at the same time.

In July and August, Hudson Bay hosts one of the most spectacular animal migrations in the world as thousands of beluga whales congregate at the mouth of the Churchill River to calve. This should be on any wildlife lovers list of must-sees.

Perhaps most famously though, for a few weeks in October and November Churchill becomes the centre of a polar bear migration as these majestic apex predators gather to await the ice on Hudson Bay and the seals that will attract. Nowhere else on earth will get you so close to a polar bear.

If you have a longing to adventure by cruise, planning a ship-based trip around the Arctic is certainly a spectacular way to fulfil it.

From spotting polar bears in the Northwest Passage, to kayaking in Svalbard and appreciating Inuit art in the Canadian Arctic, our cruise trips vary as much as the ships they feature.

The expedition focus, however, is at the core of each – with maximum landings and uninterrupted discovery, out on deck and in workshops and lectures, while at sea.