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Travelling to the Arctic tops many people’s bucket list. Ethereal, hauntingly remote, and breathtakingly beautiful, it’s like nowhere else in the world. Scenes of white, shimmering ice, dramatic cliffs, and deep blue-green waters contrast with unique opportunities for cultural immersion in vibrant capital cities like Reykjavik and Nuuk.
You might think of the Arctic as being a world away. But the Arctic Circle is made up of parts of Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia, and North America – and getting there is surprisingly accessible from the UK, especially if you book onto a cruise. You can sail from the UK or Europe in complete comfort, with everything taken care of for you, from your itinerary to your meals.
The smaller boats used on Arctic cruises also make it easier to access remote areas for more intimate experiences. You can marvel at towering icebergs, just a few feet away, and get closer to beautiful wildlife, including the iconic polar bear and the charming Arctic fox.
But what’s even more fascinating is that, amidst the desolate beauty, are opportunities to meet indigenous communities, visit gourmet restaurants and fashion boutiques, and admire award-winning architecture.
With so much to see and do on an Arctic cruise, you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable experience. Here are 12 amazing things to look forward to.
1. Spot your first polar bear
Huge, powerful, and mesmerising, few wildlife lovers wouldn’t relish the chance to see a polar bear in real life. These majestic creatures live on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean and can swim for days at a time, moving from one piece of ice to another. They may look cute, but their sheer size (they can weigh up to 800kg!) and strong hunting instincts make them incredibly dangerous.
This is one reason why an Arctic cruise is so special – you can admire polar bears in the wild from a safe distance. The Svalbard archipelago, in Norway, is one of the best places to spot polar bears, as over 3,000 of them call it home. In fact, in the high season, from May to August, there are more polar bears than people, meaning that it’s rare not to see one.
2. Admire stunning Arctic flora
Flowers might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you picture an Arctic cruise, which is often synonymous with vast sheets of ice, rocky tundra, and expansive bodies of water. However, during the brief Arctic summer, a beautiful carpet of vibrant blooms paints the landscape in unexpected colours.
In the bogs and tundra, Arctic cotton grass (which resembles cotton wool and was once used by Inuit as a candle wick) springs to life. Brilliant purple saxifrage blooms and yellow Arctic poppies emerge from seemingly barren rock crevices; delicate white mountain avens adorn hillsides; and blur-violet lupines spread across meadows, glowing under the midnight sun.
3. Immerse yourself in the Sámi way of life
For culture enthusiasts, an Arctic cruise is an opportunity to learn about the indigenous Sámi people, who originate from the region of Sápmi, which spans the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Of the estimated 80,000 Sámi people, around half live in Norway. They’re best known for fishing, sheep herding, and reindeer herding (with many going to university to learn about how to care for their herds).
The Sámi people have their own parliaments to represent them in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and are ‘semi-nomadic’, meaning they don’t stay in the same place year-round. Herders travel with their reindeer to the mountains for winter, camping in traditional lavvo tents, before returning to their community in the summer. Other Sami traditions include shamanistic beliefs, handicrafts (duodji) made from natural materials, and musical expression through joik (a specific type of song).
Reimagine your next voyage with Swan Hellenic
Sail to the Arctic on a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise, and join some of history’s most adventurous souls. Immerse yourself in a peaceful, icy world of natural beauty, knowing you’re one of the few people who have ever been here.
To find out more about their upcoming expedition seasons, why not order your free brochure to browse today?
4. Discover hidden gems in a sea kayak
As mentioned, Arctic cruises often use smaller ships for a more intimate experience. But to help you get even closer to icebergs, beautiful wildlife, and frozen coastlines, some cruise companies offer sea kayaking. Both tranquil and thrilling, exploring the Arctic in these tiny paddle boats allows you to experience the true magnitude and beauty of the region’s natural scenes.
Arctic waters are generally calm, meaning you can glide silently through them, discovering all kinds of hidden gems. This also means you can observe wildlife, like seals, Arctic terns, and whales, in their natural habitat without disturbing them.
5. Explore Norway’s Svalbard
As mentioned, Svalbard is one of the best places in the world to spot polar bears – but there’s far more to this cluster of snowy islands, situated between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. Over 40 nationalities call Svalbard home, creating a unique cultural melting pot that even hosts the world’s northernmost blues festival, Dark Season Blues, each October as the polar night begins.
Beyond culture, Svalbard transforms into a summer paradise for millions of birds, while ancient secrets lie beneath – researchers once excavated a 150-million-year-old pliosaur fossil here. Nature also provides dramatic seasonal contrasts: northern lights dance from October to February, while the midnight sun from mid-April to mid-August lets you sail beneath fiery skies at midnight – a surreal, unmissable experience!
6. Witness the Northern Lights
The chance to witness the magnificent natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights sits high on many people’s bucket lists. It commonly appears in a ring around the Arctic, called the ‘Auroral Oval’, with the top viewing locations being northern Norway, northern Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, and Arctic Canada.
Seeing the northern lights from a cruise ship offers unique, unmatched advantages compared to land-based viewing. Ships can navigate away from light pollution and position themselves in optimal viewing zones based on weather conditions and aurora forecasts. Many Arctic cruises also run during prime aurora season, from September through March, and you’ll often have heated outdoor decks or even glass-domed lounges for comfortable viewing.
7. Visit remote Inuit villages
The Inuit are the indigenous peoples of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska, known for their adaptability to harsh environments. While traditionally nomadic, many Inuit now live in permanent settlements and villages with unique cultures and lifestyles – and, often, a cruise is the only way to reach those in the most secluded locations.
For example, the remote, picturesque village of Aappilattoq in Greenland is virtually inaccessible by land. Here, brightly-coloured houses are nestled beneath hulking snowcapped mountains on the edge of icy waters, and 100 inhabitants make a living by fishing and hunting. This peaceful village is a wonderful place to get lost in your thoughts and develop an entirely new perspective on the world.
8. Embrace Greenland’s thriving cultural scene
While Aappilattoq reveals one side of Greenland, the vibrant capital city of Nuuk offers something entirely different. Situated at the mouth of a large fjord system, here, you can experience both the wild, desolate beauty of the Arctic and the amenities of a modern city. When you’re not chasing the northern lights, floating through the stunning fjords, or taking in views of colourful houses on Nuuk’s western seafront, history and culture abound.
Nuuk is home to many excellent restaurants offering opportunities to indulge in traditional Greenlandic cuisine, including reindeer stew; sussat, a thick soup made with seal meat; and mattak, raw whale skin. The Katuaq Cultural Centre also hosts various events, conferences, and concerts; Nuuk Art Museum houses over 1,200 historical and contemporary works by local and international artists; and Old Nuuk allows you to step back in time to where the city was originally founded.
9. Spot whales, Arctic foxes, caribou, puffins, and more
Arctic cruises offer incredible wildlife encounters beyond the region’s most famous residents. Beluga whales glide through icy waters in pristine white pods, while massive walruses haul out on rocky shores, their tusks gleaming in the midnight sun. Seals bob curiously near ship hulls, and Arctic foxes dart across tundra landscapes.
The skies above teem with life as puffins nest on dramatic cliffsides, their colourful beaks unmistakable during breeding season. Thick-billed murres and guillemots create bustling seabird colonies, while snowy owls hunt silently across the vast wilderness. Caribou herds migrate across sweeping valleys, and the occasional Arctic hare bounds through summer wildflower meadows, completing this remarkable ecosystem.
10. Explore Reykjavik
Many Arctic cruises include the chance to explore Reykjavik, Iceland’s trendy capital city, which has no shortage of quirky cafes, lively bars, fascinating museums, and stylish shops. Small but exciting, it would take you two to three days before you ran out of things to do here.
You can relax in geothermal pools like the Sky Lagoon, marvel at Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland’s most impressive church, take in captivating sunset views from the waterfront, indulge in a food walking tour, and admire the Old Town’s famous rainbow street.
11. Experience the thrill of the polar plunge
An activity frequently offered to thrill seekers during Arctic cruises is the iconic polar plunge! Although brief, it’s known to be rejuvenating, exhilarating, and something you won’t forget in a hurry. So what’s all the fuss about? Put simply, travellers are tethered to a safety line before jumping into the near-freezing Arctic waters, typically from the cruise ship or a small inflatable Zodiac boat.
It’s a test of courage and not one for the faint-hearted, but those who do it view it as a once-in-a-lifetime achievement – something to be celebrated. Even for those who decide not to jump, watching others take the plunge can be incredibly entertaining.
Reimagine your next voyage with Swan Hellenic
Sail to the Arctic on a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise, and join some of history’s most adventurous souls. Immerse yourself in a peaceful, icy world of natural beauty, knowing you’re one of the few people who have ever been here.
To find out more about their upcoming expedition seasons, why not order your free brochure to browse today?
12. Witness the midnight sun
While the northern lights aren’t visible in the Arctic during the summer months, something equally mesmerising comes into play: the midnight sun. This extraordinary natural occurrence happens when the Earth’s axial tilt positions the Arctic within the “circle of illumination,” meaning the sun never fully sets below the horizon. Instead, it traces a continuous circle across the sky, creating perpetual daylight that can last for months, depending on your latitude.
The midnight sun transforms the entire cruise experience, bathing ice formations and wildlife in golden, ethereal light at all hours. This endless daylight also means more opportunities for wildlife spotting and shore excursions, as there’s no rush to return before darkness falls. The surreal experience of checking your watch at 2am only to find brilliant sunshine streaming through your cabin window creates unforgettable memories that last a lifetime.
Final thoughts…
The Arctic offers a travel experience like no other, and travelling by cruise ship is one of the best – and sometimes only – way to reach some of the remote and hauntingly beautiful areas in this region. And while Arctic cruises may conjure up images of ice, ice, and more ice, beyond the frozen wilderness, there’s much more on offer.
You can explore vibrant capital cities, brimming with rich history and culture, experience a different way of life with the indigenous Sami people, tuck into traditional food, and take part in thrilling activities, such as sea kayaking and the polar plunge. And that’s without mentioning the incredible wildlife-spotting opportunities!
Have you been on an Arctic cruise? Or do you dream of going on one? What appeals to you most about an Arctic cruise? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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