Stretching across the top of the globe and touching eight countries, the Arctic is rife with opportunity for every type of explorer, whether you seek iconic wildlife, epic icescapes, or enriching encounters with cultures of the far North. Here are some highlights from the areas we explore to help you decide which Arctic expedition is the best fit for your interests.
Read
more
Norway: Under the midnight sun, photograph epic wildlife such as polar bears, reindeer, walruses, seals, whales, and myriad birds. Cruise and kayak beneath soaring cliffs and tumbling cascades along the Norwegian fjords.
Iceland: Take a Zodiac cruise through a basalt cave, hike the base of a fjord to a thundering waterfall, or stroll sea cliffs aflutter with gannets and puffins. Encounter local culture, tradition, and music.
Greenland: Greenland’s icescapes glitter in a dazzling tableau of iridescent icebergs and calving glaciers that we explore by kayak, Zodiac, and on foot. Go beyond the country’s icy surface to experience cultural encounters in thriving Inuit communities.
Canada: For the explorer who seeks seldom-seen lands, as well as elusive muskoxen, polar bears, walruses, belugas, and narwhals. Further south, along the rocky coasts of the maritime regions, we see a different side of Arctic exploration: traces of the peoples who settled these shorelines. Discover Viking villages, a Moravian mission, and other historical relics in a once-popular landing spot for westward voyagers.
(16) Arctic Itineraries
Loading...
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged. More details.
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
Aug
From
$11,172
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
A Circumnavigation of Iceland
Duration
10 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
Aug
From
$11,172
Top Highlights
Experience all of Iceland’s geological manifestations: glaciers, geysers, thundering waterfalls, immense cliffs, geothermal springs, boiling mud pots, and lava-scapes of unearthly beauty
Meet local Icelandic experts ranging from economists to filmmakers and enjoy exclusive music performances.
Explore Iceland’s wild western coast; Siglufjörður in the north; the rarely visited rugged east coast; and the Westman islands in the south, among the planet’s youngest archipelagos
Actively explore by taking Zodiacs into fjords and serene bays
Customize your experience by taking an expedition extension
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jun
From
$20,062
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
Coastal Wonders of Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland
Duration
16 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jun
From
$20,062
Top Highlights
Sail into Norway’s spectacular fjords and explore secluded inlets and coves by kayak or Zodiac
Encounter the Bronze Age ruins and Viking longhouses of Jarlshof, a prehistoric settlement in the Shetlands
Discover the unique culture of the Faroe Islands, where residents cling proudly to their Viking heritage
Observe nesting seabirds amid the towering peaks of the Lofoten islands
Sail past the dramatic sea cliffs of the Faroes to see cliff-nesting puffins, gannets, and northern fulmars
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$18,969
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Canada
Greenland
Fabled Lands Of The North: Greenland to Newfoundland
Duration
16 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$18,969
Top Highlights
Explore two UNESCO World Heritage sites alongside a team of experts: glide among soaring icebergs at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord; and ponder the remains of the 11th-century Viking village at L’Anse aux Meadows
Meet Inuit artisans on Baffin Island and learn about their carving and weaving traditions
Join our naturalists to search for polar bears, caribou, arctic foxes, humpback and minke whales, walruses, and more in their natural habitat
Explore the untamed coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador, discovering spectacular fjords and cliffs on foot and by kayak and Zodiac
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$43,895
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Canada
Greenland
New
Gateway to the Northwest Passage: Greenland & Canada
Duration
24 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Aug
From
$43,895
Top Highlights
Travel well above 80º north into the fabled Northwest Passage and learn dramatic stories of the explorers and adventurers who sought this magnificent, icy frontier
Glide between soaring icebergs at the mouth of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Explore Ellesmere Island with binoculars at the ready to spot polar bears, walruses, ringed seals, belugas, bowhead whales, and the elusive narwhal
Visit the “Jewel of the North,” Pond Inlet, a small Inuit community known for its friendly community and world-renowned soapstone carvings
Marvel at the unique volcanic black sand beaches, hot springs, and waterfalls of Disko Island, a Greenlandic island often compared to Iceland
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
From
$21,024
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
Greenland
Iceland & Greenland: Edge of the Arctic
Duration
18 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
From
$21,024
Top Highlights
Hike the dramatic Dynjandi Waterfall in Iceland's remote Westfjords peninsula, and visit a farm that produces eiderdown
Explore Hvalsey and Brattahlíð, 10th-century Viking settlements founded by Eric the Red and his family in Greenland, and see the incredible Qilakitsoq mummies, preserved by freezing temperatures for some 500 years
Cruise among the dazzling icebergs calved by the Ilulissat Icefjord and encounter impressive tidewater glaciers in West Greenland
Experience local culture through visits to fishing villages and longhouses, folk performances, and tasting tours of traditional Greenlandic and Icelandic foods
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
Sep
From
$17,694
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Iceland
Greenland
Iceland's Wild West Coast to East Greenland
Duration
12 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jul
Sep
From
$17,694
Top Highlights
Discover the wild west coast of Iceland with its incredible geology, quiet coves, and majestic waterfalls
Explore the largest national park in the world—Northeast Greenland National Park—and search for polar bears, musk oxen, whales, and more
Sail into Scoresbysund, ice permitting, the world’s largest and longest fjord system and home to a remote Inuit community
Learn how to capture northern lights displays, conditions permitting, with our National Geographic photographer by your side
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
May
Jun
From
$13,526
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Land Of The Ice Bears: An In-Depth Exploration Of Arctic Svalbard
Duration
10 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
May
Jun
From
$13,526
Top Highlights
Search for polar bears and walrus alongside our skilled veteran spotters
Explore under the midnight sun—and take advantage of spectacular photo ops with tips from a National Geographic photographer
Sail up to rock-wall rookeries teeming with thousands of birds, see pelagic birds from the ship’s rail when we’re underway, and Zodiac cruise near a cloud of feeding arctic terns
Actively explore––kayak, Zodiac cruise, hike, and walk
Even discover the seldom-seen undersea via video shot by an ROV
Sail aboard our new, state-of-the-art polar ship to the northernmost coastlines of the planet, where few have explored before
Venture into the fabled Northwest Passage and learn dramatic stories of explorers and adventurers who sought this magnificent, icy frontier
Glide between soaring icebergs at the mouth of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Visit one of Canada’s “jewels of the north": Pond Inlet, a small Inuit community known for soapstone carvings
Observe polar bears, walrus, ringed seals, belugas, and bowhead whales
Meander through the remains of historic dwellings on Herschel Island; a scattered mixture from the Inuvialuit people and the once-booming whaling industry
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jun
Jul
From
$23,400
Prices are per person
Highlights
Arctic
Norway's Fjords and Arctic Svalbard
Duration
17 days
NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins. Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged.
Jun
Jul
From
$23,400
Top Highlights
Sail into Norway’s spectacular fjords and explore secluded inlets and coves by kayak or Zodiac
Explore the rare northern fjords, threading the ice-carved narrows and standing on the bow as the captain noses up to glacier termini
Actively explore: hike, walk, and kayak through stunning scenery
Make for the wilds of Svalbard to see ice, bears, and Arctic wildlife
Enjoy superlative photo ops and onboard photo assistance
It is a privilege to visit the Arctic, one of the planet’s most interesting places, and to this privilege, National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Resolution add the luxury of comfort—a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
Iceland's Volcano: Eruption Updates with Geologist Ralph Lee Hopkins
Director of Expedition Photography Ralph Lee Hopkins spent two weeks obsessively devoted to capturing the mood swings of the world’s newest and most active volcano.
In the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Greenland, the icebergs are so concentrated that they fill the landscape. It’s a stunning combination of ancient and ever-changing: the ice that forms those bergs might be 250,000 years old, but your view will transform every hour as they shift, roll, and jostle towards the ocean.
With enhanced hunting abilities, seemingly white fur (it’s actually clear, but some cool optical tricks make it look white) to camouflage them in their icy environment, and black skin to soak in the sun’s rays, polar bears are the Arctic’s apex predator.
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalists, undersea specialist, National Geographic photographer, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Explore the Arctic with a team of naturalists—many of them polar veterans—with a variety of specialties: zoology, biology, ornithology, geology, polar history, and more. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.
Discover what lies beneath the waves withan undersea specialist aboard who can dive into the cold waters to shoot video of what lies beneath the waves or deploy an ROV to depths of 1,000 feet to explore never-before-seen regions.
Travel and photograph with a bona fide National Geographic photographer. These top pros are at your side and at your service—providing advice, tips, and slideshows. Access to photographers of this caliber will help you improve your skills and ensure you’ll go home with incredible photos.
Certified Photo Instructor
Every Arctic expedition also offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to help you become a better, more confident photographer—and to help you understand the movements of wildlife so you can create top shots.
Video chroniclers accompany every expedition and shoot vivid HD footage—with no recycled footage ever—to provide you with a professionally edited and completely authentic memento of your expedition. Working during the day and editing into the night, they have your DVD ready for preview prior to—and available to purchase at—disembarkation.
We were woken up by expedition leader Russ Evans with the words, “Whales have been spotted! Dress warm and come join us on the outer decks!” The Navigational Officer expertly held the ship in position for all to see a pod of humpback whales feeding in the early morning light. We were all able to photograph these incredible animals and take ID shots of their flukes for Happy Whale, our citizen science project. After an amazing morning whale watching, we continued deeper into the Westfjords for an afternoon excursion at the iconic cascading falls of the Dynjandi Waterfall, also known as Fjallfoss. We stopped 3.5 miles from the waterfall to drop off a group of guests interested in a longer hike. They were greeted by eider ducks and black guillemots. National Geographic Endurance then proceeded farther into the fjord, where the rest of our guests and staff went ashore to photograph and explore the falls.
Our first day at sea led us through the fjord system Ísafjarðardjúp to Ísafjörður, the largest town in the Icelandic Westfjords. With 2,800 inhabitants, this town is the administrative and cultural center of the Westfjords. Initially, we planned to start our expedition by going straight from Reykjavík to Greenland, only spending some time in Iceland towards the end of our voyage. The beauty of traveling expedition style is that we can allow ourselves to change course if needed. Therefore, we opted for the Icelandic Westfjords while the ocean in the Denmark Strait calms down after a storm. In the morning, we split into groups. Some of us went driving through a tunnel to another fjord, Dýrafjörður, where we visited an old botanical garden, which was initially installed as an experiment by local people to see which ornamental plants could grow in the harsh Icelandic climate. Then we drove to the next fjord, Önundarfjörður, where we had a wonderful concert in the small Flateyri church, followed by a visit to Iceland’s oldest bookstore, which has been run by the same family since its beginning. The other group went driving to Álftafjörður through the Súðavík village. In the valley at the bottom of the fjord, a number of waterfalls stream down the mountain, and today they were dealing with the elements. As we walked towards the Valagil gulley, we had the wind at our backs and could see how the occasional gusts grabbed the river water as it fell from the mountain’s edge and threw it back up again. The waterfalls looked like they were smoking, or like a fair lady’s hair blowing in the wind. We hiked until we were able to view the waterfall in the narrow gulley up close. In front of it, a carpet of bog bilberry plants spread out in striking autumn colors ranging from yellow to orange to dark peach. In the afternoon, the Ísafjörður Maritime Museum and local brewery opened their doors to us. Some of us walked through the charming old town center with its beautifully renovated small houses clad with wood or corrugated iron before strolling back through the harbor area of this important albeit remote Icelandic fishing town.
An overcast sky greeted us as National Geographic Endurance entered the old harbour of Reykjavik. With a slight change in the itinerary due to weather, we were given the opportunity to explore in and around Reykjavik today. The Ring of Fire, a 4x4 tour, and a spa visit were on the menu. The Ring of Fire tour took us to one of the geothermal power plants outside the city. Icelanders make it look easy to sequester carbon dioxide. They have come up with a system where they add carbon dioxide to water and push it down into the Earth. Eventually, the bubbly water turns into rock as it reacts with the basalt. The plant supplies Reykjavik with hot water and electricity. So, all you need is geothermal activity, lots of water, and porous basalt…then you can store carbon dioxide. It’s as easy as that! Fittingly, lunch was cooked with geothermal heat, including bread and pastries baked with steam and eggs boiled in the naturally hot water. Just brilliant. Thingvellir was our last stop. We stood with one foot on the Eurasian Plate and one on the American. Well, not quite, but you can walk from one continental plate to another. Iceland is such a unique place in many ways. As the plates slowly move away from each other, the rift created is almost splitting the country in half. After the guest slideshow and farewell dinner, the day ended with a concert in the ice lounge. Hafdís Huld, a local singer-songwriter with incredible talent and charm, brought this beautiful trip to a close.
As National Geographic Endurance sailed through Arnarfjördur in the Westfjords region of Iceland, the sun was just starting to peek over the mountains. Our morning destination was the iconic, cascading falls of the Dynjandi Waterfall, also known as Fjallfoss. We dropped off a group of guests interested in a longer hike 3.5 miles from the waterfall. They were greeted by eider ducks and black guillemots. National Geographic Endurance proceeded farther into the fjord, where the rest of our guests and staff went ashore to photograph and explore the falls. As we sailed out of the fjord in the afternoon, we encountered a pod of half a dozen feeding humpback whales, including a mother and calf. The captain and officers expertly held the ship in position for all to see. Perfect light allowed us to photograph these incredible animals, and we were able to take identification shots for Happy Whale, our Citizen Science project. The late afternoon was filled with a presentation about the archeology and construction of Viking ships. Special guest speakers Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay invited us to an early recap to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest with a champagne toast. As we sailed out of the fjord, a few more whales were spotted in the setting sun.
Get inbox inspiration you'll look forward to: photos, videos, live webinar invites, special offers, and updates. Fields in bold with an asterisk (*) are required.