The Arctic comes in two main flavours. Svalbard, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, is the high Arctic of polar bears, walrus and pack ice, where the sun doesn’t set for months in summer and the town has more snowmobiles than people. Greenland is the Arctic of icebergs the size of cathedrals, colourful Inuit villages, Norse ruins and fjords so vast they make Norway’s look like puddles. Both are reached by small expedition ship, with Zodiacs for landings and an expert team to explain what you’re looking at.
Which one is yours depends on what you most want to see. This guide compares every Arctic expedition cruise we offer, with who each suits and its honest drawback.
The quick answer
- For polar bears and pack ice, pick Svalbard: North to the Midnight Sun or the Svalbard Express.
- For icebergs in a week, pick Disko Bay & Ilulissat.
- For true wilderness, pick the Complete East Greenland expedition.
- For fjords, villages and Norse history, pick the Greenland Explorer.
- For the rarest voyage, pick Four Arctic Islands, Svalbard to Iceland.
Every Arctic expedition cruise compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svalbard | ||||||
| Svalbard Expedition Cruise: North to the Midnight Sun – 8 Days | 8 | £6,221 pp | Medium | Max 187 | No | Polar bears and the midnight sun |
| Svalbard Express: Arctic Expedition Cruise from Oslo – 7 Days | 7 | £5,905 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | Svalbard in a week |
| Scotland to Spitsbergen Expedition Cruise – 17 Days | 17 | £11,495 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | Sail there from Scotland |
| Greenland | ||||||
| Greenland: Disko Bay & Ilulissat Expedition Cruise – 7 Days | 7 | £6,640 pp | Medium | Max 180 | No | Icebergs in a week |
| Complete East Greenland Expedition Cruise – 12 Days | 12 | £7,405 pp | Medium | Max 187 | No | Remote East Greenland |
| Greenland Explorer Expedition Cruise – 12 Days | 12 | £9,940 pp | Medium | Max 180 | No | Fjords, villages and Norse ruins |
| Greenland to Newfoundland Expedition: Arctic & Vikings – 14 Days | 14 | £10,020 pp | Medium | Max 138 | No | On to Canada, like the Vikings |
| Both | ||||||
| Four Arctic Islands: Svalbard, Jan Mayen & Greenland – 13 Days | 13 | £9,559 pp | Medium | Max 187 | No | Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Greenland, Iceland |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which Arctic suits you →
Svalbard or Greenland?
Wildlife. Svalbard is the better bet for polar bears and walrus, especially at the edge of the pack ice. Greenland has musk oxen, whales and seabirds, with polar bears possible in the remote north-east.
Ice. Greenland wins for icebergs, above all at Ilulissat, where the Icefjord produces some of the largest in the northern hemisphere. Svalbard has glaciers, ice caps and sea ice.
People. Greenland has Inuit villages and towns, and Norse history. Svalbard has a handful of research and mining settlements, including the world’s northernmost.
Getting there. Svalbard cruises fly from Oslo; most Greenland cruises start from Reykjavik or Copenhagen. None include flights from the UK, which we can arrange.
Svalbard
Svalbard Expedition Cruise: North to the Midnight Sun
Svalbard Expedition Cruise: North to the Midnight Sun – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £6,221 per person
- Max 187 people
- Starts and ends in Oslo, Norway
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August
Eight days with return charter flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen, the northernmost town on earth, and seven nights on a modern ice-class ship with all meals, cabins with views (most with balconies) and outdoor hot tubs. Northwest Spitsbergen National Park with its seabird cliffs and walrus, the polar desert of the north-east, possibly Nordaustlandet or the Sjuøyane islands, the edge of the pack ice for seals, whales and polar bears, and Kongsfjorden and Ny-Ålesund.
Suits: wildlife lovers chasing polar bears. The honest drawback: nothing is guaranteed in the Arctic, and drinks are extra.
Svalbard Express: Arctic Expedition Cruise from Oslo
Svalbard Express: Arctic Expedition Cruise from Oslo – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £5,905 per person
- Starts and ends in Oslo, Norway
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in June
Seven days with group flights from Oslo, six nights on board with daily Zodiac cruises and landings, Northwest Spitsbergen, the polar desert of the north-east, Nordaustlandet, the edge of the pack ice and Kongsfjorden. Boots are on loan and you keep the expedition jacket.
Suits: travellers who want the high Arctic in a week. The honest drawback: it’s a short trip, and groups aren’t small.
For the slow way north, Scotland to Spitsbergen (17 days) sails from Aberdeen via Orkney, Shetland and Bear Island to Svalbard, for travellers aged 18 and over, with a charter flight home via Helsinki.
Greenland
Greenland: Disko Bay & Ilulissat
Greenland: Disko Bay & Ilulissat Expedition Cruise – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £6,640 per person
- Max 180 people
- Starts and ends in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in June, July
Seven days with flights between Copenhagen and Kangerlussuaq and six nights on board with all meals: Sisimiut, Greenland’s second town, the basalt mountains of Disko Island, a Zodiac cruise to the calving face of the Eqip Sermia glacier, a day in Ilulissat beside the UNESCO-listed Icefjord, and the village of Itilleq.
Suits: anyone who wants Greenland’s icebergs in a week. The honest drawback: it’s short, and you’ll need to get to Copenhagen.
Complete East Greenland
Complete East Greenland Expedition Cruise – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £7,405 per person
- Max 187 people
- Starts and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in September
Twelve days from Reykjavik across the Denmark Strait: the Ammassalik Fjord and the villages of Kuummiut and Tasiilaq, Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the most remote communities on earth, three days in Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world, with the chance of musk oxen, walrus and polar bears, and the volcanic Blosseville Coast.
Suits: adventurous travellers after real wilderness. The honest drawback: a single departure, and the Denmark Strait can be rough.
Greenland Explorer
Greenland Explorer Expedition Cruise – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £9,940 per person
- Max 180 people
- Reykjavik, Iceland to Copenhagen, Denmark
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in June
Twelve days around Greenland’s southern tip, east to west: Tasiilaq and wartime ruins, the iceberg-filled Sermilik Fjord, remote Skjoldungen, the spectacular Prins Christian Sund, Qassiarsuk where Erik the Red settled, Nuuk, Kangaamiut and the Evighedsfjorden, with a flight to Copenhagen at the end.
Suits: travellers who want fjords, villages and Norse history. The honest drawback: few departures, and you fly out via Copenhagen.
Also in Greenland: Greenland to Newfoundland (14 days) follows the Vikings from West Greenland’s Sisimiut and Ilulissat across the Davis Strait to Nunavut, Labrador and Newfoundland, with beer and house wine at dinner; and the South Greenland Expedition (14 days), with helicopter-supported heli-hiking on the Greenland Ice Sheet and the granite spires of “Arctic Patagonia”, has dates on request for the next season.
Both: Four Arctic Islands
Four Arctic Islands: Svalbard, Jan Mayen & Greenland
Four Arctic Islands: Svalbard, Jan Mayen & Greenland – 13 Days
- 13 days
- From £9,559 per person
- Max 187 people
- Oslo, Norway to Reykjavik, Iceland
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in August, September
Thirteen days with a flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen and 12 nights on board: Kongsfjorden and Northwest Spitsbergen with polar bears, walrus and seabird cliffs, across the Greenland Sea to remote volcanic Jan Mayen on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, then Ittoqqortoormiit, the vast Scoresbysund fjord system and the Blosseville Coast, ending in Reykjavik.
Suits: polar enthusiasts who want a truly rare voyage. The honest drawback: plenty of sea days, and it’s expensive.
How to choose
By wildlife. Polar bears and walrus: Svalbard or Four Arctic Islands. Musk oxen and wilderness: East Greenland. Icebergs and whales: Disko Bay.
By time. A week: Svalbard or Disko Bay. Twelve to 14 days: East Greenland, the Explorer, Four Arctic Islands or Newfoundland. Seventeen days: Scotland to Spitsbergen.
By budget. None of these is cheap; the short Svalbard and Disko Bay cruises cost the least. Live prices are in the table above.
When to go
The Arctic cruise season is short: roughly May to September. Svalbard is best from late May to August, under the midnight sun. Greenland cruises run from June to September, with September bringing autumn colours and the first chance of the northern lights. The months for each cruise are in its fact panel above.
You’ll need travel insurance with polar cover. Check the FCDO travel advice for Norway (which covers Svalbard) and Iceland, and the latest entry rules for Greenland.
Frequently asked questions
Svalbard or Greenland: which is better for polar bears?
Svalbard. Polar bears live around the archipelago and the pack ice. The Svalbard Expedition Cruise sails to the edge of the ice.
Where can I see the biggest icebergs?
Ilulissat in West Greenland, beside the UNESCO-listed Icefjord. The Disko Bay & Ilulissat cruise spends a day there.
Can I visit Svalbard and Greenland on one trip?
Yes, Four Arctic Islands sails from Svalbard via Jan Mayen to Greenland and Iceland.
When is the best time for an Arctic cruise?
Roughly May to September. Svalbard is best from late May to August; Greenland from June to September.
Can I sail to the Arctic from the UK?
Yes, Scotland to Spitsbergen sails from Aberdeen via Orkney and Shetland.
Are flights included?
Some cruises include flights from Oslo or Copenhagen. None include flights from the UK, which we can arrange.
Ready for the Arctic?
Tell us whether it's polar bears or icebergs you're after, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Arctic cruises with you.
Keep planning
- All Greenland expeditions
- Escorted tours in Norway
- Antarctica cruises compared
- Iceland tours: winter or summer
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
