Destination
Arctic Circle & Greenland
Explore the Far North with Intimate, Expert-Led Expeditions
The Arctic Circle is one of the most remote and otherworldly regions on Earth—a land of dramatic glaciers, towering fjords, drifting pack ice, and rich Inuit heritage. From the pristine wilderness of Greenland to the rugged shores of Svalbard, Iceland, and the Canadian High Arctic, this vast polar frontier offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience nature in its most raw and powerful form.
At Small Ship Travel, we specialize in carefully curated small ship expeditions to the Arctic and Greenland, working exclusively with trusted cruise operators known for their environmental stewardship, scientific programming, and high guest-to-guide ratios. Aboard ice-strengthened expedition vessels carrying between 100 and 200 guests, you'll venture deep into the Arctic—far beyond the reach of traditional cruising.
Whether you're tracking polar bears across the sea ice, cruising among Greenland’s icebergs, or exploring Norse ruins and Inuit communities, our team will help you find the ideal voyage, ship, and season for your interests and level of adventure.
Arctic exploration is all about access and adaptability, which is why small ships are essential. These agile vessels are purpose-built for polar navigation, equipped with Zodiacs for remote landings, and staffed by naturalists, historians, and scientists who enrich your journey with deep knowledge and insight.
With fewer guests onboard, you’ll enjoy flexible itineraries, quieter landings, and more time ashore—whether that means kayaking in iceberg-filled bays, hiking across Arctic tundra, or simply sitting in silence as a glacier calves into the sea. The intimacy of small ship cruising allows for deeper immersion in the landscapes, wildlife, and cultures of the North.
The Arctic cruise season runs from May through September, with each month offering unique highlights depending on the region:
May–June
Ideal for Svalbard and the Norwegian Arctic, when sea ice is still intact, offering prime polar bear sightings and dramatic snow-covered landscapes. Migratory birds return to the region, and pack ice adds to the drama of the scenery.
July–August
High summer is perfect for Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, when ice has receded and more remote channels are accessible. It’s also the best time to explore Inuit communities, see whales and walruses, and enjoy the Midnight Sun.
September
Late-season sailings may offer sightings of the Northern Lights, as well as stunning tundra color changes and fewer ships. Wildlife remains active, and conditions are excellent for photographers.
At Small Ship Travel, we understand that the Arctic is a destination of extremes—and requires expert planning and trusted operators. We’ve handpicked a portfolio of world-class expedition lines that meet our high standards for safety, sustainability, and guest experience.
Our advisors will help you choose the right ship, region, and season based on your travel goals—whether it’s a luxury voyage through Greenland, a polar bear expedition in Svalbard, or a cultural journey in the Canadian Arctic. We offer personalized guidance and access to exceptional voyages, including rare routes and unique seasonal opportunities.
We also provide complete travel planning, from international air and hotel stays in embarkation cities like Reykjavik, Longyearbyen, and Kangerlussuaq, to post-cruise extensions in Iceland, Norway, or Scotland—ensuring every detail is thoughtfully arranged.
Reach out to our travel concierges today to create your perfect journey.
Get in the mood for cruising by reading our travel guides, recommendations and cruise reviews.
We don't recommend ships we haven't sailed. This is our policy and our practice. What follows is a selection of our team's personal voyage log — the ships we've been aboard recently, what we found when we got there, and what the experience means for the recommendations we make.
Romance in travel isn't a category. It's a quality. It's not produced by a sunset dinner package or a rose-petal turndown. It comes from being somewhere extraordinary with someone you love, in conditions that remove the noise of daily life and replace it with beauty and time. Small ships do this better than almost any other form of travel.
A hotel barge carries 6 to 20 guests. It moves at walking pace along canals so narrow that branches brush the hull. The chef bought the cheese from the producer's farm that morning. The wines are from the vineyard you visited after lunch. At 5 PM the barge ties up for the night in a village with a restaurant that has been open since 1952. This is the most intimate, most food-centered, and most genuinely French form of travel available.
For four centuries, the Northwest Passage — the sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — was the object of the most determined and most deadly quest in the history of exploration. Ships were lost. Men died. The Passage defeated everyone who attempted it until Roald Amundsen succeeded in 1903, taking three years to complete what expedition ships now do in three weeks.
Cabin selection on a small ship is more consequential than on a large ship for a simple reason: you'll spend more time in it. When a ship carries 92 guests rather than 4,000, the common areas are more intimate, the cabin is more frequently a retreat, and the proportional difference in quality between cabin categories is more pronounced.
The Galapagos Islands are the only place on Earth where a marine iguana will walk across your feet without breaking stride, where a blue-footed booby will perform its mating dance three feet from your camera, and where a sea lion pup will follow you along the beach out of pure curiosity. This is not wildlife viewing. This is wildlife coexistence.