The Arctic circle covers the boundaries of a number of countries – unlike its South Pole counterpart, which is a continent in itself. The Arctic is far more accessible than the Antarctic for British travellers: it’s even possible to do an ex-UK cruise and cross into the Arctic. Below are some of the toughest itineraries going north – although that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re always the most active. 

Following on from the publication of Cruise Adviser’s Expedition & Adventure guide 2015-16, each week we will be running our Big Four feature, which gives you four cruise options to choose from. This week it’s cruises to the Arctic.

To request a copy of Cruise Adviser’s Expedition & Adventure guide email: info@cruise-adviser.com or read it online here.

The Artic – tough

Line: Quark Expeditions
Departure port: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Departure date: June 30, 2016
Destination: Arctic
Duration: Eight days
Hotel: Arctic Watch Lodge
Price: £3,882

Line: One Ocean Expeditions
Departure port: Cambridge Bay
Departure date: August 28
Destination: Iqaluit
Duration: 13 days
Ship: One Ocean Navigator
Price: £6,797

And two more…

Line: Fred Olsen
Departure port: Tilbury
Departure date: July 17, 2016
Destination: Iceland and Greenland
Duration: 26 nights
Ship: Black Watch
Price: £5,299

Line: Azamara
Departure port: Hamburg
Departure date: June 24, 2016
Destination: Arctic Circle
Duration: 14 nights
Ship: Journey
Price: £3,674

Cruise Adviser top tip

If booking with a specialist expedition tour operator, expect there to be some level of physical fitness required. This will be less so with the more traditional operators