I have a good thirty something days for touring the Arctic in extreme conditions (for adventure of course) but I don't know much about it. For example the cost of the whole trip, training, type of adventure I am going to get, etc. Please guide me so I can decide if to go for some adventure or just for sightseeing.
Answer
The best way to explore the Arctic is by boat and there are various different options of which part of the Arctic you visit; exploring the coastlines of Spitsbergen or Greenland in a small expedition vessel and kayaking between the ice floes perhaps or how about going all the way to the North Pole in a nuclear-powered icebreaker and taking a hot air balloon flight over the Pole when you get there?
It does also depend on your idea of adventure; for many people a zodiac cruise with the possibility of spotting a polar bear is a huge adventure but if you are looking for something more physically challenging you might like to take a “basecamp” trip where the aim is to make daily kayaking and snowshoeing excursions. It is worth bearing in mind that land-based activities in the Arctic are more limited than in Antarctica due to the threat of polar bears. In Antarctica you can camp with no threat of predators and there are a number of adventure options, such as mountaineering, skiing or even a traverse of South Georgia.
Arctic cruises vary in length from 7 nights up to 14 nights generally but if you want to make it longer you can always combine 2 — you could start with a 10 night Circumnavigation of Spitsbergen and then stay on board for the next 12 night cruise as you head across the open ocean to explore the stunning east coast of Greenland, ending in Iceland. Prices for a 10 night cruise start from around £5000 per person based on 2 sharing but the North Pole trips are much more expensive (around £17,000 per person or more depending on the cabin category).
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