Polar Regions Arctic Cruise

Le Commandant Charcot North Pole to Iceland Expedition

The list of travelers who have reached the North Pole is short, and even shorter is the tally of those who’ve sailed from the North Pole to Iceland. Combine multiple iconic Arctic sights with the fun of disembarkation in Reykjavik, Iceland, on this one-of-a-kind expedition aboard 245-guest Le Commandant Charcot. This cutting-edge luxury icebreaker is the first of its kind in many realms (ice class rating, propulsion, sustainability, science), heralding a new era of North Pole exploration.

This epic journey to reach the Geographic North Pole starts with a charter flight from Paris, France, to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. Sail along the famed Svalbard archipelago searching for polar bears, then continue north to reach the mythical point covered by ice floe all year round. More than 430 miles away from any emerged land, take in the silence and immensity. The ice floe here is constantly drifting, driven together by currents and winds, so the ship must keep moving to remain on the planet’s most northernmost point.

Return south along the east coast of Greenland, sailing among ice floes. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

Along the way, benefit from the latest expedition ship technology aboard Le Commandant Charcot, with her onboard safety equipment exceeding both tourism and military criteria and her sustainable features attaining a Clean Ship label. She is the first cruise ship with dedicated wet and dry labs for a team of scientists, and has been specially fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the onboard lectures and opportunities for discussion and citizen science research with these specialists to learn more about the poles. And opt to kayak, snowshoe and even go ice fishing on this incredible journey.

The expedition concludes in Reykjavik, Iceland, where you can explore an entirely new Arctic landscape and city on your own. A similar journey aboard Charcot sails to the North Pole round-trip from Longyearbyen and Paris; see Le Commandant Charcot North Pole Expedition for details.

Read on for details about this trip, or learn more about AdventureSmith’s North Pole cruises, Arctic cruises, Svalbard cruises, Iceland cruises and Arctic land trips.