Arctic Holidays

Yes, you can travel to the Arctic Circle by booking a polar voyage where you’ll board a ship built to withstand the harsh conditions. By booking an Arctic Circle holiday with a reputable travel provider, you can reach parts of the world that very few people have visited.

During your Arctic holiday, you’ll be based on one of Quark’s polar-class vessels fitted with spacious cabins, private bathrooms and dining rooms. They’re well-qualified for polar waters and can travel to areas that other ships simply can’t access. For more information, see our Polar Fleet page.

The ships are kept warm, clean and comfortable with a wet and mud room to store your gear and boots.

Activities you can get involved in on an Arctic holiday include:

• Zodiac excursions
• On-shore excursions
• Presentations with expedition leaders and polar experts
• Sea kayaking

All Arctic tour itineraries should be treated as a guide only – it is possible that the capricious nature of wind, visibility and ice, plus other factors, may lead to adjustments to the route published.

A holiday to the Arctic Circle can be a demanding trip with harsh conditions. For example, on-shore excursions require ‘wet’ landings, where you’ll slide into ankle-deep waters (wearing wellington boots) before walking onto dry land. There are, of course, no paths, so be prepared for slippery, rough terrain and, sometimes, fairly deep snow.  

Our Arctic tours tend to take place during the summer months and into early autumn. Typically, temperatures range from -10°C to 10°C during this period. You will also encounter longer daytime hours during this period. The melting of the sea ice makes it an ideal time to set off on an Arctic tour.

Check your itinerary to see which countries you pass through on your adventure, as temperatures may vary slightly.

An Arctic holiday means you’ll be exposed to polar climates – in other words, it will be extremely cold! On the longer Zodiac cruises, you’ll be sitting still for most of the time with the potential for sea spray and a cold headwind. We can provide you with rubber boots and a parka suited to the extreme temperatures.

You should pack a hat, scarf and at least two pairs of gloves, plus plenty of warm socks – it’s recommended that you wear two pairs during your expedition.

When it comes to clothing, you’ll need waterproof trousers, fleeces and thermal tops to help stay warm. Comfy shoes and clothes are recommended for when you spend time on the vessel.

You can find a full list of equipment in your Arctic holiday trip notes.

Alongside suitable clothing, we recommend you pack your camera and binoculars to get a better glimpse at the wildlife. We also recommend SPF, sunglasses, plug adapters and a first aid kit to make sure you’re on top form during your Arctic holiday.

Geographically speaking, holidays to the Arctic Circle are more accessible for those travelling from the UK. The Arctic landscape also has more variety, including snow-capped peaks, glaciers and tundra land masses with snow that melts during the summer months. This means the wildlife tends to be more varied too.

While it isn’t necessary to be of a certain level of fitness, it’s recommended that you feel fit enough to make the most of the daily excursions. You need to be able to get in and out of the rubber zodiac boats, for example.

Our Arctic tours are rated as ‘leisurely’ and we recommend reading our activity level guidelines to find out more.