Buzz
Situated in the heart of the Arctic Ocean, visiting the North Pole places you at the pinnacle of the Earth. Whether you plan to visit the geographic North Pole (the point where all directions head south, also known as 'True North') or the magnetic North Pole (the direction your compass points to), your journey will take you through a frozen, remote landscape. There are various options for trips to the pole during springtime when the temperatures and perpetual darkness are less of an obstacle, yet the ice remains solid enough for walking. This guide explores the different choices you can consider for your Arctic expedition.
Steps
Traveling by Air
Reserve your flight. If you have the means, flying is the quickest and most convenient way to reach the North Pole. Flights typically depart from Norway, though chartered flights are also available from Canada. Complete the necessary paperwork and secure your tickets.
- Flights from Norway generally range between ten and twelve thousand dollars. Visit the Polar Explorers website, go to the 'expeditions' tab, and select 'North Pole Flights.' All registration details and forms can be found here.
- Chartering a flight from Canada can cost up to ten times more than a Norwegian trip. For rates and bookings, you’ll need to contact Kenn Borek Air by phone, email, or fax. Their contact details are on their website.
- Due to the extreme conditions at the North Pole, booking a trip requires you to confirm your good health and purchase medical evacuation insurance.
- Other types of insurance, such as trip-cancellation insurance, are also advised.
- If you simply want to fly over the North Pole without actually landing, there are sightseeing flights available that fly above the North Pole, starting from around $500. These flights depart from Berlin, Germany, and can be booked through the Air Events website.
Fly to Canada or Norway. North Pole flights from Norway depart from Longyearbyen, a village situated north of the Arctic Circle. Kenn Borek Air, which arranges charter flights from Canada, is based in Calgary but operates from various locations. Book a ticket from your location to one of these departure points.
- Norwegian Airlines frequently flies to Longyearbyen from Oslo. You’ll likely need to book two flights: one to Oslo from your location and another from Oslo to Longyearbyen.
- Contact Kenn Borek Air to confirm the departure point from Canada for your trip.
Head to Barneo. Whether departing from Canada or Norway, your next destination will be Barneo, an ice station located about 60 miles (97 km) from the North Pole.
- Your Barneo stay, including accommodations and meals, is included in many North Pole visit packages.
Take a helicopter ride. Once at Barneo, you can board a helicopter to the North Pole.
- The helicopter flight lasts between 20 and 40 minutes, using an MI-8 helicopter stationed at Barneo.
- During the journey, Polar Explorers typically allows multiple photo opportunities and often provides a celebratory champagne toast to travelers. Due to the freezing temperatures at the North Pole, you will have around an hour to enjoy the experience before being flown back to Barneo.
- If you prefer a more challenging adventure, you can ski to the North Pole from Barneo in an experience called 'skiing the last degree.' This guided tour costs about $25,000. You can also opt for snowmobiling or a dogsled journey.
- Information on these options, including pricing and itinerary details, is available on the Polar Explorers website. Visit the North Pole Expeditions page to select your preferred experience.
- If you’re an athlete, you can join the marathon departing from Barneo in April. The cost is approximately $15,000, which includes a flight from Svalbard, Norway to Barneo (and back), accommodations, and a helicopter ride to the North Pole. Register via the online application on their website.
Travel by Sea
Reserve your spot. Another way to reach the North Pole is by taking a Russian 'icebreaker' ship, a massive vessel designed to navigate through Arctic ice. Secure your ticket for one of these adventurous voyages.
- Around $26,000 is the minimum you should expect to spend for these cruises. To register, simply visit the Adventure Life website, select the 'North Pole Ultimate Adventure' cruise, choose your departure date, and complete the application process.
- Adventure Life offers a range of accommodations, from basic twin rooms to several luxury suites. Prices for luxury suites range from $40,000 to $45,000 for the premium experience.
Fly to Finland. Icebreaker ship expeditions typically depart from Helsinki, Finland. Book your flight to Helsinki from your location. Major airports around the world offer flights to Helsinki, or you can take a train from several European cities to reach the capital.
Fly to Russia. From Helsinki, you'll board a charter flight to Murmansk, Russia, where the ship will depart from.
- This flight is part of the travel package.
Sail to the North Pole. The icebreaker ship, which offers luxurious accommodations, sets sail from Murmansk.
- Expect to spend five to eight days aboard the ship as it makes its way across the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole.
- The 50 Years of Victory, the ship making this journey, offers various amenities to keep you entertained during the voyage, including a swimming pool and a bar.
Overland Adventures
Hire a guide or join a race. You can also reach the North Pole overland from Russia or Canada, typically by skiing, dragging a sled called a 'pulk,' and camping on the ice. You can either hire a private guide or enter an organized race.
- Several races are held to the North Pole, including the Polar Challenge and the North Pole Race, covering 300 miles (480 km) of icy terrain to the magnetic North Pole. Starting in 2016, the Ice Race will provide another challenging overland journey.
- Participating in these expeditions typically costs around $35,000, which includes training, flights, equipment, food, and insurance.
- As these races are limited to a small number of participants, you’ll need to reach out to the organizers for details on registration and pricing. The Ice Race offers an online registration form, or you can contact the organizer by email.
- Note that these races go to the magnetic North Pole (the point your compass points to), not the geographical North Pole, known as 'True North.'
- You can also hire private guides for a longer, more challenging journey, known as the 'full distance' North Pole expedition, which covers 500 miles. These trips typically depart in February.
- The full distance expedition is the most extreme and expensive option, only open to those with the right experience and financial means. You’ll need to contact the guide company to inquire about pricing.
- One such company, Adventure Consultants, offers guides for these full-distance expeditions. You can fill out a booking form on their website, and they will contact you to assess your eligibility and discuss the details of the trip.
- To consider an overland journey, you must be in excellent physical condition and able to provide certification of your health. Some guides for the full distance trip may also require prior climbing experience and familiarity with tools like an ice axe and crampons.
Fly to Russia or Canada. Book a flight to your starting point for your race or expedition.
- Organized races typically begin in Resolute Bay, located in the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut. Regular flights from major Canadian cities like Ottawa and Montreal are available via First Air, Calm Air, and Canadian North airlines.
- Full distance expeditions often depart from Cape Arktichevsky in Russia or Ward Hunt Island in Canada. Reaching these remote locations usually requires chartering a private flight, which can be very expensive. However, if you book with Adventure Consultants, they will arrange a flight to Ward Hunt Island from Resolute Bay.
Head north on skis. Continue north with your team or guide until you reach the North Pole. These overland journeys are extremely demanding. Expect to spend 8-10 hours daily skiing across snow and ice.
- The route is treacherous, requiring navigation around pressure ridges, finding alternate paths where the ice has melted, and camping on drifting ice pans.
- At night, you’ll cook your own meals and build snow walls to block the biting wind while setting up camp. Temperatures can drop as low as -40 degrees.
- If you're participating in a race, you’ll spend about four weeks on the ice.
- For a full-distance expedition, expect to spend around 60 days in the Arctic.
- Some races and private guides also offer shorter trips that start closer to the North Pole and only last about two weeks. If a month or more on the ice seems too much, these options might be a more manageable alternative.
- Upon reaching the pole, you may camp overnight or be picked up by a helicopter and flown to the Barneo ice station for the night, depending on conditions. The following day, you'll enjoy a warm meal at Barneo before being flown back to civilization.
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The North Pole is freezing cold. If your trip doesn’t provide outerwear, make sure to pack your warmest clothing: heavy coats, earmuffs, boots, insulated pants, gloves, a hat, and a scarf. If you don’t already own gear made for extreme cold, you’ll need to invest in some.
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For those traveling with companies that organize overland expeditions, they typically provide fleece clothing with windproof shells, along with warm mittens, hats, and face masks. If your journey doesn’t provide these items, you’ll want to purchase similar cold-weather gear.
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If you're new to Arctic conditions, consider opting for one of the less physically demanding trip options to the pole.
Important Warnings
- The Arctic's temperatures are extreme and can be life-threatening if you aren't fully prepared. Other dangers, such as polar bear attacks, are also a very real concern. If you're not ready to face these risks, it's best to avoid any overland expeditions.
