AfarAug 25, 2026
Cold-Water Cruises Have Never Been Hotter
On new sailings in some of the world’s iciest places, excursions come with ice axes, dogsleds, polar bear sightings, and more. Here, nine experiences to book.
12 things in this story
- NunavutSightArea where polar bears may be seen traversing ice floes.
- Elsewhere
- GreenlandSightNuuk, GreenlandArctic island with northernmost settlements on its west coast.
- PatagoniaNeighborhoodPunta Arenas, ChileRegion for hiking past glaciers and exploring fjords.
- IcelandSightReykjavík, IcelandIt is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the region's westernmost and most sparsely populated country.
- CanadaSightOttawa, CanadaHome to 60 percent of the global polar bear population.
- Skara BraeSightKirkwall, United Kingdom5,000-year-old Neolithic settlement in the Orkney Islands.
- ShetlandSightLerwick, United KingdomIsles with Viking-era longhouses and Iron Age homes.
- QuébecSightQuebec City, CanadaFar northern area with pebble beaches where polar bears may be seen.
- McMichael Canadian Art CollectionMuseumVaughan, CanadaOntario museum dedicated to the Group of Seven artists.
- SaxmanSightKetchikan, United StatesTlingit town in Alaska with cultural encounters.
- Alaska Native Heritage CenterMuseumAnchorage, United StatesCultural center in Anchorage for indigenous encounters.
- Petroglyph BeachSightWrangell, United StatesBeach on Wrangell Island dotted with ancient symbols.
