As the endless tundra stretches out in front of you on your cruise of the Russian Arctic, you'll be delighted to discover how plentiful the wildlife is in this tough landscape - walruses, polar bears, countless sea birds, seals, and whales, to name a few! Explore the rarely visited Novaya Zemlya archipelago (the largest of the Eurasian archipelagos) and the wildlife sanctuary at Franz Josef Land. Along the way, you will encounter bird colonies with numbers in the thousands and witness the landscapes via hikes and zodiacs. All the while, you'll enjoy the comfort of our hand-selected expedition ships that are built specifically for Arctic exploration. Contact us when you're ready to start planning your adventure in the Russian Arctic!
Best Russian Arctic Cruise Lines for 2024-2025
Ponant - ensures exceptional comfort onboard its ships, with bespoke, attentive, and excellent service that makes you feel like you're traveling on a private yacht. Embark Le Boreal for an unforgettable expedition cruise to discover the wonders of the High Russian Arctic.
Heritage Expeditions- let you travel north from Nome in Alaska along Russia's Bering Strait Coast aboard Heritage Adventurer in the company of expert naturalists and guides during expedition landings and wildlife viewing/photography.
Aurora Expeditions- pioneered ship-based adventures 30 years ago with expedition cruises to Antarctica. Purpose-built expedition ships Sylvia Earle and Greg Mortimer take you into the heart of the Arctic, where wildlife thrives in abundant waters and vast tundra. Zodiac cruise through drifting pack ice, watching for inquisitive seals and breaching whales.
Quark Expeditions - offers High Arctic Odyssey on the Ocean Adventurer, exclusively designed to maximize your time exploring the pristine Russian Arctic environments. Appreciate the rich and dramatic polar history of these faraway destinations, and increase your chances of observing the region's diverse and magnificent wildlife, such as whales, seals, muskox, walruses, and polar bears.
Lindblad Expeditions-lets you venture to the high Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land and sail into the Kara Sea, a region only accessible due to the extreme ice capabilities of the new National Geographic Endurance.
Oceanwide Expeditions- has an ambitious expedition into the island archipelago of Franz Josef Land that allows you to spot such exotic Arctic wildlife as polar bears, whales, and an assortment of seal and seabird species, aboard the MV Hondius. It is the first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel in the world, optimized for the most innovative exploratory voyages throughout the Arctic and Antarctica.
Poseidon Expeditions- is a leading provider of polar expeditions in the cruise industry, founded in the U.K. in 1999. The company also provides guests with the unique opportunity to travel to Franz Josef Land aboard the 50 Years of Victory, the world's largest and most modern nuclear-powered ice the world.
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
8 hours ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.