Canadian Arctic Small Ship Cruises
Embark on an incredible exploration of historic Canadian sites, encounter abundant wildlife and experience traditional Inuit culture.
Our Canadian Arctic small ship cruises explore the starkly beautiful Arctic archipelago made up of over 35,000 islands encompassing Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. They provide excellent opportunities to observe iconic polar wildlife, view breathtaking coastal scenery and visit remote communities.
Here, the icy seas and desolate tundra are home to surprisingly diverse plant and animal life. Unlike Antarctica, which has no land animals, you’ll find an array of terrestrial species such as Arctic hare, ptarmigan and muskox happily feeding on the abundant berries, heather and moss. If you are lucky, you might even see polar bears, Arctic fox and caribou, so important to the Inuit. The seas abound with amazing marine life – beluga whale, bowhead whale, walrus, the rare narwhal whale, bearded and ringed seals.
This frozen land is also the historical home of around 200,000 Inuit, whose rich, ancient cultures and traditions still survive in settlements scattered across the north. Summer is the only time to visit, with long daylight hours providing plenty of time to explore.
To find out more about our range of Arctic cruises and tours in the Canadian Arctic, please download the relevant pages below or click here to download the full Canadian Arctic section of our Antarctica and the Arctic brochure.
Highlights
Canadian Arctic
Encounter Abundant High Arctic Wildlife
Watch out for some of earth’s most spectacular wildlife, including large land mammals like polar bear, caribou and muskox.
Visit Traditional Inuit Communities
A journey through the Canadian Arctic offers the opportunity to interact with traditional Inuit communities.
Explore Historic Sites Including Beechey Island
Go ashore to visit sites that were significant to early polar explorers including Beechey Island, where Sir John Franlin and his crew spent their last winter before disappearing.
Discover Lancaster Sound, The Wildlife Superhighway
The seas of Lancaster Sound offer some of the best wildlife viewing in the Arctic, its abundant waters supporting healthy populations of seals, whales, walruses and seabirds.
Zodiac Explorations
Expect shore landings and plenty of explorations in Zodiac inflatable boats.
Hike the Tundra
On all polar voyages, there will be ample opportunity to go ashore and walk amongst rolling tundra, often carpeted in wildflowers in the warmer months.
Kayak Amongst Icebergs
Sea kayaking is an optional but highly recommended activity, which lets you navigate icebergs at your own pace.
Our
Brochure Pages
We have a unique selection of Canadian Arctic cruise options carefully chosen for their itineraries, as well as the vessels used. Our selection of ice-strengthened ships are all small to medium in size, with a maximum of 50-199 passengers, ensuring an authentic, up-close encounter with the untrammeled wilderness. All of our cruises and tours are completely tailor made to suit our clients interests, budget, and timeframe. To find out more about the type of Canadian Arctic cruise program we can put together for you, please download pages below.
Best of the Western Arctic
Take in impressive towering mountains, deep fjords and traditional Inuit villages while circumnavigating Baffin Bay’s remote coastlines. Zodiac cruises provide close encounters with whales, walrus and seals, as well as in-depth explorations of World Heritage Sites such as the Ilulissat Icefjord.
Canadian Arctic Overview
Why the Canadian Arctic: The thousands of islands of the Canadian Arctic archipelago abound with wildlife both on land and in the sea, with impressive large mammals such as polar bears and walrus. There are also many interesting historic sites to visit as well as traditional Inuit communities and remote fishing villages.
Climate: The weather in the Arctic is very variable and you may experience bright, sunny days as well as white-outs, fog and snow squalls . Temperatures in summer vary from just below to just above freezing. You will need good quality polar clothing in layers, as on sunny days out of the wind, it can be warm enough to strip down to a t-shirt.
Combine With: Any voyage to the Canadian Arctic will start or end in a Canadian city, so your cruise can be combined with a holiday in mainland Canada. See our Canada & Alaska program for a wide range of tours and adventures.
Getting There: Most journeys start in a mainland city such as Toronto or Montreal with an overnight stay at a hotel where you will meet the group. The next day, you will board a charter flight to a port like Resolute or Kugluktuk to board your expedition ship. Another charter flight at the end of the voyage will return you to a major city in Canada, or Europe depending on the itinerary.
