With all the lore and wonder surrounding the North Pole, it may seem like a place of pure legend. But this frozen edge of Earth is very real—and for the most daring travelers, it’s an exhilarating destination. “We’re definitely seeing a strong uptick in interest in the North Pole,” says Alex Mudd of Swoop Arctic, a travel agency specializing in polar holidays.
No, you won’t find a toy workshop or an elf village here, but the few who’ve made the journey say it’s as magical as any Christmas fantasy. You might toast your arrival with champagne on the deck of a luxury icebreaker, or reach the Pole on skis after days of hauling your sled across shifting Arctic sea ice. Either way, you’ll stand where only a tiny handful of humans have been before.
Contrary to what you might think, December isn’t the ideal time to go knocking on Santa’s door—it’s dark 24 hours a day and the daily highs are just above zero degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, the season kicks off in April and stretches into summer, when the Arctic sun doesn’t set and the sea ice is (relatively) stable. So if you’ve always dreamed of reaching the top of the world, now’s the time to start planning.
Whether you choose a high-latitude cruise or a gritty expedition, here’s how to reach the North Pole—no reindeer required.
How to Reach the North Pole the Easy Way: Luxury Cruising
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the Le Commandant Charcot ship in route to the North Pole.
Sail to the North Pole in style aboard Le Commandant Charcot, currently the world’s only passenger vessel able to reach the North Pole. “It’s like going on a five-star hotel that’s capable of going through 3 meters [about 10 feet] of pack ice,” says Andy Marsh, founder of Polar Escapes, an Arctic and Antarctic travel agency.
Operated by French cruise line Ponant, Le Commandant Charcot is part polar research station, part floating boutique hotel. On board, you’ll find saunas, spa treatment rooms, and an Alain Ducasse restaurant. Watch the ice flow by while enjoying the comfort of the “blue lagoon,” an outdoor pool heated between 80 to 98 degrees.
But make no mistake, this is still an expedition. Over the course of several days, the ship pushes north through an increasingly surreal seascape of cracked white ice from horizon to horizon. As the ship carves a path through the frozen Arctic Ocean, experts like naturalists, glaciologists, and polar historians host lectures and workshops.
“There’s a real intimacy and personalization of traveling on a trip like this,” says Mudd. “She takes [roughly] 200 passengers. That will almost feel like a bath toy if you’ve been on a [traditional cruise] ship that takes up to 5,000 people.”
Once the ship reaches 90 degrees north—a GPS reading more than a place—it parks near the Pole for several days. Travelers don their expedition parkas and step off the ship onto the polar sea.
“It’s not just a case of getting there, high fives all around, and then they turn around and come back,” says Mudd. “You spend extended time actually at the North Pole; the ship is parked up in the ice. You will have daily excursions out on the ice; you can do a once-in-a-lifetime polar plunge for those brave-slash-mad enough to do that.” Many guests simply walk the surrounding area, technically circling the globe in a few steps. Kayaking is often offered if open leads (cracks in the sea ice) are present.
Summer temperatures at the North Pole aren’t quite as punishing as most expect; they hover around freezing in July and August. While the cruise line provides guests with Arctic parkas and insulated boots, you’ll still want to bring your own thermal base layers, fleece jacket, and waterproof gloves. Sunglasses and sunscreen are also essential, as the Arctic sun intensely reflects off the ice.
Trips to the North Pole aboard Le Commandant Charcot run from July to mid-August and typically last between 16 and 18 days, starting with a charter flight from Paris to Longyearbyen, the capital of the Norwegian region of Svalbard.
“There’s no last-minute deal on this trip,” says Marsh. “It’s better to book the cabin when you decide that you want to do it.” Booking opens nearly two years in advance, and solo travelers should move especially quickly. Only a limited number of “no single supplement cabins” are available per sailing.
How to Reach the North Pole the Hard Way: Ski and Dog Sled Expeditions
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Skiing and ski poles stand vertically in the snow against the background of snowy mountains.
If sailing to the top of the world with a flute of Champagne sounds a little too easy for your tastes, there are two other options to reach the North Pole: Strap on skis or harness up a dog sled team to pull you the old-fashioned way across 60 nautical miles of shifting, frozen ocean.
These expeditions follow the so-called “Last Degree” route, beginning at 89 degrees north and covering the final stretch to the Pole entirely by human or canine power. That means dragging your gear in a sled, setting up camp on drifting sea ice, navigating around open water, and pushing through bone-deep cold. Expeditions typically take place in April, when daylight returns and the sea ice is stable.
Mornings begin early with tent chores—brushing off ice, melting snow for water, warming gear—before adventurers pack up and begin the long days of travel. Meals are high in fat and freeze dried. Rest breaks are brief and cold. Every step northward is affected by the dynamic ice, meaning that some of your time is spent climbing over mounds jutting up to 12 feet.
“There’s a strong sense of accomplishment with that destination, because it’s such a unique spot—there aren’t many people who feel all that hard work you put into reaching there,” says Ryan Waters, founder of the expedition company Mountain Professionals. Waters reached the North Pole via skis (and walking and swimming) from Canada. “When you get there, you just feel this serene feeling of, I am really, quite literally, on the top of the world … And the only thing you can see is a mirror of ice.” The adventure will cost you about $61,000 including the pre-trip training.
A more romantic, though no less demanding, version of the Last Degree route is to travel by dog sled—standing on the runners, guiding your own team of huskies, and sleeping beside them on the ice. This isn’t a passive ride, though.
“Many people will think that the dog sledding trip is easier than skiing there and pulling your own sled, but I’ve guided a number of the dog sledding trips, and oftentimes it’s harder,” says Annie Aggens, director of the expedition company PolarExplorers. “You’ve got to keep up with the pace of the dogs…You’re running beside the sled, pushing it over pressure ridges, lifting it when it tips. The dogs do the bulk of the pulling, but you’re very much a part of the team.”
The canine trips start around $74,000 USD, including the required five-day training.
No matter which expedition you choose, you’ll need to train in advance: typically a five- to six-day “shakedown” expedition run by the operator somewhere reliably chilly, like Minnesota’s Boundary Waters or Svalbard. Travelers have to learn how to cook on stoves in sub-zero conditions, manage sweat and frostbite, use polar-specific gear, and stay mentally strong in an extreme environment.
“We teach you all the skills and systems you need to know to have fun [while being] safe and successful, and how you can then also carry on that training when you leave,” says Aggens. “[You’re getting] time to practice all the skills and the systems that are all entwined and a really important part of thriving out there and not [just] surviving.”
Travelers must supply some of their own gear for these types of trips. This may include base layers, sleeping bags, and personal gear. Expedition companies typically provide the sleds, tents, navigation equipment, food, and safety systems. Expect to carry your share of the load, figuratively and literally.
While Last Degree expeditions to the North Pole haven’t run since 2018 because the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has blocked base camp access, outfitters are hopeful operations will resume in 2026—and demand is already high. “We’ve got dozens of skiers who are waiting to ski the Last Degree to the North Pole,” says Aggens. “Everybody understands that this is something that is out of our hands. But what I love is that their sense of adventure is still there, and they are just as excited as we are to go when that opportunity presents itself.”
No matter how you arrive at the North Pole, one thing is certain: You will never forget what it feels like to stand at 90 degrees north, on shifting sea ice, surrounded by nothing but white.
“For those three to four days, you are the most northerly vessel on the planet. You are the most northerly people on the planet,” says Mudd. “It’s extraordinary.”
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