A trip to the North Pole is a dream for many, but few manage it. People assume it is impossible; it is not easy, but it can be done. Only about five trips are made each year, and roughly 1,000 people reach this part of the world annually.
Though it is known as the home of Santa Claus, the Pole belongs to no one and has no economic value. It is nothing but a sheet of shifting ice on the surface of the Arctic Ocean, with no permanent settlement and no official marker.
The Pole is about 700 miles from the nearest land. Stand at 90 degrees north and you are over an ocean around 13,000 feet deep. If you are set on the ultimate travel goal, the North Pole belongs on your list.
How to get to the North Pole
The Pole is out of reach for most of the year, but you can travel in the warmer months. In April, helicopter trips run; in the Arctic summer, from June to September, you can go by ship or icebreaker across the Arctic Ocean.
1. By air
In April the Arctic night has ended but the winter ice is still solid. The air route usually starts from Longyearbyen in Svalbard and continues to the Pole by a mix of plane and helicopter. You can also charter a flight from Canada.
The trip stops at Barneo, a temporary Russian ice base set up each year at about 89 degrees north.
A cheaper option is a sightseeing flight on a long-haul aircraft from the UK or Germany, overflying Norway, Svalbard and the Pole itself. You do not land, but the aircraft flies low over the area of interest.
Various companies offer air packages to the Pole, from standard to premium and honeymoon trips.
2. By sea
The nuclear-powered Russian icebreakers Yamal and 50 Years of Victory are the two commercial vessels that make regular trips to the Pole. They usually leave from Murmansk in Russia and spend at least two weeks in the Arctic Ocean over summer.
50 Years of Victory is the larger of the two, with 64 cabins in five categories. Yamal has 50 cabins, along with suites, private bathrooms, dining, a gym and a library. On a voyage you cross the Pole and many lines of longitude.
3. Overland
The North Pole Marathon, held at the Barneo base, is one way to reach the Pole. You are supported throughout, but you must meet certain health requirements.
Races to the Magnetic North Pole, such as the Polar Challenge and the North Pole Race, give a real taste of a proper Arctic expedition. They begin in the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut and run some 300 miles across frozen sea and a few islands.
Why visit the North Pole
Why spend the money and effort to reach a place that is nothing but ice? One reason is that the North Pole is changing fast with the climate, so getting to the top of the world is a rare chance. Those who have been swear by its vastness, and there are things you can experience nowhere else. Here are a few reasons to consider it.
1. A land of explorers
The high Arctic offers plenty of shore landings. The huts built by explorers in the 19th and 20th centuries still stand on the islands of Franz Josef Land, such as Jackson, Alger and Bell islands.
2. See the Arctic from the air
Cracks, ridges and melt pools cover the frozen ocean. Rising 30 metres above it by helicopter or hot-air balloon gives a new view of the Pole. It is optional, but a rare experience.
3. Wildlife and whale watching
50 Years of Victory has open decks and an open bridge for wildlife watching. When the expedition leader calls a whale sighting, passengers can watch and photograph it from the deck.
Polar bear sightings are unpredictable, but the search is part of the fun, and you may also see Arctic foxes, caribou, reindeer, musk ox, ringed seals and walruses.
4. A real travel achievement
Purpose-built expeditions are the only way to reach the Pole, and its status as one of the least-visited places on Earth is part of the draw. Remote as it is, there is real adventure here, whether soaking up the midnight sun, watching the Northern Lights or simply taking it in.
Even with limited options, careful research and planning will get you there. It is far from a typical destination — the trip is long and takes you out of your comfort zone — but if you want a true taste of adventure and a place unlike any other, the North Pole makes for a special journey.
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