Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Flying
• Method 2 of 3: Go by sea
• Method 3 of 3: Go by land
• Tips
• Warnings

The North Pole is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, you can't go further north. Whether you visit the geographic North Pole (i.e. the points from which all roads lead south, also called 'true north') or the magnetic North Pole (the point your compass points to), a journey there means a journey through a frozen wilderness. In the spring there are many options for traveling to the Arctic when the temperatures and darkness don't make it impossible yet, but the ice is still firm enough to walk on. This article provides an overview of the various options to consider for your Arctic adventure.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Flying

1. Book your flight. Flying is the fastest and easiest way to get to the North Pole, if you can afford it. Flights to the North Pole mainly depart from Norway, but chartered flights are also available from Canada. Fill in all the forms and book your flight tickets.
   • If you want to fly from Norway, you should assume a price between ten and twelve thousand dollars. Visit the Polar Explorers website, open the "Expeditions" tab and select "Arctic Flights". The information and forms you need to register for the trips are all on this page.
   • A charter flight from Canada can cost ten times as much as a flight from Norway. For rates and reservations you can contact Kenn Borek Air by phone, email or fax. Contact information is available on their website.
   • Due to the extreme conditions in the Arctic, when booking a trip, you must declare that you are in good health and that you will purchase medical evacuation insurance.
   • Other types of insurance, such as travel cancellation insurance, are also recommended.
   • If you want to see the North Pole without landing, you can take a scenic flight that goes over the North Pole, but does not land there. This is considerably cheaper. Flights are available from Berlin in Germany, and are available from about $ 500 dollars. These flights can be booked through the Air Events website.
2. Go to Canada or Norway. Flights to the North Pole from Norway depart from Longyearbyen, a village north of the Arctic Circle. Kenn Borek Air, the company that offers charter flights from Canada, is based in Calgary, but flies from several locations. Book a ticket from Schiphol to one of these places.
   • Norwegian Airlines flies regularly from Oslo to Longyearbyen. You will probably need to book two separate flights - one from Schiphol to Oslo, and one to Longyearbyen.
   • You will need to contact Kenn Borek Air to find out where you are departing.
3. Go to Barneo. Whether you're flying from Canada or Norway, your next stop is Barneo, an ice station located about 60 miles from the North Pole.
   • Accommodations and meals at Barneo are offered as part of many Arctic visits.
4. Take a helicopter. From Barneo you can fly to the North Pole by helicopter.
   • The helicopter ride takes 20-40 minutes with an MI-8 helicopter stationed at Barneo.
   • Polar Explorers offer multiple photo-taking options and typically provide a champagne toast to their Arctic travelers. However, due to the intensely low temperatures on the Pole, you only have an hour to consume it before the helicopter takes you back to Barneo.
   • Alternatively, you can ski from Barneo, an adventure known as "last degree skiing". Tour packages to do this with a trained guide will cost you about $ 25,000. You can also go on a snowmobile or dog sled.
   • The Polar Explorers website has information about the route and costs for each of these options, as well as the application forms you need to fill out. Visit the North Pole Expeditions page and select the option you are interested in.
   • If you're an athlete, you also have the option to participate in a marathon departing from Barneo in April. This will cost you around $ 15,000, but includes a flight from Svalbard, Norway to Barneo (and back), as well as accommodations and a helicopter flight to the pole. Visit their website and complete the online application that will allow you to register for the race.

Method 2 of 3: Go by sea

1. Book your ticket. A second option is to travel to the North Pole with a Russian icebreaker, a large ship designed to sail through Arctic ice. Book your ticket for one of these expeditions.
   • You should expect at least $ 26,000 for this cruise. Registration is simple: visit the Adventure Life Website, select the cruise "Ultimate Arctic Adventure", choose a departure date and complete the request.
   • Adventure life has options ranging from a simple room with a double bed to various luxury suites. The prices for suites range from € 32,800 to € 36,900 for these luxury accommodations.
2. Go to Finland. Expeditions on board icebreaker ships usually depart from Helsinki, Finland. Book a ticket from where you live to Helsinki. Several major airports offer flights to Helsinki. You can also take the train there from many European destinations.
3. Fly to Russia. From Helsinki you take a charter plane to Murmansk, Russia. The ship will actually depart from here.
   • This flight is included in the travel package.
4. Sail to the North Pole. The icebreaker ship, which also offers luxury accommodations, sails from Murmansk.
   • Expect a stay of five to eight days on board the ship as it travels through the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole.
   • The 50 Years of Victory (the ship that sails to the North Pole) has a variety of amenities to keep you occupied during the trip, including a swimming pool and bar.

Method 3 of 3: Go by land

1. Book a guide or enter a competition. You can also visit the Arctic by traveling overland from Russia or Canada, usually by skiing, towing a sled called "pulk", and camping on the ice. This can be done by booking a private guide or by participating in a competition.
   • There are several organized competitions to the North Pole, including the Polar Challenge and the North Pole Race, which will take you 300 miles across the ice to the Magnetic North Pole. From 2016, the ice competition will provide an equally grueling overland journey.
   • Expect to spend around $ 29,000 to take part in these types of expeditions. Costs include training, flights, equipment, food, and insurance.
   • As these races are only accessible to a relatively small number of people, you should contact the organizers for more information about registration, costs, etc. The ice competition has an online form that you can fill out, or you can send the organizer an email. -sending an e-mail.
   • Remember that these competitions will take you to the magnetic North Pole (the point the compass points to), rather than the geographic "True North" of the North Pole.
   • Private guides can also be hired for an even longer trip from Russia or Canada. This 800 km trek is known as a "full distance" Arctic expedition. Normally these expeditions depart in February.
   • The full distance journey is by far the most extreme and costly option, and can only be made by people who have the resources and experience to make the trek. For prices you need to contact the company that offers the guides.
   • Adventure Consultants, a company that offers guides for full distance travel, has a booking form on their website that you can fill out if you really want to take one of these trips. After you complete this, you will be contacted to let you know if you qualify and if they can arrange the adventure for you.
   • To consider any of these overland trips, you must be in excellent health and you must be able to prove it. Additionally, for full distance tours, some guides require climbing experience and in some cases even prior experience with an ice ax and crampons.
2. Fly to Russia or Canada. Book a ticket to the starting point of the match or expedition.
   • Organized competitions usually depart from Resolute Bay in the Northern Canadian region of Nunavut. Regular scheduled flights from major Canadian cities such as Ottawa and Montreal are available via First Air, Calm Air and Canadian North airlines.
   • Full distance tours usually depart from Cape Arktichevsky, Russia, or Ward Hunt Island, Canada. To reach these locations you usually have to book a private flight, which can be very costly. However, if you take any of these trips through travel agents, they will organize a flight to Ward Hunt Island from Resolute Bay.
3. Ski to the north. Head north with your expedition to the pole. These overland trips are grueling. Every day you will ski on snow and ice for 8-10 hours with your team or guide.
   • This journey is treacherous, requiring you to navigate pressure ridges, search for routes around areas where the ice has melted, and camp on ice plains.
   • In the evening you will cook dinner and set up camp by building snow walls to keep the wind out. The temperature can be as low as -40 degrees.
   • If you're competing with one of the competition groups, expect to spend about four weeks on the ice.
   • If you're going on a full-haul tour, you should expect to spend about 60 days on the ice.
   • Some of the competitions and some private guides also offer options for shorter tours that start closer to the pole and only last about two weeks. If you don't have a month or more to spend on the ice, it may be worth considering one of these options.
   • Reaching the pole, you will either camp there for the night, or be picked up by a helicopter and taken to the Barneo ice station to spend the night, depending on the conditions. the next day, you will enjoy a hot meal at Barneo before flying back to civilization.

Tips

• The North Pole is very, very cold. If the trip you choose does not provide you with outerwear, bring all your warmest clothing: thick coats, earmuffs, boots, warm pants, gloves, a hat and a scarf. If you don't already have garments designed for extreme cold, you will have to invest in them.
• The companies that bring the groups overland to the North Pole supply fleece clothing with a windproof shell, as well as warm mittens, hats and a face mask. If no clothing is provided for your trip, invest in similar cold weather clothing.
• If you are new to traveling in Arctic conditions, consider one of the less challenging options for your Arctic visit.

Warnings

• Temperatures in the Arctic are so cold that you can die quickly if you are not willing to deal with them. Other dangers such as polar bear attacks are also a real risk. If you are not willing to deal with these risks, avoid one of the overland options.