To inspire your inner explorer and help you plan your next polar adventure, I have compiled a list of 10 of the most remote and least visited places (+ one bonus place!) in the polar regions that can only be explored on an icebreaker cruise.

After embarking on an icebreaker cruise to East Greenland aboard Le Commandant Charcot, I was won over by the authentic experience it delivered. I want to share that with you.

Top Tip: The advantage of a cruise on an icebreaker ship is its ability to plough through thick sea ice, taking you to these seldom-encountered corners of the polar regions that can’t be accessed with regular ships.

Introduction

As the polar regions become increasingly popular, icebreaker cruises in Antarctica and the Arctic offer you a unique chance to explore places locked by sea ice. Travelling by icebreaker is a genuine polar expedition that allows you to witness places from Antarctica’s wild southern latitudes to Greenland’s ice-locked coasts and the North Pole with its permanent sea ice covering.

In this post, I delve into some of the most extraordinary places in the polar regions that can only be reached on an icebreaker cruise. The thrill of exploring these remote regions, such as Greenland, which are only accessible by icebreaker ships during the spring months, and others, such as the North Pole and Antarctica, which are only accessible on an icebreaker ship at all times, is truly exhilarating.

Le Commandant Charcot is the only icebreaker ship currently offering cruises to these destinations.

1. The Deep Weddell Sea, Antarctica (During Spring)

During springtime, the Weddell Sea is a neverending myriad of frozen sea ice previously seen only by polar explorers or the Emperor Penguins that survive there throughout the year.

Imagine following in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition and venturing deep into the frozen Weddell Sea at a time when it is inaccessible. Encounter mountainous icebergs trapped in the winter’s sea ice and seascapes only seen by Shackleton and his men.

Thanks to a new icebreaker cruise, you too can explore this frozen expanse, home to the final resting place of Shackleton Ship Endurance, which perished in the heavy ice.

The Weddell Sea also offers a chance to encounter Emperor Penguins, seldom seen along the Antarctic Peninsula, and other Antarctic wildlife, such as seals, whales, and birds.

While other expedition ships venture into the Weddell Sea later in the season, the only way to encounter it at this time of year is on an Antarctica Icebreaker cruise.

2. The North Pole

The North Pole is one of the most extreme points on the planet, which explains why it was sought as a prize by polar explorers for so many years. It is the most northerly point you can reach on the planet, located on the sea ice in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

Imagine spending days on end navigating through thick ice flows where this rarely seen and extreme polar environment changes shape constantly due to the wind and current shaping the ice into different forms.

Each year, under a thousand intrepid explorers make this exciting expedition to reach the North Pole on an icebreaker cruise.

As of 2024, Le Commandant Charcot is the only ship offering such a cruise.

Choose from The Geographic North Pole Icebreaker Cruise or the Trans Arctic Cruise from Longyearbyen to Nome in Alaska. Here you can find our more about our North Pole Cruises.

3. Ittoqqortoormiit and Scoresby Sund, East Greenland (During Spring)

Picture one of Greenland’s most remote villages, located high above the Arctic Circle on the East Coast. On the inner entrance to Scoresby Sund, Ittoqqortoormiit is home to just 345 Greenlandic people.

This small haven in the vast wilderness of East Greenland is locked in by sea ice for most of the year. Due to the heavy sea ice, the supply ship only visits twice a year, in August and September. When I last visited, my trip coincided with the first supply ship of the season, and it was quite a sight to see the excitement around it.

During spring, colossal ice floes run along the east coast of Greenland like a giant conveyor belt, carrying ice down the coast from the Arctic Ocean above. This ice barrier makes Ittoqqortoormiit unreachable apart from on an icebreaker at this time of year.

Icebreaker cruises to Greenland during the spring months now offer the rare opportunity to travel through the neverending sea ice and be one of the first outsiders to reach the village since the long winter’s end.

4. Charcot Island, Antarctica

Around 400 miles (628 km) South of the Antarctic Circle, the mountainous Charcot Island rises out of the icy realm of the Bellingshausen Sea. The French explorer Jean Baptist-Charcot first saw this magnificent sight in 1910.

In 2009, a 25-mile-long ice bridge connecting Charcot Island to the Wilkins Ice Shelf and the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula collapsed due to climate change.

This exceptionally hard-to-access island is formed from sheer cliffs and is mainly ice-covered, except for a few patches of exposed rock. It is hard to get a feeling of a more remote place in Antarctica that captures the sense of early exploration.

Due to its far southerly latitude of 69’45, South Charcot Island is seldom visited due to the extent of the sea ice surrounding it, making it only accessible on an Antarctica icebreaker cruise.

5. Ammassalik and the Blosseville Coast, East Greenland (During Spring)

One of my favourite places to explore in East Greenland is the Ammassalik region. It is home to some of the region’s most captivating fjords, frozen solid from the long, harsh winters and peered down by jagged mountains.

The ice barrier along the east coast of Greenland in this region during the spring months can extend up to 100 miles from the coast—the only way to explore at this time of year on an icebreaker cruise.

Imagine being on the first ship to arrive at the edge of the Inuit village of Tasiilaq, cut off by the ice during winter. Enjoy activities put on by local hunters, including dog sledge rides, ice trekking, and local singers sharing their Inuit traditions onboard.

I joined this icebreaker cruise in April 2024. I was lucky to see polar bears on the sea ice, majestic seascapes, and the uninhibited terrain of the rarely-visited Blossewill Coast.

The Inuit Spring cruise is one of the shortest, and its departure port of Reykjavik in Iceland makes it easily accessible from Europe and North America.

6. Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica 

Named after the great Explorer Roald Amundsen—the first man to reach the South Pole, the North Pole, and traverse the Northwest Passage—it feels right that this intrepid frozen sea is named after a man with such accolades.

The Amundsen Sea is a place of wonder. It is covered year-round by thick ice floes, with their ever-changing shapes and colossal icebergs on an unseen scale.

Located in West Antarctica, around halfway between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea, this region is as remote as they come. It has only been explored by a few and is accessible only on a specialist Antarctica icebreaker cruise during summer.

7. Disko Bay and Qeqertarsuaq Island, West Greenland (During Spring)

Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most famous sites. During the summer, the large natural bay on the west coast of Greenland is full of monumental icebergs that calve off the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier on the Illulisat ice fjord, which feeds into the sea.

As the temperatures plummet during the winter months, Disko Bay freezes over, locking in the giant icebergs, and the landscape transforms into a winter wonderland. Qeqertarsuaq Island in Disko Bay becomes shrouded in sea ice.

For the first time, an icebreaker cruise along the West Coast of Greenland will allow visitors to explore Disko Bay and Qeqertarsuaq Island during the spring.  

8. Shackleton Ice Shelf, East Antarctica

As if Antarctica wasn’t remote enough already, the Shackleton Ice Shelf is located in East Antarctica and is about as far as you can get from civilisation.

The ice shelf extends approximately 90 miles (145 km) from East Antarctica’s desolate shores and measures a whopping 240 miles (384km) in width. Named after Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Ice Shelf ranks as one of the least explored places in Antarctica due to its sheer distance and inaccessibility due to the heavy ice.

But the ice shelf is not completely uninhabited! It is home to 6471 Emperor Penguins, which BirdLife International discovered in 2009 using satellite imaging of this remote area. Whales and seals are also spotted.

It is possible to reach this virtually explored area on an Antarctica icebreaker cruise from Australia to Cape Town in South Africa once every two years.

9. Baffin Bay and Kullorsuaq, West Greenland (During Spring)

Situated on the Northwestern Coast of Greenland, Kullorsuaq is a traditional hunting village cut off from civilisation by sea ice during winter. Mountains and glaciers in the surrounding area outnumber the Inuit population, which still practices substance hunting.

An icebreaker cruise allows access during the spring months. It is a rare chance to visit and engage with local Inuit who live off fishing on the sea ice and hunting during the winter before venturing North to explore the frozen Baffin Bay, which is entirely off-limits for other ships at this time of year.

10. The Balleny Islands, East Antarctica

You may never have heard of the Balleny Islands, as they are so highly remote that they are rarely visited. These heavily glaciated volcanic islands in East Antarctica are around 167 miles (270km) North of Antarctica’s mainland.

When you step ashore, you will be one of the few to have visited the islands since their discovery in 1839. Known as a wildlife hotspot, the ocean around the islands is a rich feeding ground for humpback, fin, and minke whales. Elephants, leopards, Carbeaters, and Weddell seals frequent the shoreline. Large colonies of Chinstrap and Adélie use the isolated islands for breeding.

Once every two years, a unique Antarctica icebreaker cruise attempts to visit these far-flung islands.

11. Bonus – Kerguelen Islands, Sub Antarctic

Also known as the Desolation Islands, the Kerguelen Islands are some of the most isolated islands on Earth. Located in the southern Indian Ocean around 1800 nautical miles south of Madagascar, they are part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

These islands are home to penguins, sea birds, and seals. Their green moss-covered landscapes are a stark contrast to those south of the Antarctic Circle.

It used to be possible to visit the Kerguelen Islands on the supply ship Marion Dufresne, but this is currently in a state of hiatus. Whilst you don’t need an icebreaker to visit the Kerguelen Islands as they are not surrounded by ice, once every two years, Le Commandant Charcot calls at the islands on its way North from Antarctica.

To find out more please see our Icebreaker Cruises.

If you’re considering a polar adventure, our experienced Travel Experience Team is here to assist you with every step of the planning process, ensuring a smooth and memorable journey.

Thanks for reading, and happy exploring.