How to experience the North and South Pole on a single cruise

Adventure holidaymakers will often add both the North Pole and the South Pole to their travel bucket list, but did you know there’s a way to tick off the two poles in a single amazing holiday?

Bookings are now open for the 2023 ‘Pole-to-Pole’ voyages of expedition cruise line Hurtigruten, which set sail in August 2023 and visit a variety of destinations from the top of the world all the way to the southern tip.

Two of these wildly popular cruises last for nearly 100 days and drop anchor at four continents between the Arctic and Antarctic, while the third is a bit shorter at 66 days.

Each voyage includes a comprehensive schedule of information sessions where cruisers can hear from the expert expedition team who will share advice on the places being visited and help travellers get the most out of each activity onshore.

“These extraordinary voyages will showcase some of the most spectacular nature and wildlife of our planet and offer authentic encounters with unique cultures,” promises Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO, Asta Lassesen.

These won't be your usual boring holiday snaps...

Four of Hurtigruten’s sophisticated yet eco-friendly battery-hybrid vessels make these marathon sailings: the MS Roald Amundsen (setting out from Vancouver, Canada to Ushuaia, Argentina), MS Fridtjof Nansen (Reykjavik, Iceland to Ushuaia), and Hurtigruten’s original custom-build expedition workhorse, the MS Fram (which sets off from the Northwest Passage bound for Punta Arenas, Chile).

There will be up to 100 landing sites during each cruise and depending on which ship you choose, you’ll have an opportunity to see Alaska, the Northwest Passage, Iceland and Greenland’s Baffin Island before turning south to thaw out a little in South America and ultimately arriving in Antarctica.

Hurtigruten relies on eco-friendly battery-hybrid ships for its polar adventures.

Along with crossing the Arctic Circle and navigating both the Drake Passage and the Panama Canal, you’ll also get to put the puffer jacket and thermals away briefly during stops in colourful Ecuador, Peru and to see the wonders of the Chilean fjords and Patagonia.

While you’ll certainly fill scores of memory cards with photos, these once in a lifetime cruises are priced to match: starting from $62,985 per person twin share for the two longer adventures or $41,985 for the MS Fram sailing.

But don’t puzzle over the price for too long: two similar expeditions scheduled for this year sold out in record time.