Summer brings warmth and light to the frozen north, and this is the prime season to visit Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and Arctic Canada. A brief window opens up for epic navigations of the Northeast and Northwest Passages and peak tourist season arrives in Alaska.
Summer expedition cruises
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Summer expeditions
AE Expeditions
The Amalfi, Sicily and Malta: The Godfather
From Rome (Civitavecchia) to Valletta
8 Jul - 19 Jul 2026 (11 Nights)
From £7,916 per guest
Silversea Expeditions
Longyearbyen to Tromsø
From Longyearbyen to Tromsø
8 Jul - 17 Jul 2026 (9 Nights)
From £11,800 per guest
National Geographic - Lindblad Expeditions
Crossroads of the Ancient World: Exploring Greece and Turkey
From Athens (Piraeus) to Athens (Piraeus)
8 Jul - 18 Jul 2026 (10 Nights)
From £8,876 per guest
Hurtigruten
The Coastal Express – South
From Kirkenes to Bergen
8 Jul - 13 Jul 2026 (5 Nights)
From £2,648 per guest
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Alaska (Inside Passage Route South) - An Adventurous Course Through Untamed Nature
From Seward to Vancouver
9 Jul - 23 Jul 2026 (14 Nights)
From £10,458 per guest
Scenic
Wine & Culinary Delights of Spain, Portugal and France
From Málaga to Bordeaux
9 Jul - 20 Jul 2026 (11 Nights)
From £12,861 per guest
Scenic
Ultimate Tastes of Europe: Málaga to London
From Málaga to London (Greenwich)
9 Jul - 31 Jul 2026 (22 Nights)
From £26,470 per guest
Ponant Explorations
Croatia's Dalmatian Coast by Sea – with Smithsonian Journeys
From Venice to Dubrovnik
9 Jul - 16 Jul 2026 (7 Nights)
From £6,200 per guest
Our Insight
Summer holidays with a difference...
Most conventional cruise ships head for the busy shores of the Mediterranean during Europe's summer months, but expedition lines tend to prioritise the northern reaches of Europe, Asia and North America at this time of year. The summer thaw means that ships can sail beyond the Arctic Circle to the Svalbard archipelago, one of the best places on earth to see polar bears in the wild. It's also a popular time of year to visit Greenland, Iceland and northern Norway.
In mid- to late August you will find a handful of expedition ships setting off on ambitious Northwest Passage voyages between Greenland or eastern Canada and Alaska, and sometimes the epic Northeast Passage. Look out too for some very special (and very expensive!) voyages to the North Pole itself.
June to August is high season in Alaska, when many of the busier ports can be overrun with cruise ship visitors, but a voyage on a small expedition ship will take you off the beaten track into true wilderness regions that the big ships can't reach.
Other summer options include Australia's rugged Kimberley region, with the chance to spot humpback whales in July and August and experience the spectacular King George Falls in full flow during May and June. Our summer is also the best time visit Papua New Guinea, when the weather is cooler and drier.
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Svalbard & the North Pole
Travel further north than 99.99% of the population to Spitsbergen and the Svalbard archipelago on a Svalbard expedition, where you really will feel as if you have gone to another planet – a magical experience.
Greenland & Northwest Passage
Breathtaking scenery, great wildlife and a fascinating history are the key features of Greenland, with access to the fabled Northwest Passage on exciting cruises to Greenland.
Russian Far East
There’s remote, and then there’s the Russian Far East – this extraordinary region is like another world, with amazing scenery, isolated settlements and abundant wildlife.
