Northwest Passage – Across the Top of the World (Alaska to Greenland)

Seattle, the Pacific Northwest's rain-kissed metropolis, commands one of America's most spectacular urban settings — a skyline of glass towers reflected in Elliott Bay with the white cone of Mount Rainier presiding over the horizon on clear days. Pike Place Market, one of the oldest and most vibrant public markets in the country, overflows with Dungeness crab, wild salmon, and blooms of tulips from the Skagit Valley. The neighbourhood of Capitol Hill pulses with independent bookshops and craft breweries; the Space Needle delivers sweeping views of the Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula. Summer, from June through September, offers Seattle's most generous sunshine.

Nome, Alaska, United States, offers an authentic North American experience where stunning natural landscapes meet communities of genuine character. Visitors should explore the surrounding wilderness and sample the honest, locally sourced cuisine that defines the region. The ideal visiting period is June through August, when the midnight sun bathes the landscape in golden light for nearly twenty-four hours. Cruise lines including HX Expeditions feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Bellot Strait is a narrow, tide-swept channel at the northern tip of mainland North America, serving as one of the most critical and challenging passages on the Northwest Passage route. The transit offers dramatic Arctic navigation between ice-flanked shores, with opportunities to spot polar bears and beluga whales along the rocky coastline. Navigable only in August and September, with successful passage never guaranteed due to unpredictable ice conditions that have challenged explorers since the nineteenth century.

Fort Ross is a remote former fur-trading outpost on British Columbia's northern coast, accessible only by water and surrounded by pristine temperate rainforest and rich marine ecosystems. Must-do experiences include watching grizzly bears fish for salmon, spotting orcas in the channels, and tasting freshly caught spot prawns. Visit between June and August for optimal weather and peak wildlife encounters.

Beechey Island, Canada, offers an authentic North American experience where stunning natural landscapes meet communities of genuine character. Visitors should explore the surrounding wilderness and sample the honest, locally sourced cuisine that defines the region. The ideal visiting period is June through August, when the midnight sun bathes the landscape in golden light for nearly twenty-four hours. Cruise lines including Aurora Expeditions feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Vis is Croatia's most remote and unspoiled inhabited island, a former military base that emerged from isolation with ancient Greek ruins, unique Vugava wine, and Mediterranean fishing-village life intact. Must-dos include visiting the Blue Cave on Bisevo, tasting komiza pogaca bread and fresh-grilled fish under a peka, and swimming at the cliff-enclosed Stiniva beach. June and September offer warm seas and manageable crowds.

Southwest Greenland combines Norse Viking ruins from the tenth century, living Inuit communities, vast ice fjords with calving glaciers, and surprisingly green pastoral valleys warmed by ocean currents. Must-dos include exploring Erik the Red's farm ruins at Brattahlid, boat excursions among icebergs in the Qooroq Ice Fjord, and visiting Qaqortoq's outdoor sculpture trail. July and August offer the warmest temperatures and longest days for this expedition-rich region.

Southwest Greenland combines Norse Viking ruins from the tenth century, living Inuit communities, vast ice fjords with calving glaciers, and surprisingly green pastoral valleys warmed by ocean currents. Must-dos include exploring Erik the Red's farm ruins at Brattahlid, boat excursions among icebergs in the Qooroq Ice Fjord, and visiting Qaqortoq's outdoor sculpture trail. July and August offer the warmest temperatures and longest days for this expedition-rich region.

Nuuk, Greenland's diminutive capital, is a city of vivid contrasts — colourful colonial houses against Arctic granite, Inuit heritage alongside contemporary Nordic culture, and world-class museums steps from untamed fjords. Visitors should not miss the Greenland National Museum's Qilakitsoq mummies and a Zodiac excursion into the surrounding iceberg-studded fjord system. The prime cruising season runs from June through September, when extended daylight illuminates the landscape in an ethereal sub-Arctic glow and waters remain navigable for expedition vessels.

Reykjavik, the world's northernmost capital, distils the entire improbable beauty of Iceland into one compact, creatively charged city. The soaring basalt columns of Hallgrímskirkja dominate a skyline of primary-coloured rooftops, while the Harpa Concert Hall shimmers beside the harbour like a captured aurora. Day trips from the city unlock the Golden Circle's geysers and Geysir hot spring, the black sand beaches of Vík, and the ethereal glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón. Geothermal pools — from the legendary Blue Lagoon to intimate neighbourhood hot pots — offer warmth year-round. June and July bring the bewitching midnight sun.