English FAQ Contact Dates & rates Login Antarctica Arctic Special deals Highlights About Home Highlights Hiking Hiking Explore the polar coastlines and inlands with a wide variety of invigorating hikes designed for all hikers to enjoy Hiking cruises Region: Antarctica, Arctic Destinations: Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea, Greenland, Svalbard, North Norway Hiking the surreal terrain of the Arctic and Antarctica There’s no closer way to explore a new area than on your own two feet. With this in mind, we offer a number of hiking expeditions built for all levels of hiker – from the casual walker to the hard-core hiking enthusiast. Do I need to be an experienced hiker? For basic walks, you just need to be in reasonably good shape and health. Hikes usually last somewhere between two and six hours. Keep in mind there are no paths and that you will be traveling over fairly rugged terrain and some small hills. We usually offer one to three different types of walks per landing site, ranging from a casual stroll to a challenging hike. In Antarctica, the longest hike takes about three hours. In the Arctic, the longest hike can last a full day, in which case we will provide you a packed lunch. All hikes are led and supervised by certified, experienced expedition guides. How physically fit do I need to be? Our hiking guides reserve the right to remove a passenger from the hiking group if they feel they are not in good enough health for a particular hike. This is for your safety as well as our guides. If this happens, our experienced guides will be able to recommend another hike based on your fitness level. If you have any questions about your health or hiking skills in relation to our hikes, please do not hesitate to visit our FAQ or contact us. What kind of clothing should I take hiking? Please bring clothing for the variable weather of the polar regions. Layers are your friend. You’re going to get hot as you hike, and layers will enable you to shed clothing without losing your overall protection against the elements. With that in mind we suggest the following gear: Hiking or walking poles Backpack (25 liters) Knee-high rubber boots with a grip sole (we provide these on our larger motor vessels but not on our smaller sailing vessels) A waterproof bag (especially for cameras), since you are likely to get splashed during the Zodiac ride from the ship to the shore Straps for tying snowshoes onto your back or backpack Sturdy ankle-high hiking boots (you can use your rubber boots as well) Gaiters (knee-high waterproof protection) to keep your lower legs dry Sunglasses Sunblock Thin under-socks (to stop blistering) and thick over-socks (with spares) One-liter water-bottle Thermal under-gloves (fleece finger gloves) and warm outer-gloves or mittens (and spares) Turtleneck or neck gaiter Urine-collection bottle (for Antarctica), such as a wide-opening Nalgene bottle Thermal underwear Fleece jacket or vest Down jacket or spare fleece jacket Breathable waterproof jacket and trekking trousers Warm fleece hat Binoculars Do not bring cotton clothing like T-shirts or jeans. When cotton gets wet (either from outside moisture or sweat), it will stay wet a long time – not a good thing in a cold environment. Do the hiking activities cost more? No, they are covered in the cost of your cruise. Are the polar hikes safe? Yes, as all hikes are accompanied by one or more trained and experienced expedition guides. But in the Arctic (especially Svalbard), we must keep a constant lookout for polar bears. All Arctic hiking guides carry rifles due to this possibility while in polar bear territory. We only hike in areas that are outside glaciated terrain, since treks inside these areas bring people into contact with crevasses and are therefore considered mountaineering. Mountaineering trips are always accompanied by at least one UIAGM-certified mountain guide. Special note on Antarctic hiking Hiking options in Antarctica are more limited than in the Arctic due to the differences in terrain. There are plenty of Antarctic hiking opportunities, however, on the islands of the Weddell Sea, the South Shetland Islands, and in South Georgia. In South Georgia, in fact, you may have the chance to hike the final section of legendary polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s famous walk. 6 photos of Hiking in the gallery » Related cruises North Norway, Aurora Borealis, Hike & Sail Experience the shores, seas, and lights of the Norwegian Arctic RVR06-22 During this trip, hikes are offered (with snowshoes if needed). Snowshoeing is easy and for anyone with good health and good physical condition. It requires no technical knowledge. With the use of snowshoes you can move faster and safer on the snow surface. S/V REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Cruise date: 5 Feb - 12 Feb, 2022 Price: €2200 Show cruise North Norway, Aurora Borealis, Hike & Sail Experience the shores, seas, and lights of the Norwegian Arctic RVR07-22 During this trip, hikes are offered (with snowshoes if needed). Snowshoeing is easy and for anyone with good health and good physical condition. It requires no technical knowledge. With the use of snowshoes you can move faster and safer on the snow surface. S/V REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Cruise date: 12 Feb - 19 Feb, 2022 Price: €2200 Show cruise North Norway, Aurora Borealis, Hike & Sail Experience the shores, seas, and lights of the Norwegian Arctic RVR09-22 During this trip, hikes are offered (with snowshoes if needed). Snowshoeing is easy and for anyone with good health and good physical condition. It requires no technical knowledge. With the use of snowshoes you can move faster and safer on the snow surface. S/V REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Cruise date: 26 Feb - 5 Mar, 2022 Price: €2200 Show cruise North Norway, Aurora Borealis, Hike & Sail Experience the shores, seas, and lights of the Norwegian Arctic RVR10-22 During this trip, hikes are offered (with snowshoes if needed). Snowshoeing is easy and for anyone with good health and good physical condition. It requires no technical knowledge. With the use of snowshoes you can move faster and safer on the snow surface. S/V REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Cruise date: 5 Mar - 12 Mar, 2022 Price: €2200 Show cruise Up to 270 discount North Norway, Aurora Borealis, Hike & Kayak & Sail Experience the shores, seas, and lights of the Norwegian Arctic. No surcharge for the kayak program (limited space available) RVR11-22 During this trip, hikes (with snowshoes if needed) and kayak outings with TRAK kayaks are offered. Snowshoeing is easy and for anyone with good health and good physical condition. Basic kayaking experience is of advantage, but it is not a requirement.... S/V REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Cruise date: 12 Mar - 19 Mar, 2022 Price: €1980 Show cruise We have a total of 28 cruises All cruises Antarctica Weddell Sea Antarctic Circle Antarctic Peninsula Ascension Island Cape Verde Falkland Islands South Georgia South Orkney Islands South Shetland Islands Ross Sea Arctic Franz Josef Land Greenland Jan Mayen North Norway Svalbard Highlights Basecamp Polar Diving Mountaineering Antarctic Camping Hiking Ski Mountaineering Photo Workshop Helicopter Tours Kayaking Snowshoeing Resources Rental gear FAQ Stories Photo Gallery Press Contact Careers Privacy policy Terms and conditions Sharing guidelines Insured travel funds Photo and video terms Group request Connect with us on: +31 (0)118 410 410 Sign up and stay updated: Subscribe The cruises on oceanwide-expeditions.com have received an average rating of 9.6/10 based on 520 customer reviews Contact Privacy policy Terms and conditions cookies © 2021 Oceanwide Expeditions