Dramatic icebergs near Nunavut, Canada, can be seen on an all-inclusive, luxury Seabourn expedition cruise.

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

This elusive sea corridor has captivated explorers’ minds since the 15th century. Now you can traverse this fabled passage on an Arctic expedition voyage with Seabourn.

European explorers have searched for a northernly sea passage between Western Europe and Asia since the 1400s. Such a route would save months of arduous travel around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn at the tip of South America. Many explorers journeyed west around Greenland and through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in search of a corridor connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; others steered their ships east across the top of present-day Norway and Arctic Russia. These early seafarers were turned back time and again by treacherous weather conditions and thick sea ice; many perished. Yet the Arctic has experienced monumental change since these passages were first mapped, and the region’s transformative nature has created ice-free areas year-round, making shipping — and expedition travel — possible.

Northwest Passage Destinations

Northwest Passage map

Northwest Passage

Venetian navigator John Cabot first set out in 1492 to search for this fabled passage, which spans some 900 miles between Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska. Numerous expeditions followed and failed — including the infamous Franklin Expedition of 1845 — before Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen finally made a successful transit in 1906. Today’s adventurers can traverse the corridor in ultra-luxury comfort with Seabourn. Take an exhilarating Zodiac excursion along the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ponder the lonely graves of doomed Franklin Expedition members on tiny Beechy island, and hike to an ancient Thule settlement of stone pit houses on Devon Island — a.k.a. “Mars on Earth.” Visit Inuit towns like Cambridge Bay in Canada’s Nunavut territory, and learn how Indigenous people survive in such a remote and harsh environment. Wherever possible, Seabourn guests can join their ship’s Kayak Team for an optional paddle. You can even explore below the frigid water surface in one of your ship’s custom-built submarines.

Please note: Destinations shown above are representative of many of the places we'll visit but are subject to conditions.

Polar bears are an exciting possible discovery on an all-inclusive, luxury expedition cruise along the Northeast Passage.

A Travel Blog from Seabourn
Read the latest Northwest Passage articles on Seabourn’s digital magazine, Current — the newest way to find out about some of the most unique Seabourn destinations.

In Pursuit of the Northwest Passage
Learn why it took explorers so long to locate — and then navigate — this famous passage, and what it means for the future of expedition travel.

6 Amazing Arctic Animals You Can See on a Seabourn Expedition
Hint: the world's largest land carnivore and the mysterious "unicorn of the sea" both call this icy region home.

Arctic fox, a common sight on all-inclusive, luxury expedition cruises on Seabourn.

Featured Ports

Reykjavik, Iceland

More than half of Iceland’s population lives in this sophisticated city, the northernmost national capital in the world. Its name translates as “smoky bay,” a reference to the many mineral hot springs and geothermal areas nearby.

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Greenland’s only inland town, located at the head of its namesake, 120-mile-long fjord, is the gateway for wild adventure on the Greenland Ice Cap.

Ilulissat Icefjord

This 37-mile-long fjord, set along Greenland’s west coast, is the sea mouth of one of the world’s most active glaciers and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hike to Sermermiut Valley to view its spellbinding bergs, as well as the remains of an ancient Inuit settlement.

Two polar bears seen on a rocky shoreline along the Northwest Passage, an arctic area visited on an all-inclusive, Seabourn luxury cruise.

Northwest Passage Experience

The 900-mile-long route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — and gives visitors a rare glimpse into this glacier-carved region dominated by sea ice.