Let’s face it: Iceland and Greenland aren’t exactly places you stumble into by accident. They don’t have direct trains from Paris, you can’t hop there on a whim from Barcelona, and your car’s satnav is going to struggle with inputting a postcode. But that’s exactly what makes these two northerly neighbours so thrilling, and why exploring them by cruise might just be the best way to visit them.
Why cruise?
You could try flying in, renting a car, and driving across lava fields while deciphering street names like Fimmvörðuháls. Or you could let a well-appointed ship glide you between glacial fjords and volcanic coastlines, with zero luggage dragging, no airport connections, and a daily buffet breakfast thrown in. Cruising to Iceland and Greenland turns what could be a logistical jigsaw puzzle into a seamless—and deeply scenic—journey.
Better still, cruise ships often dock close to the action. That means you’ll be waking up with direct views of iceberg-dotted bays or dramatic cliffs where puffins (the social butterflies of the seabird world) strut their stuff. And while other travellers are squinting at Google Maps from rental cars, you’ll be taking a hot tub dip before dinner.
Iceland: fire, ice, and a lot of awe
Iceland is truly a bucket-list destination like no other. There are geysers that spout like startled whales, waterfalls that tumble from moss-covered cliffs, and lava fields that look as thought they've been imported directly from Mars.
From Reykjavik, a city where street art and Norse mythology collide, you can head to the famed Golden Circle: think bubbling hot springs, tectonic rift valleys, and a waterfall so mighty it has its own fan club (hello, Gullfoss). Or stay coastal and hop a whale-watching boat to meet the real locals, humpbacks, minkes and, occasionally, orcas.
On a cruise itinerary, you might find yourself stopping at Ísafjörður for fjord-side hikes and hot springs, or Akureyri, where the Arctic charm is only outshone by the sheer friendliness of the locals and the hot chocolate.
Greenland: The Northern Hemisphere's final frontier (sort of)
Greenland, for all its icy mystique, is a surprisingly soulful place. Yes, it’s massive and mostly covered in ice, but it’s also dotted with colourful fishing villages, ancient Inuit culture, and landscapes that are utterly humbling. There are icebergs the size of shopping centres, fjords so silent they feel sacred, and skies that seem to go on forever.
Cruise itineraries might whisk you into the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord—home to some of the most active glaciers in the world, where you can kayak past enormous slabs of ice or take a helicopter ride over the calving glacier for a view that could humble even the most jaded traveller.
And then there are the smaller ports, where Greenlandic hospitality still thrives, and you might share a meal of local fish and flatbread with someone who’s lived on the edge of the Arctic Circle their whole life.
It’s not just the views
There’s something quietly profound about sailing between these wild and remote places. It gives you time to digest what you’ve seen, to thaw out in the sauna, and to enjoy a glass of wine while watching the midnight sun turn icebergs into floating gold. It’s the luxury of slowness, the reward of being off-grid without sacrificing your creature comforts.
Cruise lines like HX Expeditions and Celebrity Cruises now offer exceptional itineraries to these parts of the world—combining local insight with environmentally conscious exploration. And with Cruise Collective, you’ll find member-only savings (like 5% off select voyages) that make stepping into the Arctic wilderness that bit more accessible.
Final thought
Iceland and Greenland aren’t just places you visit. They’re places you feel; visceral, ancient, humbling and strange in all the best ways. And while you could brave it on your own, the truth is, you don’t have to. Let the ship do the navigating while you focus on what matters: watching a glacier crack, a geyser erupt, or the sun slip below the horizon at 1am.