Where is the Arctic? | Intrepid Travel UK

The northernmost part of the earth, the final frontier, the home of Santa Claus – sometimes the Arctic seems to exist more as a state of mind than a real place.

It can be a little tricky to wrap your head around, but basically the Arctic starts from the North Pole – the literal ‘top’ of the world – and extends out in all directions to the edges of the Arctic Circle. Remember the five circles of latitude from school? Put it this way: if Earth was an orange and you sliced parallel lines across it – east to west – the Arctic would (roughly) be the slice right at the top. This line of latitude shifts with the earth’s orbit, so consequently the Arctic Circle isn’t at a fixed position.

While Antarctica is its own continent, the Arctic is made up of the Arctic Ocean and nearby seas, plus territory that belongs to Canada, Russia, the USA, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland. You can find out more about the countries that have claims on the Arctic here.

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Our tours in the Arctic

Map of Jewels of the Russian Arctic: Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya including Finland, Russian Federation and Arctic

Jewels of the Russian Arctic: Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya

16 Days From 10350

Discover the exquisite wilderness of the Russian Arctic on this 16-day exploration.

Map of Russian High Arctic Odyssey including Finland, Russian Federation and Arctic

Russian High Arctic Odyssey

22 Days From 13950

Polar deserts, shimmering glaciers and unique wildlife – the Arctic has it all.

Map of Exploring Spitsbergen via the Faroes and Jan Mayen including Faroe Islands, Norway, Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands, United Kingdom and Arctic

Exploring Spitsbergen via the Faroes and Jan Mayen

14 Days From 6000

Embark on an Arctic expedition to Scotland, Denmark and Spitsbergen.

Map of Spitsbergen Highlights including Norway and Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands

Spitsbergen Highlights

7 Days From 4950

Take a voyage across the Arctic Circle via the Svalbard Archipelago and north-east...

Map of Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland including Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands and Arctic

Spitsbergen, Jan Mayen, Greenland and Iceland

18 Days From 11300

Voyage across the Arctic Circle via the Svalbard Archipelago, Jan Mayer Island and...

Tailor-Made trips

Take two or more on an exclusive trip and tailor your itinerary

Map of Spitsbergen, East Greenland and Iceland - Northbound including Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands and Arctic

Spitsbergen, East Greenland and Iceland - Northbound

15 Days From 9300

Explore some of the world’s last great wildernesses, with an Arctic expedition in...

Map of Essential Greenland: Southern Coasts and Disko Bay including Greenland, Iceland and Arctic

Essential Greenland: Southern Coasts and Disko Bay

15 Days From 9800

See all the highlights of the east, south and west coasts on this Arctic voyage around...

Map of Spitsbergen in Depth including Norway and Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands

Spitsbergen in Depth

14 Days From 9050

Departing from Oslo, explore incredible Spitsbergen in search of polar bears, reindeer...