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The Leader in Polar Adventures
Quark Expeditions® is the leading provider of polar adventure travel for three decades, specializing in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic. They offer visitors unmatched access to the most remote places on earth using various specially-equipped early small expedition vessels, icebreakers, and unique land-based adventures. Quark Expeditions® has a true spirit of exploration that runs deep in their polar pedigree. They are genuinely passionate about creating transformative experiences for fellow adventurers visiting these regions.
Incredible Adventures in South Greenland: By Sea, by Land and by Air (Video)
A first in polar adventure travel, Quark Expeditions® has teamed up with municipal, regional and national partners to offer the most extensive array of adventure activities and enable you to curate an authentic Greenland active adventure that best suits you.
Quark Expeditions® Current Promotions
Ship: Ultramarine
| Itinerary Name | Details of Dates and Locations |
|---|---|
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 25 Jun 2025 – 08 Jul 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 11 May 2025 – 20 May 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 24 May 2025 – 02 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 01 Jun 2025 – 10 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 09 Jun 2025 – 18 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Ultimate Arctic Voyage – From Svalbard to Jan Mayen to Iceland (13 days) | Dates: 17 Jun 2025 – 26 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Ultimate Arctic Voyage – From Svalbard to Jan Mayen to Iceland (13 days) | Dates: 07 Jul 2025 – 19 Jul 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Reykjavík, Iceland |
Ship: Ocean Explorer
| Itinerary Name | Details of Dates and Locations |
|---|---|
| Adventures in Northeast Greenland – Glaciers, Fjords, and The Northern Lights (11 days) | Adventures in Northeast Greenland – Glaciers, Fjords, and The Northern Lights (11 days) |
| Adventures in Northeast Greenland – Glaciers, Fjords, and The Northern Lights (11 days) | Dates: 04 Sep 2025 – 14 Sep 2025 Reykjavík, Iceland to Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Adventures in Northeast Greenland – Glaciers, Fjords, and The Northern Lights (11 days) | Dates: 13 Sep 2025 – 23 Sep 2025 Reykjavík, Iceland to Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 22 Sep 2025 – 02 Oct 2025 Reykjavík, Iceland to Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 15 May 2025 – 24 May 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 23 May 2025 – 01 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 31 May 2025 – 09 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 08 Jun 2025 – 17 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 16 Jun 2025 – 25 Jun 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 24 Jun 2025 – 03 Jul 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 02 Jul 2025 – 11 Jul 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Svalbard Explorer – Best of High Arctic Norway (10 days) | Dates: 10 Jul 2025 – 19 Jul 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Three Arctic Islands – Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen (15 days) | Dates: 18 Jul 2025 – 27 Jul 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Three Arctic Islands – Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen (15 days) | Dates: 13 Aug 2025 – 27 Aug 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Reykjavík, Iceland |
Ship: Ultramarine
| Itinerary Name | Details of Dates and Locations |
|---|---|
| Spitsbergen Highlights – Journey Into The Arctic Wilderness (7 days) | Dates: 19 May 2025 – 25 May 2025 Helsinki, Finland to Helsinki, Finland |
| Spitsbergen Highlights – Journey Into The Arctic Wilderness (7 days) | Dates: 19 Jul 2025 – 31 Jul 2025 Reykjavík, Iceland to Toronto, ON Canada |
| Wild Fjords of South Greenland – Land of The Vikings (13 days) | Dates: 10 Aug 2025 – 19 Aug 2025 Toronto, ON Canada to Toronto, ON Canada |
Quark Expeditions® Current Ships
Ocean Adventurer – This newly renovated vessel, formerly the Sea Adventurer, offers guests a new look and feel throughout, a forward lounge and observation deck to enjoy mesmerizing views, and technical enhancements – including two new engines – to improve fuel efficiency and minimize carbon footprint.
Ocean Explorer – Ocean Explorer is modern, elegant and purpose-built for polar exploration. The 138-passenger ship has been designed with the latest expedition ship technology. One key feature is the ULSTEIN X-BOW®, a marine engineering innovation that ensures a comfortable and smooth sailing experience.
Ultramarine – Ultramarine is designed to go beyond the familiar in polar exploration, to pursue and discover amazing new places, and to immerse its guests in the very best of the spectacular polar regions.
World Explorer – Quark Expeditions’ all-balcony, all-suites hybrid ship which maximizes both off-ship exploration and the onboard experience with exceptional service and comfortable, modern accommodations. A remarkable home base for Antarctic travelers of all kinds (176 passengers).
Ultramarine Off to Antarctica
Quark Expeditions® is thrilled to be back at sea! After five years of intense ship-building and innovation—plus an interruption of expedition travel due to the worldwide pandemic—they’re so excited for the guests on Ultramarine’s inaugural voyage, which set sail on December 23. Not only are these adventurers the first to travel on this game-changing ship, but they also get to celebrate the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton on this multi-destination itinerary.
Quark Expeditions® Secures
Best-in-Class COVID Testing
Quark Expeditions® has secured breakthrough rapid onsite PCR testing capability as part of its industry-leading S.A.F.E. COVID Policy, designed to protect your health—and your financial investment—when polar expedition travel resumes.
The rapid onsite PCR test—recognized around the world as the gold standard of COVID testing—is a breakthrough in the prevention of COVID-19 and will allow the Quark Expeditions® team to:
- Ensure all guests test negative for COVID 19 before boarding Quark Expeditions® ships
- Receive test results within 60 minutes
- Identify infected individuals, even asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers
- Carry out onboard testing of passengers and crew to ensure continued peace of mind
Why you should visit the Polar Regions with Quark
Unlike any other destinations on the planet!
The Polar Regions—the last remaining wilderness frontiers on the planet—offer you experiences no other destination can provide.
- Wildlife: Polar bears in the Arctic, thousand-fold rookeries of penguins in Antarctica, and incredible numbers of bird species in both Polar Regions.
- Ice formations: Icebergs of every shape, size—and color—plus glaciers and ice-laden waterways are yours to explore in the Arctic and Antarctic.
- Unrivalled bird species: Thousands and thousands of bird species inhabit the cliffs of the Arctic and shores of Antarctica.
- Polar history: You’ll be able to visit historic sites and decades-old landmarks that were crucial to early polar exploration.
- Wide open spaces where few humans have ever set foot: You’ll walk in places few humans have ever visited, enabling you to experience the true expeditionary spirit!
And why should you visit the Polar Regions with Quark Expeditions®?
Quark Expeditions® has focused exclusively on polar travel for three decades. They have the most diverse fleet of small polar vessels—including the technologically advanced Ultramarine—as well as the most experienced expedition team, the most robust portfolio of off-ship adventure options, and the most diverse selection of immersive polar itineraries. Quark Expeditions® can take you to polar destinations no one else can.
For most people, a trip to Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Why not make the most of it and join a deep exploration of not only Antarctica but the incomparable Sub-antarctic islands?
SOUTH GEORGIA – Often referred to as the Galapagos of the South, this remote island rewards expedition goers with some of the densest concentrations of wildlife on Earth, set amongst dramatic landscapes of jagged mountains, sweeping glaciers, lush vegetations, and even white, sandy beaches. Here, you’ll walk amongst hundreds of thousands of king penguins and tens of thousands of seals while learning about the important role South Georgia played in The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
FALKLAND ISLANDS – Situated between South America and Antarctica, the remote Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are a treasured destination among nature, wildlife and history enthusiasts alike. Where else can you observe five penguin species from the warmth of a white sand beach, cruise in a zodiac™ alongside a pod of Commerson’s dolphins, hike among blooming gorse fields to an albatross colony, and enjoy a quintessential British teatime with locals – all in one day?
UNLIMITED ADVENTURE – Quark Expeditions® offers more adventure options than anyone else. They have created on–and off–ship adventures that no one else offers. It’s why they are the leaders in polar exploration. Their ESSENTIAL PATAGONIA expedition, for example, offers five exciting adventure options, including two brand new ones to amp up the adventure.
Quark Expeditions (to Antarctica and the Arctic) offers the highest passenger to guide ratio of 7:1, providing the highest level of education, photography and overall experience for passengers on board.
THE FASTEST WAY TO ANTARCTICA!
QUARK EXPEDITIONS’ FLY-CRUISE OPTION
If you’re strapped for time, flying across the Drake Passage enables you to make the most of your Antarctic voyage within the time you have available!
Rather than sail across the 800-km Drake Passage, you can fly by charter plane from Punta Arenas, Chile, and land at King George Island—and then start exploring the incredible Antarctic Peninsula by ship.
5 Ways You’ll Benefit by Flying Across the Drake Passage
- Total time-saver: By eliminating the 2-day ship crossing of the iconic Drake Passage, your clients can visit the Antarctic in as few as 8 days
- Incredible aerial views: you’ll get to enjoy beautiful aerial perspectives of the Antarctic landscape as your plane descends in the South Shetland Islands
- Smooth flying journey: their Fly-Cruise option means you can avoid the potentially choppy waters of the Drake Passage
- Visit Punta Arenas: Use the time you save to explore the lively Chilean city of Punta Arenas
- Fulfill a polar dream: time is often a deal-breaker for polar travelers like you. The Fly/Cruise option means you can realize your dream of visiting the 7th Continent.
Learn more about Quark Expeditions® Fly/Cruise voyages, departure dates and latest offers!
Fulfill Your Dream of Crossing the Antarctic Circle
“The circle” is that magical ring drawn on atlases and nautical charts of Antarctica. Quark Expeditions® team member Nicholas Engelmann wrote about his incredible experience crossing the iconic Circle aboard Ocean Diamond.
Why Visit South Greenland with Quark Expeditions® (Video)
Take advantage of Ultramarine’s twin-engine helicopters that take you to areas other can’t reach. Ascend cascading coastal glaciers and step onto the vast polar plateau of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Travel by helicopter to glacial lakes high in the upper alpine zones. Roam the tundra with a resident chef and enjoy an unforgettable meal made from local ingredients.
Alpine heli–trekking. Sea kayaking. Flightseeing. Quark Expeditions® offers more Adventure Options than anyone else. They’ve created on–and off–ship adventures that no one else offers. It’s why we’re the leaders in polar exploration.
CELEBRATING SHACKLETON:
The journey from Antarctica to South Georgia Whereas Shackleton and his crew braved the harsh elements of Antarctica aboard Endurance, which had the most basic of amenities, guests on this voyage will board the brand new ship Ultramarine—during its inaugural Antarctic sailing season. The technologically–advanced vessel will follow the route of Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), allowing passengers to experience the full splendor of Antarctica and South Georgia while exploring on Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters and 20 fast–launching Zodiacs™. Guests will cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, visit the Weddell Sea (where the ill-fated Endurance met its tragic end), then onto Elephant Island and, ultimately, wildlife-rich South Georgia, where, if conditions allow, guests will pay homage to Shackleton at his grave at Grytviken. Join special guests Tim Jarvis and Dr. Ross MacPhee in 2021 for this unique expedition onboard this newest ship, Ultramarine. Book Now!
Greenland Adventure
Explore by Sea, Land, and Air
A first in polar adventure travel, Quark Expeditions® has teamed up with municipal, regional and national partners to offer you the most extensive array of adventure activities and enable you to curate an active adventure in Greenland that best suits you. Exclusive to Quark Expeditions, you’ll experience this new voyage aboard game-changing polar ship, Ultramarine, which is equipped with two twin-engine helicopters, 20 quick–launching Zodiacs™, luxurious onboard amenities, and the largest portfolio of adventure options in the polar regions. This one–of–a–kind voyage will immerse you in the majestic landscape of the world’s second-largest ice mass. Book Now, Explore Later!
While temperatures in Antarctica hover around the freezing mark, the continuous daylight warms sheltered areas so that you may find temperatures warm enough for t-shirts.
Fun fact
Get away to some of the most rugged, remote, and unexplored regions of the world. Think kayaking along ancient fjords, cruising through ice packs, and heli-hiking on glaciers. Embark on an adventure that’s far from ordinary, and likely long overdue.
ESSENTIAL PATAGONIA: Chilean Fjords and Torres del Paine
Blue-toned glaciers. Vast national parks. A spectacular network of fjords and channels. And incredible albatross sightings visitors won’t experience anywhere else. This is what sets Patagonia apart. And you can experience all of it in the comfort of Ultramarine with its two twin-engine helicopters and superb onboard amenities.
Highlights of Quark Expeditions® Essential Patagonia – Chilean Fjords and Torres del Paine itinerary:
- Visits to multiple National Parks, such as Torres Del Paine National Park and Alberto de Agostini National Park.
- Flightseeing excursions over the ruggedly beautiful Chilean Fjords.
- Wildlife: black-browed albatross, shy albatross and grey-headed albatross. Sightings of dolphins, South American fur seals, and rockhopper, macaroni and Magellanic penguins.
From Magellanic penguin colonies and other seabirds to South American sea lions and southern elephant seals, the fascinating array of wildlife is as abundant as the majestic blue-toned tidewater glaciers. Join Quark Expeditions® in this enchanting wonderland as they retrace Darwin’s route through the Beagle Channel and experience all the natural splendors of southern Patagonia. Join us for this special journey onboard their new vessel, Ultramarine.
Take the Polar Plunge – a thrilling experience scheduled once per voyage where you can jump or cannonball into the icy waters (often from the side of a Zodiac™ or your ship’s gangplank) cheered on, of course, by your fellow passengers and Expedition Team.
Expert Tip
Quark Expeditions’ new expedition vessel, Ultramarine, joins them as the star of this Arctic season, offering more wildlife-viewing spaces than any expedition ship of its size. Helicopter-based excursions on Ultramarine‘s two twin-engine helicopters transport small groups to remote fjords and locations other ships can’t reach. And, new adventure options for this season include alpine kayaking, mountain biking, and Greenland camping.
Unlike any other destination, the Antarctic boasts many areas to explore; from the Antarctic Peninsula to the remote sub-Antarctic islands of the Falklands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia. Featuring 7 itineraries and a myriad of ways to personalize your experience, the Antarctic is the next destination for you to discover, connect, and be transformed by.
Awards & Accolades
- WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS – World’s Leading Polar Expeditions, Operator 2018
- USA TODAY – 10 BEST READERS’ CHOICE TRAVEL AWARD, Best Adventure Cruise Line 2018
- SIGNATURE LUXURY TRAVEL & STYLE CRUISE AWARD – Best-of-the-Best Luxury Cruise Awards Winner, Expedition 2018 – Best-of-the-Best Luxury Cruise Awards Winner, Expedition 2017
- TRAVEL WEEKLY – GOLD MAGELLAN AWARD, Best Expedition Itinerary: Northwest Passage 2018, Best Expedition Itinerary: North Pole 2018
- TRAVEL WEEKLY – SILVER MAGELLAN AWARD, Best Expedition Itinerary: Greenland Explorer 2018, Best Expedition Itinerary 2017, Best Small Ship Expedition 2017, Best Adventure Destination: Greenland 2017
- TRAVEL + LEISURE – WORLD’S BEST AWARD, Small-Ship Ocean Cruise Line 2016
- FODOR’S TRAVEL GUIDES – WORLD’S BEST CRUISES, Kapitan Khlebnikov’s Northwest Passage Expedition 2016
- TRAVEL WEEKLY – SILVER MAGELLAN AWARD, Best Cruise Blog 2015
Quark Expeditions® Ships
Twenty years in the making, 50 Years of Victory is the first Arktika-class icebreaker to have a spoon-shaped bow, capable of breaking through ice up to 9.2 feet thick! Complete with a helicopter for shore excursions, Victory is a ship unlike any other, with the ability to go where other ships cannot.
The Kapitan Khlebnikov is a polar-class icebreaker combing power and technology with comfort. No passenger ship has transited the Northwest Passage more often than the renowned Kapitan Khlebnikov. Originally designed to take on the rigors of northern Siberia, the 24,000 horsepower engine takes you places no other ship can.
This newly renovated vessel, formerly the Sea Adventurer, offers guests a new look and feel throughout, a forward lounge and observation deck to enjoy mesmerizing views, and technical enhancements – including two new engines – to improve fuel efficiency and minimize carbon footprint.
The Ocean Diamond is a modern, stable super-yacht, and one of the largest of their small expedition ships. Carrying a maximum of 189 passengers, and with two stabilizers and an ice-strengthened hull, this outstanding vessel is ideal for polar adventure travel & expeditions.
Ultramarine is designed to go beyond the familiar in polar adventure travel exploration, to pursue and discover amazing new places, and to immerse its guests in the very best of the spectacular polar regions.
Quark Expeditions’ newest addition to their fleet: an all-balcony, all-suites hybrid ship maximizing both off-ship exploration and the onboard experience with exceptional service and comfortable, modern accommodations. A remarkable home base for Antarctic travelers of all kinds (176 passengers).
VIDEOS
