Luleå is the largest town near the Swedish terminal, and the only pickup town on the same clock as the ships.
Pick a day, or the first and last day of your trip. We look up the booking calendar of every icebreaker cruise in the table and show which ones still sail with free places on those days.
Time on board: 3 h
Time on board: 2.5 h
The Polar Explorer and the Arctic Explorer sail from Axelsvik near Kalix, 100 km north-east of Luleå along the coast. Both product pages offer a shuttle from Luleå as one of their booking options, and with a car the drive takes about an hour and a quarter. The Sampo and the Arktis in Kemi have no pickup in Luleå.
| Photo | Cruise | Pickup | On board | Day | Floating from | Free cancellation | Price p.p. | Reviews | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Explorer cruise Polar Explorer Icebreaker | Shuttle or own car | 3 h | 3–8.5 h | 125 cm | Up to 45 days before | €325 | ★ 4.7 (490) | Book now |
| Arctic Explorer cruise Polar Explorer Icebreaker | Shuttle or own car | 2.5 h | 2.5–8.5 h | 125 cm | Up to 3 days before | €250 | ★ 4.9 (16) | Book now |
Cruise prices here are per adult and come live from GetYourGuide, taxes and fees included. Compare them with the Day column: the cruises with a bus from Rovaniemi or Oulu include the transfer in the price.
Each card shows the pickup town and time on board first. Open a card for pickup stops, inclusions and the ice conditions note.
The larger ship of the Swedish operator: seven decks, an audio guide app, a short film in the onboard cinema. Bring a passport or ID card.
The terminal is in Axelsvik near Kalix, on the Swedish side of the gulf. You can take the shuttle bus (the option sets the pickup town) or drive yourself and park at the terminal free of charge. Lunch, snacks and drinks are sold on board.
Children from 125 cm can join the floating with their parents. Ice and its thickness are not guaranteed until early January, and walking on the ice may not be possible before then.
Depends on the option you choose: shuttle pickup or the cruise terminal at Axelsviksvägen 291 C, Båtskärsnäs, Sweden.
Pickup times, inclusions and conditions as the operator lists them on the booking platform. Timetables can change from season to season.
The smaller ship from the same Swedish terminal: 2.5 hours, an e-guidebook and a small café. Times are Swedish time.
The Arctic Explorer leaves from the same terminal in Axelsvik as the Polar Explorer, about 40 km from the Finnish border. It is the smaller ship, with four decks and room for 80 passengers according to its operator.
Walking on the ice and floating depend on ice thickness, sea conditions and safety. If the operator limits or cancels them, the listing states that this is not a reason for a refund.
Shuttle stops depend on the option (drop-off points include Rovaniemi railway station, Santa Claus Holiday Village, Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, Scandic Kemi and Kemi station), or the Arctic Explorer cruise terminal in Axelsvik, Sweden.
Pickup times, inclusions and conditions as the operator lists them on the booking platform. Timetables can change from season to season.
On both product pages you pick the option “with Luleå transfer” after choosing a date. The bus leaves from Clarion Hotel Luleå and brings you back there; the listing gives six and a half hours for the whole trip. For a morning cruise in January the pickup was at 07:00. Luleå has a single stop, so if you stay elsewhere in town, plan how to reach the hotel that early. On the date we checked with one traveller, the Luleå option of the Polar Explorer showed as unavailable because it needs at least two people.
Your luggage can stay in the shuttle during the cruise, which helps if you travel on the same day. The operator’s booking conditions treat a missed pickup like a no-show, with the full price charged.
The terminal is at Axelsviksvägen 291 C in Båtskärsnäs. From Luleå you drive east towards Kalix; the operator gives 100 km and about 1 hour 15 minutes. Parking at the terminal is free and needs no reservation. The Arctic Explorer listing asks you to be there at least 30 minutes before departure for check-in. In January and February much of the drive is in darkness or twilight, so allow extra time for snow on the road.
Travellers from Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio cross into Sweden and lose an hour, which makes pickup times confusing. From Luleå there is no border and no time difference: pickup, cruise and return are all in Swedish time. The listings still ask you to bring a passport or ID card.
None of the Sampo or Arktis listings picks up in Luleå. The nearest pickup towns for the Kemi ships are Haparanda and Tornio on the border, described on our Tornio and Haparanda page. With your own car you can also drive to the SnowCastle area in Kemi and check in there.
Yes. The Polar Explorer and the Arctic Explorer both offer a transfer from Clarion Hotel Luleå to the Axelsvik terminal and back as a booking option on the product page.
About 100 km by road, according to the operator about 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Parking at the terminal is free.
No. Luleå and Axelsvik are both in Sweden, so pickup and cruise times are in the same time zone.
Compare the Polar Explorer and the Arctic Explorer side by side.
Open the ship comparison