Polar Explorer icebreaker cruise from Axelsvik

The larger of the two ships on the Swedish side of the gulf, with a cinema, a restaurant and room for 185 passengers.

This cruise

Polar Explorer Icebreaker Polar Explorer cruise

3 hours on board; 3–8.5 hours in total depending on the transfer option
✓ Free cancellation up to 45 days before the start

★ 4.7 (490) from €325

Book now

All cruises compared

The Polar Explorer is run by Polar Explorer Oy, a Finnish company, but it sails from a terminal in Axelsvik near Kalix in Sweden. Its operator describes it as an industrial icebreaker of 78 metres and 9,460 horsepower. The cruise lasts three hours, and children from 125 cm can float with their parents.

3 hOn board

7 decksToured with an audio guide app

125 cmSmallest survival suit for floating

45 daysFree cancellation on the product page

Photo	Cruise	Pickup	On board	Day	Free cancellation	Price p.p.	Reviews	Book
	Polar Explorer cruise Polar Explorer Icebreaker	Shuttle or own car	3 h	3–8.5 h	Up to 45 days before	€325	★ 4.7 (490)	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.

Book the Polar Explorer

Each card shows the pickup town and time on board first. Open a card for pickup stops, inclusions and the ice conditions note.

Polar Explorer Icebreaker

Polar Explorer cruise

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.

Duration: 3 hours on board; 3–8.5 hours in total depending on the transfer option
Language: Live guide in English, Chinese, French, Polish, Spanish, Estonian, Finnish, Italian, Russian, Sinhala and Swedish; audio guide in further languages including German
✓ Free cancellation up to 45 days before the start

from €325 ★ 4.7 (490 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Full cruise details

Highlights

A tour of all seven decks with an audio guide app
A short documentary film in the onboard cinema
Floating in a survival suit and a walk on the sea ice
Cruise & Swim certificate

About this cruise

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.

What’s included

Icebreaker cruise
Hot drinks on board
Guided tour of the seven decks
Audio guide
Film in the onboard cinema
Floating in a survival suit
Cruise & Swim certificate
Transfer from and to Rovaniemi (optional)

Not included

Meals (can be bought on board)

Pickup and check-in

Depends on the option you choose: shuttle pickup or the cruise terminal at Axelsviksvägen 291 C, Båtskärsnäs, Sweden.

What to bring

Passport or photo ID
Warm clothing

Know before you go

Children from 125 cm can take part in the floating together with their parents.
Ice and its thickness are not guaranteed until early January; walking on the ice may not be possible before then.
Departure times at the terminal are Swedish time, one hour behind Finland.

Not suitable for

Wheelchair users

Pickup times, inclusions and conditions as the operator lists them on the booking platform. Timetables can change from season to season.

On board

You explore the decks, the bridge and the engine room with an audio guide app, and a short film in the onboard cinema explains how icebreakers work. A hot drink is included. Lunch is served in the restaurant and costs extra; snacks and drinks are sold in the cafeteria. On the ice, the operator lists music and games, a walk on the frozen sea and floating in a survival suit. A photographer takes pictures that you can buy afterwards.

Getting to Axelsvik

The terminal is at Axelsviksvägen 291 C in Båtskärsnäs, 168 km by road from Rovaniemi, 73 km from Kemi and 45 km from Tornio. On the product page you choose the shuttle bus as an option, with pickup in towns such as Rovaniemi or Kemi, or you drive and park at the terminal free of charge. There is no regular border control, but the listing asks you to bring a passport or ID card. Departure times at the terminal are Swedish time, one hour behind Finland, while the shuttle picks you up in local time. Our Rovaniemi page explains how that works out on the day.

Season and ice

The operator’s website shows the Polar Explorer season from 23 November to 14 April, under a timetable still labelled 2025–2026; a recruitment notice for guides names 21 November to 1 April for the 2026–27 winter. Check the dates on the product page when you book. Early-season cruises sail in any ice conditions, and the product page says that ice and its thickness are not guaranteed until early January. Walking on the ice is allowed only when the ice is solid and at least 20 cm thick, and the captain decides on every cruise.

Polar Explorer or Arctic Explorer

The Arctic Explorer leaves from the same terminal. It is smaller (four decks, 80 passengers), the cruise lasts two and a half hours, and instead of the cinema and restaurant it has an e-guidebook and a small café.

FAQ

Where does the Polar Explorer depart from?

From the cruise terminal in Axelsvik, Båtskärsnäs, near Kalix in Swedish Lapland, about 40 km from the Finnish border.

Do I need a passport for the Polar Explorer?

The listing asks you to bring a passport or photo ID card, because the terminal is in Sweden.

Is lunch included on the Polar Explorer?

No. A hot drink is included; lunch in the restaurant and snacks from the cafeteria cost extra.

What time zone are the cruise times in?

The cruise departs on Swedish time, one hour behind Finland. Shuttle pickups are in the local time of the pickup town, so a Rovaniemi pickup is given in Finnish time.

The Swedish side or the Finnish side

Compare the Polar Explorer with the Sampo and the Arktis from Kemi.

Open the ship comparison