The most extraordinary journeys on earth are not found in five-star hotel lobbies. They begin at the ice edge, on remote volcanic coastlines, in river mouths teeming with bird life, and on reefs that have never been named. Here are the expedition cruise destinations shaping the coming season.
Expedition cruising, something I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a lot of experience with, has really entered a new era. Where once the genre meant uncomfortable ships, functional food and a tolerance for hardship, today’s purpose-built expedition vessels combine genuine ice-class hull construction and Zodiac fleets with restaurants, spa facilities and cabins that would not embarrass a city hotel.
The travellers who book them, meanwhile, are no longer exclusively retired naturalists — they’re design-conscious, well-travelled and in pursuit of the kind of experience that no conventional resort can replicate: standing on the Antarctic Peninsula at midnight in continuous summer daylight, snorkelling above a reef in the Banda Sea that has not seen another tourist all season, or waking to the sound of jungle in a Papua New Guinea bay where the ship is the only structure for a hundred miles.
The years 2027 and 2028 represent a particularly exciting moment in this space. A wave of new ships — from Hurtigruten, Ponant, Lindblad, Silversea and Aurora Expeditions — is either entering service or completing its first full season cycles, bringing with them refined itineraries, deeper community relationships and an expanded range of destinations. Several new Antarctic routes are also being opened for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Solomon Islands circuit has been redesigned around conservation partnerships, and Eastern Indonesia — a destination so biologically extraordinary it defies easy description — is receiving fresh attention as both operators and travellers recognise what is at stake if these ecosystems go unprotected and unstudied.
This guide covers the eight destinations worth prioritising for the coming two seasons: what makes each one remarkable, the best operators and itineraries available, the optimal timing and what to expect on the ground — or, more accurately, on the ice, the reef and the rainforest floor.
1. Antarctica — New Frontiers Beyond the Peninsula
Antarctica needs little introduction as a destination — it is, for many expedition travellers, the defining journey of a lifetime — but the Antarctic Peninsula circuit that has dominated the market for thirty years is no longer the whole story.
For 2027–2028, the most compelling itineraries are pushing further: east toward the Weddell Sea and the extraordinary tabular icebergs of the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf; west toward Peter I Island, one of the rarest landings in Antarctic cruising; and south toward the Antarctic Circle itself, which relatively few ships cross.
The Weddell Sea itineraries, operated by a small number of polar-specialist companies including Quark Expeditions and Aurora Expeditions, take in Snow Hill Island (where emperor penguin colonies can be accessed by helicopter), the Larsen Ice Shelf and the wreck site of Shackleton’s Endurance — located in 2022 and now a protected heritage site visited by very few ships per season. These are not casual itineraries: crossings can be rough, landings are weather-dependent, and the emotional weight of the landscape — vast, white, ancient and increasingly threatened — is considerable. That weight is, for many, precisely the point.
New for 2027–2028: Silversea‘s Silver Endeavour returns for a full Weddell Sea season, with onboard glaciologist programming and a new partnership with the Scott Polar Research Institute. Ponant‘s Le Commandant Charcot — the world’s only luxury icebreaker, capable of navigating multi-year ice — will offer an unprecedented 61-night Antarctic Circumnavigation departing from Ushuaia in January 2028.
Best time to visit: November to January for penguin colonies and continuous daylight; February for the most dramatic ice conditions and whale activity. Emperor penguin visits to Snow Hill require late October to early November timing and helicopter access.
2. The Sub-Antarctic Islands — Earth’s Most Remote Wildlife Amphitheatres
If Antarctica is the most dramatic destination on earth, the sub-Antarctic islands — South Georgia, the Falklands, Macquarie Island, the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island and the Heard and McDonald group — are arguably the most wildlife-rich.
South Georgia alone supports more wildlife biomass per square kilometre than almost anywhere on the planet: half a million king penguins at Salisbury Plain, fur seal beaches so crowded they are difficult to walk along, wandering albatross nesting grounds on ridgelines above glaciers, and the grave of Ernest Shackleton at Grytviken (below) — a site of genuine pilgrimage for those who know his story.
The Falkland Islands–South Georgia–Antarctic Peninsula triangle remains the gold-standard expedition cruise route in the southern hemisphere, typically running 17 to 21 days from Ushuaia. For 2027–2028, the addition of Macquarie Island to southern ocean circuits represents one of the more significant itinerary developments in recent years: Australia’s sub-Antarctic territory, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hosts the largest congregation of royal penguins in the world and has only recently reopened to expedition tourism following extended conservation works. Landings are strictly permitted only via Australian Antarctic Division approvals, and berths sell out immediately.
Standout operators: Heritage Expeditions (specialists in the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands including the Snares, Antipodes and Bounty Islands); National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions (South Georgia and Falklands, with onboard scientists and researchers); Aurora Expeditions (Macquarie Island permits for their Spirit of Enderby voyages).
Insider tips: South Georgia’s light in January, when the tussock grass glows amber against glaciers and the king penguin colonies are in full display, is unlike anywhere else on earth. Book 18 months in advance — these are the fastest-selling itineraries in expedition cruising.
3. Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords — The Wilderness at the World’s End
Chilean Patagonia remains one of the most underexplored regions in expedition cruising — a labyrinth of fjords, channels, glaciers and island archipelagos stretching from Puerto Montt in the north to Cape Horn in the south, covering over 1,500 kilometres of coastline that receives fewer visitors in an entire year than the Antarctic Peninsula receives in a single week.
The landscape is raw in the way that New Zealand or Norway once were before infrastructure caught up: temperate rainforest descends directly to the waterline, glaciers calve into channels too narrow for large ships, and condors circle above ice fields that have no name on any tourist map.
For 2027–2028, the most exciting Patagonian itineraries are those that penetrate the Kawésqar Wilderness — a network of channels and islands in the heart of Chilean Patagonia, designated a national park in 2019 and still almost entirely unvisited.
Operators including Australis and HX Expeditions are developing new routes that combine zodiac exploration of the Kawésqar with visits to Tierra del Fuego, the Beagle Channel and the isolated estancias of the Brunswick Peninsula. Combined Patagonia–Cape Horn–Antarctic Peninsula itineraries, which allow travellers to cross Drake’s Passage from the southern tip of the Americas, are the most immersive option for those with three weeks available.
Best base ports: Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams (Chile) for southern itineraries; Puerto Montt for northern Chilean fjords. Ushuaia (Argentina) for Drake’s Passage crossings.
Don’t miss: The Pio XI Glacier — South America’s largest glacier and one of the few in the world that is currently advancing rather than retreating — accessible only by small expedition vessel via the Eyre Fjord.
4. The Arctic — Svalbard, Greenland and Beyond
The Arctic is changing faster than any other region on earth — sea ice extent is declining at a rate that is simultaneously opening new expedition routes and underscoring the urgency of seeing the high north while it retains its wild character. For expedition travellers, this creates a complicated but compelling tension: the landscapes that are becoming more accessible are also the ones most visibly under pressure from the warming they are experiencing.
Svalbard remains the most accessible Arctic destination, with Longyearbyen serving as the gateway for itineraries ranging from circumnavigations of the main archipelago (July to August, when sea ice has sufficiently retreated) to deep winter voyages in search of polar night auroras and ice caves.
For 2027–2028, the most significant development is the range of Northeast Passage itineraries now available — transiting the Russian Arctic from the Barents Sea to the Bering Strait via the Siberian coast, a route that was commercially impractical for most operators until very recently. East Greenland, less visited than the west coast, is receiving increasing attention for its fjord landscape, Inuit cultural heritage and extraordinary wildlife density.
Specialist routes for 2027–2028: Franz Josef Land (operated only by Quark and Poseidon Expeditions, with strict permit limits); North Pole transits aboard nuclear icebreakers from Murmansk; Greenland’s Scoresby Sound — the world’s largest fjord system — with HX and G Adventures.
Best time to visit: June to August for wildlife and ice navigation; February to March for aurora borealis and winter expedition experiences.
5. Papua New Guinea — Tribal Culture and Coral Seas
Papua New Guinea is, by any measure, one of the most extraordinary countries on earth — 800 languages, 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity in less than 0.5 percent of its land area, tribal cultures that have maintained continuous connection to their land for tens of thousands of years, and some of the most pristine coral reef systems in the Indo-Pacific.
It is also, for expedition cruising, a destination of compelling difficulty: infrastructure is limited, access requires genuine expedition vessels, and cultural protocols must be navigated with care and genuine community engagement.
For 2027–2028, the standout itineraries are those that combine the Sepik River (the Amazon of the Pacific, where spirit houses rise from the water on stilts and master carvers produce works that fill the world’s ethnographic museums) with the coral gardens of Kimbe Bay in West New Britain, the remote Louisiade Archipelago in the country’s extreme south-east, and the volcanic caldera of Rabaul.
Operators who have invested in long-term community relationships — notably Coral Expeditions and Silversea‘s expedition division — offer significantly richer experiences than those simply transiting the coast. The birds of paradise, of which PNG has 38 species, remain one of the great wildlife spectacles on earth; experienced naturalist guides can arrange dawn displays at traditional leks.
Key operator: Coral Expeditions operates the most established PNG circuits from Cairns, with community engagement programmes running across multiple consecutive seasons. Silversea’s Silver Origin offers the most luxurious platform for the same waters.
6. The Solomon Islands — Pacific Reefs, War History and Village Life
The Solomon Islands occupy a stretch of the south-western Pacific that is simultaneously one of the richest marine environments in the world and one of the most historically charged — the site of the Pacific War’s most significant naval and land battles, including the months-long Guadalcanal campaign of 1942–43. For expedition travellers, this combination of underwater magnificence, intact traditional culture and layered wartime history creates an experience unlike any other in the Pacific.
The coral ecosystems of the Solomons — particularly in the Marovo Lagoon (the world’s largest saltwater lagoon, and a UNESCO World Heritage candidate), the Manning Strait and the remote atolls of the Western Province — are among the healthiest in the Indo-Pacific, largely because the islands’ limited infrastructure has kept recreational diving pressure low. Hammerhead sharks, manta rays, dugong and more than 1,000 species of reef fish are documented across the archipelago.
Above water, the cultural landscape is equally rich: custom village visits on islands like Malaita and Santa Catalina offer encounters with communities maintaining kastom (custom) practices in remarkable continuity.
New for 2027: Coral Expeditions has redesigned its Solomon Islands circuit around a formal conservation partnership with the Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA) Network, meaning a portion of every passenger’s fare directly funds reef monitoring and community ranger programmes. This model is being watched closely by other operators across the Pacific.
Best time to visit: April to November (dry season). Avoid December to March when cyclone risk is highest.
7. The Kimberley, Australia — Ancient Rock Art and Tidal Waterfalls
The Kimberley coast of north-western Australia is one of the world’s last genuinely remote coastlines — a 3,000-kilometre stretch of sandstone gorges, mangrove estuaries, pristine beaches, ancient Gwion Gwion and Wandjina rock art sites, and extraordinary tidal phenomena that can only be accessed by sea. The region receives fewer than 5,000 expedition passengers per year, has no roads to its coast, and is home to traditional lands of the Wunambal Gaambera, Bardi Jawi, Dambimangari and other Aboriginal communities who have maintained connection to this country for more than 50,000 years.
The signature experiences of a Kimberley expedition cruise are elemental: swimming through King George Falls — twin waterfalls plunging 80 metres into a tidal pool accessible only by Zodiac — navigating the horizontal waterfalls of Talbot Bay, created by tidal flows of up to 11 metres surging through narrow rock passages, visiting the Wandjina rock art galleries of the Wunambal Gaambera country with traditional owner guides, and snorkelling the coral formations of the Montgomery Reef, which appears to rise from the sea as the tide retreats. The combination of Indigenous cultural depth and raw natural spectacle is unmatched in Australian waters.
Standout operators: Coral Expeditions and True North Adventure Cruises both operate Australian-flagged vessels on the Kimberley with multi-year community partnerships. APT has introduced the new Coral Adventurer to the circuit for 2026–2027, with its first full Kimberley season in 2027. Season runs May to September only.
Insiders tip: Book a voyage that includes a guided visit to the Wandjina gallery at Raft Point — the painting site is one of the most profound cultural encounters available to visitors in Australia, and the experience is only available through operators with formal Traditional Owner agreements.
8. Eastern Indonesia — Komodo, the Banda Sea and the Coral Triangle’s Edge
Eastern Indonesia — the arc of islands stretching from Lombok and Flores through the Banda Sea to the Raja Ampat archipelago and the Bird’s Head Peninsula of West Papua — sits at the apex of the Coral Triangle, the area of ocean that contains more marine species than anywhere else on the planet.
Above the waterline, it is a landscape of volcanic calderas, Portuguese colonial forts, spice island nutmeg gardens and traditional weaving villages. Below it, the biodiversity is simply staggering: Raja Ampat alone has been documented as containing more fish species than the entire Caribbean.
For 2027–2028, the most compelling eastern Indonesia circuits are those that move beyond the Komodo–Flores axis (popular but increasingly well-trodden) into the Banda Sea, the Forgotten Islands (the Tanimbar and Babar archipelagos, largely unvisited by expedition ships) and the far reaches of West Papua, where the forests of the Bird’s Head descend directly to coral reefs that were only comprehensively surveyed in the last two decades.
Operators including Coral Expeditions, Aqua Expeditions (whose river vessels are now extending to coastal itineraries) and luxury charter phinisis like the spectacular Lamima (booked via EYOS Expeditions) are offering routes of genuine pioneering quality.
Highlight: The Banda Sea volcanic arc, centred on the tiny island of Banda Neira — once the world’s sole source of nutmeg and the most valuable commodity on earth — combines extraordinary history (the entire region was colonised, depopulated and fought over by the Portuguese, Dutch and British for spice monopolies) with diving that regularly produces encounters with whale sharks, thresher sharks and schooling hammerheads in the nutrient-rich upwellings of the deep Banda Basin.
Best time to visit: May to October (dry season, calmer seas). Raja Ampat is optimal October to April.
How to Choose Your Expedition: Practical Advice for 2027–2028
The expedition cruise scene has never been more crowded or more confusing. Here are the most important variables to consider before booking.
Size Matters, Enormously
Small ships (under 100 passengers) offer the most intimate landing experiences, access to the narrowest fjords and channels, and the strongest community and wildlife impact — but they are more affected by weather and sea conditions. Larger expedition ships (200–400 passengers) offer greater stability, more onboard facilities and better value, but landings require multiple Zodiac groups and the wilderness atmosphere is diluted accordingly.
Operator Ethos is Not Marketing
The best expedition operators have multi-year relationships with the communities and conservation organisations in each destination. Ask specifically: what percentage of fares goes to community programmes? What science partnerships are maintained? What is the wildlife encounter protocol? The answers distinguish genuine expedition operators from cruise lines that have adopted expedition aesthetics.
Book Early and Book Refundable
The 2027–2028 season is already booking heavily, particularly for Antarctica, South Georgia, Macquarie Island and the Kimberley. Premium cabins on specialist operators typically sell 18–24 months in advance. Most expedition operators offer full refunds up to 120 days before departure — use that flexibility and book early to secure the best pricing and cabin selection.
What You’ll Spend
Expect to pay US$8,000–$15,000 per person for a 14–21 day expedition in the Southern Ocean or sub-Antarctic; US$5,000–$12,000 for the Kimberley, PNG or Solomon Islands; US$4,000–$9,000 for Eastern Indonesia. Polar itineraries to the Weddell Sea, North Pole or Macquarie Island typically command a premium of 40–60 percent above standard circuits.
The world’s wild places are not, in the end, inexhaustible. The expedition travellers of the next decade will inherit a planet on which these destinations are more pressured, more regulated and more closely watched than they are today — which makes the choice of where to go, and with whom, more consequential than it has ever been. The operators leading this space understand that.
The travellers who seek them out, increasingly, do too.
If you’re contemplating an expedition cruise, check out our guides to Arctic expedition cruises, Antarctic expedition cruises, and the best expedition cruise destinations and cruise lines, as well as a few that have strong green creddentials. Also, don’t forget to brush up on your polar photography and polar videography skills, and to pack the polar essentials with our in-depth guides.
