The questions guests actually ask.

It depends on the trip, and it is always small. Our Svalbard voyages carry a maximum of twelve guests. Uganda runs at four to six. Patagonia is capped at five. Congo and Nepal sit in the same range.

The number is not a marketing figure, it is an operating one. A group this size can land where a larger one cannot, change plan on the morning if the conditions ask for it, and stay quiet enough that the wildlife behaves normally.

Guides who own the company. Arctic Tern was built by working expedition guides rather than by a marketing department, and the people who designed each trip are the people you meet at the airport.

Every departure carries experienced expedition leaders, and on several trips a specialist joins as well. You can read about the team on our Our Story page, and each trip page names who is leading that departure.

Usually a mix. People who have travelled a great deal and people on their first expedition, couples, friends travelling together, and solo travellers. What they tend to have in common is an interest in wildlife and a willingness to be flexible about the day.

Because the groups are small, the group itself becomes part of the trip. We are happy to tell you who is already booked on a departure you are considering.

Yes, and many of our guests do. By default we pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender to share a room, where possible, so travelling alone does not have to cost extra.

When a departure has an open room, we give solo travellers a room of their own at every opportunity. And if you want that certainty from the start, pay the single supplement at booking and your own room is guaranteed. Each trip page lists its supplement.

Yes, in the way that matters: once your booking is secured with a deposit, the voyage departs as confirmed. A departure never hinges on how many of the other berths are sold.

What we cannot guarantee is the weather. Routes and timings can change for conditions and safety, and very occasionally a significant change, or in the rarest case a cancellation, is forced on us. If that happens the choice is yours: accept the change, take a full refund, or move to an alternative voyage. The detail lives in our Terms and Conditions.

Yes, from age 8. Every traveller under 18 is accompanied by a responsible adult, and one adult can accompany up to two under-18s.

Bookings that include children are reviewed with us first. That is a conversation rather than a form: some itineraries suit young travellers far better than others, and we would rather plan around them than squeeze them in.

A 30 percent deposit per person confirms your booking. The balance is due 90 days before departure, and a booking made inside 90 days is paid in full at the time of booking.

If your plans change, the refund follows the calendar: cancel 180 days or more before departure and you receive a full refund. From 179 to 120 days we retain the deposit. From 120 to 60 days, half the price. Inside 60 days, the full amount. Insurance products are excluded from refunds.

The authoritative version is always our Terms and Conditions. If anything on this page ever disagrees with them, the Terms govern.

Comprehensive travel insurance is required on every expedition, for the full duration of your trip. At a minimum it must include emergency medical coverage, emergency evacuation and repatriation, and cover for the activities you will actually be doing, including small vessel travel and shore landings. Your policy needs at least USD $250,000 of emergency evacuation coverage, and we may ask for proof of insurance before departure.

Some destinations add their own layer. Svalbard is the clearest case: the Governor of Svalbard requires every visitor on an expedition cruise to carry emergency medical evacuation insurance, as a condition of the voyage.

We operate in remote places where the nearest hospital can be a helicopter flight away, which is exactly why the requirement exists. Arctic Tern Expeditions does not endorse any particular insurance product. If you are comparing providers, check that the evacuation coverage actually extends to the region you are travelling to.

This varies by destination and by the passport you hold, and it changes, so we confirm the current position with you rather than publishing a list that goes stale.

What is constant: carry printed copies of your flight details, insurance, passport and any required visa or vaccination certificates, and keep photocopies separately from the originals. Your pre-departure pack for each trip carries the specific requirements.

We do not book or sell flights. That sits outside what we do, and we would rather be honest about it than pretend otherwise.

What we will gladly do is tell you the most efficient way in: which airport to aim for, the routing that works best, and how your arrival day fits the itinerary. Ask us before you buy your tickets and we will make sure the plan holds together.

Ship-based expeditions are suitable for most travellers. A good level of fitness will let you make the most of the expedition, and there are generally less strenuous options for those who would rather take it easy and skip the long walks.

Land-based trips ask a little more, and the trip page for each one says so plainly. If you are at all unsure about your fitness, talk to us. We would far rather have that conversation before you book than have you arrive worried.

It depends on the destination and the season. In Svalbard the early-season snow can be too thick for long hikes, while from early summer into autumn walking becomes much more accessible. On our land itineraries the walking is built into the day.

Your expedition leader will brief you on the specifics of any long walk the group takes.

Any activity off the ship is always completely optional, and a separate, more moderately paced walk is usually available for anyone who would rather not take the longer route.

On our ship-based expeditions: mixed levels of hiking and scenic walking, zodiac cruising, wildlife watching and ship cruising. On our land itineraries: wildlife tracking on foot and by vehicle, cultural visits, and time with the conservation teams and communities we work alongside.

Unless otherwise stated, other adventure activities are not offered as standard, but we are open to seeing what we can do to make your expedition a complete experience. If there is something you would like to do, ask us.

Layers are the answer nearly everywhere we go. In the Arctic summer you will heat up and cool down more than you thought possible in a single day, so you want to be able to add and remove layers to stay comfortable. That applies to your hands as well: gloves and a warm hat are a crucial part of an Arctic kit, and the wind can be genuinely chilling, so we always recommend something to cover your face.

Waterproofs matter on any trip with boat work, because you may get wet on zodiac excursions. Good sunglasses and sunblock are not optional in the Arctic, where snow reflects a great deal of light.

On our warmer land itineraries the emphasis shifts to modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders, a scarf or shawl for visits to religious sites, and sun protection.

Every trip has its own packing list with the detail. We send it with your pre-departure pack, and you can ask for it at any time before you book.

On ship-based expeditions this matters more than people expect. All of our landings are wet landings, meaning you will likely be in seawater up to your ankles and possibly higher as you step in and out of the shore boats. Boots are required at all times during landings.

Bring your own if you can, though they are bulky to pack. They should be at least 12 inches or 30 cm tall and of the usual muckboot or gumboot style. In Svalbard, a company in Longyearbyen called Spitzbergen Reisen rents them, orderable online and collected before your expedition for a reasonable price. Order well in advance, because sizes run out.

Also bring comfortable footwear for aboard the ship, and walking shoes for town and any additional excursions.

On land itineraries, broken-in walking boots with ankle support are the priority.

The first rule of photography is that the camera in your hand is the one that takes the best pictures. We regularly see guests with iPhones and GoPros come away with stellar images, because those are the cameras that are ready at a moment's notice.

If you are bringing a DSLR or mirrorless body, use something you are comfortable with and have used before. The faster shot response makes it much easier to catch a calving glacier or passing wildlife.

In the Arctic the landscapes are often white and the snow reflects a lot of light, and with so much water around we would definitely recommend a polarising filter to cut reflection and glare. Take a little time before the trip to be sure you know how to adjust your camera for bright conditions.

You will often be a fair distance from the wildlife, so a good zoom helps. Our specialist photographers usually travel with something in the 400-600mm range, and a 30-250mm is useful for closer encounters.

Bring your chargers and plenty of spare batteries, and keep everything as charged as you can. Cold takes a heavy toll on battery life. Bring more storage cards than you think you need. Weatherised gear, or at least waterproof bags or covers, is highly recommended.

No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Our expeditions run in remote wilderness, and wild animals are under no obligation to appear.

What we can tell you is how hard we look. In Svalbard, which has one of the highest polar bear densities in the Arctic, the expedition team and crew keep a 24 hour watch from the bridge and will wake the ship for a bear or anything else worth seeing. On our land itineraries we work with trackers and rangers who are in the forest every day of the year.

Sightings are never guaranteed. Effort is.

Our first and foremost policy when interacting with any wildlife is non-disturbance. An animal's behaviour should not change because we are there. We conduct our field operations with the utmost respect for the wildlife and the communities we visit, and your guides will brief you fully on the protocols for wherever you are.

In some places the distance is set by law rather than by us. Since 1 January 2025 Svalbard requires a strict non-pursuit policy for polar bears and a minimum distance of 300 m, rising to 500 m between 1 March and 30 June. Walrus haul-outs carry a 150 m minimum. We follow the AECO operational guidelines as industry best practice throughout the Arctic.

Guest drone use is banned Arctic-wide, and we will not make an exception.

Yes, with the qualification that this is genuine wilderness and the safety comes from how the trip is run rather than from the place being tame.

Where large predators are present, your guides carry the appropriate protection and, far more importantly, the training and field experience to avoid ever needing it. Groups stay together on landings. Briefings are not a formality and we ask that you take them seriously.

Small groups help here too. Twelve people can be moved, briefed and accounted for in a way that a hundred cannot.