Conquer winter doldrums with plans for out-of-the-ordinary experiences like floating in a secret Polynesian grotto or spotting polar bears in a thrillingly remote refuge at the top of the world. Every Lindblad expedition is packed with excitement, but here are seven adventures to consider as you decide how to direct your pent-up wanderlust this spring and summer. Get Inspired By Photos, Videos, Webinars, Stories, And Exclusive Offers. Sign Up
Scan the shores of the world’s northernmost archipelago for polar bears
Venture to where only the most intrepid explorers have gone before on a voyage to the Russian High Arctic and the Kara Sea aboard the new, state-of-the-art National Geographic Endurance. In Zodiacs and kayaks, scan the shores of the immense and remote Great Arctic Nature Reserve, Russia’s largest expanse of protected land, for polar bears, belugas, Arctic foxes, musk oxen, and reindeer.
Photo: Ralph Lee Hopkins
Be where Alaska's wildlife gathers
The narrow strait where the Inside Passage meets the Gulf of Alaska at Cross Sound is one of the most biologically rich places on Earth. Humpback whales, harbor porpoises, swooping seabirds, and chatty Steller sea lions accompany our Zodiacs through the Inian Islands, an experience made even more memorable by its setting amongst the world’s tallest coastal elevations, the inspiring Saint Elias Mountains.
Photo: Carlos J. Navarro
Float in a secret Polynesian grotto
Snorkeling, flashlight in hand, through the otherworldly grottos of French Polynesia’s island of Makatea is like exploring an ancient jewel box filled with stalagmites and stalactites. In the interior of this very unique landform, an uplifted coral atoll, the underground limestone caves are filled with cool, fresh water.
Photo: Michael Melford
Walk on the sacred ground of ancient civilizations in Sicily
Founded by the Greeks in the 6th century B.C, the ancient town of Agrigento on the southern coast of Sicily is an encyclopedia of early civilizations. Carthaginians, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans once flourished here but it’s the plethora of Greco-Roman shrines that earns the Valley of the Temples its coveted UNESCO World Heritage site badge. Walk amidst the Doric architecture on the same sacred ground where Zeus and Heracles were worshipped thousands of years ago.
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Learn the art of making pintxos in Bilbao
From the ancient and modern day pilgrimage sites of Santiago de Compostela and the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Iberian Peninsula is rich in culture. What better way to get to know a region than through its distinctive art, food, wine, and music? Sip fine port wine in Porto, and along the cobblestone streets of Bilbao’s Old Quarter, take a cooking class to learn how to make pintxos, the Basque version of tapas.
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Step back in time at a treasure trove of Stone Age sites in the British Isles
The stone-slab village of Skara Brae, uncovered by a storm in 1850, allows remarkable insight into Neolithic life. It’s just one of the fascinating, truly ancient sites in the British Isles, like the four 5,000-year-old Stones of Stenness and The Ring of Brodgar, whose 36 surviving stones assemble like “ancient druids, mysteriously stern and invincibly silent,” according to 19th century Scottish geologist, Hugh Miller.
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Grab a front row seat for the Shetland Islands’ spectacular “bird show”
The rugged Shetland Islands come alive late April through mid-August, the seabird breeding season. Colonies of thousands of guillemots, shags, fulmars, and gannets animate the cliffs around Sumburgh Head as they build nests, hunt for food, and care for their hatchlings. This incredible “bird show” also includes puffins that return to breed after eight months at sea.
Photo: Michael S. Nolan
