Cover Luxury tour company Ariodante Travel has just launched private Arctic Circle tours that feature an ice breaking megayacht. (Photo: Courtesy of Ariodante Travel via Facebook)

The 232-foot icebreaker yacht houses both a helicopter and a separate submarine

While the future of travel by cruise may be on hold at the time being, the much more personalised alternative—chartering a private yacht to unknown corners of the world—has just become a whole lot easier.

Luxury tour company Ariodante Travel has just launched private Arctic Circle tours that feature an ice breaking megayacht. The expedition yacht, known as Legend, will be accompanied by a full crew with experience sailing the Arctic and two expert Arctic Circle guides to ensure you get the most out of the expedition.

The once in a lifetime adventure packages offer everything you’d expect from a luxury expedition to the North Pole, including supervised swimming with orca whales, polar bear, seal, whale, and penguin sightings, viewings of the Northern Lights, helicopter and submarine explorations, and locally-sourced meals prepared by a private chef.

The Legend can sleep up to 22 guests during a single expedition and includes a variety of luxurious amenities, including a movie theatre, swimming pool, gym and a Balinses spa with sauna, jacuzzi, and beauty salon.

Tours will start in the Svalbard archipelago unless guests request otherwise and will be able to travel to all corners of the Arctic Circle, including the North Pole, Greenland, the North Cape and Spitsbergen.

While dates are dependent on international travel restrictions being lifted, private charters are set to become available starting from June 2020 and will run to February 2021. That said, Ariodante suggests those looking to visit the North Pole book between July and August with optimal Northern Lights and wildlife viewing opportunities later in the year. Prices will begin at US$23,450 per person, per week.

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