Some landscapes make you stop what you’re doing and simply stare.
A glacier spilling down between mountains. A waterfall dropping hundreds of feet into a narrow fjord. Enormous cliffs rising almost vertically from the water. Icebergs floating through a remote Arctic bay.
These are places where getting from Point A to Point B isn’t simply transportation.
The journey itself is part of what you came to see.
And you don’t necessarily have to travel to the ends of the Earth to experience it.
You can sail past glaciers in Alaska, cruise deep into Norway’s fjords, drive Iceland’s extraordinary coastline, explore New Zealand’s famous sounds, navigate the remote channels of Patagonia or venture into the iceberg-filled waters of Greenland.
The landscapes may share some similarities.
The vacations themselves couldn’t be more different.
If towering mountains, glaciers and wild coastlines make you think “I’d travel for that,” here are six very different ways to do it.
Alaska: Glaciers Surprisingly Close to Home
Let’s begin with the easiest option for many U.S. travelers.
Alaska.
Few destinations combine accessibility and truly enormous wilderness quite like it.
On an Alaska cruise, you might wake up, open your curtains and discover snow-covered mountains outside your window. Later that day, your ship may slowly approach an enormous tidewater glacier.
Depending on the itinerary, glacier-viewing destinations might include places such as Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord.
But Alaska isn’t one experience.
A large ocean cruise offers amenities, entertainment and a comfortable way to see the coastline while visiting several ports.
A smaller ship can venture into areas larger vessels can’t reach.
An expedition voyage may emphasize wildlife, kayaking, Zodiac exploration and getting closer to the landscape.
And a land-and-sea itinerary can combine the coast with Alaska’s interior, scenic rail journeys and destinations such as Denali.
That’s why two people can say, “I took an Alaska cruise,” and have had remarkably different vacations.
The question isn’t simply whether you want to see Alaska.
It’s how you want to experience it.
Norway: The Classic Fjord Landscape
If the word fjord immediately makes you picture enormous mountains rising from narrow blue waterways, there’s a good chance you’re imagining Norway.
Western Norway contains some of the world’s most spectacular fjord scenery.
Geirangerfjord, surrounded by steep mountains and waterfalls, is one of the country’s most recognizable landscapes.
Nærøyfjord, a branch of the larger Sognefjord system, is narrower and equally dramatic.
But Norway is another destination where the method of travel changes the experience.
You can visit the fjords on an ocean cruise.
Sail portions of the Norwegian coast on a smaller coastal ship.
Combine ferries, trains and scenic drives on a land itinerary.
Or explore farther north on an expedition-style voyage.
One of the wonderful things about Norway is that you don’t necessarily have to choose between land and water.
A well-designed itinerary can combine both.
Imagine sailing through a fjord one day and looking down over another from a mountain viewpoint the next.
Add colorful waterfront towns, waterfalls, scenic rail journeys and the possibility of extending farther into Arctic Norway, and the fjords become only one part of the story.
Iceland: Where Fire, Ice and Ocean Collide
Iceland takes dramatic landscapes and seems to pile them all into one relatively small country.
Glaciers.
Volcanoes.
Black-sand beaches.
Waterfalls.
Lava fields.
Sea cliffs.
Geothermal areas.
And, yes, fjords.
The Westfjords and Eastfjords offer some of Iceland’s most remote coastal scenery, but unlike destinations where cruising is the obvious way to explore, Iceland is exceptionally well suited to a land journey.
Drive the Ring Road.
Explore the South Coast.
Venture into the less-visited Westfjords.
Walk on a glacier with an experienced guide.
Take a boat among icebergs at a glacial lagoon.
Then spend the evening soaking in geothermal water.
Iceland can also be experienced by cruise ship, and expedition itineraries may reach more remote areas of the island.
But for travelers who love road trips, Iceland demonstrates that dramatic coastline doesn’t always need to be viewed from the deck of a ship.
Sometimes the road itself becomes the adventure.
New Zealand: Milford Sound—and Beyond
New Zealand’s South Island delivers dramatic scenery on an entirely different scale.
The star is Fiordland National Park, home to Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.
Technically, despite their names, these famous “sounds” are fjords carved by ancient glaciers.
Milford Sound is the best known.
Sheer mountains rise dramatically from dark water, waterfalls tumble down cliffs and Mitre Peak creates one of New Zealand’s most recognizable views.
But Milford isn’t the only option.
Doubtful Sound is larger, more remote and generally quieter. Reaching it takes more effort, which is precisely part of its appeal.
You can experience Fiordland on a day cruise, an overnight cruise, by kayak, from the air or as part of a larger South Island itinerary.
And getting there can be memorable too.
New Zealand lends itself beautifully to a journey combining scenic drives, rail experiences, mountains, lakes, wine regions and wilderness.
You might travel all the way to New Zealand because Milford Sound is on your list.
Then discover that the road there was nearly as spectacular.
Patagonia and Chile: Fjords at the End of the Continent
At the southern end of South America, the landscape becomes increasingly wild.
Patagonia stretches across Chile and Argentina, but the Chilean side is carved into an extraordinary maze of islands, channels and fjords.
Glaciers descend from enormous ice fields.
Mountains rise above narrow waterways.
Some places are so remote that reaching them by ship isn’t simply a sightseeing option—it’s one of the most practical ways to experience them.
This is where smaller ships and expedition vessels become particularly interesting.
Rather than viewing the landscape only from a distance, certain itineraries can provide opportunities for Zodiac excursions, wildlife encounters and closer exploration.
But Patagonia shouldn’t necessarily be experienced only from the water.
A land itinerary can include Torres del Paine National Park, while Argentina offers destinations such as El Calafate and the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier.
Farther south, Ushuaia opens the door to Tierra del Fuego—and, for some travelers, becomes the starting point for an expedition to Antarctica.
Patagonia is a perfect example of a destination where combining land and water can create a much richer experience.
Greenland: Ice on an Almost Unimaginable Scale
And now we’re heading somewhere truly remote.
Greenland.
This is the world’s largest island, with an enormous ice sheet covering most of its interior.
Along the coast, mountains, fjords, colorful settlements, glaciers and enormous icebergs create landscapes that feel almost otherworldly.
One of the best-known areas is Ilulissat Icefjord, where ice from one of the world’s most active glaciers moves toward the sea, producing enormous icebergs.
But Greenland isn’t simply an Arctic version of Alaska or Norway.
Infrastructure is limited.
Communities are small.
Distances are enormous.
Roads don’t connect towns in the way travelers might expect elsewhere.
That fundamentally changes how you explore.
For many visitors, an expedition ship is one of the most practical and rewarding ways to experience Greenland’s coastline.
Smaller vessels, Zodiacs and shore landings can provide access to places that would otherwise be extremely difficult to reach.
And because this is the Arctic, wildlife may become part of the experience too.
Whales.
Seabirds.
Seals.
And, depending on where you travel and plain old luck, other Arctic wildlife.
Greenland isn’t necessarily the first destination for someone dipping a toe into scenic cruising.
But for a traveler who has already seen Alaska or Norway and wants something more remote?
This is where the adventure can lead.
Ocean Cruise, Small Ship, Expedition—or Land?
Here’s where planning becomes particularly important.
These destinations share dramatic scenery, but they don’t require the same style of travel.
If you want plenty of restaurants, entertainment and resort-style amenities while seeing spectacular scenery, a larger ocean cruise may be ideal—particularly in Alaska or Norway.
If you want fewer passengers and access to smaller ports and waterways, a small ship may be a better fit.
If the priority is getting off the ship, exploring by Zodiac, kayaking, learning from naturalists and reaching remote environments, consider an expedition voyage.
And some travelers shouldn’t cruise at all.
Iceland can be extraordinary by road.
New Zealand practically begs for a longer land itinerary.
Patagonia can combine hiking and lodges with scenic cruising.
Norway can combine trains, ferries and road travel.
Alaska can pair a cruise with rail and an interior land journey.
The right question isn’t:
“What’s the best way to see fjords and glaciers?”
It’s:
“What’s the best way for YOU to see them?”
When the Journey Becomes the Destination
There’s something else these places have in common.
You don’t always have to wait until you arrive somewhere for the sightseeing to begin.
In Alaska, the glacier may be outside your balcony.
In Norway, the ship may spend hours traveling through a fjord simply to reach the next port.
In Iceland, the drive between two hotels can become one of the best days of the trip.
In New Zealand, getting to Milford Sound is part of the experience.
In Patagonia, navigating through remote channels may be the day’s main event.
And in Greenland, sailing among enormous icebergs isn’t transportation to the attraction.
It is the attraction.
That’s a very different way to travel.
And for some of us, it’s exactly the point.
Which Dramatic Landscape Would You Travel For?
Want spectacular glaciers and mountains without leaving North America?
Start with Alaska.
Want the quintessential fjord experience combined with charming towns and extraordinary rail and road journeys?
Choose Norway.
Want waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes and black-sand beaches on an epic road trip?
There’s Iceland.
Dreaming of mountains rising almost vertically from the water as part of a larger journey through one of the world’s most beautiful countries?
Head to New Zealand.
Want wild landscapes, enormous glaciers and the feeling that you’ve reached the bottom of a continent?
Explore Patagonia and the Chilean fjords.
Ready for something truly remote?
Follow the icebergs to Greenland.
Six destinations.
Completely different journeys.
One thing in common:
Sometimes the view isn’t waiting for you at the destination.
It’s waiting along the way.
I’d travel for that.
Ready to find your way to the world’s great fjords, glaciers and coastlines? Whether that means an Alaska cruise, Norwegian coastal voyage, Iceland road trip, New Zealand adventure, Patagonia expedition or Greenland sailing, I’ll help you choose not only where to go—but the best way to experience it.
Contact us when you’re ready to start planning.