Few places on Earth remain as genuinely remote and raw as Prince of Wales Island in Nunavut, Canada. This vast Arctic island sits deep in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, closer to the North Pole than to most Canadian cities. If you’re sailing here, you’re not just visiting a destination — you’re stepping into one of the planet’s last great wildernesses.
Arriving by Ship
There is no dock, no pier, and certainly no cruise terminal waiting for you at Prince of Wales Island. All arrivals are by tender or Zodiac, landing on rugged shorelines that feel like they haven’t changed since the last Ice Age.
The island has no permanent civilian settlement, which means there’s no town to travel to — the wilderness begins the moment your boots hit the gravel. Your expedition ship is your base, your guide team your lifeline, and the tundra your entire itinerary.
Things to Do
Prince of Wales Island rewards curious, adventure-minded travellers who are happy trading cocktail lounges for polar bear tracks. Every activity here is defined by wilderness, silence, and the kind of raw natural spectacle that genuinely takes your breath away.
Wildlife
- Polar bear spotting from a Zodiac is the headline experience — the island’s sea ice edges are prime hunting ground, and patient observers are often rewarded with close sightings.
- Arctic fox sightings are common during summer months, with their brilliant white coats shifting to brown as the season progresses — bring a long lens camera.
- Ringed and bearded seals haul out on ice floes and rocky shores throughout the cruise season, often indifferent to quiet human observers nearby.
- Migratory seabirds, including thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes, nest in dramatic cliff colonies — your expedition naturalist can identify species on guided shore walks.
Landscape and Exploration
- Tundra hiking guided expeditions take you across open Arctic landscapes carpeted in low-growing wildflowers, lichens, and mosses during the brief Arctic summer — typically July and August.
- Zodiac cruising along the coastline offers dramatic views of ice formations, sea caves, and towering basalt cliffs that are impossible to access any other way.
- Photography of Arctic light is extraordinary here — the perpetual summer sun creates golden-hour lighting that lasts for hours, not minutes, perfect for landscape and wildlife shots.
- Geology walks reveal ancient rock formations and glacial erratics left behind by retreating ice sheets — your ship’s onboard geologist can turn ordinary boulders into fascinating stories.
History and Culture
- Archaeological sites scattered across the island include remnants of Thule Inuit culture, the ancestors of modern Inuit people, dating back over 1,000 years — shore walks may take you past tent rings and food caches.
- Franklin Expedition history haunts these waters — the ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition passed near this region, and expedition lecturers typically deliver compelling onboard talks connecting the landscape to the tragedy.
What to Eat
Food on Prince of Wales Island means shipboard dining — there are no restaurants, cafés, or food stalls anywhere on the island itself. However, expedition cruise lines operating in this region take Arctic cuisine seriously, often incorporating local and traditional ingredients into their menus.
- Arctic char, a wild salmon relative native to these waters, is frequently served onboard — expect it grilled, cured, or smoked, and priced as part of your cruise fare.
- Bannock, a traditional Indigenous bread, sometimes appears at cultural demonstrations or onboard themed dinners — dense, slightly sweet, and best eaten warm.
- Muskox stew or braised muskox features on premium expedition ship menus as a nod to the Arctic’s most iconic land animal — rich, gamey, and genuinely memorable.
- Cloudberries, harvested in late summer, appear in desserts and jams — their tart, honey-like flavour is completely unique to the Arctic and subarctic regions.
- Hot soup on the tundra — many expedition operators serve warming bowls of soup during shore excursions, a simple pleasure that feels extraordinary at 74 degrees north.
Shopping
Don’t expect boutiques or souvenir stalls — there is nothing to buy on the island itself. Any authentic Inuit art or Arctic souvenirs should be purchased at ports earlier in your itinerary, such as Cambridge Bay or Gjoa Haven, where local cooperatives sell genuine handmade work.
If you missed shopping at earlier ports, your expedition ship likely carries a small selection of expedition-branded gear, wildlife field guides, and photography books — practical souvenirs that actually earn their space in your luggage.
Practical Tips
- Currency is Canadian dollars (CAD), but you won’t spend a cent on the island — carry cash for earlier Nunavut ports on your itinerary.
- Dress in warm, waterproof layers even in July — temperatures hover between 2°C and 8°C, and wind chill near the water makes it feel significantly colder.
- Rubber expedition boots are essential for wet Zodiac landings — most expedition ships loan these to passengers, but confirm before you sail.
- Follow your expedition team’s instructions without exception — polar bear safety protocols exist for very good reason in this environment.
- Go ashore on every possible landing — weather windows in the High Arctic are unpredictable, and a cancelled excursion rarely gets rescheduled.
- Binoculars are non-negotiable — pack a pair with at least 8×42 magnification for wildlife viewing from the ship and shore.
- Respect the leave-no-trace principle absolutely — Prince of Wales Island is a protected wilderness, and disturbance of archaeological sites or wildlife is both illegal and genuinely harmful.
Pack your warmest layers, charge every battery you own, and prepare yourself for a landscape so vast and silent that it will recalibrate your entire sense of what the word “remote” really means.
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📍 Getting to Prince of Wales Island, Nunavut Canada
Use the interactive map below to explore the port area and plan your route from the terminal.
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