Travel tips

June and July are the best months to travel to the Arctic, while November to January is the best period for Antarctica. These are the summer seasons at the two poles and provide optimum conditions for visitors.

Polar tours usually last 12 to 25 days. Travel fees, including air tickets to countries closest to the poles, tickets for the cruise, cabins and meals, generally cost between 100,000 and 300,000 yuan ($16,100-$48,000) per person.

Many countries still impose strict visa regulations on Chinese citizens entering en route to the poles. For Antarctica, tourists usually travel to Chile, Brazil or Argentina, where they embark on polar cruises, while Norway, Greenland and Russia are the usual embarkation countries for cruises to the Arctic circle.