Family trip to a cold place - midnight sun?

[greektreacle]

I'm 40 next year and I've been offered a trip 'somewhere special' to celebrate.

The places that immediately spring to mind for me are cold places - Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, etc. I don't like being hot!

We're likely to go as a family (two not-incredibly-fit women and a 6yo) - my wife offered me the chance to go alone (imagine!) or as a family, but I actually think I want to do this as a family. We'd probably go for something organised as opposed to planning it ourselves - I'm too bloody knackered to deal with itineraries etc in any great depth.

Has anybody taken an organised trip to any (or a combination of) these places, and do you have any recommendations for companies, travel agents etc?

Not against taking a cruise, so any recommendations of specific lines would be great!

Been to Iceland a couple of times so while I'm happy to 'drop in', I'm not bothered about rehashing the golden circle, blue lagoon etc...

Log cabin by a Finnish lake?

P&O cruise to Norway and Iceland.

I second Finland: saunas and dips in freezing lakes. Maybe you’d see the northern lights.

Follow for inspiration

A cruise from Vancouver to Alaska

P&O Cruise to Norwegian Fjords on Iona… just got back from a weeks holiday ( no flying, sailed from Southampton) was absolutely amazing, both the ship and the fjords.

You talk about midnight sun. So you'd like to go in the summer but you don't want it to be too hot? Or you want cold as in winter?

If you're going to see the midnight sun, it will be warm! Norway in June was amazing (still light and t-shirt weather at midnight). As was northern Finland in January (when we didn't see the sun at all and it was -20+)

Look at Hurtigruten. Not done it myself, but friends have and it looked AMAZING.

Tromsø in Norway is wonderful.

I've been to Svalbard. Less to do there than mainland Norway but sledding/hiking/snow mobiles etc all possible. Less romantic in the summer though without all the snow!

Work out what it is you'd like to do activity wise and see which northern location matches best.

Would love go to Tromso!

Thanks for all of your replies. Yes, I know there's going to be some heat going in summer - I'm just not really up for tropical shenanigans @Rewis 😂 (hope I've tagged the right person there!!).

At the moment wavering between Hurtigruten and another (still researching the 'other'). If I was going alone it'd be Hurtigruten in a shot but I feel if we go as a family like we should go for a boat with a bit more family friendly action.... i don't want it to be 'remember when mum dragged us to Alaska to watch bears and tried to call it a holiday' 😂

Lots to think about. Vancouver - Alaska is the dream if we can get the dates to work for us ❤️ There's an Alaska-Tokyo route which seems like Adventure Central but its term time and I'd worry for our stomachs, not sure that neck of the woods is ever really calm.

Will update further when we've narrowed it down a bit more, but thanks again!