HX Expeditions has unveiled its 2028-2029 season, featuring 57 voyages across 14 destinations worldwide, including 26 new itineraries, 2 destinations new to the company and 5 major product developments.
The new programme includes Antarctic departures from the Falkland Islands, a new Antarctica and South Georgia expedition, shorter expedition formats in Alaska and Greenland, HX’s first dedicated Scandinavia programme, a Baffin Island circumnavigation and nine new ocean crossings. The expanded programme is designed to provide additional itinerary options across established expedition regions as well as destinations visited less frequently by expedition vessels.
HX CEO Gebhard Rainer said the new voyages build on 130+ years of expedition experience, with the programme focusing not only on remote destinations but also on how guests engage with local communities, wildlife and landscapes.
The 2028-2029 programme comprises 57 unique voyages and 26 new itineraries, with 1,288 port calls excluding Santa Cruz II. The longest voyage will last 25 nights and cover ~6,650 nautical miles, while the shortest will be 6 nights. The average voyage length is 11 nights, with itineraries reaching as far north as 81°N and as far south as 70°S.
In Antarctica and South Georgia, HX will introduce a 19-day expedition aboard MS Roald Amundsen, combining the two destinations in a single itinerary. The company will also begin Antarctic departures from Stanley in the Falkland Islands aboard MS Fram. HX said the new gateway would reduce transit time and provide additional time for exploration in Antarctica and South Georgia.
The Alaska programme will introduce two 8-day, 7-night Inside Passage expeditions between Vancouver and Sitka. The itineraries will replace previous 10- and 13-day options and provide 5 full days in Southeast Alaska with one sea day. Guests will be able to combine northbound and southbound departures into a 15-day roundtrip expedition from Vancouver without repeating a destination.
HX will also introduce a 17-day Aleutian Islands itinerary between Vancouver and Whittier. The Alaska programme has been developed with Indigenous communities and will add calls at Kake and Elfin Cove, while existing partnerships, including one with Old Harbor Native Corporation, will provide access to less-visited bays, fjords and wilderness areas.
In Greenland, the new 8-day Discovering West Greenland – Icebergs & Communities of Disko Bay will operate roundtrip from Nuuk. The itinerary has no sea days and combines Disko Bay, the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord and visits to Inuit communities including Kangaamiut and Maniitsoq.
A new 11-day version of Exploring the Garden of Greenland will provide another option between the existing 15-day Greenland expeditions, giving the company a programme ranging from one-week voyages to expeditions lasting more than two weeks.
HX will also launch its first dedicated Scandinavia programme aboard MS Spitsbergen. The 13-day Sweden & Finland: Autumn in the Gulf of Bothnia will operate in both directions and represent the company’s first voyages into the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia.
The programme will additionally include the 10-day Southern Scandinavia: Between Norwegian Fjords and Swedish Isles, offered in northbound and southbound versions, and the 14-day Norway Cape to Cape – Beyond the Arctic Circle. Together, the itineraries cover Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, combining coastal communities, archipelagos, fjords and Arctic landscapes.
In Arctic Canada, HX will introduce the 19-day Into the Northwest Passage – Circumnavigating Baffin Island aboard MS Roald Amundsen. The itinerary will circumnavigate Baffin Island, enter the Northwest Passage and attempt to navigate the Fury and Hecla Strait, a route rarely used by expedition vessels. The voyage will combine Arctic scenery with Inuit culture and history, including visits to Qikiqtarjuaq and Kinngait, which is known for its Inuit art community.
Svalbard will have its largest HX programme to date in 2028, with 23 departures spanning the Midnight Sun period through the return of the Northern Lights season. The programme will include established Svalbard itineraries aboard MS Spitsbergen and MS Fram, together with the return of Arctic Islands Discovery, linking Svalbard with East Greenland and Iceland.
Nine new Ocean Crossing voyages will be introduced across the Atlantic and Pacific. Rather than serving primarily as repositioning voyages, the crossings will be marketed as standalone expedition experiences. The itineraries will include destinations such as Bermuda, Cape Verde, Salvador and Recife in the Atlantic, as well as Golfito, Huatulco and La Paz in the Pacific.
Several of the new crossings will cross the Equator, linking the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Other additions include an itinerary reaching Seville via the Guadalquivir River and voyages connecting several of HX’s established expedition regions in the Pacific.
HX will continue its year-round Galápagos programme aboard Santa Cruz II. The 2028-2029 season will feature established itineraries including In Darwin’s Footsteps and Nine of the Best Isles, alongside extensions incorporating visits to Machu Picchu.
The Galápagos expeditions will operate with relatively small passenger numbers and local guides, focusing on the archipelago’s wildlife and ecosystems, including giant tortoises, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies and sea lions.