At Viva Expeditions, we specialise in small ship and expedition cruising, with firsthand experience across Antarctica, the Arctic, South America, and beyond.
Cruising has long been a popular option for older travellers, but for many, it still brings to mind oversized ships, crowded buffets, and entertainment that rarely leaves much of a lasting impression. Comfortable, yes, but not always the kind of travel that stirs the soul.
Expedition cruises have traditionally sat at the other end of the spectrum, with smaller ships, more remote destinations, and a stronger connection to the places you visit. For a long time, that came with a compromise on comfort, but that gap has largely disappeared.
The best expedition cruises 2027 has to offer now combine authentic exploration with a level of comfort that would rival any ocean liner, from spacious suites and thoughtful service to excellent food and well-curated wine lists. The difference lies in where you go and how you experience it, stepping ashore in places that still feel remote and meaningful rather than built around tourism.
For travellers over 50 who want to explore an exceptional part of the world but still enjoy comfort, expedition cruising has become one of the most rewarding ways to travel.
We have selected the itineraries below based on firsthand experience, guest feedback, operator reliability, and overall comfort levels, focusing on trips that feature both ease and substance.
Here are ten of the best expedition cruises for the over-50s to consider for 2027:
1. Discover the Galapagos Islands by Small-Ship Expedition Cruise
2. Explore Patagonia's Glaciers and Fjords with Australis Cruises
3. Sail the Antarctic Peninsula and Into Another World
4. Venture Into the Amazon on a Short Expedition Cruise
5. Journey Deep into the Brazilian Amazon by Small Ship
6. The Sub-Antarctic Islands: Where the Wildlife Walks Straight Up to You
7. Drift Along Botswana's Chobe River Aboard the Zambezi Queen
8. Cruise Colombia's Magdalena River with AmaWaterways
9. Traverse the Northwest Passage Along a Legendary Arctic Route
10. Navigate The Arctic by Small Ship
Svalbard: Arctic Wildlife and Remote Landscapes
Iceland: A Softer Entry into Expedition Cruising
Why Book Your Expedition Cruise With Viva Expeditions?
Ready to Choose Your 2027 Expeditions?
Colombia calling your name? 2027 is the year to book the expedition cruise you have been promising yourself. Do it onboard the AmaMagdalena, the first international company offering river cruises on the scenic Magdalena River.
1. Discover the Galapagos Islands by Small-Ship Expedition Cruise
The Galapagos Islands are one of those places that sound almost too good to be true. Then you get there and realise they are every bit as jaw-dropping as you had hoped. The animals here evolved without natural predators, which means they have almost no fear of people. So curious sea lions swim up to your mask as you snorkel, blue-footed boobies size you up from a meter away, and marine iguanas sun themselves on volcanic rocks across your path, fully expecting you to just step around them. And that's exactly what you do.
The Galapagos is wildlife viewing like nowhere else on earth, and a small ship is the only way to really do it justice. We work with over 30 vessels on the Galapagos, and our guide to choosing the right Galapagos cruise ship is a good starting point.
The M/C Endemic is one of our favourite options: a luxury catamaran for just 16 guests, with a naturalist guide on board and a programme of snorkelling, kayaking, island walks, Zodiac rides, and stand-up paddleboarding across eight days. The Charles Darwin Research Centre on Santa Cruz, with its giant tortoise breeding programme, is a highlight included in the itinerary.
With two excursions a day and a proper rest in between, Galapagos cruises are perfect for the over-50s. Plus, small ships mean small group sizes, and the kind of food and service you would expect on a premium yacht. Most guests on boats like the Endemic are over 50, travelling as couples or with friends. And, by the way, the Galapagos are one of several destinations that work brilliantly for solo travellers.
Trip length and price guide: Eight days is the sweet spot. Premium small-ship cruises start from around USD $6,000 per person. The Galapagos matches perfectly with a few nights in Quito and, if you have the time, a stay at an Amazon lodge before or after. See how to combine the three as Viva's Beke Grossman did.
Galapagos sea lions have no fear of humans whatsoever, which makes snorkelling here unlike anywhere else on earth – Beke took this photo on her trip to Ecuador in September last year.
“The Galapagos is one of those destinations where the more effort you put into choosing the right ship, the more you get out of the experience."
— Beke Grossmann, Destination Specialist at Viva Expeditions.
2. Explore Patagonia's Glaciers and Fjords with Australis Cruises
Australis Cruises has been sailing the remote waterways of southern Patagonia since 1990, and is one of the most established operators in the region. Their ships, the Stella Australis and Ventus Australis, sail between Punta Arenas in Chile and Ushuaia in Argentina, passing through the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the fjords of Tierra del Fuego. If you want to know more before committing, our guide to Patagonia cruises covers what to expect, when to go, and what to pack.
The highlights speak for themselves: Glacier Alley, where the walls of blue ice rise on both sides of the ship; Wulaia Bay, a remote landing with great hiking through sub-Antarctic forest; Magdalena Island, where you walk through a colony of thousands of Magellanic penguins; and, if the weather cooperates, Cape Horn itself. Standing at the southernmost tip of South America, with nothing between you and Antarctica, is the kind of moment that makes a trip.
What makes this work so well is the balance between structure and flexibility. Everything is included, excursions vary in difficulty, and the onboard programme serves up plenty of context so nothing feels superficial.
Trip length and price guide: Four to eight nights, from around USD $2,200 per person.
On a Patagonia expedition cruise, you’ll explore the fjords by Zodiac, with moments like this bringing you unexpectedly close to the wildlife.
3. Sail the Antarctic Peninsula and Into Another World
For many travellers considering expedition cruises 2027, Antarctica remains the defining experience. Most cruises depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, cross the Drake Passage over two days, and then spend five to seven days exploring the peninsula by Zodiac. Landings bring you to gentoo, chinstrap, and Adélie penguin colonies; to ice floes where leopard seals haul out and look you over; to glaciers that crack and calve into the sea while you stand there watching. On some ships, you can also kayak among icebergs or spend a night camping on the ice, which is the sort of thing you tell people about for years.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the most accessible part of the continent, the most biodiverse, and arguably the most spectacular. If you are trying to work out the best way to get there, our guide to getting to Antarctica covers every option, including fly-cruise alternatives for those who would rather skip the Drake Passage.
What stands out here is how well the experience is managed. Modern expedition ships are built for comfort and exploration, and the onboard teams are skilled at making landings accessible while keeping things safe and well-paced. Zodiac landings are manageable for most fitness levels, and the crew is experienced at helping guests on and off the boats safely. More luxurious options offer spa and wellness treatments, jacuzzis and larger and more opulent suites.
Trip length and price guide: 12 to 16 days from Ushuaia. Prices start from around USD $9,000 per person for a good-quality expedition ship. Feel free to browse our full range of Antarctic Peninsula cruises on the Viva Expeditions website.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the most accessible part of the continent and arguably the most dramatic.
“I contacted Viva to help me select an Antarctic Cruise and Viva really were very helpful in making the process easier. Thanks Flor. As a result, I booked the cruise I chose through them, and had great follow up when necessary. Our Cruise was absolutely fantastic and we had unique experiences that will last a life time. Antarctica is a wonderous environment with the icebergs, the wildlife and the sense of isolation and to experience being there is a privilege."
— Joanna Basin, Trustpilot review.
4. Venture Into the Amazon on a Short Expedition Cruise
If you’re after slower and more immersive expedition cruises 2027 options, then short Amazon expeditions will hit the spot. There is a style of cruising here that sits somewhere between an adventure and a boutique hotel, one that just happens to float. Vessels like the Delfin II and III and the Anakonda carry small groups of 20 to 30 guests into the Peruvian or Ecuadorian Amazon, reaching waterways and oxbow lakes that no larger boat could get close to.
Days on board adopt a relaxing routine all their own. You are out before dawn in a small skiff to catch the forest waking up, back for breakfast, then out again mid-morning for a walk or paddle. The afternoon heat is yours to do with as you please, and then, as the temperature drops, you are back out on the water for the evening excursion. Pink river dolphins surface alongside the boat, caimans watch you from the bank, and monkeys move across the canopy above your head. Bring binoculars. Our Amazon packing guide has a full breakdown of what to bring.
What makes these cruises appealing to the slightly older crowd is the level of comfort offered in such a wild and unspoiled destination. The lodge-style vessels are beautifully appointed, the food is excellent, and the groups are small enough that the guide can actually adapt to what the group wants. The flexibility is also enticing, as activities can be adapted depending on energy levels, and there is never any pressure to do everything.
Trip length and price guide: Four to seven nights, all-inclusive. Vessels like the Delfin start from around USD $4,500 per person for four nights.
The Amazon does not require you to be young or fast; it only ever asks that you be curious and patient. Luckily, there’s a jacuzzi on the Anakonda while you wait for the next wildlife spotting opportunity.
5. Journey Deep into the Brazilian Amazon by Small Ship
If the shorter Amazon cruise sparks an interest in the rainforest but you want to go far deeper into one of the world’s wildest regions, then an 18-day Amazon expedition aboard HANSEATIC inspiration or HANSEATIC spirit takes the experience to another level entirely. Beginning in Belém, Brazil and travelling all the way to Iquitos, Peru, you'll trace the full sweep of the Amazon River, from its vast delta to the remote upper reaches.
Sailing through winding waterways framed by dense rainforest, this is an expedition in the truest sense of the word. Frequent Zodiac excursions and landings take you deep into a maze of tributaries where every day feels immersive, adventurous, and completely removed from the outside world.
Wildlife encounters are a constant highlight. Pink river dolphins surface alongside the ship, toucans call from the treetops, and colourful birdlife fills the canopy, while the rainforest reveals an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna both day and night. Visits to small riverside communities also offer a fascinating glimpse into life shaped entirely by the rhythms of the river.
One of the defining moments of the voyage is the Encontro das Águas, or “Meeting of Waters”, near Manaus, where the dark Rio Negro flows beside the sandy-coloured Amazon without mixing. Like much of the journey itself, it is one of those natural wonders that is even more impressive in person than photographs can capture.
For travellers wanting to experience the Amazon on a truly grand scale, combining remote exploration with exceptional comfort and expedition expertise, this extraordinary voyage delivers one of the most immersive rainforest adventures anywhere in the world.
Trip length and price guide: The 18-day Expedition Amazon expedition cruise is priced from around USD $21,000pp sharing.
Explore the full length of the Amazon in 2027 aboard HANSEATIC inspiration
6. The Sub-Antarctic Islands: Where the Wildlife Walks Straight Up to You
If you were to reimagine the Galapagos, except colder, wilder, and with almost no other tourists around, you would get pretty close to the Sub-Antarctic Islands. South Georgia, the Falklands, Macquarie Island, the Auckland Islands, the Snares, the Campbells: a string of remote archipelagos below the southern tip of the world, each one teeming with wildlife and visited by only a handful of expedition ships each season.
We have a guide to the Sub-Antarctic Islands that covers what to expect and how to choose the right voyage from New Zealand/Australia.
When New Zealand fur seals are having a domestic, you might want to step back a little. Mostly, for the fish breath!
Over on the South American side, is where you’ll find the other Sub-Antarctic islands: South Georgia and the Falklands.
South Georgia, on its own, is almost too much. Half a million king penguins at Salisbury Plain, beaches so packed with elephant seals you have to pick your way carefully, with Wandering albatross keeping an eye out from the hillsides. Then you've got the grave of Ernest Shackleton at Grytviken, and glaciers coming down to the sea. It is the kind of destination that makes you feel like you're living a National Geographic documentary.
You can see what we have available for the 2027 season on our South Georgia and Falklands cruises page.
“I have been lucky enough to visit the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and the experience reset my sense of what 'wildlife' means. Anyone who loves nature and is prepared to deal with a bit of Southern Ocean swell will find it life-changing."
— Pia Knarston, Destination Specialist, Viva Expeditions.
Sub-Antarctic voyages attract a well-travelled, curious demographic who value depth of experience over pace. Ships are comfortable, and the onboard programme is rich with lectures, photography sessions, and naturalist briefings.
Trip length and price guide: South Georgia combined with the Falkland Islands and Antarctica is typically 18 to 23 days. Prices from around USD $10,000 per person, which reflects just how remote and limited-access these departures are. Read our Complete Guide to South Georgia & The Falklands.
“Being in our mid seventies, we asked our travel agent to organise a trip to Brazil and Argentina to tie in with a cruise we were doing to Antarctica. Our agent used Viva Expeditions to organise it for us and the itinerary turned out to be perfect. We were travelling with another couple and the husband had a walking and balance issue and had a prosthetic arm. All our transport had to be wheelchair friendly and the accommodation had to have walk in showers etc. Viva organised all this exceptionally well. Our trip turned out absolutely fantastic with no hassles, we had so much fun, we wouldn’t hesitate to use or recommend Viva Expeditions to anyone.”
– Neil Hendren, TrustPilot review
There are half a million king penguins on South Georgia and not one of them particularly interested in you. Polar wilderness experiences don’t come any better than this!
7. Drift Along Botswana's Chobe River Aboard the Zambezi Queen
This one is a little different from the others on this list. The Zambezi Queen is a 14-suite luxury houseboat that glides along the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia, and the experience it offers, wildlife viewing from the water in total comfort, is unlike anything a conventional land safari can replicate.
The Chobe River corridor has one of the largest elephant populations on earth, somewhere around 120,000 animals in the wider region, and watching a herd of them come down to drink and bathe from the deck of the Zambezi Queen is not something you forget in a hurry. Hippos, buffalo, crocodiles, over 450 bird species, and the occasional lion on the Botswana bank at sunset. The vessel is all-inclusive for meals, drinks with meals, game-viewing activities, and transfers from Kasane Airport.
Optional extras include game drives into Chobe National Park, village visits, and, for those who fish, Tiger fish expeditions on the river. The Zambezi Queen works beautifully as part of a wider Southern Africa trip, combined with a few nights in the Okavango Delta or a visit to Victoria Falls.
Don’t know much about Botswana? Here are 10 fascinating facts that will make you want to visit.
Our over-50s clientele absolutely loves this option. With no bumpy game drive roads, no early starts unless you feel like it, and no hustling between vehicles, it feels properly luxurious. The suites are spacious, the service is excellent, and the crew-to-guest ratio means you are well looked after throughout. It is safari travel at its most civilised. Our tip? The Zambezi Queen works well with a few nights in the Okavango Delta or a trip to Victoria Falls.
Trip length and price guide: Two or three nights, usually as part of a longer Southern Africa itinerary, from around USD $650 per person per night, all-inclusive.
The Chobe River at dusk is one of Africa's great wildlife spectacles, best enjoyed with a drink in hand (or so we've heard.) Photo courtesy of Zambezi Queen.
8. Cruise Colombia's Magdalena River with AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways made history in 2025 when it launched the first modern overnight river cruises on Colombia's Magdalena River in decades. This is not the Rhine or the Danube. This is a waterway that runs through the heart of Colombia, past communities that have had almost no exposure to international tourism. We wrote a full guide to what to expect on AmaWaterways' Colombia river cruises if you want to go deeper.
Aboard the 60-passenger AmaMagdalena, the itinerary takes in Palenque, one of the first free towns in the Americas, founded by escaped enslaved people; the UNESCO-listed colonial centre of Mompox; birdwatching near Magangué, where scarlet macaws and herons crowd the riverside trees; and a floating stilt village you can only reach by boat. Most cruises start in Cartagena, whose walled old city is one of the great introductions to any trip in this part of the world.
What makes this work particularly well for over 50s is the overall pace and ease of the experience. The ship is comfortable without feeling formal, excursions are created to be accessible, and AmaWaterways’ experience in river cruising shows in how smoothly everything flows.
Trip length and price guide: Seven days on the river, often combined with time in Cartagena or Medellín. From around USD $4,500 per person, depending on the itinerary.
Explore the Magdalena River, and you'll get to see a side of Colombia most travellers never get to experience.
9. Traverse the Northwest Passage Along a Legendary Arctic Route
For people who have done a fair bit of travelling and want something that feels truly epic, the Northwest Passage is hard to beat. This is the sea route across the top of North America that defeated Franklin's 1845 expedition and wasn't successfully traversed until Roald Amundsen did it in 1906. Sailing it now, on a modern ice-class ship, is history made visceral. You can check available Canadian Arctic and Northwest Passage cruises on our website.
Departures run in August and September and highlights include Inuit community visits, the haunting landing site at Beechey Island (where Franklin's men wintered before disappearing), polar bears on the ice, walruses on remote beaches, beluga and bowhead whales. All of that to a backdrop of granite, tundra, and endless sky that is unlike anything in the world.
The combination of nature plus history is what attracts the over-50s here. Onboard, you'll meet historians, geologists, ornithologists, and marine biologists who run daily lectures and discussions. The ships are modern and well-equipped, with good restaurants, spas, and science centres.
Trip length and price guide: Full transits run 23 to 28 days; partial transits of 13 to 17 days are also available. Prices from around USD $12,000 per person for a partial transit on a reputable expedition vessel.
The last true frontier: a Northwest Passage expedition crsuie is history and nature at its most spectacular.
10. Navigate The Arctic by Small Ship
The Arctic offers some of the most rewarding expedition cruising available, but not all Arctic voyages feel the same. For travellers considering expedition cruises 2027, Svalbard and Iceland stand out as two of the most accessible and varied options, each delivering a different way into this part of the world.
Svalbard: Arctic Wildlife and Remote Landscapes
Svalbard sits halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, and what often surprises people is just how straightforward it is to reach. Within a matter of hours, you can find yourself in a landscape that feels entirely removed from the rest of the world.
This is one of the best places in the Arctic to see wildlife. Polar bears are the main draw, but they are only part of the story. Arctic foxes, reindeer, walruses, and vast seabird colonies all play their part, and the real experience comes from moving through this environment slowly, by ship.
PS. If polar bears are what you are hoping for, our guide on where and when to see polar bears on Arctic cruises has the details.
Small expedition vessels navigate deep fjords and shifting ice conditions, adjusting routes as they go. One day, you might be watching a glacier calve into the sea, the next scanning the shoreline for movement. The long daylight hours of summer stretch the day out, giving you time to take it in without being rushed.
The quicker travel time makes Svalbard a good fit for travellers over 50 who might find a month-long Northwest Passage expedition a stretch too far. Expedition ships here are modern and comfortable, and the midnight sun in summer means long, light days that can be filled with activity or simply enjoyed from the deck.
See our Spitsbergen and Svalbard cruises page for 2027 departures.
If you are comparing the best expedition cruises for over 50s, Svalbard offers a strong balance of accessibility and wildlife.
Iceland: A Softer Entry into Expedition Cruising
Iceland is extraordinary by any standard, but most visitors see it from the Ring Road. Seeing it from a small ship and going around the whole coastline is something else. The Westfjords and their dramatic sea cliffs packed with seabirds, the remote East Fjords fishing towns that most tourists never reach, and the sea cliffs at Latrabjarg, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, literally blanketed with puffins. On the water, you also get humpback and minke whales, geothermal landscapes that look like another planet, and the kind of coastal light in summer that photographers travel a long way to find.
Iceland is a brilliant entry point into expedition cruising. The destinations are spectacular without being physically demanding, the ships are comfortable, and the variety (scenery one day, wildlife the next, cultural port stop after that) keeps things interesting. If you have always meant to do more adventurous travel but are not quite sure where to start, Iceland by ship will hit the spot.
Like Svalbard, Iceland is easy to reach from Europe and North America, and our Iceland and Greenland cruise page includes everything from Iceland-only circumnavigations to combined voyages taking in Greenland's east coast.
Arctic expeditions trip length and price guide: 7 to 14 days is the most common range. Prices from around USD $5,500 per person, depending on destination, ship, and itinerary.
First you spot them from the sea, then you hop ashore for a close-up look. Puffins, perhaps the most ridiculosuly photogenic wildlife on earth. See them on Iceland expedition cruises.
Why Book Your Expedition Cruise Through Viva Expeditions?
Planning an expedition cruise involves a lot of moving parts: flights, pre- and post-cruise accommodation, transfers, travel insurance, visa requirements, and the rather important job of working out which ship, out of a fairly overwhelming number of options, is right for you. At Viva Expeditions, we handle all of that.
From the moment you land at your destination, someone from our network is there to meet you at the airport. Every connection, transfer, and hotel check-in is arranged ahead of time and monitored throughout your trip. You also have our support, on the ground, 24/7. If anything happens, whether a flight is delayed or the weather disrupts your embarkation, you are not dealing with it alone.
Our team knows these trips and these destinations well; many of us have done them ourselves, and we can give you straight advice on which voyage is the right fit for where you are right now. It is also worth reading our guide on South America tours for the over 50s, which goes into more detail on how we approach travel for this age group across all our destinations.
“We were in trepidation about all the flights, connections and pickups associated with our tour booked by Viva however everything went as smoothly as it possibly could. We trusted their advice on what and how to do things and their recommendations suited us perfectly. Hotels were fabulous with excellent food and service. Would thoroughly recommend Viva.”
— Jeanette Gray, on an Amazon & Galapagos Island trip, TrustPilot Review.
Ready to Choose Your 2027 Expedition?
If you are planning ahead for expedition cruises 2027, these itineraries are among the most rewarding options available. Many of the best expedition cruises for over 50s are already filling well in advance, so if you have a destination in mind or simply want to talk through your options, get in touch with our Destination Specialists. We know these trips well and will help you find the one that fits.
Get in touch to start planning your 2027 expedition.
Laura Pattara
Laura Pattara writes for Viva Expeditions with a special love for all things Latin America. She had guided overland tours across the continent, reached Machu Picchu five times on foot, and even dressed up as a giant toucan for Carnaval. With a degree in languages and two decades of global travel experience behind her, Laura has a long-standing love for the Andes, soaring condors, and a truly delicious empanada.
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