21 Most Remote Places On Earth You Can Visit 

From the isolated windswept polar regions to remote, tranquil Pacific islands, the research team at Polar Escapes has compiled a list of the most remote places on Earth that people travel to each year. I have been lucky enough to visit a handful of the places on this list myself, and I have to say visiting some of the most remote settlements on Earth can be an addictive and rewarding experience.

While some remote places are easier to reach than others, I hope this list inspires your inner explorer.

To conduct this original research, we used Google Earth to measure distances from the nearest town or city, verified these with Distance To, and combined them with tourism statistics where available.

1. Kerguelen Islands, Southern Indian Ocean

For a good reason, the Kerguelen Islands are also known as the Desolation Islands. These French subantarctic islands are some of the most isolated islands on Earth. They are located in the stormy southern Indian Ocean, 2780 miles (4476 km) from Cape Town. Due to their southerly location, 100mph (160km) wind speeds are typical. The shores are alive with seals, penguins, and seabirds. Forty-five scientists and researchers are stationed on the islands. 

Traveling There

There is no airport, so the only way to travel there is by ship. Due to its exceptionally remote location, it is seldom visited. Visiting on the supply ship Marion Dufresne was possible, but this has been postponed since 2020. The French icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot visits the islands once every two years.

Visitors per year: Under 100 (estimated) 

2. South Pole

The South Pole is one of the most remote places on Earth. Located on the world’s largest ice cap, the Antarctic ice sheet, the South Pole is at an elevation of 2835 metres with extreme temperatures during winter. The nearest civilisation to the South Pole is Ushuaia in Argentina, a staggering 2438 miles away (3924km).

Travelling there

It is possible to visit the South Pole by flying there as part of an adventurous expedition. First, you fly to Antarctica from either South Africa or Chile and then board a small specialist Bassler aircraft for the 7-hour flight to the South Pole.

Visitors per year: (Under 300 Estimated) Source Iaato Deep field visitors.

3. Easter island 

Famed for its megalithic, Moai-carved stone statues, Easter Island has intrigued visitors for over a century. Located in the Pacific Ocean, this isolated island known by its local name as Rapa Nui is a staggering 2280 miles (3670 km) to the coast of Chile. I visited myself, and watching the sunrise over the statues seen nowhere else on Earth was an incredible experience.

Travelling there

It is possible to reach on a flight 4 1/2 from Chile on LATAM airlines.

Visitors per year: 156,000 tourists per year according to tourism statistics making it the most popular of our most remote places on Earth.

4. Bouvet Island

Bouvet Island is considered the most remote uninhabited island in the world. The nearest civilisation is 1590 miles (2560 km) away in Cape Town. The small volcanic island is covered by sheer glaciers and a dome of ice. It is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, which may explain why it was never settled. There is a small meteorological station on the island that can accommodate six people for 2-4 months. It is not for the claustrophobic. Located in the stormy southern ocean, Bouvet Island is incredibly hard to get to, but it is possible.

Travelling there: The last expedition cruise to visit Bouvet Island was on the M/V Ortelius in 2016. There may be another one in the future, and I will see you on it!

Visitors per year: 0

5.Tristan Da Cunha

Tristan Da Cunha is considered the most isolated island on Earth, home to a population of 229. With no airport on the island, visitors and islanders have to endure a seven-day voyage to Cape Town in South Africa, 1726 miles (2778km) away. Landing on the island is also notoriously tricky due to stormy sea conditions. I know this well, as I came within 50 metres of the shore, but wind and sea conditions prevented us from landing.

Travelling there: It is possible to reach Tristan Da Cunha on an expedition cruise from Antarctica to South Africa.

Visitors per year: 1000 people per year visit Tristan Da Cunha mainly from expedition cruise ships

6.Gough Island

If you sail south from Tristan da Cunha for 254 miles (409km), you will encounter Gough Island. This island is so remote that it doesn’t have a permanent population, although six people man a small weather station. The island itself is home to millions of birds, including 2,000 pairs of Tristan Albatrosses.  

Travelling there: You can reach Gough Island on a handful of specialist expedition cruises that visit the island yearly.

Visitors per year: under 40 (estimated)

7. Pitcairn Island

A speck in the vast Pacific Ocean, the 35 residents of the Pitcairn Islands are descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty, which was wrecked on the island in 1790. The nearest airstrip is 335 miles away on the Gambier Islands, with its closest neighbour to the East, Easter Island, 1292 (2079km) miles away.

Travelling there: The most common way to visit is on a Pacific expedition cruise. It is possible to sail as a guest on the Government operated ship Silver Supporter.

Visitors per year: 1000 (source World Heritage Site)

8. North Pole

Located at the top of the world, the North Pole is situated on the frozen Arctic Ocean. Unlike Antarctica, which has land beneath it, it can be reached on an icebreaker ship. When standing on the sea ice at the North Pole, the nearest civilisation is Longyearbyen in Svalbard, 816 miles (1314km) to the south.  

Travelling there: The only way to reach the North Pole is on an icebreaker cruise from Longyearbyen in Svalbard. For bonus points, you can join a trans-Arctic expedition cruise and visit the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility, considered the most remote point in the Arctic and the furthest from land.

Visitors per year: 800

9. South Georgia Island

One of my favourite remote islands, South Georgia, is home to 400,000 pairs of breeding King Penguins at Saint Andrews Bay. Visiting South Georgia is like stepping into a nature documentary and watching it unfold in front of your eyes. Situated 874 miles (1407 km) from Stanley in the Falkland Islands with the turbulent Scotia Sea in between, no place feels quite as remote as South Georgia Island.

Travelling there: As there is no airport on South Georgia Island, the only way to reach it is on an expedition cruise from Antarctica.

Visitors per year: 15,000 Source South Georgia Government

10. Ittoqqortoormiit

One of Greenland’s most isolated remote settlements, Ittoqqortoormiit’s nearest neighbours are in Iceland, 435 miles (700km) away across the iceberg-filled Denmark Strait. I have visited Ittoqqortoormiit and glimpsed what life must be like during the winters when the town is cut off from the sea by thick ice. The area surrounding the town, home to just 345 people, is breathtaking.

Travelling there: The easiest way to reach Ittoqqortoormiit is on an expedition cruise from Iceland. It is also possible to fly to the remote landing strip at Constable Point nearby and take a helicopter to Ittoqqortoormiit.

Visitors per year: 5,343

11. Saint Helena

Saint Helena is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, a British Overseas territory famous as Napoleon’s final resting place. Patients often fly to South America due to limited local healthcare facilities in case of medical emergencies. I have visited this intriguing island, and it’s like nowhere else on Earth. It’s like nowhere else on Earth, from a rugged volcanic coastline to lush Green mountains to Jamestown with its colonial-style buildings. Home to approximately 5,000 people, the nearest city is Walvis Bay in Namibia, 1402 miles (2256km) away.

Travelling there: A new airport makes it possible to fly to Saint Helena from Johannesburg in South Africa. Reaching Saint Helena by ship on an expedition cruise or cargo ship from Cape Town is also possible.

Visitors per year: 5000 (estimated)

12. Ascension Island

Ascension Island is another world with no Indigenous population located approximately 7 degrees from the equator. I spent a week exploring the island, which has a harsh, lunar-like desert interior and a lush green cloud forest at the top of the mountain. Green turtles swim over 1400 miles to the island from Brazil each year to lay their eggs on the white sandy beaches. The nearest civilisation is Saint Helena, 805 miles (1296 km) to the south.

Travelling there: You can fly to Ascension Island from Saint Helena and the UK on the MOD Airbridge flight. The occasional expedition cruise also calls in at the island.

Visitors per year: 1500 (estimated)

13. Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Longyearbyen is the most northerly inhabited town on Earth, situated on Svalbard’s largest island, Spitsbergen, in the High Arctic. I have visited Longyearbyen many times, and it has a surprisingly good variety of restaurants and hotels, considering its remote location. It is great to witness the changes between months, from the 24-hour polar night in winter to the midnight sun in summer. The nearest civilisation is Hammerfest on the Norweigan mainland, 544 miles (875km) to the south.

Travelling there: The quickest way to Longyearbyen is flying from Oslo, Norway. An expedition ship from Iceland or Norway is also possible.  

Visitors per year: 100,000

14.Ellesmere Island, Canada

Situated in the High Canadian Arctic, Ellesmere Island is The 10th largest island in the world. It is approximately 75,000 square miles and has a population of just 144. Talk about lots of personal space. One of the most isolated islands in the world, it is seldom visited, with more polar bears than humans strolling its desolate shores. The remote Inuit settlement of Pond Inlet is the nearest civilisation, 530 miles (851km) to the south. Quttinirpaaq National Park on the north of the island ranks as one of the least visited in the world.

Travelling there: Visiting Ellesmere Island on an expedition cruise to the Canadian Arctic is possible.

Visitors per year: 215 (Quttinirpaaq National Park)

15. Macquarie Island

Imagine 4 million penguins and over 100,000 seals crowding the beaches of this isolated island to breed each year. Located 695 miles (1119km) south of New Zealand, Macquarie Island is a haven for wildlife and home to the Royal Penguin, which is endemic to the island. Due to the vast concentrations of wildlife, Macquarie Island has been designated a world heritage site since 1997.  

Travelling there: The only way to visit Macquarie Island is on an expedition cruise, usually en route to Antarctica’s Ross Sea.  

Visitors per year: 1500 (the number is restricted to prevent disturbance to the island)

16. Jan Mayen

A mountainous volcanic island 452 miles north of Akureri in Iceland, Jan Mayen is seldom visited due to its remote location and stormy weather, which make landing on the island challenging year-round. The highest point on the island is the Beerenberg volcano, at 2,277 m (7470 ft) above sea level, offering visitors stark but awe-inspiring scenery. The island has no permanent population, and due to the adverse weather, it’s not surprising no one chooses to live there.

Travelling there: Visiting Jan Mayen on a limited number of expedition cruises is possible. The alternative is to sail there on a private yacht.

Visitors per year: 400 (estimated) Source Jan Mayen

17.Bear Island, Norway

Bear Island is part of the Svalbard Archipelago and is approximately halfway between the Norwegian mainland and Spitsbergen. It was named after a polar bear seen swimming by William Barentz when he discovered it in 1596. Although attempts were made to settle Bear Island, it has no permanent population today. There is a small manned weather station on the island, and it is possible to visit the remnants of former whaling stations on the coast.

Travelling there: Early in the season, you can visit Bear Island on an expedition cruise sailing from the Norwegian mainland to Svalbard.

Visitors per year: 500 (estimated)

18. Flores Island, Azores

This tiny rain and windswept island is 1185 miles (1908km) from Lisbon in Portugal. Like the Cook Islands, Flores Island offers a unique and isolated experience. Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the island is the most westerly point in Europe. I have visited myself, and the scenery is jaw-dropping. Skyscraper-high waterfalls cascade over sheer rock faces, and due to the rain in the Atlantic storms, the island is permanently bright green-coloured. The island has some of the best coastal hiking I have come across. But don’t expect a bustling nightlife, the island is home to just 3429 islanders.

Travelling there: You can fly to Flores island from the other larger islands (Faial, Sao Miguel, and Terceira) in the Azores archipelago.

Visitors per year: 30,000 Estimated (based on 70,000 overnight stays in 2023)

19.South Orkney Islands, Antarctica

With a population of 55 Scientists during the summer months located at the Argentinian Orcadas Base and the British Signy Base, the South Orkney islands are some of Antarctica’s most remote islands you can visit. Taking their name from the Scottish Orkney Islands, they couldn’t be more different. The jagged landscapes of the islands are heavily glaciated, and over 140,000 pairs of breeding Adelie penguins call this island chain home.

Travelling there: Each year, a handful of specialist expedition cruises visit the South Orkney Islands on voyages from Antarctica to South Georgia.

Visitors per year: 1,000 Source One Earth

20.Socotra Island 

Whilst the island isn’t technically that remote (260 miles (420km) from the coast of Yemen), Socotra is isolated from the rest of the African continent. Due to this isolation, Socotra is home to endemic plant life, moon-like landscapes, and jagged mountains, making it look like nowhere else on Earth.

Travelling there:  It’s possible to fly to Socotra weekly from Abu Dhabi.

Visitors per year: 3000 Source Socotra info

21. Point Nemo

Point Nemo is the oceanic point of inaccessibility, The point in the ocean that is the farthest away from land. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is 1,670 miles (2,688 km) from the nearest land. It’s not a good place to fall overboard, as you would probably not be able to swim that long! Point Nemo has recently been visited by tourists on a private yacht. It is unknown how many people have reached Point Nemo, but the number is unlikely to be high, judging by its exceptionally remote location. And you won’t see much there apart from the endless ocean.

Travelling there:  There are currently no scheduled cruises heading to Point Nemo, so you must hire your own yacht if you want to visit.

Visitors per year: Unknown

Bonus Place – International Space Station

For the first time, tourists have been able to visit the international space station for a seriously hefty price tag. It’s hard to get more remote than that, but with so many beautiful, most remote places to visit on Earth, is a trip to space worth it?

I hope you enjoyed this post on the most remote places people visit.

At Polar Escapes we are experts in travelling to the polar regions.

If you are interested in visiting remote places in the polar regions please see our Arctic Cruises and Antarctica Cruises for more information.

If need help planning a trip to remote places, please contact my team. They will assist you in reaching your desired remote destinations. 

Happy exploring.