The North Pole is Earth's northernmost point in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

The geographic North Pole is in the northern hemisphere at the Earth's axis of rotation, latitude 90°N (longitude not applicable). While the South Pole is on the continent of Antarctica, the North Pole is (as of the mid-2010s) covered by a sheet of shifting ice on the Arctic Ocean. Like the South Pole, the precise location of the North Pole is constantly shifting due to shifts in the Earth's axis of rotation.

There are no man-made structures marking the North Pole, as the ice moves from year to year.

While many explorers have tried and failed to reach the North Pole, it is now within reach for commercial tourists.

There is also the North Magnetic Pole. One definition is the point on the surface that magnetic compasses point to, following the Earth's geomagnetic field. Another uses the Earth's more broad magnetosphere (which affects the Aurora Borealis) as a reference. These positions drift, and the drift has become more rapid since the late 20th century. They are also subject to reversals on average about once every 500,000 years.

A somewhat arbitrary definition is the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility, the farthest point from any coastline. This is a fixed location (barring major sea level changes that might redefine coastlines) at 84°03'N 174°51'W.

A few locations further south use North Pole-related names to promote Santa Claus-themed attractions... and then there's the Northern Pole of Cold, in Russia, as the coldest region in the Northern Hemisphere.

The North Pole can only be reached on expeditions specifically mounted for the purpose. Most travel primarily by air, sometimes with a component traversing the last leg of the journey on the ice. The other alternative is traveling by boat, on an ice-breaker cutting through the Arctic Ocean.

By sea

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There are two commercial sea vessels making regular trips to the North Pole, the nuclear-powered Russian ice-breaker Yamal, and 50 Years of Victory, operated by the Murmansk Shipping Company. They depart from Murmansk (tour packages beginning in Helsinki and in Moscow), making several two-week journeys in the Summer (when the ice is easier to get through). Yamal is equipped with 50 cabins and suites with private bathrooms and exterior windows, fine dining, heated indoor pool, gym, library, etc. 50 Years of Victory, the largest icebreaker ever built, has 64 cabins in five categories. Voyages are booked by a variety of tour operators (including some of the air-excursion outfits, plus several others), generally at about US$18,000–25,000 per person (double occupancy).

Crosscountry skis and dogsleds are about the only viable transportation option near the North Pole; staying with your tour group is advisable.

The ice terrain at the North Pole tends to be rather flat, though some interesting formations of snow and ice can be found. There's only one protracted sunrise and sunset each year (which will not be during your visit). Tour operators stick a sign pole into the ice, but that's unofficial and purely for photographic purposes.

Despite their name, polar bears don't usually venture this far north (preferring the southern "coastal" parts of the Arctic ice cap, with better swimming opportunities.)

There are few formal recreational opportunities at the North Pole. Each year, however, there is a marathon foot race called the North Pole Marathon organized by Polar Running Adventures.

Adventurous types may try searching for Santa Claus but it is highly unlikely you'll be able to locate him, even if the blizzards which are common in most areas happen to clear for a while. That hasn't stopped the Arctic Circle city of Rovaniemi, Finland and the nearly-Arctic Interior Alaskan city of North Pole from promoting themselves as Santa's home; a few points further south also use North Pole or Santa Claus to promote Christmas-themed attractions.

There are no shops at the North Pole; you should bring everything that you might need for your expedition.

You or your tour operator will have to bring along all of your food. Celebratory caviar is traditional upon arriving at the Pole itself.

The North Pole's ocean-formed ice contains salt, making it unsuitable for drinking, even when thawed. BYOB. Celebratory champagne is traditional; vodka at -40° while standing on an iceberg is also quite appropriate.

Although there are no permanent accommodations at or near the Pole, temporary camps can be set up, providing heated shelter for one or more nights. Barneo has semi-permanent heated shelters, which are commonly used by expeditions spending more than a day on the ice. See travelling in cold weather.

Any system based on geosynchronous satellites (which, relative to Earth, hover at fixed points above the equator) will not work, as they drop below the horizon near 80°N. This line corresponds to the middle of Ellesmere Island in Canada and northern Svalbard.

Iridium satellite phones are the only ones that will work, and they should work excellently since the poles are where the orbits of every satellite overlap. Globalstar will not, as its satellites can only relay to a nearby ground station, of which there are none close enough to the North Pole.

All visitors to the North Pole head south after their stay, typically back to the same location that they arrived from.

If you want to visit something similar, go to the South Pole in Antarctica.