India, Nov. 29 -- With all the lore and wonder surrounding the North Pole, it may seem like a place of pure legend. But this frozen edge of Earth is very real-and for the most daring travellers, it's an exhilarating destination. "We're definitely seeing a strong uptick in interest in the North Pole," says Alex Mudd of Swoop Arctic, a travel agency specialising in polar holidays.

No, you won't find a toy workshop or an elf village here, but the few who've made the journey say it's as magical as any Christmas fantasy. You might toast your arrival with champagne on the deck of a luxury icebreaker, or reach the Pole on skis after days of hauling your sled across shifting Arctic sea ice. Either way, you'll stand where only a tiny handful of h...