Includes flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo and one pre-voyage hotel night accomodation in Longyearbyen
Our Svalbard expedition departs from the far northern settlement of Longyearbyen on the Norwegian Arctic island of Spitsbergen in the famed Svalbard archipelago. We explore the island’s northwestern coast, home to dramatic mountain scenery, tidewater glaciers and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities.
On this Arctic wildlife cruise, we also venture to the jumbled edge of the north-polar ice cap in search of polar bears stalking their prey. Here, at the dynamic boundary between implacable ice and bountiful sea, the wildlife cruise presents the rare opportunity to experience raw nature and incredible events hardly ever seen. Whether it’s a calving iceberg, an incomparable sunrise or the otherworldly hush of a land where man is an infrequent visitor, a Svalbard cruise is one that you’ll remember — and savor — for a lifetime.
Welcome to Oslo, which in 2019 was awarded the prestigious title “Green Capital of Europe”. We’ve arranged a comfortable stay for you at an Oslo Airport hotel so that you’re conveniently close for your flight to Longyearbyen on Day 2.
If you’re adventurous and have the time, take the handy airport train into central Oslo – it’s a 20-minute ride and trains depart and arrive frequently during the day. Near Oslo Central Station are shops, cafes, the Botanical Garden, cultural attractions and the attractive waterfront area.
Today you have a flight to Longyearbyen (regular airline flight), the administrative center of Svalbard and starting point of our Arctic expedition! At the Longyearbyen airport, you will be greeted by our staff and transferred to the pier where we will warmly welcome you aboard the deluxe expedition vessel M/V Sea Spirit. Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the extraordinary adventure to come. Once underway, a full schedule of events kicks off with informative briefings and introductions from your expedition staff. After the first of many delicious dinners on board, step out onto the open decks to admire the gorgeous scenery in endless evening light as we pass through the wildlife-rich waters of Isfjorden, one of the largest fjords in Svalbard.
The goal for this voyage is a circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard
archipelago. Along the way, we hope to experience the many facets of this incredible High Arctic
territory. Our exact schedule and route will be shaped by weather and ice. We also expect there
will be enough sea ice around to support icedependent animals such as polar bears and walrus.
During this voyage, we expect to encounter significant sea ice concentrations in the enormous
Northwest Svalbard Nature Reserve. In this remote and isolated region, ice can persist very late into the summer, giving it a truly polar character. This reserve covers the rugged northwestern parts of Spitsbergen and the entirety of Nordaustlandet, the second largest island in Svalbard. Here we find the massive Austfonna ice cap, part of which meets the sea along the 45-kilometer ice cliff known as Bråsvellbreen—one of the great wonders of the Arctic world.
The polar desert environment supports little in the way of vegetation but hosts prodigious numbers of
seabirds at breeding sites such as the spectacular sea cliffs of Alkefjellet. The probability of encountering polar bears and walrus in this icy wilderness is very high.
Also on our route is Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, the crown jewel of Svalbard’s scenic wonders.
Here we find deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain peaks and immense tidewater glaciers calving
icebergs into turquoise waters. The whole area is alive with migratory Arctic seabirds. On this voyage, we are just in time to witness the return of millions of murres, guillemots and little auks to the small islands, mountainsides and sea cliffs where they breed within the park. This is also a great area to encounter marine mammals, including various kinds of whales and Arctic seals. Set among this incredible scenery and wildlife activity, we also find evidence of Svalbard’s earliest sealers and whalers.
Human habitation along our route can be found at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town and airship base
that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world’s most
northerly settlements where we find a gift shop and a post office. We also visit a famous airship mast that was a starting point of the North Pole expeditions by Umberto Nobile and Roald Amundsen. This place played an important part in the history of polar exploration.
The ambitious Svalbard and Polar Ice Edge route offers a comprehensive view of the Arctic’s many faces.
Every day offers something new and exciting. We will not miss a single opportunity to encounter amazing Arctic wildlife, to witness incredible polar scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of historic expeditions that came before.
After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, we bid you farewell in Longyearbyen. We
provide transfers to the airport or to the town center in case you plan to stay longer in Svalbard.
By this time, you may already be making plans for your next amazing trip with us into the polar
worlds!
This expedition includes:
This expedition excludes:
