Svalbard Circumnavigation & Norway 14 Days aboard MS Spitsbergen

Your Arctic adventure will begin with an included flight from the Norwegian capital of Oslo to Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of Svalbard, where upon arrival you will be transferred to your included hotel for an overnight stay. You can enjoy an evening here in this town perched on the edge of the Arctic wilderness. Longyearbyen is surprisingly cosmopolitan, with first-class facilities, charming architecture, an internationally renowned museum and several bars and restaurants. Enjoy a great night’s sleep in preparation for the adventures that lie ahead.

This morning we can enjoy an exciting excursion in Longyearbyen allowing you to get to know this unique town and get a glimpse into life here in this most remote of areas. In the afternoon embarkation will begin and after settling in to your cabin and exploring your new surroundings you may want to spend some time on deck as we sail through the scenic Isfjord and our adventure truly begins.

During these days we will explore the beautiful North West corner of Spitsbergen, an exceptionally scenic area scattered with islands, fjords and beaches, and a constantly changing frozen landscape. As with all Arctic expeditions our itinerary will be flexible, with your captain constantly monitoring the weather and ice conditions to establish the best routes to take to make the most of your time here and get the very best wildlife and scenic experiences. Throughout your time here we hope to make multiple landings to bring you up close to what this remarkable area has to offer and one of the highlights will be a visit to Kongsfjorden. Kongsfjorden is considered one of the most beautiful fjord areas in Spitsbergen, with mighty glaciers calving icebergs into the sea, framed by stunning mountain formations, and we hope to go on shore here to visit the former mining settlement of Ny-Ålesund.

As we sail northwest, we reach Krossfjorden and Mitrahalvøya, where you can see ruins from the whaling period, beautiful alpine flora, bird cliffs and quite often, Svalbard reindeer.

We also hope to see the huge Monaco Glacier in Liefdefjord where we will take a Zodiac (small boat) cruise around the area. In the Magdalenafjorden and Gravneset areas we hope to offer the chance for guests to earn their Arctic Swimming Certificate as they take a dip in the frigid Arctic waters. Exciting hiking excursions, like a trip to the 151-metre-high top of Ytre Norskøya, will also be offered as we take advantage of the 19 hours of sunlight and enjoy every minute here.

This expedition offers the rare chance to explore the whole way around the island, and as we sail east we will be venturing even further into the wilderness to discover a world like no other. The eastern and southern areas of Spitsbergen offer the highest chances of seeing the “King of The Arctic” and with Eastern Svalbard boasting the highest population of polar bears on the archipelago our chances of unforgettable encounters are very high.

Our likely route here will be to sail to Isflakbukta on Phippsøya on the far north of the Svalbard archipelago to see the tens of thousands of seabirds that mate here and walrus diving for clams in the bay. We also aim to cruise in Sorgfjorden, which borders the North East Spitsbergen Nature Reserve, and was the site of a famous 17th-century battle between whalers. If the weather is favourable here, we can enjoy a hike in beautiful Eolsneset or a Zodiac cruise in the Hinlopen Strait area before travelling onwards to Kvitøya, the easternmost island in the Svalbard archipelago. Kvitøya is 98 % covered by the Kvitøyjøkulen ice cap and we plan to make a landing on the western point of the island to discover this rarely explored and fascinating area.

We continue on to Edgeøya, the third-largest island in the archipelago, to discover its unique and largely un-glaciated landscape before making our way round the southern cape and heading towards Hornsund. Here we will find a wonderfully varied landscape and even more chances of spotting polar bears.

As we leave the wintery wilderness of Svalbard behind and cross the Arctic Ocean towards mainland Norway we will stop halfway to step ashore on wild Bjørnøya (Bear Island), home to the largest concentration of sea birds on the Northern Hemisphere. Bjørnøya is the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago and with a population of just 9 people the 126 different bird species more than outnumber the human inhabitants on these remote and rugged lands.

In the early hours of day 12 we recommend having your cameras ready as your ship sails past the spectacular North Cape cliff offering you a stunning view of this famous landmark on the northernmost tip of mainland Europe. A short time later we will arrive at Skarsvåg, the world's northernmost fishing village which lies along the northern coast of the island of Magerøya.

Today you can join an optional excursion to the North Cape to experience the feeling of standing at the edge of the world and to see the famous statue that marks this important spot. There is also a museum here which is worth a visit, and enough breathtaking scenery to fill your cameras.

The final call on our thrilling Arctic itinerary will be Sommarøy, a beautiful archipelago of small islands with white, sandy beaches and a lively fishing community. Here you may want to spend a day of relaxation doing a bit of souvenir shopping in one of the small craft shops, or for those looking for more adventure there will be a variety of excursions available here including hiking and kayaking.

Arrival in to the port of Tromsø signals the end of our Arctic adventure and sadly it will be time to bid a fond farewell to our expedition team and fellow passengers. Known as the Gateway to the Arctic, Tromsø is a delightful place to visit and should you wish to extend your stay here please feel free to ask for details of extra excursions.