Best of Spitsbergen in Luxury

Your adventure will begin this morning in Paris where you will meet your representatives and the rest of the passengers at the airport for your included flight to Longyearbyen. This 4.5 hour flight will see you landing in one of the most remote and enchanting settlements in the world, the capital of the Svalbard archipelago.

Upon landing you will then be transferred to the port to board your luxury expedition vessel. Spend some time settling in to your luxurious cabin and familiarising yourself with the ship as we prepare to sail away from Longyearbyen and into Isfjorden. Some time on deck should reward in excellent seabird sightings.

Our exploration of the west and north coast of Spitsbergen will begin in earnest today as we sail up the coastline and prepare for our first of many stops. As with all Polar expeditions, the sites visited and course taken throughout your time in Spitsbergen will mostly be determined by ice and weather conditions. Our route will be flexible, with your captain and experienced crew choosing the best course each day for unrivalled wildlife and scenic experiences, but there are many sites that we expect to be able to land at and explore. The first of these is likely to be the sublime Lilliehöök Glacier within the beautiful Cross Bay region of 14 Alpine glaciers which plunge majestically into the sea amongst an expanse of flower-covered mountain slopes. The front of the Lilliehöök Glacier is a massive 7km wide and a cruise through the iceberg filled waters will be a fantastic introduction to this magical area. As we explore, we can expect sightings of Svalbard reindeer, walruses, seals and myriad seabirds.

Exploring further into the Cross Bay area we will next visit the equally impressive 14th July glacier which is found between tundra, plutonic rocks and mountains covered with a surprising endemic flora. As we go for a closer look you may witness icebergs calving off the glacier and enjoy some fantastic birdwatching opportunities. Species we are likely to see here include Tridactyl gulls, thick-billed murres, barnacle geese, common eiders and Atlantic puffins amongst many others. We will also hope for sightings of Arctic foxes and bearded seals lounging on the icebergs.

Moving further up the spectacular north coast of Spitsbergen we will now reach the unmissable Magdalena Bay area. Surrounded by an awe-inspiring landscape of snow-topped Alpine mountains, deep fjords, majestic glaciers and beaches, the area is home to an abundance of wildlife. As we explore we will be on the lookout for sightings of Arctic foxes, whales, seals, walruses and birds including common eiders and terns. We will also be hopeful of some observations of the Kings of the Arctic here, the majestic polar bears! Whilst in Magdalenafjorden we will visit Gravneset where we will find the remnants of a former whaling station used during the 17th century, as well as the graves of many sailors buried here up until the end of the 18th century. There will also be a great hiking opportunity to the nearby Gully Glacier which will reward in outstanding views and photo opportunities.

Later in the afternoon we will move on to Virgohamna, an historically rich area that was home to another 17th century whaling station. Its main historical pull though is the fact that it was the staging area for the many attempts to reach the North Pole by balloon back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. On a visit here you will learn all about these hardy and often ill-fated attempts.

An exciting day of cruising through the icebergs close to the top of the world both by ship and by Zodiac boat. Each iceberg, sculpted by the waves, takes on diverse colours and shapes and at times are more than 60 metres high. The magical feeling of weaving your way through these imposing natural structures will be one to remember!

The next stop on our adventure will be Texas Bar, which despite its name, is a long way from Texas! Funnily enough, there also isn’t a bar here, but what does lie here is a landscape of exceptional proportions. Striking cliffs teeming with birds and covered with moss, lichen and flowers provide a remarkable backdrop to the old trapper’s hut that we will visit for a closer inspection. There is also a great hiking opportunity here up the slopes which will reward in a fantastic view to the incredible Monaco Glacier.

Getting back on board we will sail to the glacier for a closer look. Noted as being Spitsbergen’s most beautiful and majestic glacier, the Monaco Glacier is the last glacier before reaching a latitude of 80° North and this far north we will hope for sightings of the polar bears and whales that have a special fondness for this area.

Cruising back southwards down the western coast the next stop on our list of enchanting landing sites will be the former mining town of Ny-Ålesund which is now an operational scientific base. We will visit here to learn all about the important work being carried out here and find out about how this was the starting point for numerous historical polar expeditions including those of the famous explorer Roald Amundsen. We will also hope to visit the museum and what is considered to be the most northerly post office in the world.

Later we will enjoy a relaxing cruise through Kongsfjorden, one of the most beautiful fjords in Svalbard where we will be accompanied by icebergs of every shape and size, and wildlife including bearded seals, reindeer, black guillemots and barnacle geese.

Our last full day of adventure will see us exploring around the northern entrance of Isfjorden where our first stop will be the birdwatcher’s paradise of the Alkhornet Cliffs. Home to thousands upon thousands of birds, a cruise around here could reward in sightings of Arctic skuas, gulls, pink-footed geese, guillemots, puffins, seagulls and terns amongst much more. The area is also often frequented by reindeer, seals and Arctic foxes.

For the historians amongst us the next stop will be a treat as we visit the ghost town of Pyramiden. We will enjoy an eerie walk around this deserted mining town to see its abandoned cinema, football pitch, play parks and swimming pool that are now visited only by a few tourists and lots of reindeers.

Our last adventure will take us to the Nordenskiöld Glacier deep inside Isfjorden which is thought of as one of the most spectacular glaciers in the Svalbard Archipelago and is often frequented by polar bears, reindeers and seals.

Upon arrival back into Longyearbyen you will disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight back to Paris. Numerous additional activities and excursions are available in Longyearbyen so please enquire for details should you wish to extend your stay in this unique Arctic town.