Russia’s High Arctic Archipelagos

Your adventure will begin with a one-night stay in Helsinki, Finland's capital. Arrive at your leisure and enjoy the sights of the city before a restful night's sleep in preparation for the adventures ahead.

Please note: A mandatory transfer package at a cost of £1600 is required for this trip.

After breakfast you will transfer to the airport for your private charter flight to Murmansk, Russia. Upon arrival in Murmansk you will transfer to the port to board your expedition ship. Settle in to your new surroundings and meet your expedition crew as we set sail into the Barents Sea.

The next two days will be spent at sea as we sail through the Barents Sea towards Novaya Zemlya. As we sail, your informative and entertaining lecture and presentation program will commence, with talks covering everything from Arctic wildlife and geology to the effects of climate change and the history of Polar exploration, including why this particular stretch of water is named after the great Dutch explorer Willem Barents. Some time on deck should reward in various seabird sightings including skuas, kittiwakes and fulmars, as well as sightings of whales and seals in the waters below. This is also a great time to simply relax in the comfort of your ship and prepare for the adventurous weeks ahead.

Your exploration of the Russian High Arctic begins in earnest as we reach Novaya Zemlya, the largest of the Eurasian arctic archipelagos and the third-largest wilderness area in Europe. Separated into two distinctive main islands, Novaya Zemlya offers up superb scenery with landscapes of jagged ice cliffs, huge extinct volcanoes and the Barents Sea’s most isolated mountain range. As with all Polar expeditions, your itinerary throughout your time in Arctic Russia may be dictated by weather and sea conditions, with your captain and crew choosing each day the best locations for exciting stops and shore excursions. Each day will bring something new and memorable as we explore around the islands in search of scenic opportunities and wildlife encounters.

The two main islands of Novaya Zemlya are called Severny (northern) and Yuzhny (southern), and we will spend our days exploring around both of these. Places we expect to visit include Inostrantseva Bay where we hope to enjoy a thrilling Zodiac cruise along the face of one of the most picturesque glaciers in the archipelago and along the coastal cliffs that are home to good numbers of Brünnich’s guillemots. For more wildlife delights we will head to the Oransky Islands on the east coast of Severny to seek out observations of large haul-outs of walrus, whales, more seabirds, and if we’re lucky, the iconic Polar bears! We also hope to visit Russkaya Gavan, Cape Spory Navalok and Cape Zhelaniya.

Alongside the spectacular scenery and wildlife opportunities, Novaya Zemlya is also an area of great historical significance and you will be able to trace the footsteps of famous explorers and reflect on the region’s history alongside your knowledgeable and informative expedition crew.

The next six days see us cruising further east to explore around the isolated islands of the Kara Sea. Often encumbered by trapped ice floes, the Kara Sea is known as the “ice cellar” of the Arctic and as such our sail through here will bring some exciting navigation as your experienced captain expertly steers the ship from stop to stop. With all this ice you also have the added benefit of lots of iconic Arctic wildlife, with seals, walrus and whales often spotted from deck as we make our way through the sea. As always, our stops will be dictated by this sea ice and the weather conditions, but there are numerous small archipelagos and landing sites we hope to visit to get a true taste of this remote area. In the area of the Great Arctic State Nature Reserve we will hope to visit Troynoy Island to visit the weather station and search for sightings of ivory gulls and polar bears, and Russky Island to see the site of a former polar station.

We will then enjoy a shore walk to an active research station in Cape Chelyuskin before beginning our attempt to reach Severnaya Zemlya. Dominated by glaciers and polar desert, Severnaya Zemlya is thought of as the last major undiscovered territory on earth so an exploration here will truly embody a sense of adventure as we visit rarely-explored sites and enjoy visits to glaciers including the Vavilov Ice Cap and the huge Academy of Sciences Glacier. We will also hope to cruise through the Red Army Strait where some time on deck with your cameras in hand will reward in exceptional photography opportunities.

We now spend a day at sea cruising towards Franz Josef Land, the most northerly archipelago in Eurasia. As we reach this remote group of 191 islands that lie entirely within the Arctic Circle the excitement will build again as we prepare to make a number of landings on various islands within the archipelago. Rarely visited owing to its remarkably remote setting, the islands are home to a wide variety of wildlife including numerous walrus and polar bears, along with whales and myriad birdlife. As we discover what makes this archipelago so notable you will explore Cape Flora and discover historic remains from three ill-fated Arctic expeditions, as well as Cape Norway where Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen wintered from 1895 to 1896. Here you will be able to see the remains of their stone huts and a memorial dedicated to their explorations.

When weather conditions permit, we will enjoy thrilling Zodiac trips beneath towering cliffs to explore remote seabird rookeries and search for the wildlife that is often found here. On Hooker Island we will step back in time as we enjoy a walk through the ruins, see the site of an abandoned weather station and even send a postcard from the post office! We will also hope to visit Bell Island and Hall Island where you can visit the Barents memorial and soak up the incredible scenery on offer.

This part of the Arctic Ocean is so remote that Franz Josef Land was discovered after Antarctica, and a visit here will be the perfect way to round off your exciting Russian High Arctic expedition.

As we leave Franz Josef Land behind and head across the Arctic Ocean back to Murmansk you can enjoy your final days onboard looking for wildlife on deck and reminiscing with your shipmates about the adventure you have experienced together.

As you disembark in Russia's most northerly city, it will be time to bid farewell to your ship and transfer to the airport for your charter flight back to Helsinki, Finland to enjoy one final night with your trip mates.

After an overnight hotel stay you can choose to extend your stay in Helsinki or make your way to the airport for onward travel.