Around Spitsbergen

Your Spitsbergen circumnavigation cruise will begin in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Svalbard archipelago, where after having arrived independently you can enjoy a stroll around this former mining town before making your way to the port to embark your ship in the afternoon. After settling in to your cabin and exploring your new surroundings, the ship will depart in the early evening. As we sail out of Isfjorden we recommend spending some time on deck where you may spot the first minke whale of your voyage following the ship in the waters below.

Various flight and land package options are available for transport to and from Longyearbyen, please enquire for full details.

Having sailed north along Spitsbergen’s dramatic west coast overnight, this morning we will arrive in Krossfjorden to enjoy the first of many Zodiac boat excursions of our trip. Cruising along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and down along its neighbouring green slopes, you will witness a beautiful variety of flowers blooming along with fantastic numbers of Brunnich's guillemots and kittiwakes nesting on the nearby cliffs. We also have good chances of spotting bearded seals here along with Arctic foxes who patrol the base of the cliffs in search of eggs and chicks that may drop from above.

After our exploration of Krossfjorden, later in the afternoon we will sail to Ny Alesund for more bird spotting and an introduction to some of the history of this remarkable island. Ny Alesund is the world's most northerly settlement, which, when it was a mining village, was served by the world's most northerly railway, which we can see as we enjoy a walk around the village. The history enthusiasts amongst us may enjoy a walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile, in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928, before their flights to the North Pole. The birding enthusiasts may enjoy a walk to the nearby breeding ground for Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose and Arctic Tern.

As with all polar expeditions, itinerary flexibility is the key, and each day your captain and experienced crew will determine the best course to travel in order to provide you with the very best scenic and wildlife observation opportunities. Today we hope for favourable conditions to sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier. The base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground so we will hope for lots of sightings of these majestic animals here along with the thousands of kittiwakes that make the front of the glacier their favourite feeding spot. If ice conditions are not favourable for a cruise into Liefdefjorden, your crew will determine an alternate, but similarly exciting, route along the west coast.

Over the course of the next two days we will sail to the Seven Islands, north of Nordaustlandet, and what may be the northernmost point of your voyage. We hope to land on Sjuøyane, one of the Seven Islands, to enjoy a walk along the Arctic landscape just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole in search of the large numbers of walrus which are often found here. Polar bears also inhabit this region so we may anchor the ship for several hours amongst the pack ice in order to give us time to spot some of these majestic animals.

If the sea ice dictates us not being able to spend a 2nd day in the Seven Islands we will instead head for Sorgfjord to enjoy a nature walk to see a family of ptarmigans that reside here. We can also look for the resident herd of walruses and take a walk to see the graves of 17th-century whalers that are found here.

Today we will hope to sail into the Hinlopen Strait to fully explore this wildlife wonderland. As we board our Zodiac boats we will enjoy an exciting cruise among the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in search of sightings of the polar bears, ringed seals and bearded seals that abound here. We will also sail beneath the spectacular bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots.

Later in the day we hope to visit the east side of Hinlopen Strait to attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet to observe the reindeer, walruses and pink-footed geese that are often found here.

As we continue to sail southwards along Spitsbergen’s east coast our plan today will be to make a landing in Freemansundet, although the presence of polar bears on land may mean this is deemed impossible. Other landings we may make on Barentsøya include Rindedalen where we can enjoy a walk along the tundra in search of Spitsbergen reindeer and barnacle geese, Sundneset to visit an old trapper’s hut and Kapp Waldburg to see its large kittiwake colony. We also hope to enjoy a Zodiac cruise to Kapp Lee on Edgeøya where we will see a large walrus haul-out and enjoy a hike along the coast to see some Pomor ruins.

Today we will enjoy some time on board as we cruise along the side fjords of the Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen enjoying the scenery of towering spire-like mountain peaks of up to 4,695 feet. This area perfectly demonstrates why early Dutch explorers named this island Spitsbergen, meaning “pointed mountains.” As we sail we can enjoy our onboard presentation and lecture programme delivered by expert naturalists, and spending some time on deck with our cameras in hand as we sail by 14 sizeable glaciers. There are also excellent chances of spotting polar bears, seals and beluga whales from the ship.

The last region on our thrilling Spitsbergen circumnavigation will be Bellsund, one of the largest fjord systems in Svalbard. We plan to land at Ahlstrandhalvøya, at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden to enjoy a walk to see the lush vegetation that is found here owing to the ocean currents which make this area relatively warmer than other areas in the archipelago. Here we will see the piles of beluga skeletons that remain as a haunting reminder of the whale slaughtering that happened here in the 19th century. Thankfully, these magnificent marine animals were not hunted to extinction and we have good chances of coming across a pod here. We also hope to take a Zodiac cruise along the side fjords of Bellsund to explore the tundra and search for sightings of reindeer and little auks.

Circumnavigation complete, our arrival back into Longyearbyen signals the end of our exciting Arctic cruise, and after breakfast you will disembark and bid a fond farewell to your expedition team and new-found friends. You may wish to spend some further time here exploring this unique Arctic town or enjoying some of the many extra excursions and activities that are on offer here. Please enquire for details of the land-based activities that we would be happy to arrange for you. Otherwise, it’s sadly time to make your way to the airport for your onward or homeward flights, filled with memories of the adventure of a lifetime.