Svalbard – Last Stop Before the North Pole

Your included flight from Oslo will bring you to Longyearbyen today, the administrative capital of the Svalbard archipelago, where you will board your vessel and begin your Arctic adventure. After a welcome drink and time to familiarise yourself with the ship, there will be voyage and safety briefings before your captain steers the ship out of Advent Fjord and into the wilderness.

Please note: Your flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen is included in the price of your expedition.

As with all Arctic expeditions, our exact route in Svalbard will be dictated by weather and ice conditions, with your experienced captain and crew charting the perfect course each day for unforgettable sights and adventures. This itinerary describes the expected route but may be subject to change.

Overnight we will have passed Prins Karls Forland to arrive in the magnificent Krossfjord area where we plan to explore around the majestic landscape around Regnardneset, and land at Möllerhamna in the morning for our first shore visit. We expect to see a large number of migrating birds here as the Arctic summer months are their most active time.

In the afternoon we will sail further north into the fjord system where we will hope for our first Zodiac cruise along the impressive Lilliehöök Glacier front. We will also hope to navigate past the beautiful scenery in the bay of Fjortende Juli, where the glacier Fjortende Juli-breen calves into the fjord.

In Northwest Svalbard today we plan to cruise in Danskergattet and look for seals in Virgohamna before making our way to Amsterdamøya to land at the legendary 17th century whaling town of Smeerenburg, and the old lookout area of Ytre Norskøya.

This morning we plan to enjoy a leisurely cruise along the steep cliffs of the famous Alkefjellet where a dense congregation of Brünichs guillemots covers almost every inch of land…a truly unforgettable sight.

Moving on to the polar desert landscapes of Torrelnesset, we will take an enjoyable walk along the beach to look for sightings of the walruses that are often found in good numbers here feeding on the clams found in the shallows of Svalbard’s waters.

A thrilling day at sea today will see us steer far north towards the edge of the polar pack ice, pushing as northernly as possible with the goal of reaching 80 degrees north! This portion of the trip offers the best possibilities of spotting Polar bears and as we sail through the icy seas and floes we will be on a constant lookout for sightings of the “King of The Arctic”.

We also hope today to reach Sjuøyane and the island of Nordaustlandet. Here we will hope to make land to enjoy a walk across the barren tundra in search of birdlife and wildlife, and enjoy the feeling of standing in one of the most northernly places on the planet.

Overnight we will have sailed into Liefdefjord and spectacular landscapes greet us as we wake this morning. The plan for a thoroughly enjoyable morning will be a slow cruise along the broad glacier front of Monacobreen which will offer a fantastic insight into the glacial forces here and the unique formations of icebergs.

We also plan to visit Texas Bar, a famous old trapper cabin that was built in 1927 and is surrounded by unforgettable scenery.

Our final full day of exploration in Svalbard will see us sailing back south along the west coast to the reach the beautiful Kongsfjord area to land at the famous former mining settlement of Ny Ålesund for an enjoyable walk to learn about the history and scientific importance of this area.

On the opposite side of the fjord we find the abandoned marble mining settlement of Ny London where we can take a walk amongst the ruins of workshops, locomotives and cranes that signify the mining rush of days past.

Before arriving back in Longyearbyen we will explore around the exceptionally scenic Isfjord area to search for more wildlife sightings and discover even more unforgettable landscapes.

After breakfast this morning it will sadly be time to bid farewell to the crew as you disembark in Longyearbyen and transfer to the airport for your included flight back to Oslo.