Circumnavigate Svalbard

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.

Heading north, overnight we will have passed Prins Karls Forland to 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. There will also be chance to visit the world’s northernmost Post Office.

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.

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.

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.

The afternoon 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”.

A thrilling day at sea today will see us push even further into the pack ice where the captain will cruise slowly between the floes to look for wildlife.

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.

In the evening we will cruise south into the Hinlopen Strait which separates Nordaustlandet from Spitsbergen.

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.

If the ice is passable through the Hinlopen Strait, we will continue our circumnavigation today and cruise through the scenic Freemansundet which separates Barentsøya and Edgeøya to land at Kapp Lee. We will also hope to enjoy a Zodiac cruise along the coast of Edgeøya, Svalbard’s third largest island.

Overnight we will sail west across Sørkapp on the southern coast of the island, and then north along the west coast.

This morning will see us arrive in the spectacular Hornsund area, where the 30kms long fjord with its glaciers and towering coastal mountains make it one of the most beautiful and impressive regions in all of Svalbard. We will spend some time here soaking up the incredibly impressive surroundings and the ice shows that may unfold before us, as well as enjoying a possible visit to the Polish research station that can be found here.

As we are travelling in the Arctic summer, the ice will hopefully have melted enough for us to visit the Bellsund fjord area today, where we will explore around in search of wildlife sightings and scenic photo opportunities. A landing at Vårsol Bay should bring us close to an impressive little auk cliff whilst a walk along the tundra and beach may reward in sightings of Svalbard reindeer and the chance to spot remains from early industrial eras.

During lunch, we will cross the fjord along the 4 km long (but quite narrow) island of Akseloya. We will make a Zodiac landing at Calypsobyen in Recherche Fjord, a previous mining area which offers visitors a glimpse of the era of Neo-Industrialism. A pleasant walk can also be enjoyed along the tundra.

Overnight we will have sailed into Forlandssundet which separates Spitsbergen from Prince Karls Forland and is an excellent place to spot (and smell!) walruses, who haul out here in large numbers. We will visit Poolepynten for a close-up look at these iconic animals before sailing back into the exceptionally scenic Isfjord area to search for more wildlife sightings and discover even more unforgettable landscapes. We will arrive back into Longyearbyen this evening.

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.