Circumnavigating Svalbard – The Ultimate Expedition

After a flight from Oslo, your adventure begins with an overnight stay in the world’s northernmost town, Longyearbyen. A colourful frontier settlement where people are outnumbered by snowmobiles, Longyearbyen is a unique place on the edge of the Arctic wilderness. If you have time, head out to explore this special town, before enjoying a relaxing evening at your leisure.

After breakfast, it’s time to experience Longyearbyen. The town is perfect for exploring on foot. Stroll down the main street and you might see Svalbard reindeer saunter by. Although wild, they're curious and tame.   Before boarding your ship in the afternoon and continuing your Arctic discovery, join an included excursion and get a glimpse of this amazing polar bear–inspired region at the top of the world. And if you’d like to discover even more of Longyearbyen’s special surroundings, why not join our optional Pre-Programme.

Today you’ll discover the serenity of Ny-Ålesund and neighbouring fjords such as Krossfjord and Kongsfjord. Disconnect and enjoy a day without distractions as the Norwegian Mapping Authority’s nearby geodetic station means we must switch off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. One of the northernmost settlements and a former mining town, Ny-Ålesund was the starting point for Roald Amundsen’s expeditions north with the airship ‘Norge’. Now a hub for global science and climate research, you can still see remnants of the town’s history. You’ll be immersed in rugged, glacial scenery as we explore the fjords around Ny-Ålesund. Be ready for adventure; we’ll seize any opportunity to launch our small expedition boats, go ashore to hike or cruise by majestic glaciers.

Over the next three days, you'll explore the natural beauty and rugged tundra of Northwest Spitsbergen National Park. In this wilderness of steep mountains, stark glaciers and beautiful offshore islands, we’ll scan for animals of the Arctic – whales, seals, walruses and reindeer. If we’re really lucky, we might even see the elusive polar bear from the Observation Deck of the ship. In stunning Kongsfjord, you may see impressive glaciers calving into the sea. Be ready for adventure; we’ll seize any opportunity to launch our kayaks or use our small expedition boats and go ashore to hike or participate in a beach clean up.

If conditions allow, we’ll sail north and cross the 80th parallel to explore the ever-changing ice edge. The transition zone between the ice cap and the sea is a magical yet ephemeral place where the waters are filled with ice floes and drifting pack ice. From the ship there are great opportunities here for spotting wildlife, such as seals and walruses who lounge photogenically on the sparkling ice. And if the conditions are right, we’ll lower our expedition boats into the water and enjoy an unforgettable close-up experience amid the floating ice.  The ice edge isn’t a fixed boundary, and it moves depending on the season and conditions, so visiting it will be an attempt rather than a certainty. From May to August, as summer progresses, it retreats further towards the pole, meaning it may be out of reach for us. If this is the case then we’ll instead explore the no-less-impressive deep fjords, mighty glaciers and enchanting scenery of the Svalbard coast. In late July and into August, this is a time when the wildflowers appear, blanketing the landscape with a blaze of beauty and colour. 

Be ready for anything as this stage of your voyage continues to be truly adventurous. If sea ice permits, we’ll continue east, exploring the pristine wilderness of northeast Svalbard before heading south in our attempt to fully circumnavigate the archipelago. Perhaps we’ll head to the immense Bråsvellbreen glacier to see waterfalls tumbling into the icy depths, or lower our small boats around Kvitøy. Every day in the east will be a new opportunity to look for polar bears roaming the ice. Continuing south, we may head to Freemansundet and Kapp Lee or take our small expedition boats to Edgeøya or Barentsøya. In true expedition style, exactly where we’ll go will depend on the conditions on the day. Channel your inner explorer on exhilarating landings, hikes and kayak trips, and look out for wildlife like polar bears, walruses, guillemots and gulls. And if the ice doesn’t allow us to pass to the east, you’ll experience just as much adventure: we’ll delve deeper into the wonders of western Svalbard or attempt to circumnavigate Spitsbergen through the Hinlopen Strait. We’ll take a flexible route through deep fjords and by soaring mountains, seeking out remarkable Arctic wildlife. 

Your expedition cruise continues south towards Hornsund – one of Svalbard’s most beautiful fjords. Rich, colourful vegetation makes way for towering mountains along this picturesque waterway. Head out on deck to spot seals and whales, Mount Hornsundtind, and glaciers calving into the sea. Then we head to Bellsund, whose cliffs are home to large colonies of auks, guillemots and Northern Fulmars, along with Arctic foxes and Svalbard reindeer below. Look out for the early mining settlements here and learn about Wanny Woldstad, the first female trapper. Our activities today will be determined by the ever-changing weather conditions of Hornsund and Bellsund. Your Expedition Team will decide on the best possibilities for exploring on the day. 

Your Arctic adventure comes to an end back in Longyearbyen. A transfer will take you to the airport for your flight to Oslo. You'll return home knowing more about Arctic animals, history, polar ice and climate change than you arrived with – and memories of an incredible experience. If you’re not ready to say goodbye just yet, why not spend some more time in the Arctic and join our optional Post-Programme.

Itineraries subject to change.