Itinerary

Day 1 Longyearbyen-Cruise
Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden

Day 2 Cruise Spitsbergen
Heading north along the west coast, arrive by morning to Krossfjorden, where you board the Zodiacs for a cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, a colorful variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of Kittiwake and Brunnich’s Guillemot nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting the Arctic Fox, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a chick falls from its nest, and the Bearded Seal, who cruise this fjord. In the afternoon sail to Ny Alesund, the world’s most northerly settlement. Once a mining village, served by the world’s most northerly railway, which can still be seen. Ny Alesund is now a research center. Close to the village is a breeding ground for the Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose and Arctic Tern. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to 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.

Day 3 Cruise Spitsbergen
Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, you will go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andoya. Many common eider and Pink-footed Goose nest here, and the more rare King Eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, you will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of Kittiwakes and occasionally Polar Bears are seen on the glacier.

Day 4 Cruise Spitsbergen
Today you will reach the northernmost point at Phippsoya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. Here you will be at 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar Bears inhabit this region, along with Ivory Gulls. You may sit for several hours in the pack ice, taking in your spectacular surroundings and seeing a Ross Gull, before turning south again.

Day 5 Cruise Spitsbergen
You will visit Laagoya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of Walrus tends to congregate. Sabine’s Gulls nest on the island as well. At Sorg Fjord you may find another herd of walrus not far from the graves of 17th century whalers. On a nature walk, you may encounter families of Ptarmigans.

Day 6 Cruise Spitsbergen
Today sail into the Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, Polar Bears, and Ivory Gulls. You will navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvoya in your zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brunnich’s Guillemot. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, you will attempt a landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet, home to reindeer, the Pink-footed Goose, breeding Ivory Gulls, and Walrus. Near Torrelneset, you will explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third largest ice cap, which meets the sea nearby. You will walk along the beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. You may encounter Walrus along the way.

Day 7 Cruise Spitsbergen
In Freemansundet the ship plans to land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsoya to visit an old trapper’s hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen Reindeer and Barnacle Goose. Later cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeoya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, land on a beach littered with whale bones and tree trunks, which have drifted here from Siberia. You can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of Kitttiwake, together with the Black Guillemot and the piratical Glaucous Gull. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs is patrolled by Arctic Fox and Polar Bears, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.

Day 8 Cruise Spitsbergen
Start the day quietly cruising the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m, while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name Spitsbergen, pointed mountains, to the island. There are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears.

Day 9 Cruise Spitsbergen
Today land on Ahlstrandhalvoya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of Beluga skeletons (the Beluga is a small white whale), the remains of 19th century slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation. Fortunately, Beluga were not hunted to the edge of extinction and may still be seen locally. Indeed, there is a good chance that we will come across a pod. Cruising into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon you can explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many reindeer feed.

Day 10 Cruise Spitsbergen-Longyearbyen-End of Cruise
Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport. You can extend your stay in Spitsbergen or continue with another tour of Norway.

Additional nights in Longyearbyen available.

Groups flights from Oslo to Longyearbyen available.

The chances that a complete full Spitsbergen Circumnavigation (based on the experiences from 1992 until 2015) are about, 30 % in the first half of July, 60 % in the second half of July, 90% in the first half of August, 95% in the second half of August. In case a complete full circumnavigation cannot be achieved the cruise will resort to a program in Northeast or Southeast Spitsbergen.

FUEL SURCHARGE: It is agreed that if fuel prices will exceed $120 per Barrel Brent 90 days prior to departure we reserve the right to levy a fuel surcharge of $25 per passenger per night, to be paid prior to departure.