Itinerary

Day 1: Embarkation In Longyearbyen
Climb aboard Noorderlicht in the small snowy town of Longyearbyen – the largest inhabited settlement in Spitsbergen. Enjoy a welcome from the crew and captain before a delicious first dinner on board while the ship sets course towards Bellsund, where it will anchor for the night.

Day 2: Glacier Fridtjofbreen and the historic sights in the Bellsund
Explore ashore at Midterhuken in the Bellsund where there are fantastic views of the 65 million year old mountain chain of Spitsbergen. During lunch, Noorerlicht will sail to Kapp Toscane where you can enjoy a short walk to Kvitfiskstranda (‘white whale beach’) before setting the sails again towards the Hornsund or the South Cape of the island of Spitsbergen.

Day 3-4: Around the South Cape towards the east of Spitsbergen
If the weather – and ice conditions are favourable, you will visit the Hornsund, one of the most inhospitable and icy fjords of Svalbard.

This fjord is home to many steep glacier fronts with a high chance of encountering seals and belugas. Visit the Polish research station in Isbjornhamna, where we can get information about their scientific wildlife programs.

Due to the currents that converge here, from the Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea, it is important to plan this Cape crossing carefully. As soon as we arrive in the Storfjorden, we have a good chance of encountering groups of whales. We then sail in a northerly direction to the island EdgeØya – well known for its large reindeer population as well as for its polar bears.

Due to the flat and accessible island, we have the possibility of a landing at Kapp Lee near Dolerittneset (‘Dolerite point’). The wide tundra is dotted with reindeer antlers and whale bones and you can often find arctic foxes and large colonies of kittiwakes here.

Day 5: Visit the impressive Negribreen, Heleysundet
After breakfast, we will visit Negribreen, one of the largest and most impressive glaciers in Spitsbergen. The glacier has receded significantly in recent decades, but still has the widest calving front on the main island of Spitsbergen. As we approach the glacier, we will encounter blue icebergs, the blue indicates very old ice!

After taking plenty of time at Negribeen, we will attempt to sail through the Heleysundet, a narrow channel notorious for its strong currents. In the channel, there is a nameless bay where only our red sailing ship is known to have anchored. The crew of Noorderlicht has given this bay a name: the ‘Noorderlichtbukta’. Here we have the possibility of a nice walk under and on top of the cliffs of Straumslandet.

Day 6: The famous bird cliff Alkefjellet
Depending on the tide, we leave the Heleysundet to set sail in the direction of the spectacular bird cliff Alkefjellet. We will take our time at this natural wonder viewing the 60,000 short-billed guillemots breeding here. Noorderlicht is small enough to cruise along the base of the cliff, eliminating the need to view it from the zodiac, so sit back and relax to see the seabirds up close.

We will spend the rest of the day sailing in a northerly direction through the Hinlopenstraat. The Hinlopenstraat is a 150 km long strait that separates Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet and is often difficult to navigate because of the dense pack ice. Once in the Lomfjorden, we will look for an anchorage for the night.

Day 7: Nordaustlandet – the northeastern limit of our trip
After a morning walk in Faksevagen with impressive views over the glacier Gullfaksebreen, we cross the Hinlopen Strait towards the most northeastern island of this trip: Nordaustlandet. This island is largely covered by the two large ice caps – Austfonna and Vestfonna. Compared to the rest of Spitsbergen there are fewer remains of human activity to be found here, due to the isolated location, although we can find traces of Norwegian and Russian influence on the landscape.

We may take an evening walk at the special landmark Kinnvika, where a Swedish-Finnish research station dating from 1957-58 can be visited. The project was abandoned in 1959 when funding ran out, making the 10 vacant wooden buildings now seem mysterious.

Day 8-9: 80 degrees north towards the ‘de Zeeuwse Uitkijck’
During the next two days, we celebrate passing the most northerly point of our journey at a latitude of 80 degrees north. We sail along the island of Moffen, a walrus and bird sanctuary, where we keep a good lookout to see groups of walruses. In this northern area, the ice determines where to sail and where to go ashore.

Possibly during one of these days, we will find an anchorage close to Ytre NorkskØya where we hopefully can land at the’ Zeeuwsche Uitkijck. Here in 1617, whalers from Zeeland built a blubber cookery and were able to keep a good lookout over the sea for whales from the highest point of the island.

Day 10: Whaling history at Smeerenburg
Sailing further on to the West, we proceed to AmsterdamØya, where we can get a good insight into 17th-century whaling. Here you will find Smeerenburg, a former settlement of Dutch whalers that grew into the centre of Dutch whaling in the period from 1617 – 1646. The settlement consisted of warehouses, homes and a blacksmith shop. Horseshoe-shaped ovens were used to boil the blubber of the whales, extract oil which was used for soap and fuel for lamps. Remains of blubber ovens, tombs and houses can still be found here and there.

Day 11-13: The glaciers of Kongsfjord and Krossfjord
Sailing South, we will aim to find the breathtaking blue-green bay of the Magdalenafjord. With rugged and pointed mountain peaks and impressive glaciers, it’s an Arctic paradise.

We sail onwards to the beautiful Kongsfjord and Krossfjord, where we will be greeted by the towering face of the “14th July” glacier. Bearded seals often lie to rest on the broken ice floes, and near the glacier, we may find breeding colonies of black-billed guillemots, kittiwakes and puffins.

These fjords offer numerous sights. For example, we may be able to organize a landing on the Blomstrandhalvoya peninsula, where the remains of a marble mine can be seen at Ny London. We also have a beautiful view of the Tre Kroner, the three iconic mountain peaks that shine through the ice cap.

Day 14: Walruses and a panoramic view on the Prins Karls Forlandet
Today, we will start early, sailing a southerly course towards the St. Johnsfjord. To get there, we will navigate the Forlandsundet strait. Historically, the Forlandsundet strait has always been a fear for many whalers because of the Forlandsrevet sandbank on the north side. Due to its shallow draft, Noorderlicht is one of the few ships that can navigate these waters although the crew will need full concentration.

If we can complete this passage, we will make a landing at Murraypynten and walk the hills with a beautiful panoramic view of the rugged mountains and glacial landscapes of Spitsbergen.

In the afternoon, we will continue the journey south, towards the St. Johnsfjord, where we will anchor in the sheltered bay.

Day 15: Ghost Town in Soviet-style: Barentsburg
Depending on the availability of a berth in Barentsburg, we will sail towards the Russian mining settlement, where we will arrive at the end of the afternoon.

From the dock where our ship is moored, we must first climb some 140 wooden steps before we enter the main street. There is a life-size bust of Lenin in the middle of the town, billboards with photos of workers and modernist Soviet buildings. Furthermore, you can find the world’s most Northern brewery and find the Pomor Museum. In the evening, you can enjoy locally brewed beers and Russian snacks with part of the crew of Noorderlicht.

Day 16: Sailing towards Longyearbyen
In the morning, we hope to make a final landing in Colesbukta before sailing back to Longyearbyen.

Day 17: Goodbye Noorderlicht
After a hearty breakfast, you can disembark by 09:00.