Arctic Ocean - Spitsbergen: Jan Mayen, Ice Edge & Birding - Summer Solstice

Discover the beauty of the Arctic Ocean on an epic voyage from Iceland to Spitsbergen. Cross the Polar Circle, explore remote Jan Mayen, and navigate the Denmark Strait pack ice in search of polar bears, whales, and thousands of seabirds.


Iceland
© OEX

Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
Starts: Keflavik, Iceland
Ends: Longyearbyen, Norway
Language: English speaking voyage

This is a combination cruise consisting of a few smaller cruises. Cabin/berth choice is subject to availability and the same placement on each cruise segment is not guaranteed.
The midnight sun is a phenomenon where the sun is visible for 24 hours; the summer solstice occurs on June 21.
The itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather and ice conditions. Your Captain and Expedition Leader will make the necessary adjustments to ensure the best possible experience.


Included


This unique expedition invites travelers to discover the drama and beauty of life across the Arctic Ocean. Leaving Iceland's fjords behind, the vessel ventures into the Denmark Strait pack ice and visits isolated Jan Mayen, a volcanic island crowned by the 2,300-meter Mt. Beerenberg. During the Arctic summer, the midnight sun phenomenon bathes the landscape in perpetual light, allowing for uninterrupted observation of harp seals, polar bears, and a stunning variety of seabirds nesting on vertical cliffs.

Sailing north along the ice edge, explorers are immersed in an icy, unspoiled world. The journey reaches the Svalbard archipelago, exploring deep fjords like Raudfjord and sailing before the colossal Monaco Glacier, a critical area for polar bear hunting. Guided by experts, colonies of thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots are visited, and blue and bowhead whales are sought along the continental shelf, culminating in Spitsbergen’s administrative center, Longyearbyen.

Highlights:
Navigation through the pack ice from Iceland to Spitsbergen.
Visit to remote volcanic Jan Mayen and its historical stations.
Experience of the midnight sun phenomenon and the summer solstice.
Sightings of iconic wildlife: polar bears, walruses, blue and bowhead whales.
Exploration of massive bird colonies in Látrabjarg, Grímsey, and Alkefjellet.

Itinerary

© OEX
© OEX

Day 1: The start of an Arctic adventure
Setting sail from Keflavik
Embark in the late afternoon in Keflavik. We sail north into Faxaflói Bay toward the Snaefellsnes Peninsula while scanning for whales in the bay.

Day 2 - 7: Ice caps, volcanoes, and the Polar Circle
Northwest Iceland and Jan Mayen
Explore Snaefellsjökull and the islands of Breidafjordur. Visit Látrabjarg, Iceland's largest bird colony, and remote Jan Mayen with its weather station. Navigate the ice edge searching for polar bears and bowhead whales under the midnight sun.

Day 8: From Akureyri to Longyearbyen
Towards the Svalbard archipelago
After a stop in Akureyri, the ship heads north to Spitsbergen. We will look for blue whales at the entrance of Hinlopen Strait and search for walruses on the shores of Nordaustlandet.

Day 9: Journey's end in Longyearbyen
Disembarkation in Spitsbergen
Arrival in Longyearbyen in the morning. Disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight home, carrying memories of a pioneering Arctic adventure.

Itinerary

Day 1: The start of an Arctic adventure
Setting sail from Keflavik
Embark in the late afternoon in Keflavik. We sail north into Faxaflói Bay toward the Snaefellsnes Peninsula while scanning for whales in the bay.

Day 2 - 7: Ice caps, volcanoes, and the Polar Circle
Northwest Iceland and Jan Mayen
Explore Snaefellsjökull and the islands of Breidafjordur. Visit Látrabjarg, Iceland's largest bird colony, and remote Jan Mayen with its weather station. Navigate the ice edge searching for polar bears and bowhead whales under the midnight sun.

Day 8: From Akureyri to Longyearbyen
Towards the Svalbard archipelago
After a stop in Akureyri, the ship heads north to Spitsbergen. We will look for blue whales at the entrance of Hinlopen Strait and search for walruses on the shores of Nordaustlandet.

Day 9: Journey's end in Longyearbyen
Disembarkation in Spitsbergen
Arrival in Longyearbyen in the morning. Disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight home, carrying memories of a pioneering Arctic adventure.


© OEX
© OEX


INCLUSIONS

Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary.
All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on a selection of flights (advised by Oceanwide) from Longyearbyen.
All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
AECO fees and governmental taxes.
Comprehensive pre-departure material.

EXCLUSIONS

Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights.
Pre- and post- land arrangements.
Passport and visa expenses.
Government arrival and departure taxes.
Meals ashore.
Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended).
Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).


Dates & Rates


Ship: Plancius | Date: 14 Jun 2027 - 06 Jul 2027 (4911)
Quadruple Porthole
$12,600
$10,080
Triple Porthole
$15,400
$12,320
Twin Porthole
$17,450
$13,960
Twin Window
$18,850
$15,080
Twin Deluxe
$20,150
$16,120
Superior
$22,750
$18,200

* The prices are per person in US Dollars, unless expressly specified in a different currency. In that case, payment will be in US dollars at the exchange rate of the day.
** Rates are correct at the time of publication. All prices will be re-confirmed by email at the time of booking.
NOTE: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your expedition staff must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you’ll experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed.

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