Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Longyearbyen
Arrival in the world's northernmost town
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the group hotel for your overnight stay. This evening you'll meet your expedition leaders and other members of the group for a trip briefing. Our start and finish point is Longyearbyen, located on Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Longyearbyen is the world's northern-most town, located at latitude 78° North - just 1,316 km from the North Pole, surrounded by a pristine wilderness.

Day 2: Explore Longyearbyen and Embark
Encountering wild reindeer and setting sail
Today is yours to explore Longyearbyen. Sightseeing recommendations include the Svalbard Museum, the local brewery, and a meal of local delicacies in one of several cafes and restaurants. A highlight for first-time visitors is encountering wild Svalbard reindeer casually walking and grazing in between houses, alongside streets, and even sleeping right in the middle of town. Board the vessel in the late afternoon. Cruising out of the beautiful Isfjorden, we'll be escorted by gliding fulmars and perhaps the occasional puffin. The sea kayakers will attend a briefing to distribute dry suits, pogies, lifejackets, and dry bags.

Day 3–8: Exploring Svalbard
Expedition cruising, glaciers, ice floes, and polar wildlife
Over the next six days we will explore the amazing wilderness of Svalbard, maximizing our time outside through zodiac cruising, paddling, hiking, or wildlife viewing. The experienced team will design a day-to-day itinerary making the best use of weather, ice conditions, and wildlife. We explore Isfjorden, the second-longest fjord in the archipelago, visiting Alkhornet to walk the beautiful tundra surrounded by Arctic foxes and tens of thousands of kittiwakes, glaucous gulls, and barnacle geese. We sail towards Prins Karls Forland, a narrow strip of land covered by a magnificent snow-covered mountain chain, home to harbour seals and wallowing walruses. We will spend hours in glacier-filled Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden, walking the tundra and visiting the scientific village of Ny-Ålesund, the historical starting base for Amundsen and Nobile's North Pole flights; in nearby Krossfjorden, we admire the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. Heading north, we experience the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean from the ship's bow and explore Raudfjorden (The Red Fjord), dominated by magnificent glaciers, ruins of a wooden trapper's hut, seals, and roaming polar bears. We will visit Virgohamna on Danes Island (Danskøya), witnessing remnants of Andree's daring hydrogen balloon launch and Wellman's airship attempts to reach the North Pole. Finally, we explore Bellsund on the south-west coast, looking for Beluga whales and thousands of birds including little auk colonies, and Hornsund, where towers of rock pierce the clouds and huge glaciers calve out shimmering blue ice, serving as a favourite haunt for polar bears.

Day 9: Disembark Longyearbyen
Morning arrival into Isfjorden and departure
During the early morning we cruise back into Isfjorden before docking in Longyearbyen. Say your farewells to the crew and expedition leaders as we disembark the vessel at around 9am, marking the end of trip arrangements.

© SSV

© SSV