Arctic
To the North Pole
Arctic
Arctic
Heading for 90 degrees North!
Duration: 18 days
Starts: Longyearbyen, Norway
Ends: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
Language: English Speaking Voyage
Ship Cruise More info about this activity
Not only we travel from one point to another and find our shelter on board the ship we chose. We also enjoy from incredible scenery, landscapes and interactions that only our noble vessel can provide.
Everyday the Bridge Team navigates the ship to position ourselves on the best posible spots, looking for unique opportunities.
Many times, this includes sainig through narrow passages, on the vicinity of glaciers or entering bays and fjords only approachable from the ship.
Enjoy this incredible places from the comfort of the common areas on board, open decks or your own private balcony!
Shore Excursion More info about this activity
Shore excursions are the backbone of almost all itineraries, with most ships making landfall at least once every day once they reach their destination. The weather plays a huge role in your daily itinerary, although given the sheer array of fantastic landing sites all over there are plenty of options your Captain and Expedition Leader can choose from. On-shore excursions allow you to visit scientific research stations, communities, prominent wildlife colonies and take hikes to elevated viewing points for fantastic photography.
Zodiac cruising More info about this activity
On board the Zodiac you will discover a world of possibilities; accessing the most exclusive landing sites, cruising the coast in search of wildlife or simply enjoying a tour in the calm of the polar regions in search of marine wildlife or bird colonies.
The blue ice an its intimate presence is experienced at its best on zodiac tours.
It is not uncommon to meet curious seals, or humpback whales feeding.
Enrichment Program More info about this activity
Expedition cruising must be one of the most incredible ways of travelling. Not only for the amazing places you visit and the unforgetable wildlife but for the wildlife, the sensory overload and the unimaginable memories.
But all of this needs a context in order to understand where you are and what you are experiencing.
On board your expedition vessell you will find a group of experts, naturalists, zodiac drivers and guides that that will translate the language of nature for you, telling you the stories of the places you are visiting, reviewing the historical, biological, ecological and geological aspects of your trips.
You will experience first hand what surrounds you and arrive back home wiser and loaded with new knowledge.
Citizen Science More info about this activity
There’s important work being done every day, at some of the most renowned climate research facilities around the world, to record and study the incredible changes happening in remote places like Antarctica and th Arctic. As you might imagine, gathering critical on-site data on a regular basis would be a virtually impossible task for these groups. So we do it for them, in partnership with different research facilities.
If you’d like to get a first-hand look at how climate change is impacting our birds, sea life, glaciers, oceans, and weather patterns, and help scientists better understand our evolving planet, you’re welcome to join our Citizen Science program. And don’t let the word “science” scare you. We make it informative, interactive, and fun.
Snow Shoeing More info about this activity
This popular alpine activity is easy to learn. No experience is necessary – all you need is a willingness to try. All training is provided and our team of guides will have you trained and ready to go in no more than half an hour.
Participants should be confident in their footing and have an average level of fitness – outings may be up to three hours in duration. Those who enjoy hiking trails or taking long walks at home will possess enough fitness to enjoy this activity. As with any other activity, you will get more enjoyment out of it with some preparation in advance, such as long walks with uphill sections or bike riding.
In Antarctica, the longest hike can be 2-3 hours long, while in the Arctic it can be a full day tour.
Hiking More info about this activity
Hiking options include very easy beach hikes (good for photographers who need time for photography), easier short hikes, medium-difficulty extended hikes, and more challenging long hikes.
Fishing More info about this activity
Assisted by the naturalist or local guides, you will look for the perfect spot and spend a quiet momento practicing this sport or you will cut your hole on the ice floe or on frozen lakes and try to catch fish using an ancestral method. This activity off the beaten path will equally delight fans of sports fishing and those who are curious for new discoveries.
Kayaking More info about this activity
The experience of sea kayaking in the humbling wilderness of Antarctica or the Arctic is guaranteed to stir your soul.
Sea kayaking is one of the highlights for any Polar Traveller, providing ice and weather conditions are assessed as safe by your Expedition Team.
This activity requires previous kayaking experience.
The North Pole has been a source of inspiration, fascination, and attraction since the dawn of time. This impossible and mythical ‘elsewhere’ begs to be admired.
What if Le Commandant Charcot achieved this absolute pinnacle adventure, by enabling you, perhaps, to tread on this virtually unattainable point?
Following in the footsteps of the explorers who once tried to approach these elusive parts, where the infinite ice floes unfold and 700 kilometres (435 miles) from any land, you are part of the chosen few to attempt the odyssey.
You will sail at the edges of the Earth, where the landscapes change constantly depending on the ice and the plays of light. Nature reigns supreme here, sheltering abundant wildlife: polar bears, seals or even whales will be your hosts. Your discovery of this silent world, frozen by the cold, will continue as you attempt to reach the Grail of all polar explorers: the North Pole!
Swept by the winds and the currents, the ice floe is constantly drifting and the master of your ship will have to manoeuvre carefully and with great humility in an attempt to reach the northernmost point of our planet.
On your return towards splendid Spitsbergen, you will enjoy a few days discovering the most beautiful fjords and glaciers of this island possessing surprising beauty. The icy landscapes of the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park, former home to whalers, welcome the emblematic fauna of the Far North: walruses, Arctic foxes and the famous polar bears.
Highlights
• Be among the few people in the world to go in search of the Geographic North Pole!
• Outings and shore visits in a zodiac inflatable or hovercraft* with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
• The discovery of the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park, which is a former home to whalers and the territory that bore witness to the first expeditions towards the North Pole, with its splendid nature and abundant fauna.
• The discovery of the features of the ice floe.
• Landscapes: ice floes, jagged mountains, icebergs, ice caps, steep-sided valleys, sheer cliffs, huge glaciers.
• Wildlife: polar bears, walruses, Arctic foxes, Svalbard reindeer, Northern fulmar, ivory gull, seals, whales, sea birds.
• Many brand-new activities: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, ice fishing, polar plunge, ice floating, participative science.
*Subject to the regulations in force.
Important trip details
Activities: please note that for polar plunge and ice floating, an EKG (electrocardiogram) by your general practitioner in addition to the expedition company medical questionnaire will be required.
Also, for persons under 18 wishing to take part in these activities as well as kayaking, a sworn statement from the parents or legal guardians that they are able to swim will be asked. A parent or legal guardian must be present at the time of the activity.
Warning about the use of drones: the use of drones aboard the ships, whether they are sailing at sea, at a port of call or anchored, is strictly forbidden. The use of drones on land in the Arctic and Antarctic regions is also strictly forbidden by international polar regulations. In other regions, it may be possible to use drones on land if permission has been obtained from the relevant authorities of each country and each region travelled through, as well as a pilot’s licence that should be obtained from your home country. Passengers are responsible for obtaining these permits; they should be able to present them at all times. Passengers who do not obtain these authorisations expose themselves to the risk of legal proceedings.
DAY 1 | LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
DAY 2 | AT SEA ALONG SPITSBERGEN
The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.
DAYS 3-7 | SAILING ICE FLOES
Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
DAY 8 | GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE
Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
DAYS 9-13 | SAILING ICE FLOES
Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
DAY 14 | AT SEA ALONG SPITSBERGEN
The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.
DAYS 15-17 | NORDVEST-SPITSBERGEN NATIONAL PARK
Like the other protected areas of Svalbard, the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park was established in the early 1970s to protect this exceptional environment against the growing interest of the mining industry. Nunataks, glaciers, islands and large bays, arctic tundra scattered with moss and lichen in shades of silver and gold... This region will fascinate you with its landscapes and with the numerous vestiges that bear witness to the history of the men ─ whale hunters and those involved in the first expeditions to the North Pole ─ who found themselves on these shores from the start of the 17th century. In this pristine environment, you will be able to observe arctic sterns or seals on the rocks that emerge at low tide.
DAY 18 | LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
DAY 1 | LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
DAY 2 | AT SEA ALONG SPITSBERGEN
The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.
DAYS 3-7 | SAILING ICE FLOES
Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
DAY 8 | GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE
Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
DAYS 9-13 | SAILING ICE FLOES
Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
DAY 14 | AT SEA ALONG SPITSBERGEN
The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.
DAYS 15-17 | NORDVEST-SPITSBERGEN NATIONAL PARK
Like the other protected areas of Svalbard, the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park was established in the early 1970s to protect this exceptional environment against the growing interest of the mining industry. Nunataks, glaciers, islands and large bays, arctic tundra scattered with moss and lichen in shades of silver and gold... This region will fascinate you with its landscapes and with the numerous vestiges that bear witness to the history of the men ─ whale hunters and those involved in the first expeditions to the North Pole ─ who found themselves on these shores from the start of the 17th century. In this pristine environment, you will be able to observe arctic sterns or seals on the rocks that emerge at low tide.
DAY 18 | LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
INCLUSIONS
• Flight Paris/Longyearbyen and Longyearbyen/Paris in economy class.
• Transfers mentioned in the programme.
• English-speaking assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
• Personal expenses.
• Any other service not mentioned in the programme.
* 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.
** 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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USA
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