Go far into the realm of the polar bear on this epic voyage aboard MS Fram. Attempt to voyage north of the 80th parallel and circumnavigate Svalbard. Your 12-day expedition starts in Longyearbyen, the town on top of the world. Chalk out your list of things you can do in the world's northernmost town. From here, embark on your epic circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago, starting with North West Spitsbergen National Park. Explore picturesque fjords, steep mountains, and beautiful offshore islands while sweeping the landscape for wildlife. Proceed to Hornsound, where you may explore the majestic geography and geology. Continue north towards the Isfjord before concluding your expedition cruise in Longyearbyen.
Highlights
Attempt to sail north of the 80th parallel
Scan for wildlife, including ‘Lord of the Arctic’ himself, the mighty polar bear.
Explore beautiful fjords, glaciers, and icebergs
Discover Hornsund, Svalbard’s most beautiful fjord.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Begin your trip with a flight from Oslo in the evening. Before your flight, enjoy the museums, parks and cafés of the Norwegian capital. Upon arrival in Longyearbyen, set foot in an entirely different world: a tiny town perched on the edge of the Arctic wilderness. Transfer to your hotel and overnight.
After an overnight stay, join an excursion to get to know this unique town after lunch. The mighty Arctic wilderness dominates life here, but Longyearbyen maintains a lively cultural life and serves as a prime destination for adventure travelers. Enjoy the atmosphere of this colorful frontier outpost before boarding your ship in the afternoon.
The North West Corner is scattered with lovely islands, fjords and beaches, but such majestic sights can be blocked by some heavy sea ice. The expedition team will use all their expertise and years of experience in these waters to try and navigate the ice in order to access areas for you to explore. One such site is Kongsfjorden, one of the most beautiful fjord areas in Spitsbergen, with mighty glaciers calving icebergs into the sea, framed by stunning mountain formations. Plan to also call on the former mining settlement of Ny-Alesund, now an international center for research, with a picturesque mix of old and new buildings. There will likely be many other exciting landings and scenic kayaking opportunities if ice conditions permit navigation further north.
Eastern Svalbard boasts the highest population of polar bears in the archipelago. You will also be exploring the area in summertime, which is when polar bears and their cubs will be out hunting for seals on the ice floes. You can have high hopes that you’ll spot one or more during this journey.
The Arctic Ocean in this part of Svalbard is also full of drifting ice and its frozen seascape changes constantly. Being modern-day explorers, the captain and the expedition team will be carefully analyzing the density and movements of the sea ice using advanced sonar and live satellite imagery. They will then discuss together and decide where they can safely sail or land. This is what makes this cruise an expedition: it is a true, suspense-filled adventure into the Arctic’s great wilderness, negotiating and adapting to whatever elements nature presents. Ultimately, it is the sea ice that will determine whether the ship can cross the 80th parallel and head further north to Sjuøyane (Seven Islands) at the extreme of the Svalbard archipelago. Again, depending on sea and weather conditions at the time, the ship will sail east of Nordaustlandet to Kvitøya, before continuing toward Edgeøya, the third largest island in the archipelago.
Day 9-10: South Spitsbergen National Park | Bellsund
The goal for these days is to navigate any sea ice and reach the southernmost tip of Spitsbergen. The varied geology here at Hornsund has created a dramatic and photogenic landscape. Ice pushed into the fjord early in the season also attracts polar bears that hunt on the floes, so with a bit of luck, you may spot this magnificent predator.
Spend the day exploring the Isfjord, the most prominent fjord system on Svalbard. In the inner parts of Isfjorden, the landscape changes constantly. The immense U-shaped valleys, carved out of the mountains by the giant glaciers that covered the area some ten thousand years ago, are home to large populations of the Svalbard reindeer.
Day 12: Longyearbyen | Disembark
1 Breakfast
Return to the colorful town of Longyearbyen at the end of a remarkable voyage that brought you just a few hundred miles from the Geographical North Pole. A transfer vehicle will take you to the airport for your flight back to Oslo.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$9,917
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
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Polar Inside - I
Size: 10-13 m2. Upper-deck cabin, No window, Double bed (optional twin)
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Polar Outside - FJ
172-226 square feet. Outside cabin: Double bed, seating area, TV, refrigerator, shower/wc, limited or no view. (FJ 503 with twin beds).
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Polar Outside - N
113-140 square feet. Outside cabin: One bed, one sofa bed, table, TV, refrigerator, shower/wc. (N-352 with upper/lower berths).
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Arctic Superior - U
118-252 square feet. Outside cabin: One bed, one sofa bed, table, TV, refrigerator, kettle, shower/wc. (U-526 with upper/lower berths).
Initial deposit is 20%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.