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Explore historic buildings along your Arctic voyage

Arctic Archipelagos: Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land

Example 13 Day Cruise
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Discover Franz Josef Land, one of the most raw and remote archipelagos in the world, on this incredible 13-day cruise on the Sea Adventurer! Navigate around this magnificent set of islands and search for seals, Arctic foxes, polar bears, walruses, beluga wales, and many different species of birds. A trip of a lifetime!
Zodiacs give a new perspective on this rugged terrain and bring you closer to the wildlifeMountains meet the sea in the Arctic Reindeer are one of the many exotic animals to look out for on your Arctic voyageLongyearbyen is one of the largest Arctic communitiesExplore historic buildings along your Arctic voyage
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Longyearbyen

  • 1 Dinner
Begin your Arctic journey in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. Take in beautiful views of Spitsbergen's amazing glacier topped mountains. As you set sail towards Franz Josef Land, join the Quark Expedition Team in learning about the history of the archipelago's discovery and wildlife.

Day 2: Ny-Ålesund / 14th of July Glacier

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Take a zodiac trip around the incredible ice cliffs of the 14th of July Glacier. Keep an eye our for purple sandpipers, common eiders, Arctic terns, barnacle geese, and more. Then visit Ny-Ålesund, an old marble mining town that many indigenous Svalbard reindeer and Svalbard ptarmigan call home.

Day 3: Torellneset / Alkefjellet

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Start today in Torellneset, where you may be able to spot walruses before taking an amazing snowshoe. Then sail to Alkefjellet, a gorgeous area full of towering cliffs and nesting auks, kittiwakes, and Brünnich’s guillemots. Take a zodiac ride around the sheer rock faces while searching for Arctic foxes and polar bears.

Day 4: Andreeneset / Kraemerpynten

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The morning, sail around the easternmost part of the Svalbard archipelago. Here, the crew will attempt to land on Andreeneset and Kraemerpynten islands to view the beautiful ice caps and look for walruses and other wildlife.

Day 5: Alexander Land

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today explore the remains of Germany's Schatsgräber station on Alexander Land, as well as the abandoned Russian station Nagurskaya.

Day 6: Cape Fligley / Cape Norway

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Start the day at Cape Fligley, the most northern point of the archipelago, reaching farther North than Spitsbergen! Then the ship will attempt to travel to Cape Norway, where there is a beautiful variety of Arctic flora. Cape Norway is also a beautiful spot to look for belugas, polar bears, and narwhals. If the weather permits, you may get the chance to visit Rudolf Island.

Day 7: Champ Island / Alger Island

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend the morning on the picturesque Champ Island, surrounded by ice and snow-capped mountains. In the afternoon, head to Alger Island to explore the remains of the important Arctic expedition base, Camp Ziegler.

Day 8: Hooker Island

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend the day on Hooker Bay, home to Rubini Rock. Have your cameras and binoculars ready, for Rubini Rock is home to thousands of sea birds. You may also visit a derelict polar station in the bay. Be on the lookout for bowhead whales.

Day 9: Cape Flora / Bell Island

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The goal of today is to reach Cape Flora on Northbrook Island to explore the still largely intact settlement of the Jackson expedition. In the afternoon, head towards Bell Island, where you may have the opportunity to hike to the well preserved house built by the Lee Smith expedition of 1881.

Day 10: Vibubukta

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend today hiking through the polar desert of Vibubkta, a very different landscape from any that may have been previously on this voyage. You may even find the skeleton of a whale a kilometer from shore.

Day 11: Sundneset / Dolerittneset

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Discover another landscape change as the ship sails towards Sundneset. Take a hike around beautiful polar ponds. You may even spot more walruses!

Day 12: Gashamna / Isbjornhamna / Brepollen

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today, the crew will ask permission to visit the Polish Polar Station Hornshund, where scientists are currently working on studies around Earth's electric field, glacier dynamics, and the detection of climate change.

Day 13: Disembark in Longyearbyen

  • 1 Breakfast
In the morning, arrive in Longyearbyen and disembark.

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  • 12 Breakfasts, 11 Lunches, 12 Dinners

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This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).
Karen Snider

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