Franz Josef Land & Novaya Zemlya

Day 1 St Petersburg, Russia

Your journey begins in one of the most elegant cities in the world, St Petersburg. Here you will be met by a ship representative to take you to your hotel. In the evening, a ship representative will host an included dinner. This will be a good opportunity to meet your fellow travelers and prepare for your upcoming journey.

Day 2 Embarkation day in Murmansk

Today you catch a morning flight from St. Petersburg to Murmansk, where the Kapitan Dranitsyn is awaiting your arrival. After being transferred to the ship, you’ll set out for a day at sea, and get to know your Expedition Team who will provide lectures on the discovery and exploration of Franz Josef Land, as well as its plentiful wildlife.

Day 3 The Barents Sea

As you travel towards the archipelago, your day is filled with lectures by naturalists and experts on the region who prepare you for your arrival. Today is also a great opportunity to spot the sea birds like Kittiwakes and Skuas that regularly pass over head.

Day 4 Morning at Sea / Bell Island

After a long journey at sea, you arrive at Bell Island in the late evening. Enjoy most of your day taking in the informative presentations from your Expedition Team, or by breathing in the clean Arctic air while spending time on deck. Your Expedition Team will be searching for wildlife, announcing any sightings over the ships speaker system. You can expect to see whales along this part of the journey before landing at Bell Island. When you take your first steps on this Arctic Archipelago, it will be to the historic house built by the Lee Smith expedition of 1881.

Day 5 Northbrook Island / Hooker Island

Your first destination today is to Cape Flora on Northbrook Island. Shortly after discovering this island in 1880, the steam ship Aira sank off the coast. This is a tale told over and over, as this unforgiving part of the Arctic has taken many a ship, and explorer, over the years.

Move on to Hooker Island later in the day, where you’ll approach Rubini Rock, home to thousands of sea birds, including nesting Kittiwakes. This is a sensitive breeding area, which you’ll approach with caution so as not to disturb them. Weather permitting; you’ll also visit a derelict Polar station in the bay take a helicopter flight to land on the beach! Keep your camera handy as this area is known to be a good place for spotting Greenland Whales.

Day 6 Jackson Island

Your ship will sail all through the night so that when you wake up you’re at Cape Norway on Jackson Island. In 1895-1896 Nansen and Johansen wintered here for over seven months after a failed attempt to conquer the North Pole. You’ll see the remains of their primitive hut, while always being on the lookout for polar bears. If ice and sea conditions permit, you will visit the most northern island of Franz Josef Land, Rudolf Island. As with every day, be on the constant lookout for whales. Some possible species you’ll find in this area include Belugas and Narwhals.

Day 7 Stolichky and Appolonov

Today will be a day for walrus photography as these boisterous beasts of the Arctic congregate in massive rookeries on these two islands. You’ll take a Zodiac cruise to get close to them by sea, while taking in the stark, yet beautiful icy landscape. In addition to walruses there may be polar bears, Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals and Harp Seals around Stolichky and Appolonov islands.

Day 8 Wilchek Island

Cape Geller on the Wilchek Island is a desolate and rugged place. A great place to visit on an expedition, but hardly the kind of place you would want to spend an entire winter at! Back in 1899, two members of the Wellman Expedition did just that – a story your Expedition Team will be happy to share with you. Polar bears are common here and often approach the ship, curiously sniffing at the odd and unfamiliar smells.

Day 9 Champ Island

Today your highlight is landing at the picturesque Champ Island, whose icy mountains provide a different landscape for your photographic pursuits. In addition to the highest peaks in the entire archipelago, the Cape Fiume landing site is home to some curious natural formations - you’ll find perfectly spherical stones of up to 3 meters in diameter dotting the landscapes. Weather permitting; you’ll also have the chance to take a helicopter excursion to land on a glacier.

Day 10 Oransky Islands

Today marks your arrival to the magical Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Once an important nuclear research site during the cold war, these islands are rugged Arctic beauty at its best - massive extinct volcanoes, jagged cliffs and the most isolated mountain range in the Baltic Sea. Hope for clear weather to allow you to capture an iconic image of the islands, the imposing Matochklin Shar, which drops 200 meters into the sea.

For wildlife lovers, Novaya Zemlya boasts a great variety of animal and plant life, many of which are on the brink of extinction. You’ll have a chance to see the largest walrus rookery in Russian Harbor gulf, various species of whale, the Novaya Zemlya reindeer and many sea birds. Even the polar bears here are recognized as a genetically unique subspecies.

Day 11 Inostrantseva Bay

Your arrival in Inostrantseva Bay will be one of the most memorable of your voyage. Boasting one of the most picturesque glaciers in the entire Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the bay provides panoramic views of Arctic wilderness. While the fog may be dense and the waves can be high, your captain will do his best to ensure you get a good view of this icy landscape. You will also have time to hike around the coastline and observe some of the endemic species of Arctic flora and fauna. This is our final day of island exploration, so maximize your time here, only departing from Novaya Zemlya in the late afternoon.

Days 12-13 At Sea

As your Arctic expedition winds down, you have a couple of days to do some final whale watching before returning to Murmansk. This part of your voyage is a time for reminiscing about your incredible journey while sharing photos, or drinks, with your newfound Arctic explorer friends.

Day 14 Disembark in Murmansk

In the morning you’ll arrive in Murmansk and disembark. Say goodbye to the Expedition Team before catching your flight back to St. Petersburg where you have one more night in this exquisite city before heading home.

Day 15 Departure - St Petersburg, Russia

It’s time to bid farewell to Russia and catch your independent homeward bound flight.