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Icebergs float throughout the seas in the Arctic

Big Island, Big Adventure: Spitsbergen Circumnavigation

Example 13 Day Cruise
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Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Join the Sea Adventurer on this 13-day voyage to attempt a circumnavigation of the island. Lying entirely within the Arctic Circle, Spitsbergen is unspoiled, wild, and utterly unforgettable. It is also one of the premiere locations to view Arctic wildlife, including the world's largest carnivore - the polar bear. Look out for whales, walruses, and numerous seabirds, all of which populate the icy waters around this island.
Visit historical Arctic settlements on your voyageBright wildflowers liven up the mountainous Arctic landscapeReindeer roam along the Arctic tundraExplore Alkhornet on the Arctic island of SpitsbergenIcebergs float throughout the seas in the Arctic
Highlights
  • Learn about the culture, history, and exploration of Spitsbergen
  • Visit 14th of July Glacier home to purple sandpipers &common eiders
  • Search for the largest land carnivore, the polar bear
  • View whaling evidence at landing sites such as Smeerenburg
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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Day 1: Embark in Longyearbyen

  • 1 Dinner
Your Spitsbergen expedition beings when you board your ship in Longyearbyen, the island's largest settlement, and a frontier-style town. Enjoy your first view of the island's rugged, glacier-topped mountains, rising majestically from icy Arctic waters.

Day 2-12: Circumnavigating Spitsbergen

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Expect a new adventure every day, as you journey around the island of Spitsbergen and explore smaller, outlying islands. The variety of incredible wildlife and geological formations found here is astounding! Every expedition is unique, but a few of our favorite landing sites include the 14th of July Glacier, Ny London, Phippsoya, Alkefjellet and Sundneset and if ice conditions allow, you may land on seldom visited Kvttøya.

The names may seem strange to you, but they each have their own unique appeal. For birders, the 14th of July Glacier is home to purple sandpipers, common eiders, barnacle geese and Arctic terns, while Alkefjellet is home to nesting Brunich guillemots (thick-billed murres).

If you want to prove that reindeer are real, then have your camera ready for visits to sites like Ny London, Sundneset and Alkhornet. As for the largest land carnivore in the world – searching for polar bears is a constant activity, with Phippsoya and Isbukta being two of their preferred places for hunting – meaning great potential for you to capture them in action.

A big part of appreciating Spitsbergen comes from understanding the culture, not just how people live today, but how this land was first explored. Whaling was a key industry here and you can see blubber ovens and other whaling evidence at landing sites such as Smeerenburg. Colorful tundra meadow displays are complemented by glaciers, and the potential exists for spotting beluga whales.

Day 13: Disembark in Longyearbyen

  • 1 Breakfast
Following breakfast on board, disembark in Longyearbyen where you began. Transfer to the airport to continue your travels.

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Included
  • 2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners

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The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney

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