Embark on this unique 10-day exploration of the coastline of Spitsbergen on board the 12-passenger vessel the MS Freya. This flexible itinerary allows you to take in as much as possible of the Arctic wilderness, including its deep fjords, mountain ranges, ice floes, and tundra. Observe polar bears, walrus, bearded seals, beluga, Arctic foxes, and Svalbard reindeer in addition to seabird rookeries teeming with diverse species such as guillemots, razorbill, puffins, and kittiwakes.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Board the MS Freya at 5 PM. On arrival meet your expedition staff and take a minibus tour of the town of Longyearbyen while awaiting the expedition ship to be made ready from her previous cruise.
Guests that have stayed overnight in a local hotel can be picked up on the way back from the airport. The brief tour of the town enables guests fresh from the flight to see the Global Seed Vault, University Center in Svalbard, and the Svalbard church. After this stop at a local café for coffee and some food.
Once onboard the ship attend safety briefs and become aquainted with your cabin. The MS Freya then departs and heads out into Isfjorden to begin your cruise.
Day 2-9: Cruising the Archipelago of Svalbard
8 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 8 Dinners
Over the next 8 days your ice class expedition vessel explores the breath-taking coastlines of Spitsbergen by taking advantage of the small ship abilities to visit areas inaccessible to larger vessels. There is a lot to see in this Arctic wilderness, with its deep fjords and mountain ranges. Try to take in as much as possible during the expedition cruise. The itinerary is flexible to allow for the polar climate and the unpredictable movements of the ice floes.
Expedition staff and the ship’s crew are constantly on the lookout for Arctic wildlife. Spend time in the pack-ice as conditions allow looking for polar bears, walrus and their haul outs, bearded seals, and beluga. A visit to some of the seabird rookeries is a must, where you can see guillemots, razorbill, puffins, and kittiwakes amongst many other Arctic species.
Where possible attempt to visit some of the area's tidewater glaciers that terminate in the sea. The ship's tenders are deployed as often as possible to enable more detailed exploration by zodiac-style cruising and shore excursions. There is a limited amount of hill walking across the permafrost to study the tundra flora and to observe Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes in their natural habitat. Also have the chance to walk on the Arctic sea ice as the ship occasionally uses the ice face to tie up at night.
The expedition guides provide expert information and interpret what you see in the field while ensuring whatever you do is safe and ecologically sustainable. There are a broad range of wildlife and technical lectures throughout the expedition. A democratic approach is offered to maximizing opportunities - your expedition leaders do not try to fulfill a cruise itinerary at the expense of a wildlife viewing experience.
Day 10: Disembark in Longyearbyen
1 Breakfast
After breakfast leave the MS Freya once the ship is safely tied up in Longyearbyen Harbor. Guests departing the same day are taken to the airport for the afternoon flight to Oslo, ending your fantastic small ship expedition cruise.
There is time before the afternoon departures for guests to explore more of the town and reflect on your epic adventure.
Dates & Prices
Per person starting at
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.
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
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
1 day ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
3 days 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
5 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
6 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.