Summer in Svalbard

Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to the hotel.

Explore Longyearbyen independently before meeting fellow travelers and guides for lunch. In the afternoon, board the expedition ship and sail out through the spectacular Isfjorden - the Arctic expedition has begun! The voyage is now in a part of the world completely dependent on ice and weather conditions. The exact itinerary will depend on these factors and on the wildlife encountered. Expect to head out on Zodiac cruises every day and to go ashore when the opportunity arises. Here are some examples of places that may be visited.

Northwest Spitsbergen
The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is located in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole. Two other courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on the island of Danskøya. The Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon, and the American journalist Wellman started with an airship. Interesting remnants of these expeditions can still be seen here.

Magnificent fjords
Svalbard offers visitors countless spectacular fjords. During the journey, expect to explore some of them, such as Liefdefjorden. Meaning ‘the fjord of love’, it is lined with snow-capped mountain peaks, where conditions may allow a cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest in the area. In Krossfjorden, expect to revel in the beautifully sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and be greeted by the many kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots that nest on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty, dominated by magnificent glaciers. It is also a favorite haunt of seals, and the bird cliffs are abuzz with activity.

Sjuøyane
These islands are situated north of Nordaustlandet and it is Svalbard’s northernmost outpost. On one of the islands, Rossøya, Andrée and his companions had one of their depots with supplies in case their, by now legendary, balloon trip in the late 1800s would fail.

Hinlopen Strait and Alkefjellet
Ice conditions permitting, the ship enters the Hinlopen Strait. Here lies Alkefjellet, an impressive basalt cliff that is home to an estimated 200,000 Brünnich’s guillemots. Expect to also continue into the beautiful bay of Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet.

Eastern Svalbard
The island of Nordaustlandet is covered by a huge ice cap and has fascinated naturalists and historians alike. Here the giant glacier Bråsvellbreen stretches for 180 kilometers! The 15-20 meter high ice edge is punctuated by hundreds of by hundreds of waterfalls.

Early in the morning, disembark from the expedition ship and begin the journey back home.

Please note: The itinerary is for guidance only. Your exact route will depend on ice, weather conditions, wildlife, and government regulations. The places mentioned are just examples of some of the many sites Svalbard has to offer. The team always strive to maximize your experience. Please remember that flexibility is the key to a successful expedition!