Welcome to Longyearbyen, the Arctic adventure capital of the Norwegian territory of Svalbard and starting point of your expedition. After arriving via scheduled commercial flight, you are free to explore this small but fascinating settlement. Be sure to see the excellent Svalbard Museum and enjoy the shops, cafes, and restaurants in the town center. Your hotel for the night has been pre-arranged and is included in the price of the voyage.

Spend the morning exploring in Longyearbyen. In the afternoon board the luxury expedition ship M/V Sea Spirit. Explore the ship and get comfortable in your home away from home for the extraordinary adventure to come. Savor the anticipation of your Arctic dreams coming true as the ship slips its moorings and sails into a true wilderness where wildlife abounds. The scenery as you sail through Isfjorden on your first evening is spectacular and there is already the possibility of marine mammal encounters.

Explore the northwestern part of the island of Spitsbergen. This area contains the archipelago’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife-viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks. Immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters. Fields of flowering tundra are home to grazing reindeer and playful arctic fox. Bountiful inshore and offshore waters are home to a wide variety of marine mammals. Polar bears can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard.

Also in this area is Ny Ålesund, a former mining town that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers, complete with a museum, gift shop, and post office. This was also a staging area for historic attempts to discover the North Pole.

From Svalbard head southwest across the Greenland Sea toward East Greenland. In these far northern latitudes, it is possible to encounter sea ice any time of the year. All along the way remain vigilant for sightings of marine mammals such as whales, seals, and the majestic polar bear. As the ship heads south, darker nights create a high possibility of seeing aurora borealis.

The Franz Josef Fjord and Kong Oscar Fjord systems are part of Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park. Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world. Explore these fjord systems to the extent made possible by ever-changing ice conditions.

This whole area contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by ice-clad peaks up to 2000 meters high, reach far into the mountainous heart of Greenland. Tidewater glaciers create colossal icebergs that float with wind and tide throughout the fjord system. Onshore, fields of multicolored tundra are home to musk oxen and arctic hare. The landscape, vast, open, and seemingly untouched since the beginning of time, is a hikers’ paradise. Throughout this area find ancient Thule archeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and modern Inuit hunters’ cabins.

The Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit is the only permanent settlement in the region. The community boasts an excellent museum, a gift shop, a post office, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and of course the opportunity to meet Inuit people.

Each night brings new possibilities for incredible displays of aurora borealis — the Northern Lights. This is a perfect time and one of the world’s best places to experience this otherworldly celestial phenomenon.

After your amazing time in East Greenland cross the Denmark Strait toward Iceland, crossing the Arctic Circle on the way. Presentations and workshops by expert staff, as well as a range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks as well as exterior stateroom windows and balconies.

Our last expedition day is spent in the beautiful Vestfirðir (Westfjords) of Iceland. This remote and sparsely populated region of crenulated coastlines, voluminous waterfalls and rugged mountains sees only 10% of Iceland’s visitors. Deep fjords are home to whales while estuaries abound with seals and birdlife. 

After breakfast, say farewell in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and the ending point of your expedition. A transfer is provided to the airport or to the city center if you wish to spend another day or more in Iceland before flying home.

Reykjavík is home to a wealth of cultural institutions such as museums, galleries, and the Hallgrímskirkja church. Leisure possibilities inside the city include parks, gardens, and thermal baths. You can also take advantage of Reykjavík’s wide range of shopping possibilities, excellent dining options, and famous nightlife. And of course, the entire country of Iceland is accessible through day tours or longer journeys by rental car. The options for additional adventures are endless!