Jewels of the Arctic

Having made your way to Longyearbyen, meet the representative of Aurora Expeditions and transfer to your group hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with the ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash, or purchase last-minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.

The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Polar Hotel (or similar)

This morning, your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to the port for sanitization, clearance, and delivery to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please ensure your cabin luggage has cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. Enjoy breakfast in the hotel before joining your fellow expeditioners on a guided city tour of Longyearbyen.

On the drive to Camp Barentz in Advent Valley, your guide will introduce you to Longyearbyen's fascinating history. Once at Camp Barentz, enjoy a presentation in the large 'lavvo,' a traditional building standard in northern Norway. You can also have the opportunity to meet the friendly huskies and pick up some souvenirs. A visit to the Svalbard Museum is included back in town before embarking on the vessel in the late afternoon.

After the tour, transfer directly to the pier to embark in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabin before attending important safety briefings, and enjoy the thrill of departure as you 'throw the lines' and set sail.

This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners, the Expedition Team, and the crew at the Welcome Dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of the experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions, and opportunities for wildlife encounters.

Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountain ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walruses hauled out on sea ice or beaches. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra carpeted in brightly colored wildflowers. Visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots, puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies. Most memorable are encounters with the majestic polar bear on pack ice. Your expedition team is just as keen as you are to find them, and they will be on constant watch to spot these inspiring creatures.

If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you can have the opportunity to enjoy that activity when conditions allow. For those enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable, you can hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip—a memory you can savor for years to come.

As you sail towards the coast of East Greenland, you may encounter whales feeding in the rich waters of the north. As you approach East Greenland, be prepared to face more pack ice, perhaps spot seals, and a variety of seabirds, including the northern fulmar and Brünnich’s guillemot.

The strong, icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals, and whales. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity often create thick morning fog that only vanishes in the presence of the midday sun. The experts will inform and entertain you with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice, and heroic tales of exploration.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available to you, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is yours to explore. The experienced Expedition Team, which has made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary daily. This allows you to use the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and encounters with wildlife. You generally attempt up to two landings or zodiac excursions daily, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs and following whales feeding near the surface.

Be prepared to experience ice—and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic's most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.

The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hares, and reindeer. The area has ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers' huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is visiting the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the region's most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, a gift shop, and an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and it provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.

Explore Scoresbysund, the world's largest fjord and a favorite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that must be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lies the Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of Greenland's most significant fjord systems, each encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. The area is rich in wildlife thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains, which offer protection from strong winds. You may spot everything from musk oxs and arctic foxes to mountain hares and even reindeer near the fjord. Look skyward, and you can glimpse birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven, and common eider.

Attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration located within the Northeast Greenland National Park. As you cruise through Kong Oskar Fjord, marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. Then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with your passage dependent on ice conditions.

Stretch your legs on hikes across the tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by the Inuit. You may see musk ox, arctic hare, and reindeer grazing. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. You can see ring seals, perhaps glimpse the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

Crossing the Denmark Strait to Iceland, search for whale blows and photograph the many seabirds that trail your ship in the ever-present arctic winds.

Early in the morning, cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell to your Expedition Team and fellow passengers as you continue your journeys. Transfer to your downtown hotel or Keflavik airport.