High Arctic of Svalbard

Arrive at the airport and head to the hotel via the group transfer to your hotel. Relax, and spend the overnight here preparing for your adventure.

*Pre/Post hotels and flights are always subject to change until the Travel Documents are provided.

In the morning, join the group and transfer to the port. Afterward, embark on SH Diana for your adventure.

Known as the Arctic gateway, Tromso is a remote Norwegian city at 69° north, 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, where you can take in the soft glow of the midnight sun. Learn more about early polar explorations at the Polar Museum. Famed for the Northern Lights on winter nights, you can find out more about this natural spectacle at the Science Center.

The greatest bird cliff in the Barents Sea is on Bear Island, or Bjornoya, Svalbard’s southernmost island. Thousands of breeding seabird colonies—Atlantic puffin, northern gannet, glaucous gull, great skua, black-legged kittiwake, little auk, common guillemot, and Brünnich’s guillemot colonies—nest on the steep cliffs south of Sorhamna around Kapp Kolthoff. Only Zodiacs can come alongside, where distinctive sea stack rock columns, impressive sea caves, and tunnels, such as Perleporten, have been created by the battering seas.

Included Activities

ZODIAC TOUR WITH SWAN HELLENIC EXPEDITION TEAM

Located deep inside the Arctic Circle, approaching the Svalbard archipelago feels a lot like sailing towards the edge of the world. Known as the Kingdom of the Polar Bears, hop to spot some of its subjects as you explore some of the most varied polar landscapes in the Arctic. Down in your Zodiac boats, get close to the gargantuan glaciers, which are rapidly retreating from the oceans that they feed. In the north of the archipelago, past the magnificent fjords, the remaining sea ice offers the perfect hunting ground for polar bears. Closer to Longyearbyen, the landscape is punctuated with large areas devoid of snow and ice, along with vast tundra and exposed beaches. Alongside Svalbard’s 600 polar bears, this Arctic wildlife hotspot is also home to walrus, Svalbard reindeer, the ringed seal, the arctic fox, and many species of marine mammals and seabirds.

North Cape is located just a little further north from Skarsvag, the northernmost point of Europe above the Arctic Circle. From here, the only thing standing between you and the North Pole, 2,100 kilometers away, is the Svalbard archipelago. If you have some energy to burn, the hike to Cape Knivskjellodden, the northernmost point on Magreoya, is worth the effort for the incredible cliff-face views of the North Cape Plateau.

North Cape is a headland in northern Norway commonly known as the northernmost point in Europe. Cruising the North Cape is an experience that offers breathtaking views of the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding landscapes.

Included Excursion

GUIDED TRANSFER TO NORTH CAPE

• Catch a film showcasing the area’s different seasons and changing scenery throughout the year
• Weather permitting, get panoramic views overlooking the Arctic Ocean from the Globe near the edge of the cliff
• Don't miss the "stone-wheels" displaying children's drawings from around the world

Alta, or the city of Arctic light, sits above the Arctic Circle at 70° N. From mid-May to the end of July, as with many places north of here, the midnight sun glows and it never gets dark. Even with long summer days, the temperature rarely reaches above 10° C. Stop by the distinctive Alta Church, or Northern Lights Cathedral, that represents the waving aurora borealis. Nearby, at the head of the Alta Fjord, learn about the thousands of UNESCO-listed prehistoric rock carvings and paintings found here.

Included Excursion

ALTA MUSEUM, PETROGLYPHS & NORTHERN LIGHTS CATHEDRAL

• Visit The World Heritage Rock Art Centre, Alta Museum, and see some of the roughly 6,000 UNESCO-listed rock art paintings
• Discover Alta’s iconic Northern Lights Cathedral, whose design reflects the aurora borealis
• Browse exhibits that describe the natural phenomenon of the aurora borealis

Known as the Arctic gateway, Tromso is a remote Norwegian city at 69° north, 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, where you can take in the soft glow of the midnight sun. Learn more about early polar explorations at the Polar Museum. Famed for the Northern Lights on winter nights, you can find out more about this natural spectacle at the Science Center.

On this day, bid farewell to your fellow travelers and crew. Take the group transfer to the airport and catch your flight home.