Arrive in Longyearbyen, relax and spend the overnight here preparing for your adventure

*specific hotel and location to be announced

Longyearbyen is the world’s most northerly town, and with it comes the world’s most northerly high street and pub. On Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island, Longyearbyen is home to The North Pole Expeditions Museum, which chronicles early efforts to reach the pole by air. The nearby Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves duplicates of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The surrounding Arctic waters are populated by whales, including bowheads and narwhals, while walruses are regularly seen hauling.

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, 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.

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip, or head to the library, which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of the on-board lectures, or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from the onboard professional photographers.

The snow-covered stratovolcano Beerenberg dominates the ice cap and glaciers at the northeast end of Jan Mayen Island. Halfway between Svalbard and Iceland, the only residents on this Norwegian island are members of the Norwegian Armed Forces or those working at the meteorological station. During a nature walk to the station and along the black sandy beach, you can see numerous plant species. Nesting northern fulmars, Brünnich’s and black guillemots, and little auks make the island an important birding area.

Days at sea are the perfect chance to relax, unwind, and do whatever takes your fancy. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, trying to spot a whale from the deck, reading a chapter or two, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to the green days spent exploring on land.

Grimsey is a remote island located 40 kilometers off Iceland’s north coast. Many people travel here for the purpose of setting foot in the Arctic Circle, the only place in Iceland where you can do so. The island is also home to fewer than 100 people but over one million seabirds. Birdlife thrives here thanks to the lack of egg predation (there are no rats or mice on the island) and the rich, well-stocked surrounding seas. Grimsey has one of Iceland’s largest tern nesting sites and largest puffin colonies.

Surrounded by fjords in the Westfjords region, Ísafjördur is a bustling fishing town in northwest Iceland with colorful wooden 18th- and 19th-century houses in the old town of Neskaupstadur. Ísafjördur was one of the largest fisheries in Iceland, but tourism has now taken over. Nearby is Sudavik, home to the Arctic Fox Center. Iceland’s only mammal, the arctic fox, lives on the lush tundra of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, the northernmost peninsula in the Westfjords with two of Europe’s largest bird cliffs.

The island of Vigur is a real pearl of the Western Fjords. The second-largest island in the fjord, measuring two kilometers by 400 meters, is a significant seabird colony that is home to arctic terns, puffins, black guillemots, and eider ducks. As one of only two inhabited islands in the fjord, Vigur is also the site of a single farm, which has been in the same family for generations. During your time on the island, you might see Iceland’s only windmill, the country’s smallest post office, and its oldest boat, which was built hundreds of years ago and was in regular use until relatively recently.
 

Your cruise ends in Reykjavik. Make sure there is sufficient time before you begin your journey home to explore this diminutive but dramatic capital city. Despite its small size, you won’t be short of things to see and do. To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja. This church, designed by famed Icelandic architect Gudjón Samuelsson, is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. When you return to earth, visit the city’s other renowned building, Harpa Concert Hall, located at the heart of Reykjavik's regenerated harbor and also the home of the Maritime Museum. Speaking of cultural spaces, tour the National Museum to learn the story of Iceland from past to present. The Reykjavik Art Museum houses an impressive contemporary collection, including eye-catching pieces by Erró. And, of course, just 50 kilometers outside the city lies Thingvellir National Park, the site of Iceland’s original Viking parliament.