Svalbard in Depth

Upon arrival in Oslo, check in at your designated group hotel at Oslo Airport. Visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage tags and connect with the ground operations team, who will provide pre-embarkation details and local information, including dining options, cash withdrawal locations, and nearby pharmacies or supermarkets for any last-minute purchases.

The rest of the day is at your leisure, with all meals at your own expense.

This morning, ensure your cabin luggage is properly tagged with your name and cabin number. After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Longyearbyen for embarkation. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. In Longyearbyen, enjoy a guided excursion tour of the town.

During the drive to Camp Barentz in Advent Valley, your guide will provide insights into Longyearbyen's captivating history. At Camp Barentz, enjoy a presentation in a traditional 'lavvo,' a large tent commonly used in northern Norway. You can also have the chance to meet the friendly huskies and browse local souvenirs. A visit to the Svalbard Museum follows before you embark in the late afternoon.

After the tour, transfer to the pier for embarkation. Settle into your cabin before attending essential safety briefings and experience the excitement of departure as you set sail.

Note: The excursion is contingent on the arrival time of your charter flight to Longyearbyen. 

Svalbard offers Arctic wilderness at its best. Your experienced expedition team will use their expertise to tailor your day-to-day itinerary, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions, and the possibility of encounters with wildlife. Above the Arctic Circle during the boreal summer, the sun does not drop below the horizon until late August, so enjoy 24 hours of daylight and more time to explore this breathtaking part of the planet.

Svalbard's phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountain ranges, and polar desert are rich in fossils, perfectly setting the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. You may encounter walrus hauled out on sea ice or wallowing on beaches. You may seek out towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and listen to the busy chanting of little auk colonies protected amongst the scree slopes.

With more time than on the classic Svalbard voyages, you plan to reach further afield and attempt to explore the two largest islands in the archipelago, Spitsbergen and Nordauslandet. You may enjoy the delights around Barentsoya and Edgeoya, located in the Hinlopen Strait, a known polar bear migration route. Visit the remains of old whaling settlements and pomor sites, and enjoy early morning Zodiac cruises. Encounter glittering glaciers; keep watch for beluga whales, and watch for ivory gulls.

Weather and ice permitting, you may sail along the most northerly point of the Svalbard archipelago, a favorite spot for a large colony of walruses. In the pack ice, you may encounter the mighty polar bear in its element. Your expedition team is as keen as you are to find these magnificent creatures.

If you are participating in an optional activity such as kayaking, you can have the opportunity to experience the Arctic whenever conditions allow. When conditions are perfect, those enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge can hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip—a memory to savor for years.

During the early morning, you cruise into Longyearbyen and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell to your expedition team, and enjoy some free time before transferring to the airport for your return charter flight to Oslo to continue your journey.

Note: The arrival time in Oslo is contingent on the approved allocated flight slot of your charter flight to Longyearbyen, which expect to receive in February 2025.