Jewels of the Arctic

Having made your way to Oslo, 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 your 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.

This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage has cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for your charter flight to Longyearbyen for embarkation. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. In Longyearbyen, explore the town on a guided excursion tour.

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 common 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.

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. When conditions suit those enthusiastic about participating in a polar plunge, you can hear the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip—a memory to savor for years.

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.

The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular. The huge 2,277 meter (7,470 foot) Beerenberg volcano is the northernmost active volcano in the world, and it last erupted in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather is favorable, try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This is one of the landings used to supply the weather station Olonkinbyen, situated on the eastern side of the island.

Sail across the Denmark Strait to Ittoqqortoormiit accompanied by sea birds while keeping a close watch for whales. Enjoy informative and entertaining lectures and presentation from your team of experts, get to know your fellow expeditioners or stay active at the gym. 

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. Your experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to tailor your itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows you to make best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions and encounters with wildlife. You generally attempt up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, 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 hare and reindeer. Throughout the area there are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs and 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 simply needs to be seen to be believed.  

Stretch your legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by 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 catch a glimpse of 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. 

During the early morning, cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell your Expedition Team and fellow passengers as you all continue your onward journeys.

Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, it is recommended to book flights departing after 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.