Day 1 Longyearbyen, Svalbard | Embark
Arrive in Spitsbergen and enjoy a tour of colorful Longyearbyen. Board Polar Pioneer in the late afternoon, settle in and sail down magnificent Isfjorden, flanked by bird cliffs, vast glaciers and jagged mountains.
Day 2-3 West Coast of Spitsbergen
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Spitsbergen’s northwest coast features calving icebergs, historic whaling stations, and trappers' camps. Brünnich’s guillemots, little auks and kittiwakes nest in the thousands. Reindeer roam tundra dotted with wildflowers like saxifrage, moss campion, and bell-heather. Zodiac cruise to gain fantastic views of ice cliffs, including Monacobreen, one of Spitsbergen’s largest glaciers. In the north, look for walrus and possibly polar bears.
Day 4-5 Greenland Sea
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
While crossing the Greenland Sea, your expert naturalists and guest lecturers entertain you with fascinating talks on plants, animals, and early explorers like Nansen, Andrée, and Scoresby. Keep an eye out for fin whales, encroaching sea ice, and seabirds. Relax and prepare for a landing, if conditions permit, on Greenland’s northeast coast, home to polar bear, Arctic hare, and musk oxen.
Day 6-8 Exploring Greenland
- Ship
- 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
Ice is often the overwhelming first impression of Greenland. An ice cap covers 81 percent of the island and pack ice, even in summer, may fill northern bays. Ashore, cozy trappers' huts beckon from across the tundra, where musk ox, arctic fox and eider ducks roam in Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord. Lively cascades at Kap Humboldt provide a microclimate for spectacular hanging gardens. Kong Oskar Fjord offers spectacular glacier-carved mountains.
Day 9-11 Scoresbysund
- Ship
- 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
In Scoresby Sund, the world’s biggest fjord system, massive glaciers calve explosively, creating giant icebergs. Near Røde Island, your Zodiacs weave through a maze of grounded icebergs, some more than 30-meters high, sculpted with deep green tunnels and aquamarine lakes. Enjoy a warm Ittoqqortoormiit welcome from Inuit happy to share their culture. Kayakers find ideal paddling conditions, wending their way through interconnected waterways, watching for polar bears and narwhals.
Day 12 Blosseville Coast
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Sail south along the Blosseville Coast, searching for musk ox and narwhals and marveling at the mountain scenery that dominates the skyline. If weather permits, head for Rømer Fjord, a deep waterway with stunning mountain views.
Day 13 Crossing the Denmark Strait
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
As the ship sails across Denmark Strait towards Iceland, there's time to reflect on your rich experiences, enjoy northern fulmars and black-backed gulls, and spot dolphins, orcas, and sperm whales in their feeding grounds.
Day 14 Isafjordur | Disembark | Fly to Reykjavik, Iceland
Arrive early morning in Isafjordur, a stunning fishing town in Iceland's northwest. After breakfast, bid farewell to Polar Pioneer and her crew and catch an included economy flight to Reykjavik. Begin your journey home or continue your adventure by exploring Iceland.
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