Circumnavigating Svalbard: The Ultimate Expedition

After flying from Oslo, your journey begins with an overnight stay in Longyearbyen—the world’s northernmost town.

This colorful Arctic settlement, where snowmobiles outnumber residents, offers a rare glimpse into life on the edge of the wilderness. If time allows, take the opportunity to explore the town before unwinding for the evening at your leisure.

For those interested in a deeper Arctic experience, consider an extended voyage option that adds two days in Longyearbyen prior to sailing. This includes the same cruise itinerary, along with additional guided land-based adventures.

After breakfast, spend the morning discovering Longyearbyen.

Once a coal mining hub, the town is compact and easily explored on foot. Walk along the main street, home to boutique shops, a local gallery, and restaurants—and keep an eye out for Svalbard reindeer that often wander through town.

Before boarding your ship in the afternoon to continue your Arctic journey, take part in an included excursion offering deeper insight into this remote and remarkable high Arctic region.

Today, discover the serenity of Ny-Ålesund and neighboring fjords such as Krossfjord and Kongsfjord. Disconnect and enjoy a day without distractions as the Norwegian Mapping Authority’s nearby geodetic station means you must switch off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. 

One of the northernmost settlements and a former mining town, Ny-Ålesund was the starting point for Roald Amundsen’s expeditions north with the airship ‘Norge’. Now a hub for global science and climate research, you can still see remnants of the town’s history. 

Immersed in rugged, glacial scenery as you explore the fjords around Ny-Ålesund. Be ready for adventure; seize any opportunity to launch small expedition boats, go ashore to hike or cruise by majestic glaciers. 

Over the next two days, explore the natural beauty and rugged tundra of this breathtaking national park where steep mountains, glaciers, and beautiful offshore islands form a unique Arctic landscape. 

Scout for animals of the Arctic – whales, seals, walruses and reindeer. If we’re really lucky, you might even see the elusive polar bear from the observation deck of the ship.  

Be ready for adventure. The team seize any opportunity to launch the kayaks or set out in your small boats (RIB) and go ashore to hike or participate in a beach cleanup.

If conditions allow, sail north and cross the 80th parallel to explore the ever-changing ice edge. The transition zone between the ice cap and the sea is a magical yet ephemeral place where the waters are filled with ice floes and drifting pack ice. From the ship, there are great opportunities for spotting wildlife, such as seals and walruses who lounge on the sparkling ice. And if the conditions are right, the team will lower your expedition boats into the water and enjoy an unforgettable close-up experience amid the floating ice.   

The ice edge isn’t a fixed boundary, and it moves depending on the season and conditions, so visiting it will be an attempt rather than a certainty. From May to August, as summer progresses, it retreats further towards the pole, meaning it may be out of reach for you.  If so, explore the no-less-impressive fjords, glaciers and incredible scenery of the Svalbard coast.  

Wildflowers start blooming in July and into August, blanketing the landscape with a blaze of beauty and color.  

Be ready for anything as this stage of your voyage continues to be truly adventurous. If sea ice permits, continue east, exploring the pristine wilderness of northeast Svalbard before heading south in your attempt to fully circumnavigate the archipelago. 

Perhaps, head to the immense Bråsvellbreen glacier to see waterfalls tumbling into the icy depths, or lower the small boats around Kvitøy. Every day in the east will be a new opportunity to look for polar bears roaming the ice. Continuing south, you may head to Freemansundet and Kapp Lee or take your small expedition boats to Edgeøya or Barentsøya. 

In true expedition style, exactly where you go will depend on the conditions on the day. Channel your inner explorer on exhilarating landings, hikes and kayak trips, and look out for wildlife.  

And if the ice doesn’t allow you to pass to the east, experience just as much adventure: delve deeper into the wonders of western Svalbard or attempt to circumnavigate Spitsbergen through the Hinlopen Strait. Take a flexible route through deep fjords and by soaring mountains, seeking out remarkable Arctic wildlife. 

Your expedition cruise continues south towards Hornsund – one of Svalbard’s most beautiful fjords. Colorful vegetation makes way for towering mountains along this picturesque waterway. The cliffs here are home to large colonies of auks, guillemots and Northern Fulmars along with Arctic foxes and Svalbard reindeer below. Head out on deck to spot seals and whales, Mount Hornsundtind, and glaciers reaching into the sea, and learn about Wanny Woldstad, the first female trapper to hunt in Svalbard. 

Then, head to admire the classic beauty of the snowcapped mountains of Bellsund - a historic area where you can see the evidence of former whaling and mining activity on the shoreline. 

Your activities today will be determined by the ever-changing weather conditions of Hornsund and Bellsund. Your Expedition Team will decide on the best possibilities for exploring on the day. 

Your Arctic adventure ends in Longyearbyen, where you can catch your flight back to Oslo. Return home knowing more about Arctic animals, history, polar ice and climate change than you arrived with – and memories of an incredible experience.