Circumnavigating Spitsbergen: In the Realm of the Polar Bear

Your journey begins in Oslo, Norway’s scenic capital nestled along the Oslofjord. If time permits, take the opportunity to explore the city independently.

Oslo is a compelling blend of history, culture, and contemporary design. Discover world-class museums and architecture, including the striking Oslo Opera House and the new Munch museum.

Stroll through Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, tour the historic Akershus Fortress, or unwind in a floating sauna. Visit the modern Sørenga district for a taste of urban beach life, or sample innovative New Nordic cuisine before your overnight stay at a conveniently located airport hotel.

After a morning flight from Oslo, begin your Arctic adventure with a two-night stay in Longyearbyen—the world’s northernmost town. This colorful frontier outpost, where snowmobiles outnumber residents, offers a rare glimpse of life on the edge of the polar wilderness.

Spend the next two days exploring this compact former mining town and its surroundings. Walk the main street, lined with boutique shops, a gallery, and local eateries—Svalbard reindeer often roam freely through town.

Gain a broader perspective on an e-bike tour led by local guides, who will share Longyearbyen’s history and Arctic context.

From the expedition center, travel along an unpaved road to Hotellneset, home to a scenic lake and relics from Svalbard’s early industrial era. This is where Hurtigruten founder Richard With built the archipelago’s first hotel, predating the town itself.

Return via the historic “Burma Road,” once used for coal transport, passing panoramic viewpoints, the Svalbard Church, a WWII bombing site, and a defunct funicular. Continue beneath Plateau Mountain, past the cemetery and Huset—a landmark that’s served as cinema, bar, school, and church—before reaching the Coal Miners’ Cabins for a relaxed lunch and return to your hotel.

On Day 4, you can have the morning to finish looking around Longyearbyen before boarding the ship in the afternoon and beginning your expedition cruise.

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 requires you to 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, the town is a hub for global science and climate research, and you can still see remnants of its history. 

Be immersed in rugged, glacial scenery as you explore the fjords around Ny-Ålesund. Be ready for adventure; the team will seize any opportunity to launch the 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 some of the animals of the Arctic – seals, walruses and reindeer. Early in the season, there’s a good chance you may spot polar bears too, so always be on the lookout for these iconic but elusive predators. 

Be ready for adventure. The team will seize any opportunity to launch the kayaks or set out in your small boats (RIB) to go ashore and 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 the 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, this is a time when the wildflowers appear, 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 the sea ice permits, venture to the frozen seascape of Eastern Spitsbergen.  

You have high hopes you can see the elusive polar bear over the next two days. You can also scout for walrus, colonies of Brünnich’s guillemots and other seabirds in the Hinlopen Strait. You may head south to Freemansundet and Kapp Lee or take the small expedition boats to Edgeøya or Barentsøya. 

In true expedition style, exactly where you can 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 through Hinlopen Strait, you can experience just as much adventure as you delve deeper into the wonders of western Svalbard. Take a flexible route through deep fjords and pass by calving glaciers, seeking out remarkable Arctic wildlife.

Your expedition cruise continues south towards Hornsund – one of Svalbard’s most beautiful fjords. Colourful 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 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.