Travel Articles: Svalbard

Highlighting my travels through mainland Norway and the Svalbard archipelago. My first tastes of life above the Arctic circle, shrimp, and a true polar plunge. Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer beauty of this Arctic gem - Svalbard was a dream from which I never wanted to wake.

Haley and I had the opportunity to travel to the magical land of Svalbard, with a quick stop-over in Norway's lovely capital of Oslo. Svalbard is a place of mystery that draws people in with the lure of Polar Bears, and then blows them away with dramatic and sublime landscapes. We were spoiled-rotten on an 11-day cruise aboard the Sea Spirit. We …

Though the austere Arctic landscape is often imagined to be a cold white wasteland, the brief months of summer see the flora blossoming and the fauna emerging from their long winter dormancy. Find out the best time to visit the Arctic based on your interests and expectations.

Svalbard is an archipelago situated in the Arctic waters just north of Norway. The rugged terrain is largely covered by icepack & glaciers, granting opportunities for unique adventure activities. Rare wildlife sightings, tastes of local culture, & taking in awe-inspiring views are just a few of the things to look forward to.

Explore the celebrated shores of Spitsbergen, the largest islands of the Arctic Svalbard archipelago. You may even be joined by whales, polar bears, or reindeer! Natural beauty, local culture, and wildlife-wonders await on this Arctic adventure.

We review the top expedition cruise lines visiting the Arctic. Which one is a good match for you?

Between June and September is the best time to visit Svalbard and Spitsbergen as it is high season for cruises, the wildlife is active, the ice flows have melted, and the days are long.

The best time to visit Svalbard and Spitzbergen is between June and September as it is high season for cruises, the wildlife is active, the ice flows have melted, and the days are long.

It's one of those magical destinations I never really thought I would visit: THE ARCTIC (with a bonus stop over in Iceland!) Our time aboard the Ocean Endeavor was nothing short but awesome! We learned about the land and the wildlife, such as polar bears, walruses and birds. We had a very good time!

“The Arctic” is an umbrella term for a number of diverse destinations near the northern pole. This area includes parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, as well as the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. The region is home to unique ecosystems, flora and fauna, and cultures which have adapted to the extreme climate.

Follow along my journey to the Svalbard Archipelago in the Norwegian Arctic, also known as the "gateway to the North Pole," and a wildlife paradise aboard the new expedition ship, the Ultramarine with Quark Expeditions. A weeklong voyage that highlighted the incredible wildlife, stunning landscapes and incredible history of the Arctic in Spring. …

Our included excursions came in a few different forms during the course of our cruise.

Shore Landings

When we talk about shore excursions on an expedition cruise, this is what typically comes to mind. Actually getting off the ship and getting your feet on land. The crew was incredibly efficient getting all 118 passengers off the ship and on land …

Svalbard is often regarded as a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts. Along with Africa and the Galapagos, it is one of the top destinations to see some of the more elusive and unique creatures in the world.

There was not a day that went by that we were not entertained by some type of wildlife. Polar bears were, of course, very high on everyone's …

Ever wondered if an expedition cruise is the right fit for you? If you think cruise and immediately think of multi 1,000 person ships, Broadway shows, on board night clubs, water parks and giant buffets - think again (other than the giant buffet that is). Expedition cruise ships are typically between 50 and 500 passengers. The real effort here is …

When you're offered the opportunity to go anywhere in the Arctic you must immediately say yes! That was my experience with my recent visit to Svalbard. I didn't give too much thought to where I was going. Just that I was going to the land of ice in the summer and all day sunlight. But the truth is the Arctic is full of facets and options …

One of my favorite activities during our trip was the zodiac cruises. Although we used the zodiacs as a taxi service to and from shore, there was something special about using them as means to get up close and personal to both scenery and wildlife. Our first longer zodiac cruise was at Burgerbukta. We puttered through huge floating chunks of ice …

The first Arctic wildlife we saw were two Reindeer. We saw them from the bus window on our way to our hostel in Longyearbyen. We quickly discovered these sightings were not uncommon, during nearly every landing during our cruise we saw Reindeer. They were short and stocky. And we learned they are not native to Svalbard. They were brought to the …

One of the reoccurringthemes while traveling in the Arctic was the importance of flexibility. Anytime you head into the unknown, a bit of flexibility is key, but this proved to be especially true in the far north. First and foremost, everything in Svalbard is weather dependent.

We quickly learned that our itinerary would be determined by the …

One of the best things about expedition cruising is the educational component. Each of the guides on board has a different area of speciality and can answer questions and help passengers learn about the history, natural history, animals etc. of the destination .I’m a huge rock nerd. I took every single Geology class my college had to offer, …

I will admit history has never been my favorite topic. But my ears did perk up with the tale of Wanny Wolstad. As an avid outdoorswoman I was delighted when our historical guide, Sven shared her story. Wanny was the first woman trapper and hunter on Svalbard. She arrived in 1932, after being widowed twice and raising two sons on her own. She …

Growing up in the landlocked state of Montana, my boat experience was limited to lakes and rivers. I didn't know what to expect in terms of what sleeping on a ship would be like, what a a cruise schedule was like or what exactly an expedition cruise would entail.The Sea Spirit was beautiful, and had recently been refurbished. The cabins were …

People flying into the Missoula International Airport often comment on the taxidermy Grizzly that greets them. After 48 hours of travel, I couldn’t help but chuckle when we shuffled into the Longyearbyen airport to find a massive Polar Bear watching over the baggage claim. Two bears, 3,500 miles apart welcoming me to my final …

Once we got off the plane in Longyearbyen we gathered our luggage from the single baggage claim, and followed the crowd outside where two large buses were waiting. We figured we were supposed to follow everyone else onto a bus of our choosing, even though we weren't exactly sure where either of them was going to end up. We quickly learned that …

There are certain places which, despite having read their names thousands of times, mean nothing to me. The big places like Machu Picchu and Torres del Paine - the smaller places like Mount Kinabalu and the Ngorongoro Crater (neither of which are actually small, just lesser known) – often tantalize and fill me with whispers of wanderlust. …