Day 1: | depart Longyearbyen
fly UK via Oslo or Keflavik* to Longyearbyen - time to explore the administrative capital of the Svalbard archipelago of which, Spitsbergen is the largest island. The delightful Parish church and Svalbard Museum are well worth visiting. Early evening departure – set sail out through the fjord of Isfjorden. |
Day 2: | Krossfjorden & Ny Alesund
head along the west coast for a morning arrival in scenic Krossfjorden, keeping a look out for bearded seals. Cruise by Zodiac along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier, alongside whose slopes a surprisingly colourful array of flowers may be in bloom, to view kittiwakes and Brunnich’s guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. Arctic foxes may also be spotted. In the afternoon sail to Ny Alesund, the world’s most northerly settlement, now a research centre. Breeding grounds for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese and arctic terns are located here. Perhaps take a walk to the balloon anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile before their flights to the North Pole in 1926 and 1928 respectively. |
Day 3: | Liefdefjorden & Monaco Glacier
sail to the mouth of Liefdefjorden and go for a tundra walk, observing pink-footed geese, common and possibly king eiders. Once into the fjord, cruise along the 5km face of the Monaco glacier enjoying great photographic and wildlife watching opportunities. The glacial waters are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears may be observed. |
Day 4: | Phippsoya
reach the most northerly point on the voyage – Phippsoya. Before turning south through the expanse of pack ice, where sightings of polar bear or Ross gull are quite possible, contemplate your location – here at 81 degrees north, the geographic North Pole is a mere 540 miles away! |
Day 5: | Laagoya & Sorg Fjord
visit Lagoya, an island with a lagoon where walrus congregate in large numbers. Sabine’s gulls may also be seen. At Sorg Fjord, on a nature walk, see more walrus and possibly ptarmigans in addition to the graves of 17th century whalers. |
Day 6: | Hinlopen Strait & Alkefjellet
sail into the Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded and ringed seals, polar bears and ivory gulls. Navigate through the ice floes at Lomfjordshalvoya in Zodiacs to the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, where spectacular basalt pillars rising hundreds of metres, an overhanging ice cap and waterfall provide a spectacular sight. Observe Brunnich’s guillemots settled on bird cliffs. Later in the day, it may be possible to land on Nordaustlandet for further wildlife encounters. |
Day 7: | Nordaustlandet
today begins with an exploration of the polar desert of Nordaustlandet and a walk along a stunning coastline. Be on the look out for walrus and when continuing south, the rare Greenland whale. |
Day 8: | Barentsoya & Edgeoya
in Freemansundet hopefully land on Barentsoya to visit an old trapper’s hut and have a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen reindeer and barnacle geese. Return to the ship and sail south to Diskobukta on Edgeoya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, land on a beach scattered with driftwood and whalebones. Climb to the rim of a narrow gully to observe bird cliffs and experience thousands of kittiwakes, black guillemots and piratical glaucous gulls making a tremendous din! At the bottom of the cliffs, look out for Arctic foxes and polar bears which patrol here looking for fallen chicks. |
Day 9: | Hornsund
start the day exploring the side fjords of the impressive Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, with a stunning landscape of towering mountain peaks, the highest reaching 1,431 metres. The 14 magnificent glaciers offer very good chances of seeing seals and polar bears. Visit the Polish research station and nearby colony of thousands of pairs of nesting little auks. |
Day 10: | the southern fjords
land on Ahlstrandhalvoya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden, where piles of beluga skeletons litter the shore, looking out for the real thing before disembarking. Back on board, continue into Recherchefjorden and explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many reindeer feed. |
Day 11: | arrive Longyearbyen
return to Longyearbyen and group transfer to the airport for the flight home*. |
Note: | Please note all itineraries are for guidance only. Programmes may vary depending on local weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for wildlife expedition cruises.
*Flights from the UK to Spitsbergen are normally via Oslo, although it is sometimes possible to fly via Keflavik. Varying flight schedules may mean adding a night or two to your itinerary so please contact our team to discuss your flight options. Similarly, we shall be happy to discuss your travel plans should you wish to extend your holiday.
N.B.
If ice conditions are favourable we may sail around Nordaustlandet, passing another Nordkapp and visiting Kvitoya, the place where the Swedish Explorer Andree perished , instead of sailing through the Hinlopen Strait. The area between Kong Karls Land and Edgeoya offers great chances of observing Greenland Whales. |