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Itinerary

Around Spitsbergen by Small Ship
11 days - Aug-Sep - From US $ 3,950

DISCLAIMER:  All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife.  Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.

Day 1: You will arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago, of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking on your Russian research vessel, there will be an opportunity to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the lands that surround Longyearbyen, more than 100 species of plants have been recorded. In the early evening, the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.

Day 2: Heading north along the west coast, you will arrive by morning in Krossfjorden, where you will take the zodiacs for an exhilarating cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. On the surprisingly green slopes near the glacier, a colorful variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting opportunistic arctic foxes, which patrol the base of the cliffs in case a hapless chick falls from its nest, and bearded seals, which cruise this scenic fjord.

In the afternoon, the ship will sail to Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement. Once a mining village served by the world’s most northerly railway, which can still be seen, Ny Ålesund is now a research center. Close to the village is a breeding ground for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, and arctic terns. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole.

Day 3: Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, you will go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andøya. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest here, and the more rare king eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, the ship will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears are seen on the glacier.

Day 4: Today you will reach the northernmost point of the trip at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. You will be at 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with ivory gulls. The ship may sit for several hours in the pack ice, allowing you to take in the spectacular surroundings and the Ross gull, before the ship turns south again.

Day 5: You will visit Laagöya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of walruses tend to congregate. Sabine’s gulls nest on the island as well. At Sorg Fjord, another herd of walruses may be found not far from the graves of 17th century whalers. On a nature walk, you may encounter families of ptarmigans.

Day 6: Today the ship will sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, polar bears, and ivory gulls.  Using zodiacs, you will navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, home to thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, the ship will attempt to land at Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet, where you can see reindeer, pink-footed geese, breeding ivory gulls, and walruses.

Day 7: Near Torrelneset, you will explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third largest icecap, which meets the sea nearby. You will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. You may encounter walruses along the way. Sailing south of Nordaustlandet, there will be a good chance to see Greenland whales.

Day 8: In Freemansundet, the ship will land at Sundneset, on the island of Barentsøya, to visit an old trapper’s hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen reindeer and barnacle geese. Later, you will cruise south to Diskobukta, on the west side of Edgeøya. After a zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, you will land on a beach littered with tree trunks, which have drifted here from Siberia, and whale bones. You can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully that is inhabited by thousands of kittiwakes, together with black guillemots and piratical glaucous gulls. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs are patrolled by arctic foxes and polar bears, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.

Day 9: The day will start with the ship quietly cruising through the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, while you enjoy the scenery of towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m (4,694 ft.), while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name Spitsbergen--"pointed mountains"--to the island. There are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and a very good chance of encountering seals and polar bears. You may visit the Polish research station, where the friendly staff will give you an insight into their research projects. Behind the station, the mountains are home to thousands of pairs of nesting little auks.

Day 10: Today, you will land on Ahlstrandhalvøya, at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here, piles of beluga skeletons (the beluga is a small white whale), the remains of 19th century slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation. Fortunately, belugas were not hunted to extinction and may still be seen locally. Indeed, there will be a good chance that you will come across a pod. Cruising into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon, you can explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many reindeer feed.

Day 11: You will return to Longyearbyen, disembark, and transfer to the airport for your flight to Oslo and home.

If ice conditions are favorable, instead of sailing through the Hinlopen Strait, the ship may sail around Nordaustlandet, passing another Nordkapp and visiting Kvitøya, the place where the Swedish Explorer Andree perished. The area between Kong Karls Land and Edgeøya will offer a great chance to observe Greenland whales.