Expeditions in Svalbard

During the month of May, Svalbard is characterised by a wonderful purity and spectacular scenery. The fairytale winter landscape is dominated by glittering ice formations, snow-capped mountains, fjord ice and pastel-coloured skies.

During Spring in Svalbard the archipelago awakens andis truly awe-inspiring. The Arctic fox and the Svalbard reindeer still wear their thick winter coats, and walruses are often seen resting on drifting ice floes. With a bit of luck, we might even spot the king of the Arctic ? the polar bear ? silently roaming across the ice. Birdlife is beginning to return to Svalbard, and it's a good time to see king eiders and rock ptarmigans.

Day 1: Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to hotel.

Days 2-8: Expedition cruising
After exploring Longyearbyen, embark on the expedition ship and head out through Isfjorden—your Arctic adventure has started! The exact itinerary will depend on ice and weather conditions and on the wildlife encountered. Here are some examples of places you may visit:

Alkhornet
At the entrance of Isfjorden is the characteristic cliff of Alkhornet. Go ashore to enjoy the beautiful tundra and its birdlife, including barnacle geese, Brünnich's guillemots, glaucous gulls, snow buntings, and tens of thousands of kittiwakes. Arctic foxes are sometimes seen in the rock crevices around the mountain and with a bit of luck you might see these lovely little animals scurrying around, frantically looking for food.

Prins Karls Forland
This narrow strip of land is covered by a magnificent and snow-covered mountain chain. The island is also home to many seabirds and harbor seals.

Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden
The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is located in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole. In the nearby Krossfjorden, admire the beautifully sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and listen to the sounds of the many kittiwakes and Brünnich's guillemots that nest on the nearby cliffs.

Raudfjorden
Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty, dominated by magnificent glaciers. It is also a favorite haunt of seals, and the bird cliffs burst with activity.

Virgohamna, Danskøya
Danskøya was the starting point for two of the most daring attempts to reach the North Pole. The Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon and American journalist Wellman started with an airship. Interesting remnants of these Arctic expeditions can still be seen here.

Bellsund
At the beautiful Vårsolbukta in Bellsund, little auks nest by the tens of thousands. Go ashore and walk across the tundra to get a closer look at these charming birds.

Hornsund
The majestic Hornsund consists of several magnificent fjords along the west coast of Spitsbergen, where huge glaciers calve out shimmering blue ice. This is one of the favorite haunts of some of Svalbard's polar bears, and you may be lucky enough to spot one on the fjord ice.

Day 9: Longyearbyen
In the morning, leave the ship in Longyearbyen and begin your journey home

The midnight sun reigns supreme, the bird colonies are teeming with life and the peaks of the dramatic mountain ranges are beautifully snow-capped. The ice still holds the islands in its grip, and we can admire the ever-changing ice formations. Spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner. As we navigate the magnificent Arctic wilderness of Svalbard, we will cruise along glittering glaciers and go ashore to take in the magnificent scenery. We also keep an eye out for the iconic wildlife, including walruses, seals, and polar bears.

Day 1: Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to hotel.

Days 2-8: Expedition cruising
After exploring Longyearbyen, embark on the expedition ship and head out through Isfjorden—your Arctic adventure has started! The exact itinerary will depend on ice and weather conditions and on the wildlife encountered. Here are some examples of places you may visit:

Prins Karls Forland
This narrow strip of land is covered by a magnificent and snow-covered mountain chain. The island is also home to many seabirds and harbor seals.

Virgohamna, Danskøya
Danskøya was the starting point for two of the most daring attempts to reach the North Pole. The Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon and the American journalist Wellman started with an airship. Interesting remnants of these Arctic expeditions can still be seen here.

Fantastic fjords
Svalbard offers the visitor countless spectacular fjords. During the cruise, you will explore some of them: Liefdefjorden (“The fjord of love”) is lined with snow-capped mountain peaks and you may cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest in the area and if you are lucky we may see the rare king eider. In Krossfjorden, enjoy the beautifully sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and be greeted by the large numbers of kittiwakes and Brünnich's guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty, dominated by magnificent glaciers. It is also a favorite spot of seals and the bird cliffs are abuzz with activity. Kongsfjorden is home to the scientific village of Ny-Ålesund. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile set out on their heroic expeditions to the North Pole.

Day 9: Longyearbyen
Early in the morning, disembark and begin your journey back home.

Summer arrives at the end of June. The midnight sun reigns supreme, and purple saxifrage decorates the slopes. The surrounding ice gradually recedes, providing good opportunities to explore the seldom-visited eastern parts of the archipelago. Whales are more common in the waters and more snow-free areas open up for longer hikes.

Autumn arrives in late August, when the landscape's snow-free features are at their most prominent. The midnight sun is brushing the horizon, preparing for the polar night, giving us beautiful sunsets and a warm light, perfect for photography.

Day 1: Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to hotel.

Days 2-11: Expedition cruising
After exploring Longyearbyen, embark on the expedition ship and head out through Isfjorden—your Arctic adventure has started! The exact itinerary will depend on ice and weather conditions and on the wildlife encountered. Here are some examples of places you may visit:

Northwest Spitsbergen
The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is located in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole. Two other courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on the island of Danskøya. The Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon, and the American journalist Wellman started with an airship. Interesting remnants of these expeditions can still be seen here.

Magnificent fjords
Svalbard offers the visitor countless spectacular fjords. During the cruise, you will explore some of them: Liefdefjorden (“The fjord of love”) is lined with snow-capped mountain peaks and you may cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest in the area and if you are lucky we may see the rare king eider. In Krossfjorden, enjoy the beautifully sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and be greeted by the large numbers of kittiwakes and Brünnich's guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty, dominated by magnificent glaciers. It is also a favorite spot of seals and the bird cliffs are abuzz with activity.

Hinlopen Strait and Alkefjellet
Ice conditions permitting, enter the Hinlopen Strait. Here you find Alkefjellet, an impressive basalt cliff that is home to an estimated 200,000 Brünnich's guillemots. You may also continue into the beautiful bay of Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet.

Eastern Svalbard
The island of Nordaustlandet is covered by a huge ice cap and has fascinated naturalists and historians alike. Here the giant glacier Bråsvellbreen stretches for some 112 miles! The 50- to 60- foot-high ice edge is punctuated by hundreds of by hundreds of waterfalls. Barentsøya and Edgeøya offer magnificent scenery and vast tundra. There is a good chance of seeing walrus, arctic fox, and Svalbard reindeer.

Southwest Spitsbergen
The grand fjords of Hornsund offer spectacular glaciers and a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain peaks, often reaching above the clouds. On a clear day, you can see the summit of the highest mountain, Hornsundtind, at 4,700 feet.

Day 12: Longyearbyen
Early in the morning, disembark and begin your journey back home.

As autumn arrives in Svalbard, the tundra is painted in warm hues, and the sun sinks lower on the horizon, casting a soft, golden light. The midnight sun has been replaced by magnificent sunsets, and a special atmosphere settles over the archipelago as it and its inhabitants prepare for the long polar night. Many photography enthusiasts choose to travel at this time of year, as the conditions for capturing this unique wilderness on camera are ideal.

Day 1: Longyearbyen, Svalbard
We arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to our hotel.

Day 2 - 11: Expedition cruising
Explore Longyearbyen on your own before meeting up your fellow travellers and guides for lunch. In the afternoon we embark the expedition ship and sail out through the spectacular Isfjorden - the Arctic expedition has started! We are now in a part of the world where we are totally dependent on the ice and weather conditions. Our exact itinerary depends on these factors and on the wildlife we encounter. Our ambition is to head out on Zodiac cruises every day and to go ashore when the opportunity arises. Here are some examples of places we may visit:

Northwest Spitsbergen
The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is situated in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole. Two other courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on the island of Danskøya. Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon and American journalist Wellman started with an airship. There are still interesting remnants from these expeditions left on this site.

Magnificent fjords
Svalbard offers the visitor countless spectacular fjords. During our journey we will explore a few of them such as: Liefdefjorden, meaning “The fjord of love”, is lined with snow-covered mountain peaks and here we hope to cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pinkfooted geese nest in the area. In Krossfjorden we revel in the beautifully sculptured glacier front.

Hinlopen
The strait between the two largest islands in Svalbard, Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet, offers a range of interesting landing sites. Among them is Kinnvika ? a research station built by Sweden and Finland during the International Geophysical Year of 1957/1958. From here, observations were made in various fields of geophysics, including meteorology, aurora borealis, and geomagnetism.

Eastern Svalbard
The island of Nordaustlandet is covered by an enormous ice cap and fascinates naturalists as well as historians. Here the giant glacier Bråsvellbreen stretches for 200 kilometres! Barentsøya and Edgeøya offer magnificent landscapes and vast tundra. Chances to encounter walruses, Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer are good here.

Southwest Spitsbergen
The grand fjords of Hornsund offer spectacular glaciers and a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain peaks, often reaching above the clouds. On a clear day we can see the summit of the highest mountain Hornsundtind, measuring 1431 meters.

Day 12: Longyearbyen
Early morning we disembark our expedition ship and begin our journey back home.