Arrive: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
Depart: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
Note: This trip is not exclusive to, nor operated by, Wilderness Travel, who acts solely as an agent in booking your reservation with the operator. Please download the Rate Sheet in the Dates & Pricing section to see the full pricing details and contact our Cruise Collection Specialists to check availability.
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
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.
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.
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
This trip is rated Level 1+, Easy. For most activities, a relatively moderate level of exertion is required. You will need to climb in and out of Zodiacs for excursions ashore and walk one to three miles over sometimes rough terrain such as uneven, rocky beaches.
Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
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With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.