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Spitsbergen in Depth

Big Islands, Big Adventure aboard the Ocean Adventurer

Overview

Spitsbergen is the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, and on this voyage you’ll attempt a circumnavigation of the island. Lying entirely within the Arctic Circle, Spitsbergen is rugged, wild, unspoiled—utterly unforgettable. When it comes to viewing arctic wildlife, Spitsbergen is known as one of the most prolific destinations.

The island and surrounding area offers one of the best opportunities to view polar bears, and with luck you’ll be able to see the world’s largest carnivores in their natural habitat. Walrus populations love Spitsbergen as well, feeding in the food-rich icy waters around the island. Whales and seabirds will also entertain you during the sailing portions of the expedition, and you may catch a sighting of reindeer or fox when taking Zodiac excursions to shore.

Note: This cruise is not exclusive to, nor operated by, Wilderness Travel, who acts solely as agent in booking your reservation with the ship operator. The itinerary, lecturers, and all other arrangements are subject to change at the discretion of the cruise line.

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrive in Oslo, Norway

Your Arctic voyage begins in Oslo, Norway’s vibrant capital city. If you arrive early, there are many museums, restaurants and green spaces to keep you busy before retiring at your included airport hotel.

Day 2
Embarkation Day in Longyearbyen, Svalbard

This morning, the group will transfer to the airport and board your private charter flight to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen’s largest settlement, where you’ll have some time to explore before embarkation. As your ship sets sail, enjoy your first view of the island’s rugged, glacier-topped mountains rising majestically from icy waters.

Days 3 to 13
Exploring Spitsbergen

Expect a new adventure every day as you begin your circumnavigation by heading north and around the island of Spitsbergen, exploring smaller, outlying islands. The plan is to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, but if conditions are favorable, the ship will also attempt a circumnavigation of the whole Svalbard archipelago. Every expedition will be different, depending on the weather and ice, but some of the places you may visit include the 14th of July Glacier, Ny London, Phippsøya, Alkefjellet, and the seldom-visited Kvitøya.

These names may seem strange to you, but each site has its own unique appeal. There is no shortage of natural beauty in Spitsbergen, where colorful tundra meadows are complemented by immense glaciers. For birders, the 14th of July Glacier is home to puffins, purple sandpipers, common eiders, barnacle geese and arctic terns, while Alkefjellet’s cliffs are teeming with nesting Brünnich’s guillemots (thick-billed murres).

Always on the lookout for wildlife, be sure to have your camera ready to capture reindeer when you visit sites like Ny London, Sundneset, and Alkhornet. Searching for the iconic polar bear is a constant activity for your Expedition Team. Phippsøya and Isbukta are two of the bears’ preferred places for hunting, which translates into great potential for you to view and capture them in action.

A big part of appreciating Spitsbergen comes from understanding the culture—not just how people live today, but also how this land was first explored. Whaling was a key industry, and you will see remains of outposts from the 16th century, plus other evidence of whaling at landing sites such as Smeerenburg.

Day 14
Disembark in Longyearbyen and fly to Oslo

Your adventure ends in the frontier-style settlement of Longyearbyen. From here, you’ll transfer to the airport for your return group charter flight to Oslo.

Spitsbergen in Depth route-map

Spitsbergen in Depth

Spitsbergen in Depth route-map

Highlights

Highlights

Encounter iconic arctic wildlife, such as polar bears, walrus and reindeer
View numerous arctic bird species, like puffins, arctic terns and purple sandpipers
Take advantage of continuous daylight
Explore glaciers, fjords, icebergs and more with included Zodiac cruising
Immerse yourself in the icy realm of the Arctic with optional kayaking adventures
Hike the tundra and polar desert

Details

Length: 14 days
Cost From: $10,995  
Full pricing
Arrive: Oslo, Norway
Depart: Oslo, Norway
Lodging: 12 nights aboard expedition vessel, 1 night hotel
View Lodging
Meals: All meals are included
Activity: Sea Kayaking, Wildlife and Natural History, Photography, Whale Watching, Small Ship Cruising
Trip Level:

13-day cruise, Zodiac cruises, optional sea kayaking
What the Trip is Like

Trip Levels

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—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.

Easiest

Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Examples:
  • Royal Rajasthan
  • Indochine
  • Small ship cruises

Easy to Moderate

Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Examples:
  • New Zealand: South Island Adventure
  • Our African safaris
  • Costa Rica Wildlife

Moderate

Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
Examples:
  • Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
  • Great Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
  • Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
  • Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.

Moderate to Strenuous

Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Examples:
  • In Patagonia
  • Hiking the Spanish Pyrenees

Strenuous

Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Examples:
  • Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
  • Everest Lodge to Lodge

Very Strenuous

Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.
Examples:
  • Everest Base Camp
  • Climb Kilimanjaro!

Trip Cost

Departures

Future dates have not been set for this itinerary. Please contact us if you would like to be notified of trip dates once they are available.

Trip Cost Includes

  • 12 nights shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping
  • All meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices on board
  • Beer and wine during dinner
  • All gratuities
  • All shore landings per the daily program
  • All Zodiac transfers and cruising per the daily program
  • Formal and informal presentations by Expedition Team and special guests as scheduled
  • Photographic journal documenting the expedition
  • Waterproof expedition boots on loan for shore landings
  • Official parka to keep
  • Coffee, tea and cocoa available around the clock
  • Hair dryer and bathrobe in every cabin
  • Comprehensive onboard materials, including a map and an informative Arctic Reader
  • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
  • All luggage handling aboard the ship
  • Emergency evacuation insurance to a maximum benefit of US$500,000 per person
  • Group transfers between Longyearbyen airport or town center and ship on embarkation and disembarkation day

Trip Cost Does Not Include

Mandatory Transfer Package (includes 1 night pre-expedition hotel accommodation in Oslo, roundtrip group charter air and airport to ship transfers), international airfare, arrival and departure transfers in Oslo, pre- and post-cruise hotel accommodations, passport and visa expenses, government arrival and departure taxes not mentioned above, baggage, cancellation, interruption and medical travel insurance – strongly recommended, excess baggage fees, mandatory waterproof pants for Zodiac cruising, meals ashore unless otherwise specified, fuel surcharges, laundry, bar, beverages, purchases from the ship boutiques or any item or service of a personal nature such as mobile phone service, internet service, medical care, optional kayaking or paddling.

Trip Payment Schedule*

At time of reservation: 20% of trip cost
130 days prior to departure: Balance

*Please note that this differs from our standard policy.

Cancellation and Transfer Fee Schedule*

Minimum fee: $1250 per person
120-179 days prior to departure: 20% of trip cost
119 days or less: 100% of trip cost

*Please note that this differs from our standard policy.

Lodging

Trip Level

For most activities, a moderate level of exertion is required. You will need to climb into and out of Zodiacs for excursions ashore and be able to walk moderate distances over rough terrain, including rocky uneven beaches, and occasionally across ice and snow. Temperatures throughout will range from lows in the 40s°F to highs in the mid-50s°F. Please note that temperatures on the water may feel cooler. Knee-high, waterproof boots with good tread are essential.

Explain Trip Level

Trip Levels

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—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.

Easiest

Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Examples:
  • Royal Rajasthan
  • Indochine
  • Small ship cruises

Easy to Moderate

Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Examples:
  • New Zealand: South Island Adventure
  • Our African safaris
  • Costa Rica Wildlife

Moderate

Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
Examples:
  • Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
  • Great Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
  • Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
  • Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.

Moderate to Strenuous

Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Examples:
  • In Patagonia
  • Hiking the Spanish Pyrenees

Strenuous

Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Examples:
  • Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
  • Everest Lodge to Lodge

Very Strenuous

Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.
Examples:
  • Everest Base Camp
  • Climb Kilimanjaro!

Choosing the Right Trip

We work hard to help you choose the right trip for you, paying attention to your individual interests, abilities, and needs. If you have questions about the level of comfort or any of the activities described in this itinerary, please contact us.

Email Area Manager

References

We are proud to have an exceptionally high rate of repeat travelers. For more information, we would be happy to put you in touch with a client who has traveled with us.

Email Area Manager

Resources

Travel Insurance
WT Gear Store

What to Know Before You Go

PASSPORT

A valid passport is required for this trip. Be sure to check the expiration date. Your passport must be valid for six months after the conclusion of your trip. It is a good idea to carry photocopies of your passport photo page in case your passport is lost or as an additional piece of identification, as well as two extra passport photos.

VISAS

US citizens do not need visa for Norway for stays of less than 30 days. If you are a citizen of any country other than the US, check with a local consulate for entry requirements.

MEDICAL

We recommend checking the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov should you have any international health concerns.

INOCULATIONS

No inoculations are currently required for entry into Norway and Spitsbergen on this trip.

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California Seller of Travel Registration No.: 1007696-40
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1102 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
California Seller of Travel Registration No.: 1007696-40
Discover
  • Our Trips
  • New Trips
  • Special Offers
  • Top Ten Places in 2022
  • Wish List
  • Photo Blog
Keep in Touch
  • Contact Us
  • Catalog Request
  • Digital Catalog
  • Enews Sign-up
  •  
  •  
  •  
About WT
  • Welcome
  • How We Travel
  • Our Leaders
  • Making a Difference
  • Awards
  • WT in the News
  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Resources
  • Reserving a Trip
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Toucan Club
  • Referrals
  • Post-trip Survey
  • Client Forms & Helpful Links
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel Agents
  • Gear Store
  • Gift Certificates
  • Site Map