Norway North Spitsbergen Polar Bears & Pack Ice Adventure Cruising

Itinerary download itinerary

• Day01

  Arrive Longyearbyen

  Touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plants have been recorded in it. In the early evening, the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Dinner
• Day02

  Sail to Raudfjorden

  Embark for Raudfjorden, on the north coast of Spitsbergen. Take in the spectacular expanse of the fjord, bordered with glaciers and frequented by ringed and bearded seals. Hike the cliffs and shoreline, home to thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and polar bears.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day03

  Discover the Monaco Glacier

  Weather permitting, sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier, a favorite feeding spot for kittiwakes, and hunting ground for polar bears. If weather is uncooperative, sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen as an alternate route.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day04

  Cruise the Hinlopen Strait

  Enter the Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, polar bears and blue whales. Cruise among the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in the Zodiacs, and view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brünnich's guillemots. If conditions permit, make a landing on Nordaustlanden on the east side of the Strait, to look for reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day05

  Stop at the Seven Islands

  Get close to the North Pole at Nordaustlandet in the Seven Islands. Reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Park for several hours among the pack ice, watching for polar bears, before turning west again.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day06

  Sail on the Continental Shelf

  Retrace the route west, keeping watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland bowhead whales. Sail the edge of the continental shelf about 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, where fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones that run along the Spitsbergen banks. Scan the waters at the mouth of Kongsfjorden, for sightings of playful minke whales.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day07

  Voyage Back to Longyearbyen

  Watch for walruses in the approach to Forlandsundet, or sail into St. Johns Fjord or the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at the cliffs of Alkhornet, home of nesting seabirds. Enjoy views of Arctic foxes, searching for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer, grazing on the sparse vegetation. Arrive in Longyearbyen by evening.

  • Accommodation: m/v Ortelius or m/v Plancius or m/v Hondius
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day08

  Depart Longyearbyen

  The trip comes to and end upon disembarkation in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

  • Meals: Breakfast