Arctic Wildlife Safari

Welcome to Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard and starting point of our Arctic expedition! At the Longyearbyen airport, you will be greeted and transferred to your group hotel. After settling in you will have the afternoon to explore the charming, walk able town center.

We recommend starting your discovery of this fascinating Norwegian High Arctic territory at the excellent Svalbard Museum, where you can also purchase hard-to-find polar books and maps. Afterward, you can enjoy an excellent dinner at one of Longyearbyen's many delightful restaurants. If you are still awake at midnight, you will notice the sun has not set. In fact, the sun will not set for the entire duration of your time in Svalbard.

After breakfast at your hotel, the morning is yours to enjoy Longyearbyen. Take in the views of icy fjords and glaciated mountains surrounding this historic former coal-mining town. Take advantage of shopping for souvenirs or some last-minute necessities. For lunch, Longyearbyen offers quick and easy meal options including the most northerly pizzas and kebabs in the world.

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the pier welcomed aboard the M/V Sea Spirit. Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the extraordinary adventure to come. After getting underway, a full schedule of events kicks off with informative briefings and introductions from your expedition team. After your welcome dinner onboard, step out onto the open decks to admire the gorgeous scenery in 24-hour daylight as you pass through the wildlife-rich waters of Isfjorden.

As this is a real expedition in a true High Arctic wilderness, the route and exploration opportunities are heavily dependent on the weather and sea ice conditions encountered. The experienced captain and expedition leader decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant. You can be sure that the best possible advantage will be taken of the circumstances presented by nature in this wild and remote corner of the Arctic.

Polar bears and other quintessential Arctic wildlife can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard. Every opportunity is exploited to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of the historic polar expeditions that came here in the past.

You can anticipate exploring the spectacular fjords, coasts, and islands in the northwestern part of Svalbard. This area contains the archipelago's most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic's best wildlife viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks. Immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters. On ice floes and on fast ice several species of seals watch vigilantly for polar bears. Fields of flowering tundra are home to grazing reindeer and playful Arctic fox. Bountiful inshore and offshore waters are home to walrus and a wide variety of whales. The whole area is alive with migratory birds, including numerous rare species, taking advantage of summer's fecundity in 24-hour daylight.

And over it all presides the polar bear, monarch of the North. This wild corner of Svalbard is one of the best places in the world to observe polar bears hunting in their preferred habitat: the pack ice. The ship sails as close as safely possible to the jumbled and broken edge of the polar ice cap, where polar bears stalk the frozen sea in search of seals. To complete the Arctic experience you'll also explore places rich with history. The area of exploration contains the historical remnants of whaling camps, coal mining operations, trappers' cabins, staging areas for historic attempts to discover the North Pole, and even an abandoned polar research station.

Human habitation in this area can be found only at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world's most northerly settlements, complete with museum, gift shop, and post office. The days are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by experts, and enough stunning scenery and wildlife to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions.

After breakfast, bid farewell in the town of Longyearbyen, where the expedition started. A transfer is provided to the airport or to the town center if you wish to spend more time here. As you look back on your wonderful experience in Svalbard, you may already be looking forward to your next incredible adventure to the ice! (Note: The flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo is not included in the cost of the trip.)

The goal for this voyage is a Circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. During this mid-summer voyage we hope ice conditions will be favorable to attempt a circumnavigation, but the exact schedule and route will be shaped by weather and ice. In addition to seeing Spitsbergen from every angle, this itinerary offers the possibility of setting foot on all four of Svalbard's main islands.

Day 1: Arrive in Longearbyen, Svalbard and overnight at the group hotel
Day 2: Embarkation
Days 3-11: Exploration of Svalbard
Day 12: Disembarkation in Longyearbyen, Svalbard

Please contact our office for a detailed itinerary.

The goal for his voyage is to navigate along the ice edge toward the island Nordaustlandet and farther to the east toward Kvitøya (White Island). The route is heavily dependent on the weather and the crew will take the best possible advantage of the circumstances presented in this wild and remote corner of the world.

Day 1: Arrive in Longyearbyen, Svalbard and overnight at the group hotel
Days 2: Embarkation
Days 3-13: Exploration of Spitsbergen
Day 14: Disembarkation in Longyearbyen, Svalbard


Please contact our office for a detailed itinerary