Cruise Around Svalbard

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN HELSINKI, FINLAND
Your Arctic adventure begins in Helsinki, renowned for its extraordinary architecture and intriguing blend of Eastern and Western influences. If you arrive early, explore the many museums, galleries and restaurants, relax in a Finnish sauna or wander through the vibrant Design District before retiring to the hotel included in your package.

DAY 2 - EMBARKATION AT LONGYEARBYEN, SVALBARD
This morning, the group is taken to the airport and boards our private charter flight to Longyearbyen, Svalbard's largest town, which you'll have time to explore before boarding the ship. On departure, catch your first glimpse of the island's steep, glacier-capped mountains rising dramatically from the icy waters.

DAYS 3 TO 13 - EXPLORING SPITSBERGEN
Expect a new adventure every day on this journey north and around Spitsbergen Island, stopping along the way to explore smaller outlying islands. A circumnavigation of Spitsbergen is planned, but if conditions allow you'll also attempt to sail around the entire Svalbard archipelago. Each expedition differs depending on weather and ice conditions, but you can expect to see Fourteenth of July Glacier, Ny-London, Phippsøya, Alkefjellet and Kvitøya (also known as “White Island”), the latter rarely visited.

These names may not be familiar, but each of these sites is worth the visit. Spitsbergen's beauty is striking, with its colourful tundra dotted with immense glaciers. For birdwatchers, Fourteenth of July Glacier is home to Atlantic puffins, purple sandpipers, common eiders, barnacle geese and Arctic terns, while Brünnich's guillemots nest on the Alkefjellet cliffs.

Keep your camera within reach, as you're likely to spot reindeer when visiting sites such as Ny-London, Sundneset and Alkhornet. Your expedition team keeps a constant watch for polar bears. With Phippsøya and Isbukta among the animals' favourite hunting grounds, you'll likely have the chance to observe and photograph them in action.
To truly appreciate Spitsbergen, you need to understand its culture: not just the current way of life of its inhabitants, but also how this land was first explored. Whaling was once a key industry, and you'll see former 16th-century outposts, along with other whaling remnants at sites such as Smeerenburg.

DAY 14 - DISEMBARKATION AT LONGYEARBYEN AND RETURN FLIGHT TO OSLO
Your adventure ends in the town of Longyearbyen, with its frontier-settlement atmosphere. We take you to the airport for your return charter flight to Helsinki.