Svalbard in Focus

Day 1: Arrive in Longyearbyen

You'll arrive in Longyearbyen, the lively hub of Svalbard and embarkation point for your Arctic adventure.

Upon arrival at the airport, you’ll be greeted and transferred to a comfortable hotel, arranged and included as part of your itinerary. Once you’re settled in, the rest of the day is yours to explore this walkable and fascinating town at your leisure.

A great place to start is the excellent Svalbard Museum, which offers a deep dive into the region’s natural and human history. You’ll also find a selection of unique polar-themed books and maps for sale – perfect mementos or gifts.

This evening, enjoy a relaxed dinner at one of Longyearbyen’s many cosy restaurants. And don’t be surprised if the sun is still high at midnight; during your time in Svalbard, it simply won’t set.

Day 2: Embark on your ship

After breakfast at your hotel, the morning is yours to enjoy Longyearbyen. Take in views of the icy fjords and glaciated mountains surrounding this historic former coal-mining town. You could go shopping for souvenirs or some last-minute necessities such as cold-weather gear.

There are numerous options for lunch in Longyearbyen.

In the afternoon, you'll take a transfer to the pier and receive a warm welcome aboard the expedition vessel. Settled in to your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the adventure to come.

After setting sail, a full schedule of events starts with informative briefings and introductions from your expedition staff. Enjoy the first of many sumptuous dinners on board, and step out onto the open decks to admire the stunning scenery in 24-hour daylight as you pass through the wildlife-rich waters of Isfjorden.

Days 3 to 11: Exploring Svalbard and the polar ice edge

The aim for this expedition is a circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. During the voyage, you'll experience many aspects of this incredible High Arctic territory. The exact schedule and route will be dictated by weather and ice conditions. It’s expected that there will be enough sea ice around to support animals such as polar bears and walrus.

During this voyage, you’re likely to encounter significant sea ice concentrations in the enormous Northwest Svalbard Nature Reserve. Ice can persist very late into the summer in this area.

The reserve covers the rugged northwestern parts of Spitsbergen and the whole of Nordaustlandet, the second largest island in Svalbard. Here, you'll see the massive Austfonna ice cap, part of which meets the sea along the 28-mile (45km) ice cliff known as Bråsvellbreen. This is one of the great wonders of the Arctic world.

There is little vegetation in this Arctic world but it does host prodigious numbers of seabirds at breeding sites such as the spectacular sea cliffs of Alkefjellet. There is a high chance of encountering polar bears and walrus in this icy wilderness.

Also on your route is the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, the crown jewel of Svalbard’s scenic wonders. Here, you can find deep fjords flanked by jagged mountain peaks and immense tidewater glaciers calving icebergs into turquoise waters.

The whole region is alive with migratory Arctic seabirds. On this voyage, you are just in time to witness the return of millions of murres, guillemots and little auks to the small islands, mountainsides and sea cliffs where they breed within the park.

This is also a fantastic area to encounter marine mammals, including various kinds of whales and Arctic seals. You can also come across evidence of Svalbard’s earliest sealers and whalers.

Human habitation along the route can also be found at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town and airship base. It's now home to an international community of Arctic researchers and is one of the world’s most northerly settlements – there is even a gift shop and a post office here.

You can visit the famous airship mast that was a starting point of the North Pole expeditions by Umberto Nobile and Roald Amundsen. This place played an important role in the history of polar exploration.

Day 12: Disembark in Longyearbyen

After one last breakfast on board your ship, you’ll disembark in Longyearbyen. You’ll then take a transfer to the airport, or to the town centre if you plan to stay longer in Svalbard. 

NOTE: This itinerary is for guidance only as each voyage will vary depending on ice and weather conditions, and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is key and all part of the adventure of an expeditionary cruise.