Svalbard Revealed

Day 1: Arrive in Longyearbyen and embark on your ship

Arrive in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, the northernmost town on Earth. Despite its remote setting, this destination has it all: the world's northernmost airport, school, bank, and supermarket, all wrapped in warm Nordic hospitality (or hyggeligt, as the Danes say).

Step off the plane and into another world. The Arctic air greets you on the tarmac, alongside a famous signpost marking your arrival in polar bear country. Across Adventfjorden, the peak of Hjorthfjellet towers above, with jagged mountains and slow-moving glaciers stretching into the distance.

From here, board your ship. After the safety briefing and lifeboat drill, toast the start of your journey with champagne on deck as your vessel slips away from civilisation and heads toward Arctic adventure.

Days 2 & 3: Northwest Spitsbergen

Announced as a national park in 1973, Northwest Spitsbergen is one of Europe's biggest protected wilderness areas and is steeped in early polar history. Though Norse seafarers may have glimpsed these shores during the Viking Age, the first confirmed landing came in 1596 with Dutch explorer William Barents, who described seas teeming with whales and seals, soon targeted by English and Dutch whalers. Within a decade, they established stations like Smeerenburg, where ruins of 16th Century blubber ovens still stand. 

These remote outposts mark a time when the region’s rich wildlife was brutally harvested. Nearby Ytre Norskøya holds the graves of hundreds of young men who came chasing fortune and never left.

Today, little remains of that industry – just scattered bones and fading foundations, slowly reclaimed by the Arctic. In summer, wildflowers like purple saxifrage and Arctic poppies bloom briefly, while seabirds, geese and eider ducks return to nest. Walrus haul out along the coast, and polar bears still roam this wild and hauntingly beautiful landscape.

Day 4: Northeast Svalbard

This morning, you'll sail into the remote, icy wilderness of northeastern Svalbard, a stark contrast to the warmer, wetter west. Without the influence of ocean currents, the landscape here is a rocky polar desert, where vast glaciers spill into ice-choked seas. 

Despite the harshness, life thrives. Arctic foxes prowl the coast in search of food, while towering cliffs echo with the cries of seabirds nesting in their thousands. Below, the cold waters teem with shellfish, drawing walrus to these rich feeding grounds.

The exact route will be shaped by the ever-changing conditions of wind, sea, and ice – true polar exploration, where nature leads and you will follow.

Day 5: North Svalbard

You'll now approach some of the northernmost land on Earth: the ice-bound shores of northern Svalbard. If conditions allow, you may reach Nordaustlandet and the far-flung Sjuøyane islands, lying nearly 1,000 km (621 miles) north of mainland Norway’s Nordkapp.

These remote, rocky islands are almost barren, with only mosses and lichens clinging to the stones. Yet the birdlife is striking, with grazing geese and rare gulls often spotted – so keep your binoculars handy. 

By day’s end, the Captain will set a course toward the Arctic ice pack, which stretches endlessly from Svalbard toward the North Pole.

Day 6: Into the ice

An icy breeze brushes your cheeks, carrying the sharp scent of snow and sea. Sunlight glints off floating ice, lighting up the clouds above. You've entered a world like no other – the ever-shifting ice pack that crowns our planet.

Stretching from Svalbard to the North Pole and beyond to Alaska and Chukotka, the Arctic sea ice is one of Earth’s largest, most dynamic habitats. Expanding in winter and shrinking in summer, its position varies wildly, yet your Expedition Leader will guide you in search of this remote realm.

At first glance, it seems lifeless. But with patience, the ice begins to stir. Fish flicker below the surface. Kittiwakes and Glaucous gulls circle overhead. Seals dot the floes, basking in the sun. A distant spout – a pod of belugas, perhaps, or a bowhead whale breaking through the ice.

And then, a pale shape appears beyond the pressure ridges – a polar bear, head swinging side to side, tracking unseen prey across his frozen kingdom at the top of the world.

Day 7: Kongsfjorden area

During the “night” – though the sun never truly sets – your ship will have sailed past the jagged peaks of Prins Karls Forland and into the stunning Kongsfjord. Framed by rugged mountains and the vast Kongsbreen and Kongvegen glaciers, this serene fjord is overlooked by the iconic Three Crowns, pyramid-esque peaks said to represent the monarchies of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

The first stop is Ny-Ålesund, Earth’s northernmost settlement made up of research stations, a post office and a part-time shop. Its remote location has made it a launchpad for Arctic exploration for over a century.

Polar legends like Amundsen, Nansen and Nordenskiöld once passed through here on historic expeditions. Remnants of this pioneering era remain, including the mooring mast used by the airship Norge. The setting is dramatic, and the ongoing scientific work here is just as inspiring.

Day 8: Disembark in Longyearbyen 

This morning, you'll return to Longyearbyen. After days in the wild, even this small Arctic town may feel like a bustling city. Enjoy a final look around before bidding farewell to your shipmates and crew. Then, it’s back to the airport with memories to last a lifetime.

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.