Circumnavigating Spitsbergen - In The Realm Of The Polar Bear

Enjoy time in Oslo before flying to Svalbard 

Your expedition begins in Oslo, Norway's fjord-side capital. If you have time, why not explore the city centre. 

With its rich history and fashionable art scene, Oslo is a fascinating city. You'll find museums, galleries, and breathtaking architecture – including the beautiful Opera House and new Munch Museum. 

Take a stroll in the Ekebergparken sculpture park, visit Akershus Fortress or relax in a floating sauna. Explore modern Sørenga and enjoy urban beach life or try New Nordic cuisine before spending the night in your airport hotel in Oslo. 

 Explore colourful Longyearbyen 

After your morning flight to Longyearbyen, it's time to explore the world's northernmost town, a colourful frontier settlement where people are outnumbered by snowmobiles. 

Longyearbyen is perfect for exploring on foot. Stroll down the main street and you might see Svalbard reindeer saunter by. Although wild, they're curious and tame. 

Before boarding your ship in the afternoon and continuing your Arctic discovery, join an included excursion after lunch, and get a glimpse of this amazing polar-bear inspired region at the top of the world.

Experience pristine Arctic wilderness 

Over the next three days, you'll explore the natural beauty and rugged tundra of Northwest Spitsbergen National Park. In this wilderness of steep mountains, stark glaciers and beautiful offshore islands, we'll scan for animals of the Arctic – whales, seals, walruses and reindeer. If we're really lucky, we might even see the elusive polar bear hunting on the ice. In stunning Kongsfjord, you may see glaciers calving into the sea. 

Be ready for adventure; we'll seize any opportunity to launch our kayaks or use our small expedition boats and go ashore to hike or participate in a beach clean up.  

Scouting for polar bears, seabirds and walruses 

The frozen seascape of Eastern Svalbard is home to the archipelago's largest population of polar bears. We have high hopes you'll see this elusive animal over the next two days. We'll also scout for walrus and colonies of Brünnich's Guillemots and other seabirds in the Hinlopen strait. We may head south to Freemansundet and Kapp Lee or take our small expedition boats to Edgeøya or Barentsøya. 

The daily itinerary will be set by your Expedition Team. They'll monitor local ice and weather conditions to take you on exhilarating landings, hikes and kayaking tours. 

Majestic glaciers, rich vegetation and seabirds 

As we sail towards the southernmost tip of Spitsbergen, we'll enter Hornsund, one of Svalbard's most beautiful fjords. Rich, colourful vegetation makes way for towering mountains along this picturesque waterway. Head out on deck to spot seals and whales, Mount Hornsundtind, and glaciers calving into the sea. 

The green patches of land you'll see here are fertilised by Little Auk colonies. This in turn attracts Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes, so keep your eyes peeled. In the evening, we'll journey north, past beautiful Bellsund towards Isfjord. 

Witness living history and ecology 

 Our Svalbard circumnavigation continues into Isfjord's lush fjord system, where you'll see immense, glacier-carved valleys rich in wildlife, vegetation and human history.  

To the north, Alkehornet is home to guillemots, kittiwakes, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The clear traces of the area's whaling and hunting past are visible on beaches and in bays. Farther south, we'll pass the former Isfjord Radio satellite communication station, now one of the world's most beautifully situated hotels.  

Our activities today will be determined by the ever-changing weather conditions of Isfjord. Your Expedition Team will decide on the best possibilities for exploring on the day. 

A final day on top of the world 

Your Arctic adventure comes to an end back in Longyearbyen. A transfer will take you to the airport for your flight home. You'll return home knowing more about Arctic animals, history, polar ice and climate change than you arrived with – and memories of an incredible experience.