The Svalbard Express – Southbound

Your High Arctic experience begins by arriving in Spitsbergen, the largest of Svalbard's three main islands. Gaze in awe as magnificent brown and green mountains rise and ripple up from the High Arctic tundra while rivers of snow-melt trickle through the valley plains, glistening under the summer sun.   

Take a moment to just be here, now, in Svalbard. You're at a latitude more than 78°N and under 820 miles / 1,500 kilometres from the North Pole itself. The air is fresh and pure, and the overall temperature in summer is mild thanks to a warm northern branch of the Gulf Stream.  

From Longyearbyen airport, a transfer brings you to the town itself, nestled on the banks of a sweeping, large fjord. It is the biggest settlement in Svalbard, home to some 2,000 inhabitants from across the world. 

It originally sprang up as a coal mining colony in 1906. Today, it is a hub for adventure travellers, as well as scientists and engineers attached to local research projects, like the famous Global Seed Vault.  

After checking in to your hotel, you'll visit Camp Barentz in the evening, located at the foot of Breinosa mountain. There, in the pure wilderness of the High Arctic, enjoy dinner in a cosy wooden cabin and maybe even try some bidos – a traditional, homemade Sámi stew of slow-cooked reindeer meat and vegetables.  

Tuck into your dessert outside around the campfire, perhaps under the Midnight Sun. End your first day admiring the mountains as we head back to your hotel in Longyearbyen. 

Following your first night in Svalbard, today's mini adventure takes you aboard hybrid-electric catamaran MS Bard. Make the most of the summer climate as you take in Spitsbergen's magnificent landscapes at Billefjord and Nordenskiöldbreen.  

MS Bard is a groundbreaking new catamaran for day cruises. Whenever it approaches glaciers, wildlife, or settlements, it will run silently on electric propulsion. This together with its specially designed propellers create minimal noise and vibration so as not to disturb Arctic wildlife.  

Early in the season, there might still be ice in Billefjord. Switching to the boat's electric motor, we'll carefully and silently follow the ice edge, on the lookout for seabirds, walrus, and seals. You'll also be able to enjoy views of the beautiful and vast Nordenskiöld glacier which crumbles icebergs into the fjord.  

Along the way, you can spot abandoned coal mining town Pyramiden in the distance, so named after the shape of a nearby mountain. While a ghost town for many years, there have been recent attempts by various individuals to repopulate the area. 

On the outer park of Billefjord is Skansbukta, another small settlement and gypsum mine lost to time under the impressive cliffs. MS Bard will also sail past Svenskhuset, the oldest standing building on Spitsbergen and site of tragic lead poisoning in tinned food that claimed the lives of 17 hunters and sailors. 

Admiring the views of the fjord, glacier, mountains, and Arctic flora in bloom, you'll make your way back to Longyearbyen on MS Bard, settling in at your hotel for your last night there. 

Wake to Arctic sunshine and enjoy breakfast at your hotel. The last day here in Longyearbyen is yours to spend as you like.  

If you haven't already, you can spend some time walking around the town. Browse boutique shops selling homemade chocolate, tiny galleries with artwork inspired by life on the Arctic frontier, and bars that serve up beer from the local micro-brewery. 

There are also many local excursions on offer such as hikes in the surrounding mountains of Longyearbyen, fossil hunting at Deltaneset, or a walrus safari at Borebukta aboard hybrid ship Kvitbjørn.  

You can also arrange to go ‘dry' dog sledding where the sleds are fitted with wheels instead, allowing the dogs to exercise throughout the summer season. This keeps them fit for when the snow does arrive in winter.   

However you decide to spend your day in Svalbard, return to the hotel in the late afternoon for a transfer to MS Trollfjord, your home at sea for the next week. Come evening, the ship will sail further north towards Ny- Ålesund. 

Arise early today to enjoy impressive views of Kongsfjord, one of the largest fjords in the area. Its entrance is guarded by two colossal creaking glaciers that regularly deposit ice into the fjord.  

This stretch is also a good place to look out for walrus basking on the shores and for many different species of migrating birds, including puffins, king eiders, pink-footed geese, and guillemots.  

Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer can sometimes be spotted on land while the white beluga whale has been known to surface in the waters here too. If we're very lucky, we might even see a polar bear prowling the coast for bearded and ringed seals. 

At the tip of Brøgger peninsula, on one of Kongsfjord's shores, is Ny-Ålesund. Like Longyearbyen, it began as a coal mine but became host to scientific stations from the mid 20th century. During the summer, there are over a hundred researchers based in the town, representing 20 glaciology and climate institutes from more than 10 countries. 

Wander around what is one of the northernmost settlements in the world, drop in at the local bar and souvenir shop, or send a far-flung postcard back to friends and family from the small post office.  

You can also take a guided tour of the Amundsen monument, erected here in honour of the great Norwegian explorer's record-breaking flight to reach the North Pole in 1926. Amundsen flew the airship Norge from Ny-Ålesund and landed in Alaska three days later, successfully doing so via the North Pole.  

Unfortunately, it's time for us to say farewell to Svalbard and to Spitsbergen. If time allows, as we sail south back to mainland Norway, we might be able to detour to Recherchefjord, a small fjord to the south of Bellsund.  

On board the ship, use the day to relax. If skies are clear, enjoy some summer sun out on deck and keep on the lookout for whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Or if it's not too warm out, head to the sauna for a soothing steam.  

For some fascinating insights into local history and wildlife, catch a lecture delivered by the Coastal Experience Team. They may also offer a photography workshop to help sharpen your eye to capture stunning shots in the days to come. 

Enjoy the sumptuous food and drinks on board, courtesy of our Norway's Coastal Kitchen concept that features the finest, most flavoursome, local Norwegian produce. As a treat, there might be tastings of regional specialities or demonstrations by our skilled onboard chefs in the show kitchen. 

You can also simply curl up with a good book in the lounge or chat with new-found friends in the bar while reminiscing together about your favourite experiences of the voyage so far.  

We've arrived back to mainland Norway and our first stop of the day is Tromsø. The ship will drop off any cargo from Svalbard and pick up cargo bound for ports to the south. 

Calling back into Tromsø after being up at Svalbard follows in the footsteps of history. Most explorers and sailors returning from their Arctic expeditions would descend on the city. The fashion and food they found there seemed so stylish and refined compared to the stark frontier towns that they nicknamed Tromsø ‘the Paris of the North'. Maybe you'll have a similar impression?  

From Tromsø, the ship will continue south to the fairytale island of Senja, one of Norway's largest islands. You'll be able to embark on optional excursions in Tromsø that will then meet up with the ship in Senja. One we recommend is a scenic tour that traverses the island of Kvaløya leading to a ferry ride to Senja, before rendezvousing with the ship on the island's west side.  

Senja is Northern Norway's fast-rising star destination, as you'd expect for a place ranked among CNN's top ten most beautiful islands in the world. Often proudly described by locals as a ‘mini Norway', the island seems to have a concentration of landscapes inspired by different parts of the Norwegian coast.  

You'll have a range of optional excursions on offer in Senja, showing you the best the island has to offer. These could be hikes to distinctive peaks for enviable views, fishing trips, or kayaking on the waters of a tranquil fjord. 

Today is all about exploring the Lofoten archipelago. Hailed as one of the most spectacular areas in all of Norway, you'll understand why as you see its jagged green cliffs rise dramatically out of the ocean, climbing high into the sky like giant teeth. 

Pretty fishing villages appear as strings of red-roofed houses on stilts that cling picturesquely to the edges of mountainous islands. Here and there, single fishermen huts known locally as rorbuer dot the islands, specks of red amidst a ceylon blue sea and the lush mountainside greens. 

You'll find that life in Lofoten is supremely calm and peaceful. Time seems to stand still here, as if stopped in its tracks by the islands' sheer beauty.  

The beating heart of the archipelago is the town of Svolvær where the ship will be based for most of the day. There are shops and restaurants to enjoy, and hours can be spent exploring and getting to know the town yourself.  

To experience the mountains, islands, and villages that can be discovered around Svolvær, you'll have a variety of handpicked top Lofoten excursions that will help you do just that. 

Engage in an optional hike to one of the local white-sand beaches where you can help us in a beach clean-up before going for a swim. Don't worry about having to choose between a mountain hike and kayaking either. With the long summer days, you might be able to do both, giving you the best of sea and summit. 

The ship continues south and reaches the midpoint of the Norwegian coast. This is the Helgeland Coast, a well-known stretch full of distinctive mountains that have inspired many a charming myth and local folklore.  

We will base the ship in the town of Brønnøysund which features a lovely marina and a Neo-Gothic stone church from 1870. Spend your time exploring the town or joining optional excursions such as kayaking, cycling, or a cruise by RIB. 

One highlight of the area is a visit to the Vega archipelago, a cluster of some 6,500 islands, skerries, and islets. There's a UNESCO world heritage centre on the island of Gardsøy which showcases how highly prized eider down is harvested from the local eider ducks by providing little huts for them to build their nests in. 

Further along from Brønnøysund is the unique Torghatten Mountain. The first thing you'll notice about Torghatten is the hole that pierces right through its centre. Legend states that the hole is the work of an arrow fired by a spurned troll at his would-be lover and that Torghatten Mountain itself is the fossilised hat of a Troll King who attempted to block the arrow.  

At an easy pace, it takes about an hour to reach the hole in Torghatten on an optional excursion. The panoramic view of the trees and islands stretching out before you is well worth it. 

The ship will make a brief stop in the town of Ålesund, known for its Art Nouveau architecture and picturesque position on a peninsula below Mount Askla. We'll offload any cargo here as well guests who are joining excursions. 

Near to Ålesund, cutting through the peaks of the Sunmøre Alps, some 1,700 metres high, is magnificent Hjørundfjord. Its picture-perfect position embedded in the Sunnmøre Alps means it is the area's hidden gem and a secret from most other ships. 

Those who do discover Hjørundfjord rank it as a serious contender for their favourite fjord in Norway. Its deep blue waters and verdant mountainsides seem perfectly proportionate and aligned, as if sculpted deliberately by nature's artistry. 

On the banks of one of Hjørundfjord's branches is the idyllic village of Urke, made up of less than 40 residents. This is where the ship will pick up guests who had previously left the ship at Ålesund to go on an excursion.  

We are fast approaching the last day of our voyage. While bittersweet, what better way to celebrate our Svalbard Express experience than a merry farewell dinner on our last night. It'll also be an opportunity to look back fondly at the many highlights of this journey we've all shared together.   

We arrive in Bergen in the morning, a beautiful city on the west coast of Norway. Majestic peaks famously surround the city, giving Bergen its nickname, “The City of Seven Mountains”. 

It's time to disembark the ship and take a transfer to the airport, but not before saying fond farewells to your fellow passengers and to the crew of MS Trollfjord who made your Svalbard Express journey such a comfortable one. 

You've travelled as part of this historic, iconic voyage to pieces of paradise along the Norwegian coast you won't soon forget. If you've engaged in optional excursions, will you have photos to share of you kayaking, hiking, fishing, cycling in some of the most beautiful scenery ever seen?  

We know you'll take fond memories home with you and we wish you a safe onward journey. This has been The Svalbard Express. We hope to see you back here with us soon.