Arctic Cruise - Spitsbergen - Origo

Itinerary

Day 1: Oslo - Longyearbyen

You fly from Oslo in the evening. Arrive in Longyearbyen under the midnight sun. Transfer to the Radisson Hotel.

Day 2: Longyearbyen - Barentsburg

Morning at leisure. After lunch you take a tour of this High Arctic capital including a visit to the Svalbard Museum. Embark the Stockholm in the afternoon and sail to the Russian coalmining settlement of Barentsburg.

Days 3-7: Spitsbergen Archipelago

Your exact itinerary depends on weather and ice conditions and the wild-life you encounter. Your experienced Captain and Expedition Leader take best advantage of these factors to maximise your Arctic experience. Each day you make several landings with our rigid Zodiac craft, and thanks to the midnight sun you can go ashore day and night. The following are a few of the places you hope to visit during your time among the beautiful Spitsbergen Islands:Hornsund:A bay to the south of Longyearbyen, where you cruise along stunning glaciers winding their way down to the sea.Ny Ålesund:This is a unique opportunity to send a post card from the world´s northernmost settlement. Svalbard Reindeer roam through this town and Arctic terns nest along the roads.Danes Island:Two of the most courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started from this island. You are guided around the site, which is littered with remnants from the heroic era.East Spitsbergen:Heading east you meet the massive pack ice border. You are now off the beaten track in a wilderness virtually untouched by man. Here our odds of finding Polar Bears are the greatest, and you will keep a constant look-out on the bridge during your time in the ice.White Island:If conditions permit you land on this easternmost island of the archipelago and the place where Swedish balloonist Andrée perished in 1897. You visit the monuments commemorating the expedition and admire the huge ice cap crowning the island. The chances of reaching these eastern regions of Spitsbergen are better toward the end of the season.Storöya:This remote island is a real gem. It is a popular spot for Polar Bears, and Walrus lounge here in hundreds. When ice conditions are light you can land on this isolated island east of Nordaustlandet. Nordaustlandet:You cruise along a massive icecap stretching down to the sea where it forms a long glacier front intersected by hundreds of melt-waterfalls. This is a favorite area for seals, and where there are seals, there are bears…Hinlopen Strait:It is exciting sailing though this strait, an area of very heavy ice concentrations. The waters here are especially nutritious, which explains the large concentrations of sea birds. You visit a colony of 300 000 pairs of Guillemots.

Day 8: Homeward Bound

It is time to retrace your route to Longyearbyen. You make a last landing on Prins Karls Forland. In the evening you anchor in a sheltered bay to enjoy your Captain´s farewell dinner.

Day 9: Longyearbyen - Oslo

In the early morning you fly back to Oslo.