Arctic Cruise - Spitsbergen - Stockholm

Itinerary

Day 1: Oslo – Longyearbyen

Group flight from Oslo in the evening. Arrive in Longyearbyen at midnight. Transfer to Basecamp Spitsbergen Hotel, a unique hotel furnished as a traditional hunter´s cabin with driftwood, slate stone and furs.

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 Origo 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 wildlife 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 may 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 the 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.Storöya This remote island is a real gem and our favourite. 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. Please, read this itinerary as a guide only; your exact route and program will vary depending on ice and weather conditions--and the wildlife you encounter. Flexibility is the key to a successful expedition.