Arctic Group Adventure Trips and Tours
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Land of the Ice Bears: An In-Depth Exploration of Arctic Svalbard
Experience nature in its purest form in the High Arctic. A remote archipelago situated just over 600 miles from the North Pole, Svalbard is a place of deep fjords, mountains and massive sheets of ice. During summer, when the sun never sets, the tundra experiences a warm awakening as wildflowers carpet the earth, walrus raise their sleepy heads to observe you, and fjords ring with the thunderous sound of glacial ice crashing to the sea. This voyage is undertaken in the spirit of discovery, and nature is full of wonderful surprises. The pace is unhurried and your options are many, so the day-by-day itinerary below is a thoughtfully considered framework.
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Itinerary
Day 1: Fly Overnight to Oslo
Fly from Newark to Oslo on an overnight flight aboard SAS Scandinavian Airlines.Day 2: Oslo, Norway/Continental Hotel
Arrive in Oslo and check in to the Continental Hotel. For the remaining part of the morning you can rest in your comfortable hotel room. Highlights of an afternoon tour include a stroll among the famed Vigeland sculptures set in park lands and a visit to the Polar Ship Fram Museum, with its excellent exhibits on the history of Arctic exploration. This evening try one of the harbor restaurants or turn in early.Day 3: Oslo/Longyearbyen/Embark Ship
Depart Oslo on your private charter flight over beautiful vistas to Longyearbyen. Embark National Geographic Endeavour.Days 4-9: Exploring Svalbard
Your travel in the archipelago is truly exploratory by design. This is as far north as it is possible to travel without an icebreaker, and youÂll experience the legendary midnight sun. With your fully stabilized ice-class expedition ship, you are able to probe the ice in search of wildlife, and your exact day-to-day movements will remain flexible, depending on local conditions.Your main focus is the search for SvalbardÂs amazing wildlife: polar bear, reindeer and walrus. Observe seals and arctic foxes and search for the very symbol of the Arctic  majestic polar bears. At any time an announcement may be made that a polar bear has been spotted. This is a call for everyone to come on deck to observe these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Often they are on the pack ice searching for a meal, but a few times each season you find a bear which has recently caught a seal.Cruising in SvalbardÂs fjords, venture to the foot of stunning tidewater glaciers. You take your Zodiacs and kayaks to cruise among beautiful icebergs, and experience the geology, wildlife and wildflowers that give color and vitality to the High Arctic.Day 10: Longyearbyen/Disembark/Oslo
Disembark the National Geographic Endeavour in Longyearbyen and explore on your own before you fly to Oslo. Overnight in the Radisson SAS Airport Hotel.Day 11: Oslo/Home City
After breakfast, proceed to the airport for your return flights home or continue on to other adventures.Trip Details
| Ship | National Geographic Endeavour |
| Highlights | Polar bears, stunning tidewater glacier, abundant wildlife, comfortable expedition ship, excellent guides |
| Trip Notes | Travel with National Geographic Photographers: Michael Melford (Jun 4, 11), Flip Nicklin (Jun 18, 25), Ralph Hopkins (Jul 2)The photo team can enhance everyone's voyage with useful tips for improving your travel and wildlife images, strategies for being in the right place at the right time, and time-saving hints for editing and storing digital images. Whether expert or interested beginner, you'll find added benefits such as walks ashore and Zodiac cruises dedicated to photography, presentations on the creative and technical aspects of photography, and one-on-one mentoring and coaching in the field.About Michael MelfordNational Geographic photographer Michael Melford has produced over 30 stories for National Geographic Traveler Magazine, including 8 covers. He has been on assignment the past five years celebrating the marvels of our National Parks and working to preserve their beauty.About Flip NicklinFlip Nicklin is regarded as one of the world's leading photographers of whales. Of the more than 20 articles Flip has photographed for National Geographic magazine, five were shot in the Arctic, including "Polar Bears, Stalkers of the High Arctic" published in January 1998. About Ralph Lee HopkinsLindblad Photo Director Ralph Lee Hopkins' wildlife images have appeared in National Geographic's books, magazines and online galleries.Included:Charter flight Oslo/Longyearbyen/Oslo; ship and hotel accommodations; meals on board National Geographic Endeavour.Not Included:Round-trip airfare from Newark/Oslo; Meals in Oslo; travel insurance; visa and passport expenses; gratuities are left to the discretion of the passenger; items of a personal nature; fuel surcharge ($10 per person per night). |
| Payment Policy | The deposit amount required to confirm your reservation varies by itinerary (see trip brochure). Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.** Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure for the following sailings: 1/5/2009, 1/16/2009, 1/27/2009.Payment MethodsCredit cards are accepted for both deposit and final payments (VISA, MC, AMEX, Discover). |
When can I go?
| Start Date | Finish Date | Places Available |
| 2008-07-02 | 2008-07-12 | + |
Trip Price |
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| USD | 6590.00 |
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