Between Glaciers and Bird Cliffs

Begin your Arctic adventure in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through this former mining town, visiting the fascinating Svalbard Museum and the local parish church. As the evening approaches, we set sail into the Isfjord, where you might spot your first minke whales. Spend the night on board our comfortable ship.

Start your day with a scenic drive through the side fjords of the breathtaking Hornsund region, marveling at the towering mountain peaks. Witness the majesty of the Hornsundtind Mountain and the 14 magnificent glaciers in the area. Keep an eye out for seals and polar bears, and observe thousands of pairs of kittiwakes and little auks nesting on the nearby cliffs of Sofiakammen. As evening falls, you may spot harp seals on the ice floes at Sørkapp. Overnight stay on board.

Today, we reach the southeastern end of Bear Island, a fantastic spot to observe large colonies of seabirds. With our Zodiacs, we'll cruise close to the colonies, mainly consisting of guillemots and kittiwakes. We then head northeast to Sorhamna, where you might get even closer to the seabird cliffs. Just north of Sorhamna, in Kvalrossbukta, you'll see the remains of a whaling station from the early 20th century. Overnight stay on board.

On our way to Hopen, keep your eyes peeled for harp seals in the sea ice. We land at the southern end of the island, in Koefoetodden, where you'll see the remains of 17th-century whaling installations. An easy path leads us to Kvasstoppen, where you can view the remnants of a World War II aircraft. We'll also visit the Hopen radio station, the furthest manned weather station in all of Spitsbergen. Overnight stay on board.

Today, we may encounter heavy sea ice in the Barents Stream. This is an excellent opportunity to spot polar bears, various species of seals, and seabirds. As we're surrounded only by the cracking of ice floes in the pack ice, you'll truly feel like you've arrived in the Arctic. Overnight stay on board.

As we drive along the west side of Tusenøyane, keep an eye out for polar bears and walruses as we approach Risetreppen. There's a colony of kittiwakes in this beautiful canyon. During a hike ashore, you may spot reindeer in the lush tundra. Overnight stay on board.

In Ardalstangen, we go ashore in an area teeming with lakes and various species of waterfowl. Nearby, in Habenichtbukta, we'll observe the wintering quarters of the 18th-century Pomor trappers from a distance. In the late afternoon, we may land on the south side of Russebukta, near a tundra with reindeer and excellent hiking opportunities. Overnight stay on board.

Today's destination is a landing at Stellingfjellet, near the largest guillemot colony in Spitsbergen. Later in the day, we'll land on the rarely visited coast of South Spitsbergen, in the bay of Isbukta. Overnight stay on board.

We continue our journey in Bellsund, one of Spitsbergen's largest fjord systems. This area is somewhat warmer than other areas of the archipelago due to the ocean currents. The fjord system offers fascinating geology and beautiful landscapes. Fridtjofhamna is home to the often calving Fridtjofbreen glacier, surrounded by beautiful peaks. We'll walk in the historical footsteps of hunters, whalers, and coal miners. Polar bears are occasionally found in Bellsund, and we'll try to track them down. Belugas also regularly visit the area. Overnight stay on board.

Our Arctic adventure comes to an end as we disembark in the morning. From here, you can continue your journey home or onwards, carrying with you the unforgettable memories of your time in Spitsbergen.