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Remote Arctic Wonders

A 21 day small ship expedition of Svalbard, Greenland and the Norway coast

Discover remote arctic landscapes, cruise icy fjords and be one of the few people to have visited the remote Jan Mayen Island, all this and so much more on this exhilarating expedition cruise. Sail from the narrow sheltered waterways of Spitsbergen to the wildlife rich lands of East Greenland, where the world’s largest national park and fjord system awaits your arrival. With stops at the remote Jan mayen Island and majestic Lofoten Islands to top everything off, this is truly a cruise that is not to be missed.

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WHAT, WHERE & WHEN

Day 1 Longyearbyen

Arrive in Longyearbyen, where you will be met by a guide and taken on a sightseeing tour to explore the remote outskirts and ‘Capital’ of Spitsbergen, including a stop at the local museum. After the tour, you will be transferred to the port in the late afternoon to embark the Greg Mortimer. Your voyage commences, cruising out of the beautiful Isfjorden, find a spot on one of the observation areas watching for an escort of seabirds, including graceful ivory gulls, kittiwakes and guillemots.

Staying at: AE Expeditions Greg Mortimer

Day 2 West Coast of Spitsbergen

Explore your home for next few weeks as you cruise northwards along the west coast of Spitsbergen, stopping at intriguing places like Kongsfjorden or Magdalenefjorden. Kongsfjorden (Kings Bay) is incredibly scenic, the fjord is headed by two giant glaciers. There’s ample time ashore for hiking on the lush tundra amongst the summer flowers and observing the remarkable bird cliffs near the 14th July Glacier, where even a few puffins nest between the cracks in the cliffs. Your guides will keep watch and point out polar bears and Arctic fox should they come near and feel a sense of history at the 350-year-old remains of a Dutch whaling settlement, Smeerenberg on Amsterdamøya. The name Smeerenberg literally means blubber town in Dutch, it is a place of extraordinary legends.

Day 3 West Coast of Spitsbergen

Continue cruising the fascinating coastline of Spitsbergen

Day 4 Greenland sea

As you cruise southwest across the Greenland Sea – the main outlet of the Arctic Ocean – the ship may encounter pack ice where, and if we are lucky you may see polar bears hunting for prey. The strong icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals and whales. The onboard experts will inform and entertain you with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice, and early explorers like Nansen, Andree and Scoresby. Conditions permitting, expeditioners may have the opportunity to make their first landing on the Greenland coast. This stretch of coastline is ripe for exploration, with its many secrets locked in place by drift ice for up to eight months each year. Home to polar bear, snowy owl and musk ox, it's the world's largest national park, covering 972,000 square kilometres; most of which is inland ice and the rest a composite fjord landscape.

Day 5 Greenland Sea

Continue your journey across the Greenland sea

Day 6 East Coast of Greenland

As you approach the East Coast of Greenland, the ship will undoubtedly encounter some of the sea ice that streams down the coast from the north. The crew will keep a sharp eye out for polar bears who frequent the drifting ice. Weather and sea ice conditions permitting you may enter Northeast Greenland National Park as far north as Dove Bay, a beautiful, remote and seldom visited location along the coast.

Day 7 East Coast of Greenland

The captain will attempt to enter Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely-visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration that lies within the North East Greenland National Park. Cruising through Kong Oskar Fjord you will marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. Finally, you will then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with the passage dependent on ice conditions. The aim is to reach Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers dump into this fjord, the birthplace of the famous big Greenland icebergs.

Day 8 East Coast of Greenland

There maybe the opportunity to visit the remote Inuit community of Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresby Town) and to hike across the tundra. This area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking in its maze of calm, interconnecting waterways. If you are lucky you may see musk oxen, Arctic hare and seals, and maybe if you are extremely lucky even a polar bear or narwhal. Other landings along the coast may include: Cape Humboldt, a beautiful bay on Ymer Island where a lone trapper's hut looks over the bay and the magnificent icebergs.

Day 9 East Coast of Greenland

Sefstrom Glacier fans out and blocks nearly half of the rugged Alpefjord. Zodiac access allows you to observe the dynamics of a glacier face and to cruise the beautiful hanging gardens with Arctic flora growing in the autumn light. Ittoqqortoormiit is Scoresbysund’s colourful Inuit community of approximately 500 people. You are free to explore the village, the fascinating museum or sit quietly in the beautiful Lutheran Church. The people are friendly, and the young children vie for your attention from underneath their Arctic seal skin and fox-fur jackets.

Day 10 East Coast of Greenland

Sydkap in Scoresbysund offers good walking and delightful views across the sound.Røde Ø (Red Island) has one of the best iceberg cruises you can find at either pole. Cruise among the beautifully carved blue icebergs with the fantastic contrasting red island as a background.

Day 11 East Coast of Greenland

With so much to explore, where will your adventures take you today?

Day 12 East Coast of Greenland

Your final day cruising down the coastline of this fascinating country

Day 13 At Sea

Spend the next day at sea, crossing to Jan Mayen Island. The onboard experts will offer informative and entertaining talks and presentations about Arctic exploration and to prepare you for your visit to Jan Mayen, one of the world’s most remote and fascinating volcanic islands. You may wish to enjoy a remedial massage in the wellness centre, soak in the hot tub, or organise your photos freeing space on your memory card for the coming days.

Day 14 Jan Mayen

The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular. The huge volcano (2277m altitude) is the world’s northernmost active volcano, and last erupted in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins, and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather is friendly, the captain will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This is one of the landings used to supply the weather station Olonkinbyen, situated on the eastern side of the island. If conditions allows, you will have the opportunity to walk from Kvalrossbukta to Olonkinbyen (approximately three hours walk to visit the station). There you will find the Zodiacs waiting at a small bay to transport the group back to the ship.

Day 15 At sea

As you continue your voyage east, sailing to the Norwegian coast the expedition team will share their knowledge of Norwegian maritime history and fascinating Norse culture through informative talks and lectures.

Day 16 Norwegian Coast

Lofoten is a Norwegian archipelago known for its dramatic scenery, with mountain peaks such as the Svolværgeita rising from the sea and reaching up into the sky. The archipelago offers superb opportunities for kayaking excursions through the fjords to spot seals, sea eagles and even whales.

Day 17 Norwegian Coast

Leknes and Svolvær are the two main ports - wildly beautiful places of marsh and rock, green fields and still lakes, dramatic mountains and white sandy beaches by crystal-clear seas. Lofoten is dotted with picturesque villages and fish-drying racks, as stockfish-dried cod has been the main export since the Middle Ages. Learn about Norway’s oldest export produce at the Lofoten Stockfish Museum, enjoy a Zodiac cruise through spectacular Trollfjord, a two kilometre-long, 100-metre-wide gorge with steep mountains of up to 1000 metres surrounding the fjord, perhaps visit Norway’s oldest and best-preserved fishing village at Nusfjord.

Day 18 Norwegian Coast

Sailing south, you may stop at Reine, one of the most picturesque fishing villages in Lofoten, with red and white fishermen’s huts dotting the shoreline surrounded by soaring granite peaks rising out of Reinefjorden. Further south, you may land at Torget Island to inspect the bizarre rock formation - Torghatten, a legendary hole in the mountain supposedly created by a troll's arrow.

Day 19 Norwegian Coast

En route to Bergen, you may also visit the charming fishing village of Sor-Gjaeslingan. The Norwegian coastline provides an abundance of interesting and picturesque landing sites, that you are truly spoilt for choice.

Day 20 Norwegian Coast

Spend you final full day possibly exploring the fjords of the spectacular Norwegian coastline

Day 21 Bergen

Disembark in historic Bergen, located in the heart of the Fjord Norway region on the southwest coast. It’s the country’s second-largest city and is surrounded by mountains and fjords including Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest. Bergen is also rated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and is therefore an ideal place to relax after your voyage. Bid a fond farewell to your fellow expeditioners as we all continue our onward journeys. Your voyage includes a transfer to Bergen airport

BUDGET

From £9140 per person, based on 2 persons sharing an Aurora stateroom on a full board basis

This roughly converts to: 10,511 EUR | 11,973 USD

Remember that each trip we craft is unique, and you'll receive a personalised trip proposal based on your travel dates and preferences, and in the currency of your choice (GBP, USD, or EUR).

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Additional Info

DATES

This trip has fixed departure dates

Many of trips can be tailored to your requirements and departure dates. Please get in touch with us for a tailored quotation and details of availability for your preferred travel dates. All trips and departures are subject to availability.

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IDEAL TRIP LENGTH:

20 nights

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