Jewels of the Arctic

This morning, ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Longyearbyen. Keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.

On arrival in Longyearbyen, join a guided excursion to explore the town. As you drive to Camp Barentz in Advent Valley, your guide will introduce you to Longyearbyen’s fascinating history. At Camp Barentz, enjoy a presentation inside a traditional lavvo and meet the resident huskies. There may also be an opportunity to pick up souvenirs. Back in town, visit the Svalbard Museum before heading to the pier for embarkation in the late afternoon.

Once on board, settle into your cabin, attend essential safety briefings, and experience the excitement of departure as you set sail.

Note: The excursion is subject to the arrival time of your charter flight to Longyearbyen.

Svalbard showcases Arctic wilderness at its finest. Your experienced Expedition Team, who have completed countless journeys to this region, will use their expertise to shape the itinerary, selecting the best options based on weather, sea ice conditions, and wildlife sightings.

Dramatic fjords, rugged mountain ranges, and fossil-rich polar deserts set the scene for legendary tales of early exploration. Watch walrus resting on sea ice or along the shoreline. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra dotted with brightly coloured wildflowers. Visit towering cliffs alive with nesting guillemots and puffins, and scree slopes home to Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies. The most unforgettable moments come from sightings of polar bears on the pack ice.

If you have booked an optional activity such as kayaking, you will have the chance to take part when conditions allow. For those keen to brave a polar plunge, listen for the announcement when the time is right—an exhilarating dip you will remember for years to come.

As you sail towards the coast of East Greenland, keep watch for whales feeding in the nutrient-rich northern waters. As the journey continues, expect to encounter more pack ice and perhaps spot seals alongside a variety of seabirds, including northern fulmars and Brünnich’s guillemots.

Strong, icy currents have kept East Greenland isolated from the Polar Basin, drawing an abundance of fish, seals, and whales. The region’s unique climate and dense ice often create thick morning fog, which gradually lifts under the midday sun. Throughout the voyage, your experts will share insights into the region’s wildlife, ice formations, and the legendary tales of early explorers.

The approach to Jan Mayen is truly impressive, with the towering 2,277-metre (7,470-foot) Beerenberg volcano dominating the skyline. As the northernmost active volcano in the world, its last eruption was in 1985. The island’s northern waters are an excellent place to spot whales and dolphins, while its dramatic glaciers, some extending to the sea, add to the striking landscape.

If weather conditions allow, you will have the opportunity to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This landing site is occasionally used to supply the remote weather station of Olonkinbyen, located on the island’s eastern side.

Over the coming days, a wide range of exploration options await you. Depending on weather and ice conditions, the east coast of Greenland is yours to explore. Your experienced Expedition Team, who have made numerous journeys to this region, will use their expertise to tailor the itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This flexibility allows you to make the most of the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife encounters. You can generally expect up to two landings or Zodiac excursions each day, including cruising along stunning ice cliffs or following whales feeding near the surface.

Prepare for plenty of ice! East Greenland boasts some of the most striking Arctic landscapes. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by towering ice-covered peaks reaching up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), and glaciers calving gigantic icebergs that drift through the fjords, create truly breath-taking views.

The tundra here is home to musk oxen, arctic hare, and reindeer. Throughout the region, you'll find ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers' huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. One of the highlights is visiting Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost and most isolated permanent Inuit settlement in the area, with around 450 residents. The village has a fantastic museum, a gift shop, and plenty of Greenlandic sled dogs, offering you a chance to meet the friendly locals.

Explore Scoresbysund, the world's largest fjord and a traditional hunting ground for the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of countless stunning Greenlandic icebergs. It’s a place that must be seen to be believed. Further north, you’ll find Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of Greenland’s most significant fjord systems, each with several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to fertile volcanic soil and mountains protecting the area from harsh winds, this region teems with wildlife. You may spot musk oxen, arctic foxes, mountain hares, and even reindeer near the fjords. Look to the sky, and you could see birds such as glaucous gulls, black-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmars, common ravens, and common eiders.

You will attempt to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and seldom-visited fjord system in the Northeast Greenland National Park, offering countless exploration opportunities. You also hope to cruise through Kong Oskar Fjord, marvelling at the geological beauty of the surrounding mountains, before heading south along Liverpool Land, depending on ice conditions.

You will stretch your legs on tundra hikes in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages once inhabited by Inuit over 3,000 years ago. Along the way, you may spot musk oxen, arctic hare, and reindeer grazing. The area’s maze of calm, interconnected waterways provides excellent sea kayaking opportunities, where you might encounter ringed seals, glimpse an elusive narwhal, or even spot a polar bear hunting on pack ice.