Spitsbergen: The European Arctic

The following is a sample itinerary.  Other itineraries include Greenland, the Fjords of Norway and other European Arctic destinations.

Natural Habitat Adventures provides a wide variety of departures on many different ships, each one chosen for its specific benefits. The pricing is different for each ship and each itinerary. Our Adventure Specialists have scouted these ships for many years and will guarantee that you receive the best advice for a ship and itinerary to meet your needs as well as the best pricing available.

Day 1: Oslo, Norway

Arrive in Oslo. On some departures an overnight in Olso is inlcuded.

Day 2: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

Fly to Longyearbyen, the most northerly town in the world, and board our ship. Spitsbergen is Dutch for “jagged mountains,” though Norway has administered it since 1925. The archipelago’s Old Norse name, Svalbard, means “cold edge.” Dutch seafarer William Barents documented the existence of Spitsbergen and its whales in 1596, sparking an international hunting frenzy that decimated the populations. Now protected, whales frequent these frigid waters, and we may see some as we sail from Isfjorden.

Day 3: Krossfjorden / Ny-Åalesund

In Zodiacs, we approach 14th of July Glacier, a hulking mass of fractured ice that creaks and groans as it sculpts its way to the sea. Translucent blue icebergs fl oat around us, and so may bearded seals. On the cliffs, colonies of thick-billed murres, blacklegged kittiwakes and Brunnich’s guillemots screech raucously. At Ny-Åalesund, a permanent research base, we see where Roald Amundsen’s Norge departed for its historic flight to the North Pole in 1926.

Day 4: Liefdefjorden

Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden we go ashore on Andoya. Common eiders nest here, and we might see the rarer king eider. Inside the fjord, we cruise near Monaco Glacier, a towering blue wall of ice. The waters in front of its face are a favored feeding spot for kittiwakes.

Day 5: Phippsoya

Today we reach our northernmost point at Phippsoya. At 81 degrees north latitude, we are just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. In the Land of the Midnight Sun, we drift amid the pack ice before turning south again.

Day 6: Laagoya / Sorg Fjord

Laagoya is a low island with a lagoon where a herd of walruses often congregates. At Sorg Fjord we may find more walruses, near graves of 17th-century whalers.

Day 7: Hinlopen Strait

Hinlopen Strait is home to bearded seals, ringed seals and polar bears. We navigate the ice floes in our Zodiacs to reach the cliffs of Alkefjellet, where thousands of guillemots and little auks nest. On the east side of the strait we attempt a landing on Nordauslandet, the second-largest island in Svalbard.

Day 8: Nordaustlandet

Here on the archipelago’s remote east edge, the silence is profound. This is an Arctic desert, and little life is present on the ice cap to break up the vast white quiet. Sailing south, we may spot Greenland whales.

Day 9: Barentsøya / Edgeøya

At Barentsøya, we go ashore in an area frequented by reindeer. On the beach at Edgeøya we find scattered whale bones and driftwood that have floated from Siberia. A climb up a narrow gully reveals thousands of nesting kittiwakes, guillemots and glaucous gulls. During breeding season the cliffs are patrolled by Arctic foxes and polar bears, waiting to feed on fledgling birds that fall from the ledges.

Day 10: Hornsund

We cruise through the spectacular Hornsund region, where serrated white peaks rise into the sky. There are 14 glaciers here and a good chance to encounter polar bears. We may visit a Polish research station for an overview of the scientists’ work.

Day 11: Ahlstrandhalvøya

On landing, we see beluga whale bones piled high, remains from a 19th-century slaughter, an impetus to ponder centuries of thoughtless exploitation. Small pods of white belugas may swim alongside us to Recherchefjorden this afternoon.

Day 12: Longyearbyen / Oslo / Home

Disembarking at Longyearbyen, we take a group flight to Oslo, where a farewell breakfast awaits before departing for flights home.

10-16 Days

2010 Dates & Fees

Akademik Sergey Vavilov: From $2,690
Jul 4-14
Jul 14-24
Jul 24-Aug 3
Aug 3-13

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Akademik Ioffe: From $2,690
Jun 14-21
Jun 21-28
Jun 28-Jul 8
Jul 8-22
Jul 22-Aug 4 (Spitsbergen, Eastern Greenland & Iceland)
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Akademik Shokalskiy: From $5,290
Jun 27-Jul 7
Jul 7-17
Jul 17-30 (Spitsbergen, Eastern Greenland & Iceland)
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National Geographic Explorer: From $7,260

Jun 18-28
Jun 25-Jul 5
Jul 2-12
Jul 9-19
Jul 16-26
Jul 23-Aug 2
Jul 30-Aug 9
Aug 6-16

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Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Fees may increase for 2011. Payment, cancellation and refund policies for Expedition Cruises vary according to the departure and ship chosen. At times, expedition cruise companies impose fuel surcharges prior to departures. Please book these trips knowing that may occur.

For an active Spitsbergen expedition, click here.