Norwegian Discovery: Svalbard & the Northern Fjords

Arrive in Tromso, the largest city in the Scandinavian Arctic, with just under 80,000 residents. A transfer is included from the airport to our meeting point in the city. If your timing allows, you may wish to explore some of the city’s highlights on your own. A vibrant university town, Tromso is a major cultural hub in North Norway, drawing visitors to an array of festivals each summer celebrating everything from Viking heritage to jazz. The city's historic center is known for its centuries-old wooden houses, the oldest dating to 1789. A more contemporary architectural landmark is the Arctic Cathedral, built in 1965. Its modernist profile, which evokes an iceberg with its distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained glass windows, dominates the skyline today. The Polar Museum, located in the former Customs House on the quayside, tells the stories of the many polar seafaring expeditions that have departed from Tromso, including journeys by legendary explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. This afternoon, transfer to the pier to embark the ship.

Sailing north, our ship weaves its way through the maze of channels, inlets and islands that fracture the coastline of Troms and Finnmark, Norway’s northernmost counties. Here, we are on the outer edge of continental Europe, immersed in a landscape as dramatic as any on Earth. Mountainous islands rise from the deep-blue ocean, and steep-walled fjords bring the saltwater far inland. Although we are several hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle here, the climate is surprisingly temperate due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream. Our first destination is Senja, Norway’s second-largest island after Svalbard. The landscape here looks like something out of a fantasy novel, with sheer vertical peaks rearing toward the sky and sandy beaches edging clear turquoise seas at the island’s base. Explore up close by kayak, and step ashore to wander village streets. Farther on is the mountainous island of Sørøya, known for its scenic bays, pristine nature reserves and large populations of skrei, or cod. Intensely green in summer, it holds some 1,200 freshwater lakes and offers outstanding hiking.

In the open waters where the Barents Sea meets the Norwegian Sea, we reach Bear Island, the southernmost island in the Svalbard archipelago. Its documented history begins in 1596, when Dutch explorer Willem Barents first sighted the island. Since 2002, it has been protected in its entirety as a nature reserve. Bear Island is uninhabited except for a manned weather station, though past centuries saw efforts to develop commercial enterprises such as coal mining, fishing, walrus hunting and whaling. Contrary to its name, you won't find bears here, though some polar bears do arrive for a temporary visit once the pack ice freezes. The only indigenous land mammals on the island are a few Arctic foxes, though birdlife abounds.

At the southernmost tip of the island, vertical cliffs rise in angular columns from the sea. Perched on narrow ledges on the rock faces are some of the largest seabird colonies in Europe, earning Bear Island status as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The Norwegian Polar Institute conducts annual expeditions here for ornithological research, and we get our own close-up view via Zodiac, listening to the squawk of tens of thousands of northern fulmars, black-legged kittiwakes, little auks, guillemots and gulls. The island is often shrouded in mist, making for an evocative experience of the senses.

Spend six days exploring the wonders of Svalbard, Norway's most northerly terrain. This island group lies well north of the Arctic Circle, between 74° and 81° north latitude, where the midnight sun never sets in summer. In true expeditionary fashion, we let nature dictate our day-to-day movements. Our flexible itinerary allows us to take the best advantage of ice and weather conditions in pursuit of Svalbard's abundant wildlife. Head up to the bridge to join our spotters, scanning the ice and islands for huge walrus, bearded and ringed seals, Arctic foxes, reindeer, whales, and, of course, polar bears. Our fully stabilized ice-class expedition ship probes deep into the pack ice where they hunt. Svalbard is one of the best places on Earth to see them in their native sea ice habitat, and our team of naturalists does all it can to provide sightings, though regulations require that we maintain a strict distance.

Cruising in Svalbard's sheltered bays and dramatic fjords, our small ship comes close to the face of tidewater glaciers, and we wait for the telltale rumble and crack that signals an explosive calving. Excursions get us off the ship and immersed in Arctic nature daily. In spring, conditions may permit us to set foot on the frozen ice directly off the ship. Cruising by Zodiac may offer close-up views of seals floating by on rafts of ice. And even first-time kayakers can paddle in a quiet cove surrounded by glittering icebergs. Back on board, view underwater video from the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) that gives a glimpse into the mysterious world that exists a thousand feet below the surface. And spend time on deck with a National Geographic-certified photographer for tips on getting coveted shots of this magnificent landscape and its wild inhabitants.

Returning to civilization, our ship arrives in Longyearbyen this morning, where we disembark after breakfast. Located on the island of Spitsbergen, which is the largest in the Svalbard archipelago, Longyearbyen is the administrative center and largest settlement in Svalbard, with about 2,100 residents. From the pier, transfer to the airport to board our flight to Oslo, then transfer to our hotel in Norway's lively, sophisticated coastal capital.

Our adventure concludes in Oslo this morning, with a transfer to the airport included to meet homeward flights. Time permitting, you may wish to explore some of the city on your own beforehand. Highlights include the famed Vigeland sculptures—hundreds of life-size human figures set in rolling parkland, and the Fram Museum, named for the restored 19th-century ship on display and dedicated to Norwegian polar explorers Fritjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen.