This comprehensive voyage starts in Longyearbyen in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and finishes in Reykjavík, Iceland. In Svalbard we experience the stark beauty of Spitsbergen’s mountainous northwestern coast while searching for polar bears, marine mammals, and other quintessential Arctic wildlife.
We continue to East Greenland for a rare opportunity to explore part of the vast and unspoiled Northeast Greenland National Park. Then, in stunning Scoresby Sund, we discover incredible scenery, enormous icebergs, historical sites, a modern Inuit village, and a wonderful setting for northern lights.
Welcome to Oslo, which in 2019 was awarded the prestigious title “Green Capital of Europe”. We’ve arranged a comfortable stay for you at an Oslo Airport hotel so that you’re conveniently close for your flight to Longyearbyen on Day 2.
If you’re adventurous and have the time, take the handy airport train into central Oslo – it’s a 20-minute ride and trains depart and arrive frequently during the day. Near Oslo Central Station are shops, cafes, the Botanical Garden, cultural attractions and the attractive waterfront area.
Welcome to Oslo, which in 2019 was awarded the prestigious title “Green Capital of Europe”. We’ve arranged a comfortable stay for you at an Oslo Airport hotel so that you’re conveniently close for your flight to Longyearbyen on Day 2.
If you’re adventurous and have the time, take the handy airport train into central Oslo – it’s a 20-minute ride and trains depart and arrive frequently during the day. Near Oslo Central Station are shops, cafes, the Botanical Garden, cultural attractions and the attractive waterfront area.
Welcome to Oslo, which in 2019 was awarded the prestigious title “Green Capital of Europe”. We’ve arranged a comfortable stay for you at an Oslo Airport hotel so that you’re conveniently close for your flight to Longyearbyen on Day 2.
If you’re adventurous and have the time, take the handy airport train into central Oslo – it’s a 20-minute ride and trains depart and arrive frequently during the day. Near Oslo Central Station are shops, cafes, the Botanical Garden, cultural attractions and the attractive waterfront area.
From Svalbard we head southwest across the Greenland Sea toward East Greenland. In these far northern latitudes it is possible to encounter sea ice any time of the year. All along the way we remain vigilant for sightings of marine mammals such as whales, seals, and the majestic polar bear. As we head south, darker nights create a high possibility of seeing aurora borealis.
This is expedition cruising at its most authentic. Our itinerary and exploration opportunities in East Greenland are dependent on weather and sea ice conditions. Again you can be sure that our experienced captain and expedition leader will take advantage of every opportunity to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to go ashore wherever possible.
The Franz Josef Fjord and Kong Oscar Fjord systems are part of Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park. Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world. We anticipate exploring these fjord systems to the extent made possible by ever-changing ice conditions.
This whole area contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by ice-clad peaks up to 2000 meters high, reach far into the mountainous heart of Greenland. Tidewater glaciers create colossal icebergs that float with wind and tide throughout the fjord system. On shore, fields of multicolored tundra are home to musk oxen and Arctic hare. The landscape—vast, open, and seemingly untouched since the beginning of time—is a hikers’ paradise. Throughout this area we also find ancient Thule archeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and modern Inuit hunters’ cabins.
The Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit is the only permanent settlement in the region. The community boasts an excellent museum, a gift shop, a post office, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and of course the opportunity to meet Inuit people.
After our amazing time in East Greenland we cross Denmark Strait toward Iceland, crossing the Arctic Circle on the way. Presentations and workshops by our expert staff, as well as our range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks as well as exterior stateroom windows and balconies.
Our last expedition day is spent in the beautiful Vestfirðir (Westfjords) of Iceland. This remote and sparsely populated region of crenulated coastlines, voluminous waterfalls and rugged mountains sees only 10% of Iceland’s visitors. Deep fjords are home to whales while estuaries abound with seals and birdlife.
After breakfast we say farewell in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland and ending point of our expedition. We provide a transfer to the airport or to the city center if you wish to spend another day or more in Iceland before flying home.
Reykjavík is home to a wealth of cultural institutions such as museums, galleries, and the Hallgrímskirkja church. Leisure possibilities inside the city include parks, gardens, and thermal baths. You can also take advantage of Reykjavík’s wide range of shopping possibilities, excellent dining options, and famous nightlife. And of course the entire country of Iceland is accessible through day tours or longer journeys by rental car. The options for additional adventures are endless!
My voyage was great. All of the logistics worked out perfectly, right down to the correct size of allocated wellington boots!
I enjoyed Spitsbergen. The wildlife was like nothing I have ever seen before (polar bear, puffins, reindeer, birdlife). I still get a thrill every time we cruise around in Zodiacs and the glaciers were quite spectacular. Looking back at my photo’s reminds me of how astonishing the scenery is in Spitsbergen. The crew were great, and it was nice to meet up again with some familiar faces on board.
June 23, 2018
My trip in June to Svalbard was one of the high spots of my life. I am a wildlife devotee and green supporter so for years I have had a huge conflict about pursuing the former without transgressing the latter too much. Somehow, this cruise felt right – Ice Tracks and the entire ship’s crew are really conscientious about their environmental impact and told us about it – very reassuring. I loved the zodiac trips out right up to huge glaciers – one of which we saw calving – and onto the land where we trekked and got a real sense of the presence of polar bears – their tracks and where they’s scrambled out of the water onto the snow. We saw all 3 land mammals of the Arctic – wonderful birds including King Eiders – a bird high up on all birders’ ‘must see’ list, and whales including a Beluga with two calves, swimming so close to us!
I was travelling on my own – but everyone was very sociable and I was never on my own for long. The on board staff were always kind, helpful and hugely knowledgeable. A brilliant trip.
June 20, 2018
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |