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Dates & Prices | Special Offers | Contact Us
info@ice-tracks.com

Best of Svalbard

0
12 Days / 11 Nights
Availability : Jul
Edinburgh
Scotland

Circu

OverviewMap/ItineraryDates & PricesPhotosReviewsContact Us
Overview

This remarkable expedition departs from the far northern settlement of Longyearbyen on the Norwegian Arctic island of Spitsbergen in the famed Svalbard archipelago. We explore the island’s northwestern coast, home to dramatic mountain scenery, tidewater glaciers, and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities.

On this voyage we also venture to the jumbled edge of the north-polar ice cap in search of polar bears stalking their prey. Here, at the dynamic boundary between implacable ice and bountiful sea, we have a rare opportunity to experience raw nature and incredible events hardly ever seen.

Map
itinerary

Day 1Arrival to Oslo

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.

Day 2Embarkation Day

Today you have a flight to Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard and starting point of our Arctic expedition! At the Longyearbyen airport, you will be greeted by our staff and transferred to the pier where we will warmly welcome you aboard the deluxe expedition vessel M/V Sea Spirit. Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the extraordinary adventure to come. Once underway, a full schedule of events kicks off with informative briefings and introductions from your expedition staff. After the first of many delicious dinners on board, step out onto the open decks to admire the gorgeous scenery in endless evening light as we pass through the wildlife-rich waters of Isfjorden, one of the largest fjords in Svalbard.

Day 3-11Svalbard & Polar Ice Edge

The goal for this voyage is a circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Along the way, we hope to experience the many facets of this incredible High Arctic territory. Our exact schedule and route will be shaped by weather and ice. During this mid-summer voyage, we hope ice conditions will be favorable for a circumnavigation, though we expect there will still be plenty of sea ice around to support ice-dependent animals such as polar bears and walrus. In addition to seeing Spitsbergen from every angle, this itinerary offers the appealing possibility of setting foot on all four of Svalbard’s main islands.

The first of many pristine natural areas on this itinerary is South Spitsbergen National Park, a vast region of varied landscapes including polar deserts and impassible mountain ranges. The centerpiece of this park is Hornsund, a picture-perfect fjord where countless mighty glaciers cascade from soaring mountaintops into icy inlets. The park also includes the southern shores of Bellsund, a picturesque bay where we find the remains of historical whaling operations, including cabins, wooden boats and thousands of whale bones—a scene from the distant past, literally frozen in time. Throughout the park, there is always a high probability of wildlife sightings. There are also plenty of possibilities for world-class hiking through wild polar landscapes with fascinating geology. Wildflowers are especially abundant during this time.

Next along our route is the wildlife-rich Southeast Svalbard Nature Reserve, a pristine and rarely visited wilderness containing hundreds of uninhabited islands. On the large islands of Edgeøya and Barentsøya, we discover broad tundra valleys supporting the territory’s densest population of endemic Svalbard reindeer. We may see newborn reindeer calves at this time of year. The valleys are also important breeding areas for ground-nesting birds such a geese, eiders and sandpipers. Arctic foxes prowl the vast landscape, seeking to provide food for their growing cubs. Shallow, murky seas are ideal feeding grounds for walrus, which can be seen resting in large numbers on gently sloping beaches. Historical sites throughout the islands provide glimpses into the region’s bygone era of trapping and hunting.

During this voyage, we expect to encounter the densest concentrations of sea ice in the enormous Northwest Svalbard Nature Reserve. In this remote and isolated region, ice can persist very late into the summer, giving it a truly polar character. This reserve covers the rugged northwestern parts of Spitsbergen and the entirety of Nordaustlandet, the second largest island in Svalbard. Here we find the massive Austfonna ice cap, part of which meets the sea along the 45-kilometer ice cliff known as Bråsvellbreen—one of the great wonders of the Arctic world. The polar desert environment supports little in the way of vegetation but hosts prodigious numbers of seabirds at breeding sites such as the spectacular sea cliffs of Alkefjellet. The probability of encountering polar bears and walrus in this icy wilderness is very high.

At this time of year, the edge of the polar pack ice will likely be close to Nordaustlandet. We hope to sail along this dynamic boundary between sea and ice, where we have an unparalleled opportunity to witness the dramatic interplay between polar bears and seals. We will take the ship as close as safely possible to the jumbled and constantly shifting ice floes in the hope of observing polar bears in their preferred habitat.

Finally, we reach Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, the crown jewel of Svalbard’s scenic wonders. Here we find deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain ranges and immense tidewater glaciers calving icebergs into turquoise waters. During our voyage, the seabird breeding season is in full swing and the skies are filled with millions of murres, guillemots and little auks. This is also a great time to encounter marine mammals, including beluga whales and various Arctic seals. Set among this incredible scenery and wildlife activity, we also find evidence of Svalbard’s earliest sealers and whalers.

Human habitation along our route can be found at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town and airship base that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world’s most northerly settlements where we find a museum, gift shop and post office.

The ambitious Svalbard and Polar Ice Edge route offers a comprehensive view of the Arctic’s many faces. Every day offers something new and exciting. We will not miss a single opportunity to encounter amazing Arctic wildlife, to witness incredible polar scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of historic expeditions that came before.

Day 12Disembarkation in Longyearbyen, Svalbard

After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, we bid you farewell in Longyearbyen and provide transfers. By this time, you may already be making plans for your next amazing trip with us into the polar worlds!

Dates & Prices
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Price Includes
    • 1 pre-voyage hotel night;
    • Flight Longyearbyen – Oslo on the day of disembarkation;
    • Group transfer to the ship on day of embarkation
    • Shipboard accommodation;
    • All meals on board throughout the voyage;
    • Tea and coffee station 24 hours daily;
    • All scheduled landings/excursions (subject to weather and ice conditions);
    • Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader & Expedition Team;
    • Branded Poseidon Expeditions parka;
    • Rubber boots for shore landings for the time of the cruise;
    • Welcome and Farewell cocktails;
    • All port fees;
    • Group transfer upon disembarkation;
    • Pre-departure materials;
    • Digital Voyage Log;
    • Wi-Fi on board.
    •  
Price Excludes

Airfare;

Visa and passport fees (if applicable);

Luggage and trip cancellation insurance;

Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages other than those for special events and celebrations;

Fuel surcharge may be applied for all bookings;

Personal expenses such as laundry and telecommunication charges;

Mandatory Emergency Evacuation Insurance to a minimum benefit of US$ 200,000 per person;

The cost of any applicable medical tests (such as COVID-19) or vaccinations required either by a national government or Poseidon Expeditions before, during or after the cruise;

Staff gratuities.

 

Photos
Reviews
“

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

Steven Briers – South Africa
“

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

Hoonie Feltham
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