Spitsbergen is the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, and on this voyage we’ll attempt a circumnavigation of the island. Lying entirely within the Arctic Circle, Spitsbergen is rugged, wild, unspoiled—utterly unforgettable. When it comes to viewing arctic wildlife, Spitsbergen is known as one of the most prolific destinations.
The island and surrounding area offers one of the best opportunities to view polar bears, and with luck you’ll be able to see the world’s largest carnivores in their natural habitat. Walrus populations love Spitsbergen as well, feeding in the food-rich icy waters around the island. Whales and seabirds will also entertain you during the sailing portions of the expedition, and you may catch a sighting of reindeer or fox when taking Zodiac excursions to shore.
This is an example itinerary. Please contact us for the specific details of each itinerary, depending on the departure date and duration.
Depending on the departure date of your voyage and the vessel, your adventure begins in Longyearbyen or in Oslo.
Longyearbyen is Spitsbergen’s largest settlement, where you’ll have some time to explore before embarkation. As your ship sets sail, enjoy your first view of the island’s rugged, glacier-topped mountains rising majestically from icy waters.
If your voyage starts in Oslo, you will spend the night in Radisson Blu Oslo Airport hotel, in preparation for your flight to Longyearbyen the following day.
If your voyage starts in Oslo, today you will fly to Longyearbyen and afterwards embark your vessel.
Expect a new adventure every day as we begin our circumnavigation by heading north and around the island of Spitsbergen, exploring smaller, outlying islands. The variety of incredible wildlife and geological formations found here is astounding. We plan to circumnavigate the island of Spitsbergen, but if conditions are favorable, we will also attempt a circumnavigation of the whole Svalbard archipelago. Every expedition will be different, depending on the weather and ice, but we do hope to visit a few of our favorite landing sites, including the 14th of July Glacier, Ny London, Phippsøya, Alkefjellet and the seldom-visited Kvitøya.
The names may seem strange to you, but each has its own unique appeal. For birders, the 14th of July Glacier is home to purple sandpipers, common eiders, barnacle geese and arctic terns, while Alkefjellet is home to nesting Brünnich’s guillemots (thick-billed murres).
If you’re looking for confirmation that reindeer are real, then you’ll want to have your camera ready for visits to sites like Ny London, Sundneset and Alkhornet. As for the largest land carnivore in the world, searching for polar bears is a constant activity for our Expedition Team. Phippsøya and Isbukta are two of the bears’ preferred places for hunting, which translates into great potential for you to capture them in action.
A big part of appreciating Spitsbergen comes from understanding the culture—not just how people live today, but also how this land was first explored. Whaling was a key industry, and you will see old blubber ovens from the 16th century, plus other evidence of whaling at landing sites such as Smeerenburg. Colorful tundra meadows are complemented by glaciers, and sometimes there is a rare chance to spot beluga whales.
Your adventure ends in Oslo. From here, it is time to take your flight home.
Thank you for helping me have such a magical holiday, I have to pinch myself that I really did experience the wonderful, pristine environment of the Arctic led by Angie. I’m so glad I was persuaded to put my hand up to joined this escorted expedition. Thank you again and all the crew and staff for this trip of a lifetime
June 27, 2019
From start to finish, Ice Tracks and Angie Butler made sure that my father and I were looked after as if we were family. The trip was amazing with kayaking in the midnight sun amongst seals and walruses the die-for memory. We also saw polar bears, whales (including 2 blue whales) and millions of birds (principally guillemots, Arctic terns and Eider duck). Everyday, there were activities like kayaking, Zodiak (inflatable speedboats) cruising and walking. I even braved the Arctic Ocean in my swimming trunks. The food was excellent and the other clients of a high calibre – intelligent, interesting and humorous. I even found myself in a double kayak with a Nobel Prize winner talking about theoretical economics next to a calving glacier. Now to go to the Antarctic with Ice Tracks and become officially “bipolar”. Thanks Angie for a wonderful trip.
June 13, 2018
We had such a FANTASTIC TRIP and we had a great time kayaking and zodiac cruising and hiking, also the best group of people we met, may we all have many more adventures together, will treasure the memories.
June 16, 2016
My son Guy and I spent some 12 days in the Arctic on board the Russian ship Akademik Sergey Vavilov as customers of Ice Tracks Expeditions. This trip was organised for us by Angie Butler, whom I had met at a Conference on South Georgia organised by the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge. It was all astonishingly well-organised and everything that could be done for us was done – particularly for me bearing in mind my age. Both the Russian Crew and the Cruise Staff could not have been more helpful – in every sense of that word – and everybody went out of their way to ensure that everything went well, which it did. For me, the trip was a nostalgic one – for my son an eye-opener to the pristine beauty of the Arctic. My/our particular thanks go out to Angie Butler, who could not have been more considerate and helpful on this most enjoyable trip.
July 8, 2015
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