Make your way to Heathrow Airport on time for your flight to Longyearbyen via Oslo.
On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Funken Lodge for 2 nights on B&B basis.
Day to relax and explore the small town of Longyearbyen - maybe visit the museum.
The Svalbard archipelago is synonymous with its largest island, Spitsbergen, which has captured imaginations since the Dutch first spotted its pointed, craggy peaks piercing the sheet ice and the clouds. Here, the town of Longyearbyen serves as a comfortable base. A selection of cosy hotels join the colourfully painted cabins spread along the sheltered shores of Adventfjorden, and the surrounding mountains provide protection from the worst of the wind. Somewhat surprisingly, in an
otherwise sleepy atmosphere, the town’s pubs and cafes add real vibrancy, and delicious and exotic Arctic delicacies abound on restaurant menus. Ride out of town on a snowmobile or dogsled and even more excitement awaits in the wilderness
Longyearbyen
Enjoy a guided tour of colourful Spitsbergen’ capital Longyearbyen. Late afternoon sees us warmly welcomed on board the ship.
Stateroom Category B cabin number 607 being held.
Included with the cruise is a tour of Longyearbyen, uncovering the town’s rich mining history and taking in the spectacular glacial surrounds. Then, in the late afternoon, you’ll board your ship, the luxurious, and brand new, Greg Mortimer. Proudly named after Arctic Expeditions’ co-founder – the first Australian to climb Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen – it’s a polar class ship designed for expedition cruising in the 21st century. Expect stunning staterooms with floor-to ceiling
windows and, in many cases, private balconies, as well an on-board spa, sauna and gym, a stylish dining area and several observation points, including a 360-degree open deck and a 180-degree indoor lounge. There’s also a custom-built activity platform and specially designed launch areas for the ship’s 15 Zodiacs.
Included:
All our voyages offer fantastic opportunities for photography and videography. On selected expeditions, a photography expert will offer lectures and presentations to help improve your skills. Whether a beginner or experienced photographer, you will find the presentations and informal tuitions, while either on board or during landings and excursions, will help you capture those memorable moments.
Peter Eastway
Peter is an AIPP Grand Master of Photography, Fellow and Honoury Fellow of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography and the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography, and author of Lonely Planet's Guide to Landscape Photography. Peter is also featured in the Tales By Light documentary (available on Netflix).
- Sail along Spitsbergen’s glacier-filled coastline
- Almost 24-hours of exquisite Arctic sunlight
- Spot polar bears, walruses, ringed seals and more
- Abandoned whaling stations and trappers huts
- Photograph delicate Arctic tundra flowers
- Large colonies of auklets, guillemots and puffins
In true expedition style we encourage exploration and adventure, offering flexibility in challenging environments in a way that puts you among the action to see and do as much as possible. This itinerary is only a guide and subject to change due to ice and weather conditions.
Magdalenefjorden
Magdalenefjorden
Having left the relative bustle of Longyearbyen behind, this morning sees you wake to views of the spectacular peaks and glacial valleys of Spitsbergen’s wild west coast. Arriving into Magdalenefjorden, you’ll board a Zodiac to get a closer look at 14th July Glacier’s ice-blue cliffs, and, if conditions are right, make land for a guided walk among summer meadows. Along the
way, keep a look out for colonies of Atlantic puffins and guillemots that nest among the sea cliffs, and bearded seals basking on the rocks. Again, if weather permits, you might also visit the remains of a 350-year-old Dutch whaling settlement on remote Amsterdam Island.
Magdalenefjorden
Moffen Island & Woodfjorden
Rounding Spitsbergen’s northwest coast, we enter the Arctic Ocean and the world of pack ice. Ghostly beluga whales rise up in open leads and polar bears stalk ringed, bearded and harp seals. Offshore, walruses feed on clams or haul out on beaches, especially on Moffen Island, a walrus sanctuary. We visit trapper huts and stay alert for reindeer and Arctic fox. Delightful walks reveal delicious berries and some of the tundra’s 164 exquisite flowering plants including purple saxifrage, yellow spider plants and Svalbard poppies. If ice conditions allow, we attempt to cross latitude 80° north before turning south to Woodfjorden.
Moffen Island & Woodfjorden
Moffen Island & Woodfjorden
Hinlopen Strait, Barentsoya & Edgeoya Islands
We attempt to pass through narrow Hinlopen Strait, a channel flanked by austere, cream-coloured slopes rich in fossils between Spitsbergen and ice-capped Nordaustlandet. This polar desert is a landscape eroded by severe frost. Even in summer, pack ice could bar our way, but there is much to strive for. We Zodiac cruise beneath Alkefjellet, sheer basalt cliffs rising at more than 250 metres – literally buzzing with some 200,000 nests of Brunnich’s guillemots. During shore excursions, we seek eider ducks, Arctic foxes and the elusive Svalbard ptarmigan. As we pass Barentsøya and Edgeøya islands, we cross polar bear migration routes.
Hinlopen Strait, Barentsoya & Edgeoya Islands
Hornsund & Bellsund Fjords
This is true expedition cruising. If ice conditions allow, we round South Cape and sail north toward Hornsund and Bellsund, deep fjords home to stunning glaciers and wildlife. If ice bars our way, we simply adjust our itinerary, backtrack and delve deeper into the wonders of Spitsbergen’s north and west coasts.
Hornsund & Bellsund Fjords
Isfjorden & at sea
As you approach the end of your voyage, you'll cruise overnight back to the Norwegian mainland, perhaps spotting whales and seabirds as you go. It's also a final chance to enjoy the desolate scenery and superb lecture series.
Isfjorden & at sea
arrive at Kirkenes Harbour and transfer to the Scandic Hotel for 1 night on B&B basis in a superior room.
Kirkenes is a small fishing village at the very tip of Norway as it loops above Sweden and Finland to its border with Russia. It marks the final stop on the Northern Norway coastal cruise route and its 3,000 or so locals speak a mixture of Norwegian, Russian, Sami and Finnish. Here, amid a landscape of snow and ice, at the northern terminus of Hurtigruten's iconic coastal route, is the world's northernmost snow hotel. Spend wintry days and nights on thrilling snowmobiling and husky excursions as
you embrace the unique culture of Norway's frozen north under the Northern Lights or, in summer, on boat trips, hikes and cultural experiences beneath the endless glow of the Midnight Sun.
transfer to the airport for your flight back to Heathrow via Oslo.
