Spitsbergen - Adventure

Days 2–8: Expedition trip

After breakfast, you will once again have some time to explore Longyearbyen on your own. You will meet up with your guides for lunch. In the afternoon, you will depart by ship for Isfjord.
As your trip is taking place in the Arctic, rapid weather changes are always to be expected. Your daily excursions are dependent on ice and weather conditions and will always be adjusted as necessary.

The following excursions are planned for the coming days of your trip: Prince Charles's Forland, Virgohamna, and fjords such as Liefdefjorden and Krossfjord. There is also the opportunity to see the pack ice north of Spitsbergen and the majestic fjords of Hornsund.

Below are some examples of places you can visit.

Prins Karls Forland: This narrow strip of land is dominated by an impressive, snow-covered mountain range. The island is also an important habitat for numerous seabirds and seals.

Vigorhamna: Vigorhamna on the island of Danskøya is known for bold attempts to conquer the North Pole. The Swede Andrée tried it with a hydrogen balloon, while the American Wellman used an airship. To this day, there is fascinating evidence of these adventures at this location.

Svalbard's Fjords: Spitsbergen boasts impressive fjords. On your tour, you'll explore several of them, including Liefdefjorden, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, where you can marvel at the Monaco Glacier and possibly spot rare birds such as the king eider. Krossfjord is home to the 14 July Glacier, where many gulls and guillemots reside. The picturesque Raudfjord is home to seals and bird cliffs. Kongsfjord is home to the town of Ny-Ålesund, which served as the starting point for Amundsen’s historic North Pole expedition.

Sjuøyane: These islands lie north of Nordaustlandet and form the northernmost outpost of Spitsbergen. On one of the islands, Rossøya, Andrée and his companions had set up one of their supply depots in case their now legendary balloon expedition in the late 19th century should fail.

Northern Spitsbergen: North of Spitsbergen, you may be able to reach the edge of the pack ice. Few ships venture this far, so you can admire the silence and grandeur of this icy landscape while keeping an eye out for iconic Arctic wildlife.

Southern tip of Spitsbergen: The extensive fjords of Hornsund feature impressive glaciers and a fascinating backdrop of majestic mountain peaks. In clear weather, we can see the summit of Hornsundtind, which rises 1,431 meters above sea level. Hornsund attracts many of Spitsbergen's polar bears, and it is not uncommon to see bearded seals resting on the ice of the fjord.