Norway and Spitsbergen – The Route of Polar Pioneers

A few hours before we arrive at Skarsvåg we will sail past the spectacular North Cape cliff, offering you a stunning view of this famous landmark. Skarsvåg is a small village that lies along the northern coast of the island of Magerøya, and it claims the distinction of being the world's northernmost fishing village. Join the optional excursion to the North Cape and get a feeling what it’s like to stand at the end of the Earth. There is a combined museum and restaurant at the plateau, where you can learn more about early expeditions and watch a panoramic film that takes you through the four seasons in this landscape full of contrasts, light and breathtaking scenery.

Bjørnøya, with a population of just nine persons, is the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago. It is an isolated spot in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, known for hosting perhaps the largest concentration of sea birds in the Northern Hemisphere. This is where the cold waters from the Arctic Ocean meet warm Gulf Stream currents. When these water masses collide, nutrient-rich water is pushed up to the surface, making it an 'all-you-can-eat' buffet for 126 different bird species. If conditions allow, we will land here.

Cruising northbound from Bjørnøya, the Captain and Expedition leader will make the best use of the conditions at hand. We may cruise into Hornsund and explore the ice-filled fjord by small boats, or land to hike to a viewpoint overlooking the glacier. The Expedition team will tell stories of the history of the area, including that of Wanny Woldstad, the first female trapper-hunter who lived here in the 1930s.

We often observe polar bears, although not every day and seldom at very close range. Like most things in a true wilderness, there are no absolute guarantees. But the more eyes scouting through binoculars, the better our chances of observing the King of the Arctic. We might visit Kongsfjord, considered one of the most beautiful fjord areas in Spitsbergen, with mighty glaciers calving icebergs into the sea, framed by stunning mountain formations. On the shore of Kongfjord is the former mining settlement of Ny-Ålesund, now an international centre for research, with a picturesque mix of old and new buildings.

Every great explorer's voyage comes to an end. Many guests report a subtle exhilaration in the afterglow of this journey, partly from the thrill of coming just a few hundred miles from the North Pole. The final day, we will have a morning landing and sail into Isfjord, the most extensive fjord system on Svalbard, on our way to Longyearbyen. We arrive in Longyearbyen late in the evening and transport you to the airport for your night flight to Oslo.