ABOUT THE TOUR
We are extremely excited to announce that Alastair Fothergill will be leading a truly unique expedition through the Arctic. With the assistance of his friend and work colleague, Oskar Strøm, you will be led by a team of carefully selected crew, who are highly professional and enthusiastic, giving excellent and captivating insight on the Arctic’s flora and fauna, as well as on the surrounding environment.
Summer arrives at the end of June. The midnight sun reigns supreme and purple saxifrage decorates the slopes. As the ice around the island’s thaws, it provides excellent opportunities to explore the archipelago’s seldom-visited eastern parts.
Your journey begins with two nights in a hotel in Longyearbyen, followed by ten nights on board the very comfortable M/S Quest. With a maximum of 42 guests, this will be a very intimate and exclusive trip. As we navigate the magnificent Arctic wilderness of Svalbard, we will cruise along glittering glaciers and go ashore to take in the magnificent scenery. We will also keep an eye out for the iconic wildlife, including walruses, seals, and polar bears.
EXPEDITION LEADER
Alastair Fothergill
Oskar Strøm
TOUR DATE: 27th JUNE – 9th JULY 2026
Price Includes
- Accommodation throughout as shown in the itinerary
- Full board on board the ship, including coffee and tea, and juice with breakfast
- 1 welcome dinner in Longyearbyen with alcohol
- All entrance fees, visits, and excursions as per the itinerary
- All transportation as detailed in the itinerary
- Local English-speaking guide/s
- Information briefings and lectures by the expedition team
- A parka will be provided for the duration of your voyage
- Port fees, taxes, and tariffs
- Shore landings by zodiac
- The services of your tour leader throughout
Price Excludes
- International flights (quoted separately)
- Boots – these can be hired before the trip in Longyearbyen
- Additional options
- Alcoholic drinks and additional drinks
- Extra excursions not mentioned in the itinerary
- Travel insurance
- Tips for the ship crew (approx. $14 per person per day)
- Items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls / laundry etc.)
- Visa fees
- Government levies or taxes introduced after costing and publication of this programme on 11.09.24
TOUR MANAGER
Louisa Thompson
London / Oslo / Longyearbyen
Suggested flights (not included in the cost of the tour). Fly from London Heathrow on Scandinavian Airlines flight SK804 at 10.35, arriving Oslo at 13.45. Connect to Scandinavian Airlines flight SK4496 departing Oslo at 16.00, arriving Longyearbyen at 18.55.
On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your accommodation. Stay one night at The Funken Lodge.
Longyearbyen
Breakfast at the hotel. A day to explore Longyearbyen. There will be optional activities on offer from dog sledding, to visiting the museum etc.
Longyearbyen / Svalbard
Board the expedition ship and sail out through the spectacular Isfjorden – the Arctic expedition has begun! We are now in a part of the world where we are completely dependent on the ice and weather conditions. Our exact itinerary will depend on these factors and on the wildlife we encounter. Our aim is to head out on Zodiac cruises every day and to go ashore when the opportunity arises.
Expedition Cruising
Northwest Spitsbergen: The scientific village of Ny-Ålesund is in Kongsfjorden. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole. Two other courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on the island of Danskøya. The Swedish explorer Andrée made an attempt with a hydrogen balloon, and the American journalist Wellman started with an airship. Interesting remnants of these expeditions can still be seen here.
Magnificent fjords: Svalbard offers visitors countless spectacular fjords. During our journey we will explore some of them such as: Liefdefjorden, meaning “The fjord of love”, is lined with snow-capped mountain peaks and here we hope to cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest in the area. In Krossfjorden we revel in the beautifully sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier and are greeted by the many kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots that nest on the nearby cliffs. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty – dominated by magnificent glaciers. It is also a favourite haunt of seals and the bird cliffs are abuzz with activity.
Hinlopen Strait and Alkefjellet: Ice conditions permitting, we enter the Hinlopen Strait. Here we find Alkefjellet, an impressive basalt cliff that is home to an estimated 200 000 Brünnich’s guillemots. We may also continue into the beautiful bay of Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet.
Eastern Svalbard: The island of Nordaustlandet is covered by a huge ice cap and has fascinated naturalists and historians alike. Here the giant glacier Bråsvellbreen stretches for 180 kilometres! The 15-20-metre-high ice edge is punctuated by hundreds of by hundreds of waterfalls. Barentsøya and Edgeøya offer magnificent scenery and vast tundra. Barentsøya and Edgeøya offer magnificent scenery and vast tundra. There is a good chance of seeing walrus, arctic fox, and Svalbard reindeer.
Southwest Spitsbergen: The grand fjords of Hornsund offer spectacular glaciers and a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain peaks, often reaching above the clouds. On a clear day you can see the summit of the highest mountain, Hornsundtind, at 1431 metres. Hornsund is a favourite haunt of some of Svalbard’s polar bears and bearded seals can often be seen resting on the fjord ice.
Longyearbyen/ Oslo / London Heathrow
Early in the morning, we disembark from our expedition ship, before being transferred to the airport. Suggested flights (not included in the cost of the tour) fly from Longyearbyen on Scandinavian Airlines flight SK4491 at 10.45, arriving Oslo at 13.40. Connect to Scandinavian Airlines flight SK809 departing Oslo at 15.05, arriving London Heathrow at 16.25.
Please note: All itineraries are for guidance only. Our exact route will depend on the ice, weather conditions, wildlife, and government regulations. The places mentioned are just examples of some of the many sites Svalbard has to offer. We always strive to maximise your experience. Please remember that flexibility is the key to a successful expedition!
PLAN YOUR TRIP
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