12-Day Arctic Expedition

Explore the Arctic, one of the Earth's great wildernesses. Your Arctic travel begins on board the MS Polar Star where you will experience polar wonders, including amazing journeys to some of Spitsbergen's and Svalbard's most remote sites and scenery. Your days will be filled with guides and Zodiac landings. Tour historical mining towns, such as Ny-Alesund and Barentsburg. Bask in the splendor of Norway's northernmost fjords. Look to the sky filled with unusual birds and the sea filled with whale, seal and other marine life.

Depart the U.S. on your transatlantic flight to Oslo.

Transfer from the airport to downtown. Explore Oslo, the capital of Norway. See the city's many sites including Vigeland Park. Discover its rich history and take-in the breathtaking majesty of the blue Oslo fjord and green forests and hills.

You will have breakfast at your hotel in the morning. The rest of the day is yours to explore independently until your flight to Longyearbyen. Upon arrival, you'll be met by a guide and transfer to the Spitsbergen Hotel. [B]

Enjoy time on your own in the morning. You will have the afternoon with a sightseeing tour of Longyearbyen before embarking on your Arctic expedition cruise on the MS Polar Star. Now your adventure really begins: Seals, whales, abundant birdlife, unique Arctic flora and-with luck-polar bears, will fill your days. Your journey is enhanced by daily lectures covering each day's Arctic travel itinerary. On your way out of the Isfjord, call at Barentsburg, a Russian mining community, and enjoy a guided tour. [B/L/D]

Today, you'll have reached the northern parts of Prins Karls Forland island. Its sharply peaked mountains, surrounded on all sides by massive glaciers, will take your breath away. Continue past the majestic Kongsfjord to the international research center at Ny-Alesund, the starting point for many 1920s expeditions trying to reach the North Pole, and join the guided tour. Proceed north to the Magdalenefjord, one of the most beautiful fjords in Spitsbergen. Thousands of rare auks can be found here, and whales can be spotted. Then enter the Smeerenburgfjord, another stunning fjord. You'll cross the narrow sound, by Zodiac, to Virgohamna. This was the starting point of the ill-fated 1897 Swedish expedition to reach the North Pole by balloon. [B/L/D]

The ship continues around the northeastern corner of Spitsbergen, entering the spectacular Woodfjord. Today's goal is to reach the 80° parallel, sailing by Moffen Island before heading farther east toward the Hinlopen Strait and the most remote parts of Spitsbergen. You'll make a Zodiac landing to personally experience the startling beauty of this high Arctic landscape. [B/L/D]

Winter never truly relaxes its grip on Spitsbergen's majestic and silent east coast. Here lie some of Svalbard's most desolate regions, including Nordaustland, the chain's second-largest island, almost completely enveloped by two enormous glaciers. The leading edge of the larger glacier, Austfonna, is 124 miles wide. Weather permitting; you'll make a Zodiac landing to encounter the glacier ice up close. (Early season route, for those eager to see lots of ice and birds: Travel north along Nordaustland, via Wahlenbergfjord, then on in the direction of Sjuoyane. Later season route: Sail via Edgeoya, Storfjord, and around the Southern Cape. These cruises go farther east and might sail around all of Spitsbergen.) [B/L/D]

After disembarking, transfer with your guide to the airport for your return flight to Oslo. [B]

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S. [B]

Please Note: Itineraries are subject to change due to weather and ice conditions, and may differ from one departure to another.

Meal codes: [B] Breakfast [L] Lunch [D] Dinner

FOR ROUTE MAP, CLICK HERE.

Hurtigruten explorations, including an Arctic expedition await. Request a brochure, contact a travel agent or book online. Embark on a journey of exploration, adventure and luxury with Hurtigruten, authentic voyages to pristine lands.