High Arctic of Svalbard

Day 1: Tromso

The Arctic gateway, Tromso at 69 degrees north, is renowned for the midnight sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter. The Arctic Cathedral, with stained-glass windows, hosts midnight concerts. The Fjellheisen cable car offers panoramic views from Mount Storstei­nen, while the historic centre features old wooden houses. The Polar Museum chronicles early polar explorations, and the thriving Alpine Botanic Garden adds to Tromso's charm.

Day 2: Bear Island

The greatest bird cliff in the Barents Sea is on Bear Island, or Bjørnøya, Svalbard’s southernmost island. Atlantic puffins, northern gannets, glaucous gulls, great skuas, black-legged kittiwakes, little auks, common guillemots, and Brünnich's guillemots, nest on the steep cliffs near Kapp Kolthoff, south of Sørhamna. The ocean has sculpted sea stack rock columns, sea caves and tunnels, with a notable tunnel at Perleporten.

Day 3 to 8: Svalbard

Svalbard is the kingdom of the polar bears, deep in the Arctic Circle, featuring varied polar landscapes and gargantuan glaciers. Beyond magnificent fjords in the north, the remaining sea ice serves as prime hunting grounds for polar bears. Closer to Longyearbyen, tundra and beaches replace snow and ice. Alongside 600 polar bears, this Arctic hotspot is home to walrus, Svalbard reindeer, ringed seals and arctic fox.

Day 9: Skarsvag (Nordkapp) - Cruising North Cape

Skarsvåg, Europe’s northernmost fishing village on Magerøya Island, is a short journey from Nordkapp (North Cape)—Europe's northernmost point above the Arctic Circle, marked by a striking globe monument. Only Svalbard stands between here and the North Pole. Along the coast, Atlantic puffin colonies and over a million seabirds nest, including arctic skuas, razorbills, northern gannets, white-tailed eagles, common eider ducks and great cormorants.

North Cape (Nordkapp), the northernmost tip of Europe in Norway, where the Arctic Ocean meets the rugged coast, is a majestic headland that has fascinated explorers for centuries. Cruising to North Cape promises an awe-inspiring encounter with nature's grandeur and a glimpse into the Arctic's captivating allure. In summer, North Cape basks in the ethereal glow of the midnight sun, a surreal phenomenon where the sun never fully sets.

Day 10: Alta

Alta, the city of Arctic light at 70° N above the Arctic Circle, basks in the midnight sun from mid-May to late July, with no darkness, yet temperatures rarely exceed 10°C. The distinctive Alta Church, known as the Northern Lights Cathedral, symbolises the aurora borealis. Thousands of prehistoric rock carvings lie at the head of Alta Fjord. Hjemmeluft, the largest accessible area, hosts the World Heritage Rock Art Centre - Alta Museum.

Day 11: Tromso

The Arctic gateway, Tromso at 69 degrees north, is renowned for the midnight sun in summer and the Northern Lights in winter. The Arctic Cathedral, with stained-glass windows, hosts midnight concerts. The Fjellheisen cable car offers panoramic views from Mount Storstei­nen, while the historic centre features old wooden houses. The Polar Museum chronicles early polar explorations, and the thriving Alpine Botanic Garden adds to Tromso's charm.

• 3 Group return transfers (Airport to hotel, hotel to ship, ship to airport)
• One-night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel or onboard
• All meals onboard
• 24-hour room service
• Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and selected alcoholic beverages available 24 hours per day
• Lecture programs by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
• Standard WiFi
• Self-service laundry
• Onboard gratuities and port taxes
• One selected shore excursion per non-expedition port of call
• Up to 2 expedition activities per expedition port of call
• Stainless Steel water bottle and backpack

• Any items not mentioned as included.