Your Arctic adventure begins today as you follow in the footsteps of North Pole explorers!Welcome to Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard and the starting point of our Arctic expedition.Upon arrival at Longyearbyen airport, our German-speaking staff will warmly welcome you and facilitate your transfer to a comfortable hotel, which we have arranged and included in the itinerary's price. Feel free to explore the charming and walkable town center at your leisure.We recommend commencing your exploration of this captivating Norwegian High Arctic territory at the impressive Svalbard Museum, where you can also acquire rare polar books and maps. Later, indulge in an outstanding dinner at one of Longyearbyen's delightful restaurants.As evening falls, experience the mesmerizing effect of the midnight sun, with daylight persisting throughout your stay in Svalbard. Weather permitting, bask in the sunshine late into the night before retiring to bed. Close the curtains, get a good night's sleep, and prepare for embarkation and the commencement of your expedition the following day

 The day begins with a delightful breakfast at the hotel. As your luggage is transported to the ship in the morning, enjoy an exciting city tour exploring the history and culture of the northernmost city in the world.The tour concludes with a visit to the North Pole Expedition Museum, where you can refresh your knowledge of the often perilous North Pole expeditions and get a taste of the historical locations you'll experience during our cruise.Following this, you'll have some free time, perhaps for lunch in one of the many cafes and restaurants in Longyearbyen or an opportunity for souvenirs or last-minute shopping. Keep in mind that you'll soon receive your own parka, which you can keep, and waterproof boots to borrow on board the ship.Then, it's time to board! Not on an airship or hydroplane like Amundsen or others, but on our comfortable expedition ship, MV Sea Spirit, awaiting us at the port of Longyearbyen. We'll take you to the pier where you'll be welcomed on board. Settle into your spacious suite and explore the ship, your comfortable home for the extraordinary adventure ahead.Once on board, a full program of briefings and lectures from your expedition team will begin. After the first of many delightful dinners on board, head to the open decks and admire the magnificent scenery in 24 hours of daylight.

 On this trip, our goal is to circumnavigate the Svalbard archipelago, and weather and ice conditions permitting, we'll attempt to reach the white island, Kvitøya, the last resting place of the Andrée expedition in the far northeast of Svalbard. Unless a polar bear pays a visit to the monument of the polar explorers, we can anticipate a landing at Andreeneset.Throughout the journey, we aim to immerse ourselves in the many facets of this incredible High Arctic territory. Much of Spitsbergen's pristine nature is safeguarded by a system of national parks, with the Northwest Spitsbergen National Park being the first along our route. It stands as the crown jewel of Svalbard's scenic wonders, known for deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain ranges and immense tidewater glaciers, calving icebergs into turquoise waters. The skies come alive with millions of murres, guillemots, and little auks, whose eggs are currently hatching at numerous breeding colonies on small islands, mountainsides, and sea cliffs within the park. This presents a wonderful opportunity to encounter marine mammals, including beluga whales and various Arctic seals.Enchanting places dot this beautiful area, such as the Blomstrand Peninsula and the Kongsbreen Glacier ("King's Glacier"). Human settlement, though rare along our route, can be found in Ny Ålesund—a former mining town and airship base that is now home to an international community of Arctic explorers. As one of the northernmost settlements globally, Ny Ålesund houses a museum, a souvenir shop, and a post office. It's also the starting point for the famous expeditions of the airships Norge and Italia led by Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile to the North Pole. The anchor mast of the airships still stands tall just behind Ny-Ålesund.

 Further north, the small bay of Virgohamna served as the starting point for another spectacular expedition. In 1896/97, Salomon August Andrée aimed to be the first person to fly over the North Pole and crafted a hydrogen-fueled balloon. Taking off northwards from Virgohamna Bay, unlike Nobile and Amundsen, he wasn't fortunate enough to reach the Pole. Walter Wellman also commenced his unsuccessful attempts to fly to the North Pole from this very location.The Svalbard archipelago sits halfway between the northern part of Norway and the North Pole. Depending on the season, weather, and ocean currents, we anticipate encountering pack ice in the north of Svalbard. Our plan is to journey along the ice edge towards the island of Nordaustlandet and further east towards Kvitøya. However, please bear in mind that our route is highly contingent on the weather and the current ice situation.

 On this part of the journey we will try to reach the eastern and northern regions of the Svalbard archipelago, which are rarely visited by expedition ships. Here we will experience the true isolation and remoteness and the beautiful solitude of the Arctic wilderness.Kvitøya is one of the rarely visited islands closest to Franz Josef Land. This place, which is almost completely covered by ice, was the final resting place of the balloon expedition of the Swedish polar explorer Salomon August Andrée.Kvitøya is not always accessible to expedition ships, but may offer another opportunity to observe polar bears in their natural habitat.

 During this trip we are likely to encounter significant amounts of sea ice in the vast Northeast Svalbard Nature Reserve and around Nordaustlandet, Svalbard's second largest island.In this remote and unique region, the ice may persist well into the summer. The massive ice cap of Austfonna rises above the breathtaking landscapes of the High Arctic. Part of it meets the sea along the 45-kilometer-long Bråsvellbreen ice cliff - one of the greatest wonders of the Arctic world.The polar desert landscape of Nordaustlandet, on the other hand, offers little vegetation but is home to a large number of seabirds. The cliffs of Alkefjellet are home to thousands of guillemots, glaucous gulls and other seabirds. In the past, this impressive rock formation has not only been a great spot for birdwatching, but has also repeatedly provided opportunities to spot foxes.Although we are now leaving the paths of Amundsen, Nobile and Andrée, we can still listen to the fascinating lectures and watch historical film footage from the archive of the Zeppelin Museum.

 Our circumnavigation of the archipelago is coming to an end. We are back in the Isfjord on the west coast of Svalbard. Here we also get to experience beautiful places such as Alkhornet and Skansbukta before we return to Longyearbyen.Onboard, we reflect on the journey, recalling the adventures of the aviation pioneers and historical locations we visited in the last few days.

 After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on board, we bid you farewell in Longyearbyen.We offer transfers to the airport or the city center if you wish to stay longer in Svalbard.Perhaps you are already making plans for your next fantastic journey with us to the polar worlds!

Itinerary, landings and all other activities during the cruise depend strongly on ice and weather conditions and are subject to the decisions of the Expedition Leader and the Captain of the vessel. Encounters with any mentioned wildlife cannot be guaranteed.