Join this expedition cruise along the stunning coastline and magnificent fjords of northern Norway, via the seldom visited and legendary Bear Island to the realm of the polar bear: Svalbard. Visit Lofoten and Bear Island as the sea eagles’ eggs hatch and the cliffs are teeming with tens of thousands of birds. Svalbard greets you with glittering ice, snow covered mountain tops, midnight sun and magnificent wildlife. This expedition allows you to explore some of the most impressive nature and unique wildlife of the Arctic during your adventure through the High Arctic archipelago.
Highlights
Visit the fishing village of Reine, voted as Norway's most beautiful place
See Nusfjord, on UNESCO’s World Heritage list of unique wooden structures
Explore one of the largest seabird colonies of the North Atlantic
Cruise the favorite haunts for some of Svalbard’s many polar bears
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive in Bodø and board the MS Quest. Once you settle into your comfortable cabins, be welcomed by the guides and crew and familiarize yourself with the expedition ship. Then begin the sea voyage towards the dramatic Lofoten Islands.
After breakfast take your first zodiac trip around the spectacular island Vedøya with its tens of thousands of nesting sea birds, also often frequented by eagles. Sail along the southern side of Lofoten, a vast collection of rocky islands rising from the sea, towards Reine. Overlooking Kirkefjord, this charming fishing village has been voted as Norway's most beautiful place.
Today's journey begins in Nusfjord, one of the most preserved and picturesque fishing communities in the area, which is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list of unique wooden structures. Go ashore and explore the local shops and cod fisheries on this historic village. Then continue to cruise along the Lofoten wall and arrive at the stunning Trollfjorden. In the afternoon, head out to sea and head towards Bear Island. On the way, travel through a well-known whale watching area.
Your sea journey to further northern latitudes continues. Interesting lectures provided on board introduce you to the fascinating history and rich wildlife of the Arctic.
Board a Zodiac and explore this fascinating rocky island in the middle of the Barents Sea. Explore one of the largest seabird colonies of the North Atlantic, situated on vertical 400-meter cliffs. Tens of thousands of guillemots nest here, as well as puffins, razorbills, kittiwakes, and glaucous gulls. Continue your journey into the Arctic waters to Svalbard, a vast, glaciated archipelago dominated by wild, pointed mountain ranges and one of the world's most magnificent wildernesses.
It is early in the season so the route naturally depends on the weather and ice conditions. These are examples of places you might visit:
Storfjorden
During this time of the year there is often ice in the vast Storfjorden between the islands of Edgeøya and Spitsbergen. Your crew tries to get as far north as possible along Spitsbergen’s east coast. Certainly keep your eyes open for polar bears.
Hornsund
Hornsund consists of several magnificent fjords along the west coast of Spitsbergen, where enormous glaciers let go of shimmering blue ice floes. On the southern side of the fjord pass one of the highest mountains in Svalbard, Hornsundstinden. This is one of the favorite haunts for some of Svalbard’s many polar bears.
Bellsund
At the beautiful Vårsolbukta in Bellsund little auks nest by the tens of thousands. Go ashore and walk across the tundra to take a closer look at the mountain, where barnacle geese and Brünnich’s guillemots nest.
Isfjorden
At the entrance of Isfjorden is the giant cliff Alkhornet, several hundred meters high. Go ashore to enjoy the beautiful tundra and its birdlife with barnacle geese, Brünnich’s guillemots, glaucous gulls, snow buntings and tens of thousands of kittiwakes. Some arctic foxes live in the rock crevices around the mountain and with some luck you might see these lovely little animals scurrying around, looking for food.
Day 10: Disembark in Longyearbyen
1 Breakfast
Arrive to Longyearbyen early in the morning and begin your journey home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$5,590
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Triple Cabin
Triple Cabin with upper and lower berths. Located on Deck 3.
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Twin Cabin
Twin Cabin with two twin beds. Located on Deck 3.
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Twin Cabin Plus
Twin Cabin Plus with two twin beds. Located on Deck 3.
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Double Cabin
Double Cabin with one double bed. Located on Deck 3.
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Double Cabin Superior
Double Cabin Superior with one large double bed. Located on Deck 3.
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Owners Cabin
Owners Cabin with one large double bed. Located on Deck 4.
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Solo Twin Cabin
Twin Cabin for solo use. Same cabins as the Twin Cabin, located on Deck 3.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
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